Greetings! We live less than 10 minutes from Durham City centre by car, and about 20 minutes by bus.
Our house is tricky to find, because it has a name (Briarside) rather than a number (and we live before house no. 1, at what would be house no. minus 2). If you try to put the postcode (DH4 6PA) into a SatNav, it will take you about quarter of a mile down the road to a restaurant called the Italian Farmhouse.
If you'd like to use Google Maps to give you directions, there's a dropped pin on this map that will take you to our house. Enter your starting location (or click on Your Location) to get a route.
Drive out of Durham on the A690 (in the direction of the A1).
Cross over the A1 roundabout, and continue on the A690. You will pass a Park and Ride on your left. Go straight ahead at the traffic lights, and continue on the A690.
You will pass Ramside Hall on your right...
...and Moor House Scout Camp on your left.
Shortly after this is a turning for West Rainton, on your left.
Take this turning and turn immediately left.
The road has houses on the right and a view over fields on your left.
Take the turning on your right when you reach the primary school (School Avenue).
Continue along this road, past a corner shop on your right, then a turning, then a fish and chip shop.
You will reach a grassy area on your left, with a children's play area.
Opposite this is our house. There is a sign on the brick gatepost with 'Briarside, South Street' written on it. The house itself has an arched wooden front door.
Drive south on the A690. Cross over the A19 roundabout. You will pass several turnings. The road will go downhill, and under a bridge.
There is a turning on your left to East Rainton.
Shortly after, there is a turning on your right to West Rainton. Take this turning.
The road bends to the left, then take the turning on the right going downhill.
The road bends round to the right, then to the left. Go past the Italian Farmhouse (a restaurant)
The road bends round to the left, with a turning on the right. Follow the road round to the left.
You will reach a grassy area on your right, with a children's play area.
Opposite this is our house. There is a sign on the brick gatepost with 'Briarside, South Street' written on it. The house itself has an arched wooden front door.
There is a regular bus service to West Rainton - to/from both Durham and Sunderland. The number 20 and 20A (but not X20) runs every 10 minutes during the day and every 20 minutes in the evenings. The last bus is at about quarter past 11 to Durham, and at about quarter to midnight to Sunderland.
The easiest way to find the bus times is by going to Google Maps and getting Transit directions to/from West Rainton.
The nearest stop to us is in School Avenue.
Walk in the direction the bus is travelling (if you came from Durham), or walk back the way you came (if you came from Sunderland). You will reach a grassy area on your left, with a children's play area.
Opposite this is our house. There is a sign on the brick gatepost with 'Briarside, South Street' written on it. The house itself has an arched wooden front door.
If you try to put the postcode (DH4 6PA) into a SatNav, it will take you about quarter of a mile down the road to a restaurant called the Italian Farmhouse.
If this happens, turn right (as you face the restaurant) and carry on until the road bends round to the left - our house is immediately on your left.
Our house is called Briarside, and is in South Street - various maps think that our house is called Briarsyde, or that it's in Benridge Bank or School Avenue - these are wrong.