River Wear Walk

The path along the River Wear circles the base of the cathedral peninsula in a loop of roughly 3 km, entirely flat, almost traffic-free, and lined with woodland and riverbank. Start at Framwellgate Bridge, the oldest bridge in the city (built 1128), and follow the path south past Prebends' Bridge — a graceful 18th-century span with one of the most-photographed views of the cathedral — and then north again along the far bank to Elvet Bridge.

The wooded slopes above the path belong to the cathedral and the university colleges, and the whole walk feels remarkably rural for a city centre. In spring, the banks are covered in wild garlic and bluebells. Durham's rowing clubs train on the river and their boathouses are along the southern stretch. The full loop from Framwellgate to Elvet via Prebends' Bridge takes about an hour at an easy pace.

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A story
The river path gives the best view in Durham: the cathedral and castle together on their wooded peninsula, seen from below — the image that made Bill Bryson, arriving by train, immediately fall in love with the city. The peninsula is almost entirely encircled by the Wear, which cuts a tight meander around it, so you can walk nearly all the way around the base of the promontory on flat riverside paths.