The Victorian Trail – Notes for teachers
Introduction
When asked to think of a Victorian city the industrial metropolises of Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool are
perhaps the cities that spring to mind first. Durham’s architecture suggests an earlier and, arguably, more
genteel period. However, many of the buildings in the city can tell us a lot about Victorian Durham and the
lives of the people who lived then. This trail takes children on a whistlestop tour of Durham’s World
Heritage Site encouraging them to identify evidence of Victorian Durham and think about what it tells
people today about that period of history.
Group Organisation
This trail has been designed to work in a number of ways to best accommodate different class sizes,
teacher needs and length of time available. These are outlined below.
1. Whole class trail. The class take the trail together, led by the teacher with the support of
accompanying adults. This works best for smaller classes or for groups short of time.
2. Class split into smaller (up to a maximum of 4) groups with staggered starts. Whilst waiting, each
group undertakes one of a series of activities (labelled Activity A, B and C) which have been
included in this pack.
3. Trail with additional activity. It is possible to combine the trail with an additional Victorian-themed
activity at the Durham Heritage Centre, Palace Green Library or the Cathedral. Please note that the
additional activity needs to be booked separately and an additional charge may apply. The
relevant contact details are noted below.
Durham Heritage Centre –
Palace Green Library – 0191 334 2993 or 4schools@durham.ac.uk
Cathedral –
Castle Equipment
All pupils will need a pencil and clipboard. Each pupil should be issued with a copy of the pupil’s trail sheet
so that they can record their answers. Teachers should take their copy of the trail as this contains extra
information about the walk and the buildings. As always, taking a digital camera and extra sheets of blank
paper is advisable.
Route instructions
Stopping places on the trail are noted in bold. Teachers are advised to prompt the children using the
information provided and can read this straight from the sheet if needed. At some of these places, there
will be a question for the children to answer on their sheet. The question and answer are included in your
notes. There may also be additional information or things to point out. These are also flagged up in bold.
Extra information is included in each relevant section.
The Victorian trail
Section 1
Start at the point where Owengate opens up onto Palace Green.
There is space on the pavement for the pupils to congregate safely.
Nobody really knows why Owengate was called Queen Street in the Victorian period. Some
people think that Owengate comes from Oven gate or Oven street (gate means street) as a
medieval oven house might have existed on the site at some point.
Take a look down Owengate and ask the children to look at the buildings on the right.
How old do they think they are? What were the buildings used as?
These are Alms houses and, although they look quite old, were actually built in 1860. The
original Alms Houses were on Palace Green and are now home to the Almshouses café. The
original almshouses had been opened by Bishop Cosin in 1668, who refurbished the 15th
century grammar school building that had been established by Bishop Langley. By the
Victorian period the relatively new University needed more space so they built modern
replacements instead. The Almshouses accommodated 8 people from the Durham and
Brancepeth areas until late 2004.
Q1. During the Victorian period this road was called Queen Street. What is this road called
today?
Owengate
Section 2
Move down to North Bailey, turn right and walk a short way. Please note that this is a
fairly busy road and children should be reminded to keep to the pavement. Ask the
children to look at the houses along North Bailey.
What kind of families lived in these houses? Why do you say this? What clues are there?
The buildings on North Bailey would have been houses belonging to rich families. Poorer
families would have lived nearer the river or in the terraced housing being built on the
edges of the city.
Q2. Look for house number 45. It has a blue door. Can you guess what the arch shape cut
into the wall near the door was used for?
Boot scraper
Many houses had boot scrapers built into the wall near the door. Some still have the metal
scraping bar attached although this has rotted away in most cases.
Ask the children to think about who would have scraped their feet and why? What does it
tell us about the condition of the streets and pavements in Victorian Durham? What does
it tell us about transport in Victorian Durham?
Victorian Britain was not a clean place. The streets in particular were very dirty. In some
areas it was quite common to find raw sewage running down the road (remember most
people had to use outside toilets that were emptied by ‘nightsoil men’ rather than flushing
everything away) and practically every road was covered in horse manure. In London, it has
been estimated that 100 tons of manure were removed from the streets every day. Is it any
wonder that people needed to scrape their shoes clean before entering a house?!
Section 3
Move along North Bailey until you reach the Assembly Rooms (look for the posters).
Q3 The Assembly Rooms would have been used by Victorian families. Today the building is
used by Durham University students for the same purpose. What might this be?
Theatre
What does this tell us about Victorian life? Who might have visited the theatre?
Saddler Street was a hub of theatrical activity from the 18th century onwards. The main
theatre for most of the 19th century was the Theatre Royal but this was destroyed by a fire
in 1869. Luckily for fans of the theatre, a Saddler Street resident called Thomas Rushworth
decided to refurbish the Assembly Rooms as a theatre. Although originally designed for
dancing and singing, the Assembly Rooms witnessed its first theatrical performance in
1891.
Section 4
Dun Cow Lane (Stop in the large space at the bottom of Dun Cow Lane and spend some
time looking around) Look at the lamps. What do you think it would have been like on the
Baileys at night? How would the Victorians have lit the area? (Lamp post) How would this
have worked? How easy would it be to see at night? Would you be able to smell anything?
How would you feel walking along a Victorian Street at night? (Discussion) (Lamp lighters
were employed to light the lamps, gas would be supplied to the lamps in the evening, a
lamp lighter would have to light each lamp by hand, using a flame on a long pole) Sketch
the lamp post. (If not using Activity B).
Section 5
Look down Bow Lane – to the right of Durham Heritage Centre.
According to the different Censuses Bow Lane was the home to a number of butlers.
What is a butler? What does this tell us about the kind of families who lived in the area?
What can we tell about the status of butlers if they were able to rent houses in this area?
How does this compare to other servants?
Section 6
Continue walking down the road. Ask the children to look closely at the houses as they
walk along.
Q4. These houses have small holes and metal doors on their front. These are not used
today but would have been used regularly in the Victorian period. What could they be?
Coal chutes or cover for the coal cellar
Why do you think the houses had coal chutes? What were they for? Who filled them with
coal? How did this coal heat the whole house? In which rooms would you find fireplaces?
A coal man would deliver heavy loads of coal to the houses of his customers using a horse
and cart. Obviously this was a dirty job so he would not be allowed to enter the house;
instead he would have to drop the coal down the coal chute. The coal would be stored in
the basement of the house and a maid or servant would be responsible for taking it to the
fireplaces in the house to light fires. Fireplaces would have been found in all the main
rooms used by the family. Fireplaces were rare in rooms lived in by the servants.
Section 7
Stand at the house number 22 and look at the building on the opposite side of the road.
Explain that this building was not used as a house during the Victorian period. Ask the
children to think what it might have been used for. Look at the large arch shaped
gateway, entrance for carts and horses. There is no front door and there are no windows
so it cannot be a house. (Answer – as stables.)
Q5. This building was not a house during the Victorian period. What do you think the steps
on the outside of the building were used for?
To allow people to get onto their horses or load carriages
Section 8
Find the house numbered 25. Ask the children to look for the narrow set of stairs leading
below street level.
Q6. 25 North Bailey has a small set of steps leading below street level. Where do you think
that these lead?
Basement or Cellar
Who do you think would have used this basement and why? What would it be like to get up
or down these stairs?
The basement would have been where the servants worked during the day, it would
normally be where the kitchen was. Tradesmen with deliveries such as bread, milk or meat,
would have come to the basement as they were not allowed to use the main door of the
house. The basement would also have been an entrance and exit for the servants working
in the house. The steps are narrow and there is very little light, so getting up and down to
the basement would have been difficult, especially for female servants who would have
been wearing long heavy skirts.
Section 9
Continue to walk down the road. You will notice that the house numbers revert back to
start at No 1. This marks the point where North Bailey now turns into South Bailey.
Ask the children to look at the house opposite No 1.
Q7. The buildings on South Bailey would have been lived in by rich families. Look at the
house opposite No 1. How many storeys can you see?
3
Q8. Spot the small window in the attic or top story. Who would have slept in this room?
A servant or servants
Servants would have slept in small attic rooms. These would have been very simply
decorated and not very comfortable. The best rooms would have been used by the family.
Servants worked very long days – getting up before the family and going to bed after the
family. They had very few days off. Servants in wealthy families ‘lived-in’ (stayed in the
house); in less well-off families they came on a daily basis.
Section 10
Walk along the road until you come to the entrance of St John’s College.
During the Victorian period this was home to a wealthy family called the Bowes.
Q9. Describe how the basement of this house is different from that of 25 North Bailey?
The stairs are wider, with a larger area below street level, and there is more light.
What does this tell you about the house?
The house is larger and would have had more servants running it than number 25, the
servants would have had better working conditions and it would have been easier to gain
access to the basement level.
What other clues are there that the house belonged to a wealthy family?
Section 11
Stop in the space outside St Mary the Less Church.
Ask the children to take a good look around them.
Q10. What can you see that would have been there in the Victorian period?
Cobbles, streetlamps, houses, church, railings
Ask the children how this part of Durham has changed since the Victorian period. Tell them
to think about the sights, sounds, smells and atmosphere.
You could remind them that there would have been horses moving along the road, the
lamps would have been gas lit, you would smell the smoke from fires in the houses and
food cooking, they would be wearing different clothing which might feel uncomfortable or
itchy and would have forced them to move in different ways.
Take a close look at the Church
The church of St Mary the Less is one of the oldest in Durham. It was founded c.1140 by the
Lord of Brancepeth and was probably used originally by the soldiers who patrolled the city
walls. Although there has been a church on the site for nearly 900 years the present
building is Victorian (rebuilt 1847). The parish is one of the smallest in England, serving an
area of just four acres, most of which covers the Bailey and Prebends bridge area of
Durham. The church was given to St Johns College in 1919 and is used by students at the
University.
( Note: If you can arrange to look inside the church you will see wall mounted plaques
dedicated to two children who were part of the Fox family and who lived on the Bailey
during the Victorian period.)
Section 12
Walk to the end of the Bailey and stop at the top of Prebends Bridge. Turn to look back at
the Bailey.
If you look along the river path to the right you can just make out the bottom of what
would have been the gardens of the houses on South Bailey. Some of the Victorians built
follies in their gardens. The small building known as The Counts House is an example of a
folly.
Section 13
Turn left and take the upper path, towards the Cathedral. Walk through the gate towards
the College (at the back of the Cathedral) and head for the tunnel that leads to the
College.
As you pass through the tunnel ask the children to look out for evidence of the people who
lived and worked here during the Victorian period. (Look for the door on the right hand
side once you enter the tunnel, the sign is next to the door bell)
Q11. There is a door inside this tunnel which leads to one of the houses behind the
Cathedral, who would have used this door? How do you know?
Tradesmen. A sign by the door says Tradesmen’s entrance.
Section 14
Stand in the grounds of the College.
The houses in the College would have been lived in by people who worked for the
Cathedral.
Walk to the right and find the sign for the school.
Q12. The school in the College would have been attended by boys in the Cathedral Choir.
What is the school called?
The Chorister School
Section 15
Enter the Cathedral, using the entrance to the cloisters, Dean’s walk. As you pass through
the Cloisters into the Nave ask the children to look at the book on the right hand side and
see what is written in it.
Q13. What is written in the book you see in the Cathedral?
The names of local miners who died in accidents at work.
Q14. What object can you see near this book?
A miner’s lamp
Ask the children to think about why this book is here. How does it tie in with things they
have spotted on the trail?
Many of the poorer families living in the local area would have earned their living by
working in the mine. It was not just adults who worked in the mines: young children were
employed to pull carts in the mines as they were small enough to move about easily in the
tunnels. The mines were a dangerous place to work; coal dust would make people ill and
there was the risk that the walls or roof of the mining tunnel could collapse. The coal that
was dug in the mines would be delivered to the houses on the Baileys and other houses in
the City.
Section 16
As you leave the Cathedral walk along the path beside the University library, cross onto
the edge of the grass on Palace Green (Note children should not be encouraged to run or
play on the grass) Stand on the corner near the post box and face the Castle. The round
tower is the Castle keep which was added during the Victorian period as the Victorians
were very keen on altering the buildings around them, they liked Gothic architecture
(pointed arches, flamboyant decoration, wrought iron work). The Castle became a
University during the Victorian period, only very wealthy scholars would have studied there,
they would also have lived in the Castle itself.
The trail ends on Palace Green.
Activities for staggering groups starting the trail
A. Post box: On the corner of Palace Green (nr Owengate) you will see a red post
box, look closely for clues that it was put here during the Victorian period. (The
initials embossed on the front are VR – Victoria Regina, for Queen Victoria). Pupils
could draw a picture of the postbox, take a rubbing of the initials, post letters to
the school, or design a stamp. (Some planning may be needed for the last two
suggestions: before their visit children could write letters imagining they are
Victorians, or could study the first stamps in the UK which were the Victorian
penny black.)
B. At the exit of the Cathedral is another example of a Victorian style lamp post, here
children could talk about how the lamps would have been lit, how much light they
would have given and whether there would be any other sources of light in the
area at night (this could then be passed over on the trail itself). Children could
draw sketches of the lamppost or simply discuss the atmosphere of Palace Green
at night during the Victorian period, thinking about who might have used the area.
C. The Old Almshouses (now the Almshouse cafe) were replaced by the Almshouses
mentioned on the trail. Explain what an Almshouse is and who would have lived
here. The Bishop would have been responsible for selecting residents and paying
them a small amount of money every week. The people who lived in the
Almshouse were elderly people who had attended church regularly or even
worked for the church, sometimes they were known as Bedesmen or
Bedeswomen, their role was to pray for the Bishop. Following a discussion the
children could sketch the building or write down the inscription on the plaque.