Old Durham Gardens, Durham

Tucked just east of the River Wear, Old Durham Gardens is a tranquil 17th-century green space that offers a gentle step back through Durham’s layered past. Listed at Grade II on the National Heritage List for England, the gardens span about 1 hectare (2.5 acres) and preserve a historic layout that invites slow wandering and quiet pauses. From the lower, western lawn, paths rise towards a handsome hill-top gazebo-an early-17th-century structure remodelled in the 18th century-that looks over the terraces and surrounding countryside. The gazebo and adjoining boundary wall are themselves protected as Grade II–listed features.

The site grew from a medieval estate into a pleasure garden under the Heath family in the 1600s, later passing to the Tempests, who renovated it in the early 1700s. By the late 18th century, it had become a popular venue for summer concerts, with visitors refreshed at the Pineapple Inn on the garden’s northern edge. The 20th century brought new chapters: in 1918, the grounds were sold to Victor Mazzini Walton-an artist and ice-cream maker-and adapted with tennis courts and a putting green before slipping into decline mid-century.

Revived after their 1985 purchase by Durham City Council, the gardens were restored and replanted to reflect their historic design and were formally added to the National Register of Parks and Gardens at Grade II in 1998. Today, stewardship by the Friends of Old Durham Gardens-an active local charity founded in 2010-helps keep the terraces, slopes, and vistas in welcoming shape. For visitors, it’s an easy, rewarding detour from the city: a place to admire centuries of garden craft, take in views from the gazebo, and enjoy a peaceful pocket of heritage in the heart of County Durham.