The top independent luxury resort in beautiful County Durham
Home to thirty-six holes of championship golf and designed by respected architect Jonathan Gaunt, Ramside Hall Hotel lies next to the little village of Carrville, less than a 10-minute drive from Durham’s famous Cathedral. The 18-hole Prince Bishops course, named after the warrior clergymen who once ruled over the region, was first to arrive in 1996. Laid out in a forested parkland setting around the 4-star hotel , this is a challenging layout with more than a dozen water hazards in play. Feature holes on Prince Bishops include the short par four 6th (with water threatening the front and right of the green), the severely right doglegging 8th, the bunkerless par three 16th (with water fronting the green), and the par four 18th which plays to a green that’s well protected by three large bunkers.
The adjacent Cathedral course may only be seven years old but it has matured into an attractive, challenging and fairly undulating course. The holes initially wind across a broad hilltop plateau, then into a lovely wooded valley before returning to the parkland estate where the closing holes end back at the clubhouse and hotel. Course architect Jonathan Gaunt calls the stretch of holes from the 11th to the 14th “Ramside’s Amen Corner.” The downhill par three 12th was inspired by its famous counterpart on Augusta National but instead of Rae’s Creek, it’s Sherburn Beck that protects the front of the green at this little beauty. The hotel offers excellent accommodation with two very different but interesting courses to keep you busy during your stay.
