The Beautiful North
On her first visit to Durham, Val Reynolds Brown is charmed by the character of the city and the beautiful countryside of Co Durham and Teesside.
Durham is just three hours from London on the train - visiting for the first time, we were seduced by the city’s atmosphere and eclectic architecture. Small but perfectly formed was a description that sprang to mind.
We were bowled over by the centuries old city centre with its cobbled streets, mysterious alleys - referred to as vennels - home to quirky shops and off beat craftspeople. Beautiful bridges, the reflections of the cathedral in the river, a castle that has been in continuous use for 900 years and the only one in the UK never to have been breached.
We spent hours happily exploring the streets and the river walks thickly covered with trees. We watched young canoeists practising in quiet waters and we joined a group with a tour guide who talked and walked us to areas easily missed by visitors on the cathedral and castle site.
We stayed in Northside Farm Retreat near Barnard Castle in Teesside, some 25 miles south of Durham. Northside Farm is in the process of developing as a centre for visitors to chill out and participate in courses such as tai chi, meditation, and yoga. Access to a 14-metre swimming pool with sauna and steam room offers a relaxing environment.
Our self-contained cottage slept six and was well appointed with everything needed to make our stay very comfortable indeed, that included the dishwasher, which gave my husband a welcome rest from sink duty!
About 15 miles north east of Durham we made a visit to Seaham Hall, the leading luxury hotel and spa resort in Northern England where we enjoyed a wonderful massage in its Serenity Spa.
Linked to the hotel by an intriguing underground walkway, The Serenity Spa, designed by Jocelyn Maxfield, has won a string of international awards and has become one of the UK’s top destination spas as voted by Best Spa for Style by The Sunday Times and Best UK Spa Destination by Conde Nast Traveller.
The decor of the four star Michelin hotel is a fusion of East and West and takes most visitors by surprise. We were quite taken with the airiness and space given to the whole property and the signature pieces of antique and artisan decorative art. In fact a very similar feel and style to the world famous Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg.
Afternoon tea was a magnificent end to our visit, finger sandwiches, good strong coffee, delicious tea, sausage rolls to die for and we won’t go on about the cakes except they were plentiful and delightful!
Our last evening was spent at Headlam Hall, a rather lovely 17th century country house with beautiful gardens surrounded by rolling farmland.
The hotel’s spa has enjoyed substantial financial investment and attracts members both locally and further afield. Opened three years ago, it has five full-time therapists and one student trainee an impressive spa menu using Aromatherapy Associates and Thalgo products. There are five beautifully appointed treatment rooms including a double room so you can enjoy a treatment with a partner or friend.
We loved the warm welcome and friendliness of the staff and stayed for dinner in the Orangery. The food was absolutely excellent, from the tiny appetiser cup of leek and potato soup, through to the chocolate crème brulé. Restraint flew out of the window and we toasted the meal with a glass of champagne! Very highly rated, and a wonderful end to our stay in this lovely corner of England.
While there is so much to see and explore in County Durham, we particularly wanted to see more of Teesdale, including High Force, a 21 metre waterfall that is the highest unbroken fall of water in England. Great practice for photographers! It’s the beginning of the wilder area of the Pennines and one we intend to see on our next visit to the North.
