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Removals to County Durham
In North East England, County Durham is known for its spectacular landscapes, including its Dales and heritage coast. Every year many people undertake removals to County Durham, and need to find a removal company that knows the area well. Hamiltons has arranged many moves here. Whether you are moving house to the City of Durham or towns like Darlington, Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Bishop Auckland, Chester-le-Street, Seaham, Billingham, Consett, Newton Aycliffe or Stanley, we can ensure your relocation goes smoothly.
Moving to County Durham
County Durham is expected to see steady population growth over the coming years. There are more than 900,000 people currently living in the area, and this could see a 50,000 rise by the year 2030. Employment is a major reason for moving to County Durham, with people relocating both to work locally and to commute. Quality of life and education, including the University of Durham, are also attractions.
Employment and Commuting: County Durham has a strong industrial tradition, with many people still being employed in the technology and manufacturing sector. However, its economy has diversified over recent years. As well as taking up career opportunities in the immediate area, many people in the county commute by road and rail to the nearby centres of Newcastle, Sunderland and Gateshead.
Education: Durham University, recognised as one of the world's top 100 universities, draws thousands of people to the county. Many students also attend Teesside University's Darlington campus and a wide range of other colleges and institutions. Top independent schools such as Barnard Castle School and Durham High School for Girls, together with state schools like Durham Johnston School, are also attractions for families.
Quality of Life: County Durham's varied countryside and historic market towns mean that many areas have a high reputation for quality of life. Low crime figures are another attraction. Property prices are lower here than in some other regions of the UK, meaning people moving here, perhaps on retirement from one of the nearby cities, can often buy better houses than their previous homes.
County Durham's Districts in the Spotlight
City of Durham
The City of Durham lies on the River Wear. It is a relatively small city, with only around 43,000 residents, but is also part of a larger surrounding district, including many small villages, which boosts the population to around 90,000 people. During term time, there are also around 17,000 students from home and abroad in residence at Durham University, which is a major employer.
Many people are also employed in the field of tourism, with more than 4 million visitors heading for the city annually. Top attractions are Durham Cathedral and Castle, which have together been awarded UNESCO World Heritage site status. The cathedral is recognised as one of the finest buildings in Europe from the Norman era. In addition, the whole centre of the city is a conservation area, containing hundreds of historic buildings. Spennymoor is a smaller town close to the city.
North, Mid and West Areas of County Durham
Just a few miles north of Durham, the market town of Chester-le-Street is famous for the Emirates Durham International Cricket Ground. Many people commute from the town into nearby Newcastle, with a train journey time of just 11 minutes at peak time. Other nearby communities are the former colliery towns of Stanley and Consett, which are both also popular with commuters.
Tourism is an important industry in rural areas of County Durham, and close to Stanley is the open-air Beamish Museum, one of the area's main attractions. In the middle of the county, Bishop Auckland is known for its historic buildings including Auckland Castle, home of the Prince Bishops, and nearby Binchester Roman Fort. This market town is also a popular shopping destination, boasting many independent stores and boutiques. Just a couple of miles away, the railway town of Shildon is home to another major attraction, Locomotion, part of the National Railway Museum.
Another small nearby town, Crook, is sometimes described as the “gateway to Weardale”, and nearby are many miles of unspoilt landscape within the Weardale and Teesdale valleys, known as the Durham Dales and coming under the umbrella of the North Pennines AONB. The varied landscapes are one of the major draws for people moving to County Durham. Other small towns in this part of the county include Stanhope, Middleton-in-Teesdale and Barnard Castle, a tourist hotspot known for its castle and its many antique shops.
County Durham's Eastern Area
The largest settlement in County Durham is the town of Darlington, which has over 106,000 people. Having grown up as a railway town, Darlington has an engineering heritage, but its economy has more recently diversified into sectors such as service industries, science and digital technology. Mobile phone company EE and Student Finance England are major employers in the town.
Central Park enterprise zone is part of a major regeneration scheme, based alongside Teesside University's Darlington campus. The town has excellent transport links via the East Coast main line and the A1 (M), while Durham Tees Valley Airport is nearby. Just north of Darlington, there is a large industrial estate in Newton Aycliffe, and the NETPark Science Park, based at Sedgefield, is a fast-growing site where a number of high-tech firms are based.
The nearby market town of Stockton-on-Tees has around 80,000 residents. Many work in the service sector, with large numbers of people being employed at Teesdale Business Park at the smaller town of Thornaby-on-Tees. A number of chemical, biotech and engineering firms are also based at nearby Billingham, part of a major cluster of chemical industries in the area.
Another large town in the area, Hartlepool, lies on the coast and has a strong maritime heritage. It has over 90,000 residents, with more living in nearby villages. Hartlepool nuclear power station, the port and associated industries are all major employers. Many people are employed in the engineering sector, while tourism is also playing an increasingly key role, centred on the town's £500 million marina development. The town is just a few miles from Middlesbrough in North Yorkshire, while Peterlee is another nearby town.
Also in the east of the county, the Durham heritage coast is known for its beaches, cliffs and wildlife, with the harbour town of Seaham being a popular tourist resort. Dalton Park Outlet shopping centre is based nearby, housing more than 60 outlet shops.
If you are currently considering removals to County Durham and looking for a UK house removals firm with the right expertise, contact Hamiltons now for your free initial quote.