About the Heritage Centre

The Heritage Centre is Durham City's only local history museum telling the story of Durham from Mediaeval times to the Twentieth Century. It offers much of interest to tourists and Durham residents alike with displays about Durham as a centre of pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Cuthbert, the City's old theatres only one of which survives in use, Durham people, the world renowned Harrison organ makers, lost industries, mining life and railways. Particular items of interest include models of the Mediaeval city and 19th Century Market Place, the Chancery Court bench, reconstructions of cells from the Victorian prison and the notorious Northgate gaol and Durham School's "Death Chair".

The Centre is also County Durham's only brass rubbing centre so artistically inclined visitors can can make brass rubbings based on any of the many replica brasses available. Artistically disinclined visitors can buy a completed brass rubbing based on any of the many replicas available in the Centre`s shop which also sells souvenirs, books, colouring books and postcards.

There is an entrance charge for the exhibition, with concessions for students etc. and children, but this applies only to the exhibition- not the brass rubbing or the shop. School visits can be arranged in advance and are most welcome with a special programme of activities available that have been developed to tie in with the National Curriculum for History.

The Centre was established in the redundant Church of St.Mary-le-Bow by the Bow Trust (registered charity number 513865) as part of it's work to preserve the Church.

Location

Durham Heritage Centre is on North Bailey opposite the east end of the Cathedral (and we still get people asking where the Cathedral is!).

For a map of the wider area to relate this to look at multimap.com. If you have any trouble with this link go to their home page and enter DH1 as your search criterion.

Parking

There is a large car park under the Prince Bishop's shopping centre and two under Millburngate shopping centre all marked on the map. You can also park across the river on Church Street etc. Durham is a small busy city and parking spaces can be hard to find though this has improved greatly since most of the area near the City centre fell under the spell of parking meters. Of course this means you have to pay- 30p per half hour up to £1.50 for the day currently. The meters do not give change.

Parking spaces are also available on Palace Green, between the Cathedral and Castle, but it is awkward to get to, expensive at £5 and often full though certainly the preferred option if considering wheelchair access. From personal experience I think one is best advised to stop on Church Street and cross Kingsgate footbridge (and I don't have to pay to park on Palace Green!)

Disabled access

As noted whilst North Bailey can be inconvenient to get to it can be reached by car. Disabled passengers can be dropped off more or less at the door and disabled drivers can try Palace Green. If approaching from elsewhere it should be borne in mind that, as well as steps marked on footpaths, there is a flight of twenty-odd steps at the west end of Kingsgate bridge.

Thanks to low kerbs and a few ramps once at the Centre the ground floor is easily accessed and most of it can be explored by wheelchair. Sadly such considerations were a low priority with mediaeval church architects and so there is nothing we can do to make the gallery, where the video and a few exhibits are on show, accessible to wheelchairs though videos can be viewed downstairs if requested.

The map's distinction between pedestrian areas and footpaths is quite deliberate. The pedestrian areas are all paved and fairly even and the footpaths aren't. Apart from the obvious obstacle of steps, which are marked, some of them can be quite narrow, steep and uneven. Not impassable for wheelchairs but not to be sneezed at either.

Opening

The Heritage Centre's opening season is restricted by the practicalities of heating a stone building with walls four feet thick. Opening from the start of April to the end of October, and the Easter bank holiday weekend if it falls in March, the opening hours are:

For large group visits and school parties it is possible to open outside the usual opening hours, in fact it is preferable. Naturally arrangements for this have to be made in advance.

Contact

Durham Heritage Centre
St. Mary-le-Bow
North Bailey
Durham
DH1 5ET

Telephone: +44 (0191) 384 5589 (opening hours only).