Sheer poetry in
Dominating the skyline, as it has done for centuries, is the famous cathedral.
The best views have always been from the top of the tower but it’s sheathed in scaffolding and polythene and undergoing a major renovation. On a previous visit I did get the chance to scale the heights, climbing all 325 steps, and the views were indeed simply sensational.
With that not possible today we just take in the magnificence of this 1000-year-old religious gem which is very much still a working place of worship.
The Cathedral and the adjacent Castle are an UNESCO World Heritage Site and several tours a day are available round the latter. But we head down an alley between both and turn right down the eversteepening path to the River Wear.
On each corner by the 15th Century Framwellgate bridge there are coffee shops, and one proves an ideal refreshment stop, looking on to the river just feet below.
More pampering and relaxation at Seaham beckons, but before then we take the opportunity to catch up with another of the area’s great attractions, Beamish.
It’s an open air heritage museum where the past comes splendidly to life.
Costumed characters really enter into the roles as they boil up sweeties in the old-fashioned shop or bake goodies in cottages.
We board a clattering tram and, for an even earlier travel experience, there’s the Pockerley Waggonway.
Three classrooms have been rebuilt and we see bright-eyed kids get lessons from the days before whiteboards and laptops.
It’s a day out that really does appeal to the young as much as the old.
Yet, after this fantastic step into yesteryear, we can’t wait to get back to Seaham for an even more fabulous slice of the here and now.