- Play Hard
- 4th Sep 2026
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High Life North Hikes: one of the toughest Durham walks – 7 hills, 1 pint
If you thought you knew Durham’s cobbles and cathedral views from the riverbank, the Seven Hills Trail will change your mind.
This seven-mile loop climbs every hill that rings the city, and by the time you’re back on Palace Green, you’ll have earned every one of those views.
Steep in places and surprisingly wild for somewhere so close to the city centre, it’s one of the best Durham walks around, and one of County Durham’s best-kept walking secrets.
Duration: 7 miles
Difficulty: Moderate – Challenging
Parking: Durham train station (pay and display) or Prince Bishops car park
Dog-friendly: Yes, on lead through the city sections
SEVEN HILLS, ONE SERIOUSLY GOOD IDEA
The trail was dreamt up by the City of Durham Parish Council, who reckoned that if Rome could be built on seven hills, Durham could have a walk built around them. The route strings together Windy Hill (better known as Wharton Park), Western Hill, Redhills, Observatory Hill, Windmill Hill, Bucks Hill (or Mount Joy, as most locals call it) and Whinney Hill. Along the way, it takes in a battle site, an old Victorian observatory and some of the best skyline views of the cathedral and castle you’ll find anywhere in the North East.
It’s an urban walk at heart, but don’t let that fool you. There’s real ascent here, and a proper sense of leaving the city behind for a while, even though you’re rarely more than a few streets from a coffee shop.
THE WALK: SEVEN HILLS TRAIL (7 MILES)
Starting from Durham Station, the route heads straight up into Wharton Park before dropping and climbing again through Western Hill and up steep Redhills Lane. It’s here the walk starts to bite, with a long pull up towards Observatory Hill, where Durham University’s old observatory looks out over rooftops and the river below.
From there, the trail crosses onto Windmill Hill, passing St Aidan’s College, before heading out to Durham Botanic Garden for a breather among the plant collections. The route then climbs Mount Joy and Whinney Hill before finally dropping back down into the city, arriving at Palace Green with the cathedral and castle rising up in front of you. It’s a properly satisfying way to finish.
Much of the route is on decent paths and pavements, but there are a few busy roads to cross and some sections that turn muddy after rain, so trainers won’t cut it. The trail isn’t fully waymarked in every stretch, so it’s worth grabbing the leaflet from Durham Town Hall or downloading the map before you set off.
GOOD TO KNOW
Dogs are welcome on the full route, though leads are a must through the busier city stretches and road crossings. Public toilets are dotted along the way, and you’re never too far from a café or a park bench if you need to catch your breath.
Because the trail loops so close to the city centre throughout, it’s easy to shorten if seven miles feels like a stretch – you can peel off at several points and pick up the rest another day. That flexibility makes it one of the more underrated Durham walks for families, solo walkers and anyone wanting a proper leg-workout without leaving the city behind.
BEFORE YOU GO / PIT STOP
Once you’re back on Palace Green, the Shakespeare Tavern on Saddler Street is the obvious call for a well-earned pint, tucked just a couple of minutes from the finish. It’s the kind of pit stop that makes this one of those Durham walks worth doing again and again.
Rachael Ellis
Head of Content
After gaining a first in her BA Media and Journalism degree at Northumbria University, Rachael worked at Newcastle’s leading regional newspaper with her stories being picked up in national and global newspapers. She spent two very successful years giving a voice to those communities across the North East who otherwise…
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