Industry News

Work to restore an historic route past Durham Cathedral has been completed.   

Durham County Council has been carrying out extensive refurbishment on North and South Bailey, also known as The Bailey, in Durham City.

The historic streets the name of which derives from being the outer bailey of Durham Castle, have been restored through the careful laying of natural stone footpaths and kerbs, replacement of cobbles in the carriageway and extensive resurfacing.

To maintain the area's historic character, the council has preserved or re-used existing materials as much as possible, including the original cobbles.

The completion of the works was marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony where Cllr John Shuttleworth, the council’s Cabinet member for highways, rural communities and community safety, opened the street alongside council officers and representatives from Durham Cathedral and Durham University.

Cllr Shuttleworth said: “This event marks a significant milestone in preserving the heritage and improving the infrastructure of The Bailey.

“As a high footfall area and close to university buildings, The Bailey is a popular path leading to Prebends Bridge and the riverbanks. Therefore, we’ve carefully carried out this work to restore the footpaths and cobbled carriageway to ensure the longevity of the street and its character.”

The council has also restored the South Bailey gas sewer lamp. These lamps, invented by J.E. Webb in the 1890s, were designed to burn off dangerous sewer gases, including methane, which accumulated in urban Victorian sewers.