Durham Cathedral from the weir on The Wear June 2014

... this is where the best walks are, and we had several Walking World routes prepared, fixing on number 4858 as most appropriate for us.

Unusually for us we drove to Peterborough station then took the train to Durham - a more efficient and quite inexpensive form of travel than our usual lengthy drives. In Durham there is no need of a car as it is such a compact city.

Arriving in time for lunch at The Old Elm Tree on Crossgate (traditional pub, satisfactory food including good Sunday roast) we dropped our bags at the excellent Castle View b&b nearby before setting off on the walk. Crossgate is just 10-15 minutes up and down walk from the station, five minutes from the bus station and shops and another ten minutes from the cathedral, so pub and b&b are ideally situated. We particularly recommend Castle View.

WW Walk 4858 begins in the centre of Durham and follows the river Wear around the city peninsular then south past the cricket ground, Pelaw Woods, past Old Durham Farm gardens to Shincliffe and on to Sunderland Bridge by way of Croxdale Hall.

In dappled shade and warm sunlight we generally tried to follow the winding Wear upstream. Unfortunately recent (October 2013) floods and landslides caused several bypasses including one up and through Pelaw Woods. Under normal circumstances this would have been a delightful addition to the walk, but it was irritating to find that this mile-long steep detour brought us back only a few yards from where we left it....

Onwards through fields by the river to Croxdale Hall, with its unexpected and fine Norman Chapel, until we left the Croxdale Estate to catch a bus back to Durham city. A splendid walk despite the detours.

Evening meal at The Court, where a wide range of foods included squirrel, zebra and kangaroo amongst more regular fare.

After our Northumberland walk on Saturday we ate at El Coto tapas bar - tasty and varied menus pleasantly served - followed by a pint at The Victoria opposite, a bar that had not only remained unchanged since my student days in the 1970s but evidently not since its origin in the 1880s.

On Sunday our knees told us to slow down so we strolled up to the very interesting DLI museum in the morning, back down to the cathedral and finally a splendid lunch at The Elm Tree.