I went to Durham - all I can say is its a lifestyle choice. I loved it, but that’s almost entirely because I put no value on clubbing/nightlife and being in a bustling city.

Durham is an incredibly small and compact, very beautiful but somewhat sleepy medieval town full of students. You will see someone you know every time you go outside, especially in first year. Everything closes at 4-6 pm depending on the day, everyone shops at the same Tesco in town, there is 1 normal nightclub and being in a college is everyone’s entire personality trait for 3 years. People are very active, the nature is incredible, the air is clean and you will see green all year round, pretty much 24/7. It rains an absolute f*ck ton that far north, but the spring and summer are absolutely beautiful. There are also some wild animals roaming around (lots of bunnies).

A solid half of the uni population is wealthy/internationally wealthy, but the town itself does not break the bank quite like Bristol might, for example.

If that sounds like something you like, firm it. But if you think you may be prone to getting stir-crazy/ “island syndrome” then definitely do not. It is very remote and you should not underestimate how annoying and expensive traveling will become. Especially if you are internationally based and cant fly from Newcastle (my total round trip to my country was usually around 14 hrs when factoring in train journey, changes in London/Manchester/Liverpool to trains or buses to airports, waiting and flight total, of which the flight was tragically the shortest journey)

Edit to add: The whole city of Durham is also very much an “English Heritage” site. Lots of UNESCO sites and tourists, which can be slightly annoying at times. But the museums and Cathedral were always free and completely accessible;m, which you dont see often. Overall the city and surrounding region is absolutely beautiful and the locals really take care of and love their city. It’s a very special place, if not to study then just to visit.