County Durham

….from natural beauty to history & heritage in the land of the Prince Bishops

For those studying history, the ‘Land of the Prince Bishops” offers a wealth of opportunities from the Roman site of Binchester near Bishop Auckland to Killhope, The North of England Lead Mining Museum.

Durham Castle and Cathedral form a World Heritage Site in a magnificent setting. The historic Cathedral is one of the finest examples of Norman church architecture in England, whilst the neighbouring Castle, built in 1072, was once the seat of the “Prince Bishops”.

Durham is also home to the Gala Theatre which offers a range of school-orientated performances; the Durham Art Gallery with its changing exhibition programme and the Durham Light Infantry Museum.

The industrial revolution also saw County Durham at the birth of railway development, pioneering both engineering and some of the first routes. Locomotion, The National Railway Museum at Shildon (KS from 1-3), houses around 60 vehicles from the National Collection, a shop, cafe, classrooms and conservation workshops.

Students find the school rooms at Beamish Museum, a particularly daunting experience! But, overall, it is one of the most popular educational attractions in England with a comprehensive range of educational facilities, secondary information and resource packs for all ages and abilities.

The North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with its European Geopark status provides an array of natural study resources on all aspects of the environment as does Hamsterley Forest near Bishop Auckland.

Weardale became the heart of the world’s lead mining industry in the 18th and 19th centuries. The former mine at Killhope, is now an award-winning “hands-on” visitor experience, producing a variety of new on-site activities, loans boxes and online teachers materials - all based around Creative Science and History for primary aged children.

Teesdale also offers learning opportunities; art, ceramics and textiles can be studied at the magnificent Bowes Museum, whilst estate culture can be experienced at Raby Castle.