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Historic Durham street refurbishment completed

Jason Arunn Murugesu
BBC News, North East and Cumbria
Durham County Council Group of people holding ribbon while standing on a cobbled street. They are all smiling. Durham County Council
The £1.8m works first begun in 2023

Long-running works to restore a historic street near Durham Cathedral have been completed.

Durham County Council said it had finished refurbishing The Bailey in Durham City.

The £1.8m works began in August 2023.

Independent councillor John Shuttleworth said the scheme would preserve the site's "heritage" and "ensure the longevity of the street and its character".

The local authority said the road had been resurfaced and cobbles replaced.

"To maintain the area's historic character, we have preserved or re-used existing materials as much as possible, including the original cobbles," a spokesperson added.

The entire scheme took 14 months in order to fit Durham Cathedral's and Durham University's commitments, they said.

Durham City Council Cobbled street and two people walking along it in the background. Durham City Council
The Bailey is a historic street in Durham city centre

A gas lamp, which historically used sewage gases such as methane for energy, has also been restored.

There are no immediate plans to re-light it, the council said.

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