Indoor Durham dates for a cold and rainy Valentine’s Day

With a relatively cold Valentine’s Day lined up for us, some plans might inevitably have to be cancelled. If you were planning on a romantic evening walk, you may want to rethink, given that it’s rained every day so far this year and shows no sign of shopping. But there are always alternatives. We’ve put together a list of primarily indoors-based Valentines dates for you to take your favourite person. And even if you don’t have plans, it’s worth a read anyway. Many of these double as fun activities to do alone or with friends, this weekend or any time in the future.

Escape Rooms Durham

To start off with, we’ve chosen an underrated highlight of Durham’s indoor activity range. Escape Rooms Durham are currently running two different escape rooms to try out. These can work for couples or for groups of friends, so however large your group, you’re certain to have a great time. There’s also an escape room in Lumley Castle, which is a short drive away but looks worth the trip.

Visit a coffee shop

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It’s a staple of indoor dates, but if it works, why try to change it? Durham has no shortage of cute coffee shops to try out. Chapters is a tried and tested good shout, with two floors of staircases, nooks and tables tucked where you wouldn’t expect. We can tell you the food is pretty good too. Caffé Nero is also a good spot if you want a slightly larger location. A personal favourite is the Pawsome Cat Café. As the name suggests, this place will welcome you with some adorable cats to keep you company while you choose a drink. It’s a great and underrated location, even if you have to take your shoes off when you enter!

Many of these date ideas double as activities to try with friends

Circle Vintage

While you’re in the area, why not pop into Circle Vintage? This place can offer a selection of vintage clothing at decent prices, all pretty good quality. As with a lot of places on this list, this place is the perfect spot to get lost in. With the right person you can spend hours perusing and trying on a limitless line of carefully-selected vintage clothes before making a decision. And if it isn’t to your tastes, Durham has a bunch of other charity shops you could walk to. North Road alone offers a selection of different options.

Market Hall

Sometimes the simple options are the best ones. The Market Hall is exactly what it sounds like: a fun market selling all sorts of random items. If you’re into arts and crafts, or just like random side-quests and trinkets, this is the place for you. If you feel like a slightly further trip you could also try Newcastle’s Grainger Market. This place is packed with even more stalls, selling anything from band t-shirts to fresh produce. You can get lost in these places for hours.

Visit the Gala Theatre

Cinema dates aren’t for everyone. But if they’re your jam, the Gala theatre is a cheap place to watch great films, including some perfect for the Valentine’s Day. The current highlight of course is Emerald Fennel’s “Wuthering Heights”. Whatever you think of this adaptation, it could be worth going to see, even if it is a hate-watch. And there are several other options if this isn’t for you. If you’re more into musical theatre, there are options for you too. This Friday, New College Durham are putting on an evening of West End and Broadway hits. Tickets are still available for this day only.

Lane7

You can’t go wrong with a date like this one. Whether you’re throwing darts, bowling, playing beer pong or trying your chances in pool, activity dates are always a good choice. And there’s no shortage of games to try here. You can also opt to simply try some of the drinks, including some pretty good cocktails.

Go-karting in Gilesgate

An unconventional pick here, but another activity date that’s guaranteed to be fun. TopGear Karting (unaffiliated with the TV show as far as we know) is a Go Karting venue in Gilesgate offering a Valentine’s ‘Buy one get one half price’ deal for February 14^th only. While it’s a bit of a trek to get there, if you can avoid the worst of the weather on the way this could make your day perfect.

Bowes Museum

While it’s a bit further out, the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle is definitely worth the trip. If you want a fancy day out and enjoy artwork this is perfect for you. Right now they’re running a series of interesting exhibitions, from the fun and playful Pet Project to the more abstract, uncanny Kinetic Arboretum. If you were a fan of Lumiere, the latter will be perfect for you. There’s also Bowes Café, perfect for the traditional café-date vibe.

Raby Castle

Another fairly distant one, but Raby Castle is just as fun for a day out and definitely worth the journey. If the architecture alone doesn’t grab you, their 10 per cent rainy day discount is what snagged our attention. If the weather of the last few weeks continues, and you don’t mind bringing a couple of umbrellas, you could spend the day in the deer park or walled gardens. This is definitely a pick for those with a quieter inclination, so it could be perfect for you.

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