Jobs in Durham | Pictures of Durham

Durham has built its reputation as a major seat of learning and as a magnificent World Heritage Site that has drawn visitors to the city by the thousands. Whilst remaining true to its past, Durham is conscious that in order to move forward and become competitive economy it must diversify and seek out new economic drivers.

Its 2020 Vision is an ambitious series of regeneration projects that have already give many parts of the city a much-needed face-lift and will continue to do so, thereby enhancing Durham 's increasing appeal as a cosmopolitan and modern location to live and work.

Getting around Durham
By road, the city has easy access to the A1 and the A167, with further links to the A66. But in their eagerness to build and develop new office buildings and business parks as close to the city centre as possible, the Council is up against the pressing dilemma presented by Durham's inability to cope with current congestion levels and parking let alone adding to the problem by increasing the workspace in the centre. Plans for improving the main roads into town are being considered but, for now at least, you may be better to use the Park & Ride and take the bus instead.

Both the bus and train stations are within view of each other and just a short walk into the centre via the Millburngate and Framwelgate Bridges . No matter how groggy you may feel on a Monday morning, the view that greets you as you exit the train station will soon perk you up as you look straight ahead across the River Wear at the hilltop peninsula that overlooks the city below, with the Cathedral dominating your eye-line.

Trains run on the East Coast Main Line and have a direct connection from nearby Chester-le-Street, Darlington and Newcastle Central.

Eating, drinking and shopping in Durham
Durham is a compact city which makes it's a perfect place for shopping. Using the castle as your landmark, you can't go wrong. The centrepiece is the cobbled Market Place in the ‘old town' part of the city. The Victorian Durham Indoor Market which was established 1851, has over 80 stalls. Whilst Prince Bishops Shopping Centre in the High Street and the Gates Shopping Centre in Framwellgate Bridge on the north side of the River Wear offer the usual choice of leading retail names. Or for something completely different there is Fowlers Yard Creative Workspaces where a number of local artists and creatives peddle their wares.

And when it comes to food, Durham doesn't disappoint. As the birthplace of that favourite culinary condiment, mustard, food has always been a strong point in this neck of the woods. Whether you are looking for an old style pub complete with roaring fire and real ale or somewhere that wouldn't look out of place in an episode of Dynasty (minus the high hair and shoulder pads of course), then Durham pretty much has it all. But its forte has to be the affordable option.

As a beacon for students and tourists alike, Durham has an extensive range of cheap eats and pub grub, with a growing number of coffee shops-cum-bar springing up around the place. Bistro 21, Almshouse and Numjai are particularly popular and are all found in and around the main city centre.

Durham 's selection of pubs is slightly more varied than its club-life, with most of the busiest on Silver Street and North Road . If anyone wants cheap drinks then the chain-pubs are your best bet, particularly the Wetherspoon's on North Road . Elsewhere the Walkergate Complex next to the Gala Theatre has a number of bars concentrated in one single area, making a pub crawl seem almost inevitable. Whilst Chase ( Elvet Bridge ), meanwhile, is possibly the most popular of all Durham bars, with its chic interior, in-house DJ and infamous fishbowls.

But when it comes to looking for something to do of a weekend, some of the best option include the Light Infantry Museum & Art Gallery, Durham University Oriental Museum (the only museum in the UK devoted entirely for oriental art and antiques), Durham castle, Fowlers Yard Creative Workspaces and Durham Cathedral.

The Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and anyone seeing it for the first time will immediately understand why it is worthy of such as accolade. Indeed, this is how the 19 th -century novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne described it: ‘I never saw so lovely a magnificent a scene, nor (being content with this) do I care to see better'. You can make your own mind up whether you agree with him or not.

Situated happily in the near of the city is the modern Millennium Place development, opened by the Queen in 2002. The focal point is the 500-seat Gala Theatre and Cinema which offers a varied program of music, drama and comedy, plus extensive conference facilities.

Despite giving us rugby legend Andy Gommersall and cricketer Paul Collingwood, Durham 's overall sporting pedigree – from a spectator's perspective – is not exactly the most impressive. Probably just as well that there are plenty of participation options available. There are a number of leisure centres and sport clubs in the Durham area, coupled with the superior offering at the University of Durham which has the reputation for being one of the best sporting universities in the country.

Main residential areas
Durham has a population of over 90,000, 11,000 of which is made up of students – a fact that may make you think is reflected in the local property prices but, you would be wrong. It is said that a high proportion of students attending Durham University are from wealthy backgrounds, much like their Oxbridge kinsmen.

The most ‘affordable' housing to rent and buy is along Highgate and Kirkwood Drive , whereas streets such as Westhouse Avenue and South Street are far by the most affluent in the city.

Elsewhere, Shincliffe is regarded as one of the most affluent villages in Durham and has been designated a conservation area to preserve its historic character. Whilst Brancepeth is equally sought after. And the areas of Claypath, Gilesgate, North Road, and Old Elvet are where you will find the lowest priced housing in the surrounding area.

If you're thinking of moving to the area, take a look at some of the current property available to buy or let in Durham.

Take a closer look
A picture is worth a thousand words. You can see some images from in and around Durham below.

Looking for local vacancies? See all current jobs in Durham or find out more information on the local area.