Durham Castle

Durham Castle is open to the general public to visit, but only through guided tours, since it is a working castle and the home to over 100 students.  The castle has had an extremely interesting history, particularly in relation to the range of functions which the buildings have performed as a fortress, the principal palace of the Bishops of Durham and, since 1837, as the home of University College, the foundation college of Durham University. The castle now also houses an accredited museum, unusual in that it is contained within a living and working college community.

The Castle continues to require major restoration and in the last few years the roofs have been replaced with a grant from the Northern Rock Foundation, and English Heritage has contributed to repairs to the Gatehouse and Norman Arch on Tunstal’s Gallery. A new common room was recently constructed beneath the Great Hall and the Undercroft bar-common room was refurbished in 2008.