The old center of Durham, an ancient county town, with its magnificent cathedral and castle perched high above a loop of the River Wear, is a never-to-be-forgotten sight. First fortified in Roman days, the medieval city stood for centuries as a bulwark against the Scots, while the superb Norman cathedral
drew a multitude of pilgrims to St Cuthbert's tomb. Coal mining brought Durham into the industrial age. The city makes a good base for excursions into a region extending from the Pennines to the North Sea coast. Durham has over 600 notable listed buildings including Crook Hall, Kingsgate Bridge, Elvet Bridge and the Town Hall.
Although the area of County Durham - bounded by the rivers Tyne and Tees - had long been settled, little is known of its history prior to Roman times. Durham was then part of a region under Celtic rule, the territory of the Brigantae, into which the Romans advanced at the end of the first century. Later they called a halt to further encroachment north, preferring to consolidate their hold behind the security of Hadrian's Wall. Durham's next mention in documentary sources occurs in the 10th century when, in 945, the monks of Lindisfarne were driven from their monastery by Viking raiders. They bore St Cuthbert's remains away with them and, guided by a divine sign, fixed eventually on a new resting place at "dunholm" (hill island). In 1017, after receiving a gift of land from the Danish overlord, work began on a church. The Norman Conquest met with strong resistance in northern England; but once successful, Walcher de Lorraine was appointed bishop. In 1092 his successor, Bishop William St Carileph, demolished the existing church, clearing the site for the present cathedral. As rulers of a frontier outpost constantly threatened by the Scots, the bishops of Durham enjoyed sovereign-like status. Together with the title of Prince-Bishop went the power to raise their own armies, establish their own judicial courts, mint coins, levy taxes and grant political asylum. Strategically positioned on the route to Scotland, and profiting from the powerful attraction for pilgrims of St Cuthbert's shrine, the city quickly prospered; the surrounding countryside became divided into large estates on which feudal barons erected splendid castles. From the early modern period onwards mineral-based industries came to play an increasingly important role. Pitheads and chimneys in time dotted the landscape, and the steel and shipbuilding industries flourished. In the 19th century the population was swelled by an influx of immigrant workers; industrialists built grand houses, working class districts grew up, and trade unions were founded (the annual Durham Miners' Gala is still a major event in the calendar). As mining has declined, more and more service-sector businesses have relocated in the city.
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