cathedral
Durham Cathedral
UNESCO-listed Romanesque masterpiece perched above the River Wear, widely regarded as the finest Norman building in England.
13 km · about 25 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Murton
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Murton
Murton is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Seaham, 51km from Richmond Castle.
Murton is in England, United Kingdom, with about 7,400 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Seaham, about 4 km away.
Murton is a village and civil parish in County Durham, England, eight miles (13 km) east of the city of Durham and six miles (9.7 km) south of Sunderland. It had a population of 4,534, which rose to 7,676 at the 2011 Census.
It was originally a rural agricultural hamlet called Morton, but the discovery of coal beneathRead more
its fields in the 19th century transformed it into an industrial community. 'Morton became known as Murton Colliery or Murton-in-the-Whins following the sinking of the pit in 1838 by South Hetton Coal Company, and the village was a productive coal mining community for more than a century. The pit employed more than 1000 men at its peak and featured in a Picture Post article showing the 'vesting' of the mine at nationalisation in 1947.
The village had the South East Durham Cooperative Bakery and a Northern Bus Company garage as added sources of jobs. In 1955 a by-product works for coal was established for the production mainly of coke. The mine and other employment opportunities closed in the 1990s along with many other County Durham mines and since 2003 the old spoil heaps are covered by retail outlet development Dalton Park, bringing much-needed new employment.
Where to Stay in Murton
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Murton?
Within an hour or so of Murton: Durham Cathedral (13 km), Durham Cathedral Cloister (Hogwarts) (13 km), Angel of the North (17 km), Saltburn-by-the-Sea (37 km).
Are there any good drives near Murton?
The nearest famous roads are A689 Alston to Stanhope (Weardale), Rosedale Chimney Bank and B6318 Military Road (Hadrian's Wall).
Where is Murton?
Murton is in England, United Kingdom, about 4 km from Seaham.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 7,413
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 54.8181, -1.3904
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Murton
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
film location
Durham Cathedral Cloister (Hogwarts)
The Norman cathedral's cloister garth is where Harry releases Hedwig in the snow, and its chapter house was Professor McGonagall's transfiguration classroom.
13 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Angel of the North
Striking 20-metre steel sculpture with a 54-metre wingspan standing on a hilltop in Gateshead, England.
17 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Saltburn-by-the-Sea
A Victorian seaside resort with a surviving pier and the world's oldest working water-balance cliff lift, opened in 1884.
37 km · about 45 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Roseberry Topping
A distinctive half-cone hill on the edge of the North York Moors, its shape the result of a 1912 landslip caused by mining.
39 km · about 45 min drive
racetrack
Croft Circuit
A former World War II airfield in North Yorkshire that hosts BTCC and is known for its mix of fast straights and tight chicanes.
42 km · about 50 min drive
photogenic
Staithes
Former fishing village of red-roofed cottages stacked into a cleft in the North Yorkshire cliffs, where Captain Cook worked as a grocer's boy. Park at the top and walk down: the harbour view from Cowbar Nab is the classic shot.
48 km · about 55 min drive
castle
Richmond Castle
One of the oldest stone-built Norman fortresses in England, its great keep standing above the River Swale and the market town of Richmond.
51 km · about 60 min drive
Driving roads near Murton
9 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 100km.
- 39 kmRoseberry ToppingA distinctive half-cone hill on the edge of the North York Moors, its shape the result of a 1912 landslip caused by mining.
- 59 kmA689 Alston to Stanhope (Weardale)A remote high Pennine road over Killhope with wide moorland views and almost no traffic; England's highest market town at one end.
- 62 kmRosedale Chimney BankOne of England's steepest roads, hitting 1-in-3 (33%) as it climbs from Rosedale Abbey onto the North York Moors past old ironstone kilns. A rite of passage for drivers and cyclists; caravans are banned.
- 63 kmB6318 Military Road (Hadrian's Wall)General Wade's arrow-straight road along Hadrian's Wall, rolling over the whin sill with Roman forts on either side.
- 66 kmB6270 SwaledaleThe narrow dale road from Richmond to Nateby past Gunnerside and Keld, drystone walls and barns the whole way.
- 66 kmSutton BankA steep escarpment with a 1-in-4 hairpin climb and a view James Herriot called 'the finest in England', looking over the Vale of York.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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