Top Landmark Award Goes To Durham Cathedral

Recognised as one of the more influential awards in the tourism calendar, purely because it is the closest that you get to the ordinary British public speaking their mind, the annual TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Awards, which compares millions of visitor ratings, reviews and opinions from worldwide travellers has provided another perhaps unlikely winner.

Fighting off obvious candidates such as Windsor Castle, The Tower of London, Stonehenge and Edinburgh Castle, it is a big round of applause this year to Durham Cathedral, which wins the award for the top UK attraction.

Already in our spotlight here at Brit Breaks because it is hosting the summer display of the Lindisfarne Gospels, the cathedral can trace its roots back to 1093, taking some 40 years to build.  As is the way of the world, we rather take it for granted because somehow, it has always been there, but it has to be remembered that it was also one of the first buildings in Britain to be awarded a UNESCO World Heritage site status.

It even has imposing surroundings on its side, being set in the heart of the City of Durham on a majestic parcel of land created by a bend in the neighbouring River Wear. It suffered in the dissolution under Henry VIII, and the grave of St. Cuthbert, after whom the cathedral is named, and who wrote the said Lindisfarne Gospels, was destroyed. The body of the saint was exhumed, and according to the Rites of Durham, was discovered to be in good order. It was reburied under a plain stone slab, but the ancient paving around it remains intact, worn by the knees of pilgrims.

In winning this prestigious award, Durham Cathedral, which has also gained popularity from its appearances in Harry Potter films as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardary, found itself in illustrious company, joining such well known destinations as the Parthenon in Athens, and the church of the Sacred Family in Barcelona.

                                                    http://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/

                                    http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/TravelersChoice-Attractions