Who lives in Gilesgate
Gilesgate began as the main street of a settlement linked to the Hospital of St Giles, beside today's St Giles Church. Its medieval name was Gillygate, and by the 18th century it was a long, deeply banked street lined with houses running down from the moor to the city. Collieries opened around Gilesgate and Gilesgate Moor in the 19th century, and a mining settlement called New Durham grew at the eastern end. Gilesgate station opened in 1844 but carried passengers for only 13 years.
As a suburb Gilesgate is loosely defined, split between the city parish, Belmont parish and an unparished area. The statistical area that covers most of it, Gilesgate Moor and Old Durham, had 6,746 residents at the 2021 Census.
Housing is varied and often tight. In the census area around Kepier Crescent and Long Acres (LSOA County Durham 029C), 43% of homes were terraced and 23% flats. 45% of households had no car, 39% rented privately and 28% rented from a social landlord. Only 32% owned their home. The Elvet and Gilesgate ward overall was 39% terraced and 39% flats.
Up on the estates around Roosevelt Road, Cooper Square and Musgrave Gardens, there are more semis and front gardens.
Typical Gilesgate work:
- A compact space in front of a terrace or semi where the garden is deep enough.
- Rear parking off a back lane.
- Shared parking for blocks of flats, resurfaced with the owners' agreement.
- Small permeable drives that keep some planting.
Conservation and listed houses
The lower part of Gilesgate lies in the Durham City conservation area. More than a dozen listed buildings stand near the street, including 103–105, 106 and 107, 126, 127, 128, 129 and 130 and 133 and 134 Gilesgate, all Grade II.
In the conservation area:
- ask Durham County Council's planning team before removing walls, railings or steps,
- use materials that suit historic terraces, such as setts, clay pavers or a bound gravel,
- remember that listed buildings need listed building consent for works affecting them.
Elsewhere, a permeable front drive on a house, or one draining to the garden, is permitted development. Impermeable paving over five square metres draining to the road needs planning permission. Flats have no such rights.
Under the surface
The British Geological Survey maps the area on glacial till over the Pennine Middle Coal Measures. Till drains slowly, and on Gilesgate's slopes surface water runs downhill quickly. Steep frontages need firm edges, a channel drain at the low end and a surface that will not wash away.
The Environment Agency's flood map shows 4 Flood Zone 3 and 3 Flood Zone 2 areas within 300 metres of Kepier Crescent, following the River Wear in the valley below. Homes on the higher ground are clear of them, but check your address.
The kerb licence and costs
Licence. Durham County Council requires a licence for any vehicle crossing, new or extended. It costs £171, paid once you have arranged a contractor and before work starts, and there is no fee if the council refuses. Its approval letter lists registered contractors. On a steep or busy street such as Sunderland Road, visibility is part of the decision. More on our dropped kerbs page.
Costs. A single space is usually around 15m². At Checkatrade's April 2026 UK averages:
- Gravel in a grid: about £60 per m², roughly £900.
- Tarmac: about £90 per m², roughly £1,350.
- Block paving: about £100 per m², roughly £1,500.
- Resin bound: about £120 per m², roughly £1,800.
Small jobs cost more per square metre. Removing walls, steps on sloping plots, the licence and the crossing come on top. On a steep frontage, block paving or tarmac grips better than loose gravel and will not wash downhill in heavy rain.
Places near Gilesgate
- Driveways, Belmont: East beyond the Moor, a suburb of semis and detached homes.
- Driveways, Shincliffe: South across the Wear, a conservation village.
- Driveways, Neville's Cross: West across the city, with Edwardian streets and the A167.
Options for a tight frontage: gravel, block paved driveways, kerb dropping.
Full list of areas: Full list.
Questions people ask in Gilesgate
Can I park in front of my Gilesgate terrace?
Only if the garden is deep enough for a car to sit clear of the pavement, usually about 5 metres. Many terraces on the old street are shallower.
Is Gilesgate in a conservation area?
The lower, historic part of the street is in the Durham City conservation area. Many estates up towards the Moor are not.
What does a dropped kerb licence cost in Durham?
Durham County Council charges £171, paid once a contractor is arranged. There is no fee if the application is refused.
Is Gilesgate at risk of flooding?
Land by the River Wear in the valley is in mapped flood zones. Most homes on the hill are well above it. Check your address on the flood map.
Sources: ONS Census 2021, Elvet and Gilesgate ward and LSOA County Durham 029C (TS044, TS045, TS054 via Nomis); Wikipedia: Gilesgate; Planning Data: conservation areas and listed buildings; BGS Geology Viewer, 1:50,000; Environment Agency flood map for planning; Durham County Council: vehicle access over kerbs; GOV.UK: permeable surfacing of front gardens; Checkatrade driveway cost guide (April 2026).