Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The last sight in County Durham as you head north is
Beamish, the Living
Museum of the North
deep in the countryside 12 miles northwest of Durham.
Beamish, the Living Museum of the North
MUSEUM This vivid
open-air re-creation of an early-19th-century pit village includes costumed interpret-
ers acting out daily life in shops, houses, pubs, a farm, and so on. For kids, the stars
are a ride on the Pockerley Waggonway-replica locomotives pulling re-created period
carriages, the original carousel, and the coal-fired fish-and-chips shop.
Beamish.
&
0191/370-4000.
www.beamish.org.uk. Admission £16 adults, £10 children 5-16 high sea-
son; £7.50 adults, £6 children low season; £10 adults, £8 children at Christmas. Apr-Oct daily 10am-
5pm; first 3 weeks. Nov and early Jan-Apr Sat-Sun and Tues-Thurs 10am-4pm, plus some days over
Christmas.
Killhope, the North of England Lead Mining Museum
MUSEUM Don
hard hats to tour an old mine (ages 4 and up only), see displays about lead mining in
the area, and walk in the surrounding woodland, complete with play park, picnic
tables, and wildlife hides. The museum is a fun place to bring kids, with Sam Squir-
rel family backpacks available.
Near Cowshill.
&
01388/537505.
www.killhope.org.uk. Admission £7 adults, £4 children 4-16. Apr-Oct
daily 10:30am-5pm.
Where to Eat
EXPENSIVE
For the White Room at Seaham Hall, see “Where to Stay,” below.
Bistro 21
MODERN BRITISH/EUROPEAN You won't regret venturing out
of central Durham to this relaxed rustic-chic bistro, where mainly seasonal regional
ingredients such as wild sea bass and vegetables grown in the restaurant's own court-
yard are used to full effect in creative but comforting dishes such as local ham,
French mushy peas, and slow-cooked egg; North Sea plaice with braised fennel,
crushed potatoes, beetroot, and capers; and soft meringue roll with port and orange
plums. Many dishes have a French or Spanish bias, but more global influences creep
in, too, as do British classics such as fish and chips. There are good-value fixed-price
menus plus a vegetarian menu.
Note that chef Terry Laybourne's protégé Paul O'Hara runs the
Bridge Inn Eat-
ing & Drinking House
(
&
01833/627341;
www.thebridgeinnrestaurant.
co.uk) in the quaint village of Whorlton not far from Barnard Castle, where you can
expect a similar style and quality of cooking.
Aykley Heads House, Aykley Heads, Durham.
&
0191/384-4354.
www.bistrotwentyone.co.uk. Reser-
vations recommended. Main courses £15-£23. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat noon-2pm and 6-10pm.
Finbarr's
MODERN BRITISH/EUROPEAN Ranked by many as the best
restaurant in town since opening in early 2010, this cozy inn-like building in Durham
City's Conservation Area, on the edge of the Flass Vale nature reserve a short walk
from the city center, conceals a haven of subtle modern chic. The contemporary
rustic cooking with the odd, exotic touch features mainly regional produce—stand-
outs are leek and potato soup with soft-poached egg and bacon crumbs, local pork
“three ways” (belly, shoulder, and filet), and iced yogurt parfait with honey-roast figs.
But the highlight is the wonderful Sunday lunches—a bargain at £18 for three
courses, plus a £6 kids' menu or smaller portions from the main menu. Finbarr's is
also open for breakfast daily.
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