Son Nathan and I had a marvelous day in Durham, just 25 minutes from Newcastle on the train through beautiful countryside. It had long been my desire to visit this almost pure Norman great church dedicated to St. Cuthbert, the patron saint of Northumberland, and it was as marvelous architecturally as I had hoped. The castle was also wonderful with a tour led by a young former student with a neat sense of humor. The town of Durham is small and lovely, and dominated by the Cathedral and Castle standing high above the River Wear.
Note the numerous interior shots in the cathedral - these are not our photos but were scanned from the guidebook. I thought everyone should see the amazing architecture.