Durham City Conservation Area

"Durham City was designated as a conservation area on the 9th August 1968. This original designation included the peninsula with Durham Castle and cathedral, the Market Place and the Medieval streets leading out from Silver Street to the west, Claypath to the northeast, Elvet to the east and the slightly more distant Medieval suburb of Gilesgate. The original conservation area boundary concentrated on the historic core of the city but did not include the larger areas abutting the Medieval core which possess separate identities of interest and diversity worthy of conservation area designation.

Subsequently on the 25th November 1980 the conservation area boundary was significantly enlarged to incorporate a much wider section of the city centre encompassing the pre1900 expansion of the city and the majority of the natural ‘bowl’ (the upper slopes of which present a largely rural backdrop to views of Durham Cathedral), the important green wedges of open countryside and other significant green spaces which contribute to and enhance the setting of the historic buildings and the city as a whole.....

The central area of the City of Durham is one of the most important historic city's in Britain. The time-depth, quality and architectural coherence of the historic buildings and the preserved Medieval street pattern, centred on the peninsula and expanding outwards with a dramatic topography and extensive greenery make Durham (City Centre) Conservation Area exceptional....(Durham City Conservation Area, July 2016)