Durham

Just fifteen minutes from the (relative) bustle of Newcastle is the pretty little city of Durham. It is well-known for its Norman Cathedral, used in the Harry Potter films and described by Bill Bryson as the "best cathedral on planet Earth."

We stayed in the Amethyst room at Gadds Townhouse (above), which was absolutely beautiful. Just look at it.

It was one hell of a climb to the top of the Cathedral, up 325 spiralling, narrow stairs that certainly rivals York Minster. We may have been out of breath, but it was an impressive view:

Unfortunately, we were not able to explore the Castle as our tour guide got stuck in Newcaslte, but we enjoyed an afternoon wandering the historic streets, tea rooms and boutique stores before returning to (freezing) Manchester that evening.

I wish I had the chance to see the Angel of the North, designed by Antony Gormley, but there's always next time............