Family activities in Durham City on Easter Monday

There will be walking tours, live music and historical re-enactments around Durham Cathedral, Durham Castle, Owengate and Palace Green Library between 11am and 6pm.

The International World Heritage day will culminate with a free talk by Dan Jackson, author of ‘Northumbrians: North-East England and Its People’ in the early evening in the Assembly Rooms Theatre.

Alison Clark, head of Culture Sport and Tourism at Durham County Council, said: “This one-day event will celebrate International World Heritage Day and see Durham’s history come alive like never before, celebrating its people and culture, with the people of Durham.

“This free family-friendly festival demonstrates the wealth of cultural activities and living history in the county and shows why County Durham is now one of just four locations from across the UK to be shortlisted for the prestigious title of UK City of Culture 2025.”

The open day will be an opportunity to see the hidden history of Durham's UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Read more: Boy who stabbed County Durham teen cleaned bloodstained knife with bleach

Since 2008 the Site boundaries have included Palace Green and the buildings surrounding it, as well as Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle.

Durham Cathedral which took 40 years to build and is one of the finest examples of Norman Architecture in Europe, will be hosting opportunities for children to meet Alwin the monk in the Chapter House, or get hands-on dressing up as a monk.

This year Durham Castle is celebrating its 950th year.

The historic home of the Prince Bishops and now home to Durham University students will be opening its doors to visitors for self-guided tours, while a medieval re-enactment takes place on the grounds.

In Palace Green Library families can explore the Lindisfarne Gospels and make crafty creations to take away. Palace Green itself will host food trucks and community stalls and live music from local bands and musicians between 12pm and 6pm.

‘Living Lives’ will enable visitors to meet and talk to the significant historical personalities of the World Heritage Site.

Attendees can chat with a 10th-century monk who carried St Cuthbert’s coffin to what was then Dun Holm, the milkmaid who led the way, a stonemason who built Durham Castle on the instruction of William the Conqueror, and hear how Durham inspired the work of 19th-century poet Sir Walter Scott.

Eight primary schools have been working with an artist to create a treasure trail, including Cleves Cross, Shotton Hall, Ludworth, Ferryhill Station, Fishburn Primary, Wingate, Yohden, and Coxhoe primary schools. On the day event attendees will explore Durham on a map to find the letters created by the children celebrating Durham’s heritage.

Free blue-badge guided tours taking in the World Heritage Site and the city’s mining history will be available to book on the day.

Talks on everything from bookbinding to medieval cooking will also run throughout the day in Owengate.

---

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054