Durham - Riverside & Palace Green

Navigating The Route

This is a circular Treasure Hunt around Durham Riverside & Palace Green, with Adventurers helping Indy Past and the Exploration Society crack the clues and restore Durham's timeline after long-lost documents hidden on an island off the Northumberland coast reveal a mystery about the city's supposed 'gap year' in bishop history.

The quest covers approximately 2.5 miles and should take around 3 hours to complete. You'll begin in front of the Gala Theatre in Millennium Place, explore riverside paths, cross bridges, climb towards Palace Green and continue through Durham's historic streets before returning to the start area.

This Trail is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. The route follows pavements and a riverside path, but there are steps, cobbles and steep slopes in places, plus roads and bridges to cross.

Take particular care on South Street and Saddler Street, where Adventurers should keep to the pavement and take great care of vehicles. Keep Mini Explorers close near the riverside, on steps and at road crossings.

Getting There

By car: Start your quest in front of the Gala Theatre in Millennium Place, Durham (DH1 1WA). Park your expedition vehicle at Prince Bishops car park (DH1 3UJ), which is the recommended car park for this Trail.

By public transport: Durham's park and ride service can drop you at the start. Make your way to the Gala Theatre in Millennium Place to begin the adventure.

Need the Loo?

There are handy comfort stops along the way. Public toilets are available at the public library near Clue 01, then near Clues 13 and 17. There are also public toilets by Owengate on Palace Green.

Bring Your Furry Sidekicks

Four-legged Explorers can join the treasure hunt. 🐾

The route includes pavements, a riverside path, roads and bridges, with steps, cobbles and steep slopes in places. Keep canine companions close around traffic, especially on South Street and Saddler Street, and take care near the riverside and on steeper sections.

Food & Drink Stops

Treasure hunting across Durham is hungry work, so stock up with snacks before you start or seek out refreshment stops near Clues 08 to 09.

If you're packing your own provisions, the riverside between Clues 10 to 11 makes a great picnic spot before the quest climbs onwards.

Want to Make a Day of It?

Durham Cathedral

Durham Cathedral is the grand treasure on this route. Built 900 years ago around the shrine of St Cuthbert, it now displays a remarkable find from 1827, when his coffin was opened and a stunning gold cross covered in garnets was discovered amongst his robes. You can see it in the Cathedral's 'Treasures' exhibition.

Palace Green

Palace Green is the open space between the cathedral and castle, making it a natural place to pause and soak up the setting once the clue-cracking allows. The route suggests exploring it clockwise, with public toilets by Owengate nearby if your squad needs a practical pit stop too.

Durham's Riverside Bridges

The quest gives Explorers a proper riverside stretch, passing under and then on to Framwellgate Bridge, one of the stone bridges on the route. Look out for the cast-iron posts there, then continue as the path rises towards Prebends Bridge, where a stone spire shape is mentioned on the approach.

Market Place

The route finishes in the Market Place, where people have been shopping for over 1,000 years. The site of the indoor market used to be a Palace of the Raby family, which was forfeited after the Rebellion of the North in 1569 - a suitably historic finale for timeline-restoring Adventurers.