Inside the quirky Funky Monk serviced apartments bringing something different to Durham

Housed in a prime location in the shadow of Durham City’s railway viaduct, the five serviced apartments are the latest investment by Ramside Estates, who are already a popular choice for overnight stays at their other ventures: Ramside Hall, Hardwick Hall Hotel, The Impeccable Pig and Bowburn Hall Hotel.

Much like their rooms at the Ramside treehouses and the quirky Impeccable Pig in Sedgefield, The Funky Monk is bringing something different to Durham.

Specially-commissioned artworks feature the titular Funky Monk, aka the fictional Brother John, as he makes a habit of leading a debaucherous life – and that Devilish sense of fun flows through the site.

The creation of the serviced apartments, which are ideal for a city break, has seen a major transformation of former residential flats at 1 Victoria Terrace, the gable end property in a row of handsome Edwardian townhouses that run parallel to Wharton Park – and operations manager at Ramside Estates, Charlie Eedle, says they’ve already got people talking.

"As with the treehouses, we wanted to bring something different to the area, and for these apartments we took inspiration from Durham’s tradition of monks and had some fun with it,” he said.

"It’s really grabbed people’s attention and we’ve already had a lot of bookings. The style and the quality of the furnishings means it’s really sold itself.”

He added: “Durham is undergoing massive growth with all the investment along the riverside and we really noticed a gap in the market for high end serviced apartments. People want the quality of a luxury hotel, but with more space.”

The Rooms

There’s five apartments in total: three one-beds called The Bashing Bishop, The Temple of Funk and Brother John’s Boudoir; one two-bed called The Friar’s Nook and a penthouse three-bedroom apartment called The Cloister.

However, each also has a sofa bed meaning they could sleep up to four, six or eight people.

State of the art living rooms with huge LG smart TVs and kitchenettes, complete with dishwashers, washing machines and kitchen appliances, feature in all the apartments. As do super kingsize beds of biblical proportions.

Meanwhile, the bathrooms include copper baths, walk in showers complete with gold Funky Monk logos and Elemis toiletries.

The two ground-floor apartments, The Friar’s Nook and The Bashing Bishop, have their own private hot tubs, whilst the latter also has its own sauna.

Decor

The imaginative decor makes for a hugely-atmospheric stay, which starts as soon as you walk into the ecclesiastical-themed hallway which plays funk tunes on a loop underneath its glittering disco ball.

Each apartment has its own colour scheme, from the muted yellow and wood panelling detailing of Brother John’s Boudoir to the bare brick walls and inky blue colour palette of the The Bashing Bishop.

There’s plenty of talking point artworks, including the aforementioned Brother John pieces, which are dotted about the building, to sculptural pieces and richly-detailed cushions.

Parking

With parking at a premium in Durham, The Funky Monk has no parking of its own. However, there is on street council parking running up the bank.

It’s free after 2pm or it’s 75p an hour from 8am.

If you’re travelling by rail, it’s a five minute walk from Durham Station.

Its location is also a short walk into the centre of Durham via North Road with a wealth of bars and restaurants in easy reach.

Access

Access is via a digital key, sent to you prior to your stay.

Communal areas are monitored via Ramside’s CCTV and there’s 24/7 access to their security should any problems arise.

Cost

Off-peak prices for a one-bed apartment start from £250 a night. More information at www.thefunkymonk.co.uk