County Durham is one of England’s smallest counties. It’s home to Durham Cathedral and (just like Rome), the city is built on seven hills. This is wild weather and dark skies (don’t come here for the sunshine!) If you’re out walking the hills, you’ll likely to see plenty of local drystone walls (sustainably built and rebuilt over centuries). Designed to protect local cattle and sheep.
Always follow the Countryside Code to keep dogs and livestock safe. Learn how to right an overturned sheep or it will die (hold upright until rain has drained off, to prevent it happening again).
home to England’s highest waterfall drop
And also plenty of waterfalls (all 125 of the main ones are found in northern England, formed by the force of water eroding rocks, so water shoots over the edge). High Force rests on the River Tees, with a huge water drop of 70 feet – the highest in England).
Although spectacular to look at, keep at a distance and wear sturdy shoes with good grip, as moss-covered wet rocks can be slippery. And never swim in the pools below, as water force can be extreme, with hidden rocks.
There is a hidden message in every waterfall. It says ‘If you are flexible, falling will not hurt you’. Mehmet Murat Ildan
home to a Catholic environmental saint
Local boy St. Cuthbert lived most of his life as a hermit, and is buried on the holy island of Lindisfarne. He used to guard sheep and even passed laws to protect eider ducks, regarded as ‘the world’s first environmentalist’. It’s said that he became a monk after witnessing angels carrying St Aiden (the monastery’s abbot) to Heaven.
You can take an ancient pilgrimage on the Northern Saints Trails. These six routes cover County Durham & Northumberland. England used to be Roman Catholic country until the Reformation (when Henry VIII banned the religion so he could divorce, and many monks and nuns were killed).
