We look forward to welcoming delegates to the inaugral INSA conference in April.
The conference venue is The Dawson Building. Lower Mountjoy, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE. This is on the main university site, about a 30 minute walk from the city centre, and is well serviced by numerous bus routes.
To assist you in organising your trip, please see the following information regarding getting to Durham and accommodation.
If you have any queries, feel free to get in touch with us, admin@sportanthro.org
Coming to Durham
By Air:
From Newcastle Airport
The most local airport to Durham is Newcastle. Services can be somewhat limited depending on where you fly from, and London (see below) may be more convenient.
Take the Metro GRN line (Newcastle, Sunderland, South Hylton) to Newcastle Central Metro Station.
Walk 3 min to Newcastle Central Train Station.
LNER, CrossCountry & Transpennine all run services to Durham. Head South and get off at Durham Central Station. Please check trains beforehand, as not all trains stop in Durham.
This journey takes approximately 1 hour.
From London Airports:
Durham is about a 3.5hr train ride from London. This train is usually direct as they are both on the main line. Depending where you’re flying from, this may actually be easier than flying direct to Newcastle, and can certainly be much cheaper.
The easiest airports in London to fly into are Heathrow & Gatwick. Both are very accessible by public transport. We do not recommend Stansted, Luton, or London City.
From Heathrow, your easiest option is to use the underground, taking the Picadilly line east towards Kings Cross. This takes about 1hr. You can use your debit/credit card to get through the gates at both ends.
From Gatwick, you can get a Southern Rail train north to Victoria station in London. This takes about 30m. Then head towards the underground, and take the Victoria line train to Kings Cross.
Then, see the rail options below.
By Rail:
From London King’s Cross
Multiple operators run services to Durham, but London North Eastern Railway (LNER) services run direct. Take a train North (to Newcastle/Edinburgh/Aberdeen) and get off at Durham Central Station. Again, please check trains beforehand, as not all trains stop in Durham.
This journey takes approximately 3 hours.
Cross Country
The journey from Birmingham to Durham involves a cross-country train which takes approximately 3 hours.
The journey from Sheffield to Durham involves a cross-country train and takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
First Transpennine Express
The journey from Manchester to Durham involves the Transpennine express and takes approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes.
The journey from Leeds to Durham involves both the Transpennine express and cross-country trains with a journey time of approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
By Road:
We do not recommend travel by road: It can be much easier and quicker to get the train. The university heavily encourages people not to drive into Durham as it gets congested and parking is difficult to secure.
Durham city centre is only two miles from the A1(M). Leave the motorway at Junction 62 on the A690 Durham – Sunderland road and follow signs to Durham City Centre.
Where to Stay:
There are lots of hotels and places to stay in Durham. We suggest shopping around for the best option. Prices quoted below were accurate at the time of writing and for a 3-night stay (Wednesday 17th April- Saturday 20th April).
Budget Option: Travelodge
Travelodge is a 10 minute walk away from the city centre proper, and is approximately 25 minutes from the conference venues.
Price per room for the conference: From £148.97
Midrange Option: Premier Inn
Premier Inn now has two loctions in the city centre. Be careful not to book accommodation at the location outside the city centre. Their locations are 20 mins walk to the conference venues.
Price per room for the conference: From £204
High-end Option: Radisson Blu
The Radisson Blu is one of many high-end hotels in Durham. If your budget stretches, there are other good options all within easy walking distance of the city centre. These are usually 20 mins walk to the conference venues.
Price per room for the conference: From £329.40
Student Option: Grey College
The university has got 20 rooms available for Weds-Friday nights in Grey College. This is only a 10 minute walk away from the conference venues. These are single rooms in student accommodation. The price per night is £62, which includes breakfast. Please check – Travelodge may be cheaper, but Grey is much closer.
Getting to Grey College
On foot...
Grey is a 30 minute walk south of Durham City centre and is a 30 minute walk from Durham Station through Durham city centre. A tourist map is available at Durham train station.
By bus…
Durham bus station is a 5 minute walk from the train station. The number 6 bus runs every 15 minutes and stops outside of the college. There are also taxis available to hire at the bus station.
By road…
Grey college is easily accessible via the A1 and A19. Point your Satnav to South Rd, Durham DH1 3LG.
The university encourages people not to drive into Durham. Parking in Durham City Centre and Park and Ride car parks is available. Find out more about parking on the Durham County Council website. We strongly encourage all visitors to use public transport to travel to Durham where possible.