I loved Durham Cathedral! It was amazing, especially the great architecture. To see such a magnificent building and walk inside was astounding. Even amazing is how old it is. The stonework of the cathedral is one of the first times such a technique was used, and it still stands to this day.
Bill Bryson Library, the latest library on Durham university campus, is used as the main library. It has a unique spot as one of the original non-academic libraries in England. It catered more to lawyers, doctors, and those sorts. They originally used six different classification systems, but have switched over to the Dewey system.
This library was really interesting! The architecture was unique in that the surrounding water really limits their ability to expand. Being confined in one space has made them come up with some interesting add ons with multiple floors. I also find it interesting that they have a separate room for grad students. Colleges I've seen don't do that. It makes me think of them as spoiled lol.
Ushaw College, a branch of Durham University, lies offsite of the original university. The college, founded in 1808 is its own small town. It wasn't monastic in reality, but followed very similar conditions. Students were policed on where they went and who they associated with, much like a monastery. The big library, dating around the 1850's, contains over thirty thousand titles. About twelve thousand were donated by Thomas Wilkinson. The big library is a theological library, and yet it contains a large array of literature on math, science, bibles, law, and church history.
Ushaw College was gorgeous and I really wish we would have had more time to look at the grounds. It really was its own small town, away from the rest of Durham. The room we dined in was beautiful, with some really amazing paintings adorning the walls. To be seated at such a historic table and dine in the room was a real treat!
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