Local Information

SIROCCO 2026 will take place at Durham University (England’s 3rd oldest University) in the UNESCO world heritage city of Durham, UK – the land of the prince bishops. Located on a dramatic peninsula overlooking the River Wear, Durham’s unique 1100-year-old Norman cathedral and castle form the designated World Heritage Site attracting visitors from all over the world, including the makers of the Harry Potter movies! Besides the beautiful river, Durham has acres of tranquil woodland and peaceful parkland, adjoining castles and attractions including the University’s own Botanic Garden and Oriental Museum.

The university city has lovely walks, cobbled streets, and a unique array of excellent cafes, bars, restaurants, and even rowing and boating opportunities. Conference participants will have the opportunity to visit Beamish Living Museum – the 2025 Museum of the Year. Beamish is a world famous open air museum which brings the history of North East England to life at its 1820s Pockerley, 1900s Town, 1900s Pit Village, 1940s Farm, 1950s Town and 1950s Spain’s Field Farm exhibit areas. Durham is easily accessible – located just 30 minutes from the Newcastle international airport, and less than 3 hours from London, Edinburgh, and Manchester by train.

Venue

The conference will be held in the Mathematical Sciences and Computer Science building at Durham University. This is a state-of-the-art building, opened in 2021, and equipped with several lecture halls, seminar rooms, and meeting areas.

Map showing location of Mathematical Sciences and Computer Science building in Durham.

Long-Distance Travel

The closest airport is Newcastle, which serves 73 direct destinations in 28 countries. From Newcastle airport, Durham city centre can be reached in 1 hour by Newcastle Metro + train, or in 30 minutes by Taxi.

There are several other larger airports that are further from Durham but have more direct flight destinations, including:

Edinburgh (2.5 hours by train)
Manchester (3 hours by train)
London airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton (4 hours by train)

Durham is well-connected by direct train links to London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester, and other major UK cities. Train journeys can be planned and tickets booked on websites such as National Rail or TheTrainLine. Tickets can also be bought in person at stations. Advance tickets are often available until around 1 month before the date of travel, which are substantially cheaper but are restricted to a specific train (unlike standard or off-peak tickets which are valid on any eligible train on the route).

Short-Distance Travel

The conference venue is within approximately 35 minutes’ walk of the train station and the city centre. There are also taxis and a bus network. The closest bus stop to the conference venue is University Science Park, which is served by the 41 bus to the city centre and train station. Other bus stops (with more frequent service) only a short walk away are South Road Colleges, served by the 6 and 42 buses, and University Palatine Centre, served by the X12 and 58 buses. Tickets can be purchased from the bus driver with cash or contactless debit/credit card; tickets for the Arriva-operated buses (which include the 6, X12, and 58) can also be purchased from the Arriva website and Arriva App.

Timetables and live departures from bus stops are also available on the Durham County Council’s interactive public transport mapping system at County Durham public transport timetables.

Accommodation

There are several hotels within the city of Durham, all within walking distance of the train station and the conference venue.

SIROCCO has arranged some rooms at the following hotels at a conference rate (we expect to add more shortly). These are on a first-come-first-served basis, and also have expiry dates after which any unused rooms will be released, so we encourage attendees to book early.

Marriott Delta Hotels Durham – £149 per night, expires 27th April.

Hotel Indigo Durham – £159 per night, expires 24th May.

There are also the following other hotels, which do not have rooms specifically reserved but may have availability (listed roughly in order of price):

Travelodge Durham

Kingslodge Inn

Premier Inn Durham City Centre

Radisson Blu Durham