Durham is, by far, the most interesting of the English cathedrals - as well as one of the oldest. From its stunning position at the top of the hill, surrounded by a maze of medieval streets, to it's transitional status (being partly romanesque and partly gothic) it is evocative in so many ways.

Whether you are a religious person or not, you cannot fail to be awed by the sheer amount of time and energy that people put into the design and building of such a structure. When I visit, I feel as if I am absorbing the lives of all those people who carved, cut, lifted, pushed, pulled... to make this building.

It is not the most beautiful English cathedral (that's probably York Minster), but it is the most compelling.

It is definitely hot, hot, HOT!