Archeological evidences suggests a history of settlement at Durham since roughly 2000BC. The present city can clearly be traced back to 995AD, when a group of monks from Lindisfarne chose the strategic high peninsula as a place to settle with the body of Saint Cuthbert, founding a church there. The present Durham Cathedral was built from 1093, and still contains the remains of St Cuthbert as well as The Venerable Bede. It is regarded by many as the finest cathedral in the world.

Facing the cathedral across Palace Green is Durham Castle, originally built by the Normans from 1071, on William the Conquerer's return from campaigning in Scotland. Some of the present structure is more recent, notably Salvin's Victorian restorations. The two buildings are jointly designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site- one of the original nine in Britain. Since 1837 the castle has been home to University College, the first college of the University.

In the three centuries following the construction of the Castle, Durham was regularly besieged by the Scots, with the notable Battle of Neville's Cross (1346) occurring just one mile west of the city.

In mediaeval times Durham was a major centre of both political and ecclesiastical power, mainly due to its strategic importance near the border with Scotland. County Durham was a palatinate, ruled by Prince-Bishops who had secular authority and considerable autonomy from Westminster, minting their own coinage and maintaining their own armies. Every Bishop of Durham from 1071 to 1836 was a Prince Bishop except for the first Norman-appointed bishop Walcher, who was an Earl-Bishop. Henry VIII curtailed some of the Prince-Bishop's powers, and smashed the shrine of Cuthbert in 1538.

In the 1830's the prestigious University of Durham was founded, which has several colleges on the peninsula and on Elvet Hill on the other side of the river. The 19th century also saw Durham grow as a centre of the coal mining industry. The first Durham Miners' Gala was held in 1871, and remains a popular annual event.

This page was last updated: 01 Oktober 2005

Town history extracts are taken from Wikipedia and are licensed under GFDL