The Old Curio

09/06/2026

Tick off your treasure-hunting achievements 🔎

☐ Found something completely mysterious
☐ Asked “what do you think this is?” at least once
☐ Picked up something heavy just to admire it
☐ Discovered a stall you somehow missed before
☐ Went down a rabbit hole of small curios for way too long
☐ Spotted something your grandparents definitely had
☐ Said “this is actually quite reasonable” (danger sign)
☐ Imagined where you’d put it at home
☐ Nearly bought something just for the story behind it
☐ Left thinking about it all the way home

Let us know in the comments how many you ticked off...

03/06/2026

How good does this look😍!

Pop into the The Carthouse Cafe for a gorgeous summer lunch 🥗 🥓

01/06/2026

The Old Curio bingo card, how many can you tick off on your next visit? 🎉

☐ Ordered a coffee at the Carthouse Cafe
☐ Spotted a dog having a better time than any human in the building
☐ Found something in the antiques you couldn't identify and had to ask
☐ Sat on a sofa in the Vintage Sofa Warehouse and didn't want to get up
☐ Took a photo of the building from the outside before you'd even gone in
☐ Spent longer than expected in the Durham Antiques Cooperative
☐ Bought something you weren't planning to
☐ Told someone else they need to visit
☐ Came back for a second coffee
☐ Left already planning your next visit

Full house? You're officially a TOC regular! 🏆

Share yours in the comments, or tag someone you need to bring with you.

📍 Sherburn Hill, County Durham. Link in bio for opening times and everything you need to plan your visit.

28/05/2026

Hidden gems don't stay hidden forever ✨

There's a particular feeling you get when you find somewhere before everyone else does, before the queues, before it ends up on every "best days out" list, before the car park is full on a Saturday morning.

You can get that feeling at The Old Curio.

A heritage destination in Sherburn Hill, County Durham, that most people in the region still haven't heard of. Fourteen antique dealers. A dog-friendly cafe. A vintage sofa showroom. A building with more history and character than anywhere you'll find on a high street.

Durham's day-out landscape is surprisingly underserved for a destination with this much to offer. The Old Curio is sitting in the middle of that gap and it won't be a 'hidden gem' for long.

Come before everyone else does 📍

Link in bio for everything you need to plan your visit.

26/05/2026

✨GIVEAWAY TIME✨
The Carthouse Cafe is celebrating Father's Day with an afternoon tea for two.☕️🥪
Make sure to enter for your chance to win!

🎉 FATHER’S DAY GIVEAWAY 🎉

To celebrate Father’s Day, we’re giving away a delicious Afternoon Tea for two! ☕🍰
To enter:

✅ Like this post
✅ Comment and tag someone you’d bring with you
✅ Share this post to your story/feed

✨ Extra comments = extra entries! ✨

The winner will be announced on the 31st. Good luck everyone! ❤️

🕰️ Open Wednesday–Sunday | 10am–4pm☕ Café open 10am–3pm

📍 The Old Curio, Sherburn Hill, Durham, DH6 1PA🌐 www.theoldcurio.co.u

26/05/2026

First visit to The Old Curio coming up? Here's how to make the most of it ☕🛋️🏺

Start at the Carthouse Cafe

Settle in, order a coffee and something homemade, and let yourself arrive properly before you start exploring. It sets the tone for the whole visit, the cafe's worth taking your time in.

Don't walk past the Vintage Sofa Warehouse
Even if you're not in the market for a new sofa, we urge you to go in. The showroom is worth seeing and, if you're in the market, you'll struggle to leave without sitting on everything at least once.

Work your way through the Durham Antiques Cooperative
Fourteen independent dealers under one roof means a lot of ground to cover. Don't rush it. Every dealer has their own specialism, ceramics, militaria, mid-century furniture, jewellery, curiosities, and the best finds are usually the ones you weren't looking for.

Look up

The building is part of the experience. The architecture, the heritage, the atmosphere, it all adds to a visit in a way that's hard to put into words until you're actually there.

Leave time to come back

Most people who visit The Old Curio for the first time are already planning their second before they've left the car park. Plan for a full morning or afternoon, you won't regret it.

📍 Sherburn Hill, County Durham. Link in bio for opening times and parking.

06/05/2026

🎬✨ EXCITING NEWS AT THE OLD CURIO ✨🎬

We’ve had lots of people asking what was happening with the film crews at The Old Curio on Monday… 👀

Well, we can finally share the news…

🕰️ The Old Curio & Durham Antiques Cooperative are going to be featured on the BBC’s Antiques Road Trip 🚗✨

The BBC spent the day filming for an upcoming episode and yes… they picked up some very interesting finds along the way 👀🛍️

We’re also thrilled that two of our lovely dealers, Ian Denning & Stuart Robinson, will be appearing in the programme 🙌

After launching the centre just 8 months ago alongside the wonderful Carthouse Café ☕, we’re beyond excited to see Durham firmly placed on the antiques map 🏛️

We’ll keep you updated with filming news and air dates over the coming months 📺

Make sure you follow 👉 Durham Antiques Cooperative for future updates, behind the scenes moments, and plenty more exciting finds ✨

📍 The Old Curio, Sherburn Hill, Durham, DH6 1PA🌐 www.theoldcurio.co.uk

13/04/2026

🐾 Dog of the Week: Meet Bryn.

Breed: Chocolate Labrador

Reason for visit: Allegedly the antiques, actually the attention.

Cafe order: Whatever was nearest to the floor.

Favourite spot: the back of the cafe

Would they come back: They were already at the door before their owner had finished their coffee.

Bryn came in recently and absolutely made our week! If your dog is a regular, or even a first-timer, tag them below or send us your pictures. We'd love to feature them 🧡

The Old Curio. Where dogs are always welcome 🐾

📍 Sherburn Hill, County Durham.