One of County Durham's most historic tourist attractions is closing to visitors for two days to host Durham University's newest students as it welcomes them to the city.
Durham Cathedral will be closed throughout Tuesday (September 29) and Wednesday (September 30), while it hosts Durham University's annual Matriculation ceremonies, where new arrivals formally become Durham students.
Thousands of students are set to arrive for Durham University's matriculation ceremonies in Durham Cathedral. (Image: Durham Cathedral)
The cathedral will be closed all day on Tuesday, but the shop, restaurant and museum will stay open as usual, with access through the College.
The cathedral will also be closed all day on Wednesday, but the restaurant will remain open as usual.
The shop and museum will be closed on Wednesday morning, reopening at 1pm.
Durham Cathedral. (Image: Durham Cathedral.)
The temporary closures come at one of the busiest times of year for Durham, as thousands of students arrive in the city ahead of the new academic year.
Durham Cathedral is one of the North East's best-known landmarks, attracting thousands of visitors each year.
Dating back to 1093, the UNESCO World Heritage Site is considered one of Europe's finest examples of Norman architecture and houses the shrines of St Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede.
Luxmuralis lightshow at Durham Cathedral. (Image: Sarah Caldecott)
The cathedral is a major tourist attraction, praised for its historic architecture, riverside setting and vast interior.
It also has a 4.7 out of five rating on TripAdvisor from more than 7,000 reviews.
Durham Cathedral has become a popular filming location over the years, appearing in major productions including the Harry Potter films and Avengers: Endgame, Elizabeth and The BFG.
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The cathedral has been back in the spotlight recently, when Avengers: Endgame was re-released in cinemas last week - with parts of the building transformed into Thor's Asgardian palace for the film.
The cathedral is normally open from 10am to 4pm Monday to Saturday and from 12.30pm to 4pm on Sundays.
Normal opening arrangements are expected to resume after the matriculation ceremonies.