Changes

The city of Durham benefited economically from the ecclesiastical presence in its midst, and as a local market centre, but it was not fitted to prosper once the powers of the Prince Bishops waned from the 16th century onwards. Although it was at the centre of a major coalfield, Newcastle rather than Durham was the chief commercial centre for the industry, and the River Wear was too shallow here to allow Durham any role in coal export. However, the abolition of the final special privileges of the bishopric in 1836 prompted the then bishop, van Mildert, to give his palace in he city's castle to a new university, only the third to be founded in England (after Oxford and Cambridge). Durham University is a major UK academic institution, and, along with the tourist industry, plays a major role in the city's economy.

The city of Durham benefited economically from the ecclesiastical presence in its midst, and as a local market centre, but it was not fitted to prosper once the powers of the Prince Bishops waned from the 16th century onwards. Although it was at the centre of a major coalfield, Newcastle rather than Durham was the chief commercial centre for the industry, and the River Wear was too shallow here to allow Durham any role in coal export. However, the abolition of the final special privileges of the bishopric in 1836 prompted the then bishop, van Mildert, to give his palace in he city's castle to a new university, only the third to be founded in England (after Oxford and Cambridge). Durham University is a major UK academic institution, and, along with the tourist industry, plays a major role in the city's economy.