Driving in Durham, and what it means for your tyres
The historic peninsula is a maze of steep, narrow, cobbled streets, and the roads up to the cathedral are covered by a road user charge, one of the first congestion charges in the UK. Most people sensibly leave the car outside and walk. Elsewhere, roads like Gilesgate Bank and the climb to Neville's Cross are steep, which is hard on front tyres.
The A1(M) passes the east of the city at junctions 61 to 63, and the A167 and A690 carry commuters north to Chester-le-Street and Newcastle and east to Sunderland. Long runs and winter weather in the North East make tread depth important.
Durham's winters can be cold and frosty, with ice in the valleys and snow on the higher ground towards Weardale. Many local drivers choose all-season tyres. There is no Clean Air Zone charge in the city.
Mobile tyre fitting in Durham
Most homes in Durham's suburbs have drives or quiet roads, and the university and the business parks at Belmont and Meadowfield have car parks a fitter can use with permission. Choose your spot, and the fitter brings your tyres, fits and balances them where the car is and takes the old set away.
Workshop fitting near Durham
If you prefer a workshop, garages on the network around Durham list their distance and their fitted price before you book. A garage is the right choice for alignment work.
Where this page covers
Roughly 6 miles around the centre of Durham, across DH1, DH6, DH7.
Areas: City centre, Elvet, Gilesgate, Belmont, Newton Hall, Pity Me, Framwellgate Moor, Crossgate Moor, Neville's Cross, Langley Moor, Brandon, Sherburn, Shincliffe, Bowburn
Main roads: A1(M) junctions 61 to 63, A167, A690, A177, A691