Durham Castle

Durham Castle is a Norman castle in the city of Durham, England, which has been occupied since 1837 by University College, Durham after its previous role as the residence of the Bishops of Durham. Designated since 1986 as a cultural World Heritage Site in England, along with Durham Cathedral, the castle is open to the general public to visit, but only through guided tours, since it is in use as a working building and is home to over 100 students. The castle stands on top of a hill above the River Wear on Durham's peninsula, opposite Durham Cathedral ().

History

Early history

Construction of the castle, of the motte and bailey design favoured by the Normans, began in 1072 under the orders of William the Conqueror, six years after the Norman conquest of England, and soon after the Normans first came to the North. The construction took place under the supervision of Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria, until he rebelled against William and was executed in 1076. Stone for the new buildings was cut from the cliffs below the walls and moved up using winches.

The holder of the office of the bishop of Durham, Bishop Walcher at the time, was appointed by the king to exercise royal authority on his behalf, with the castle being his seat. Adding to his status by the purchase of the Earldom of Northumbria, Walcher began a line of prince-bishops which continued until the Bishops of Durham lost their temporal powers under the Durham (County Palatine) Act 1836. The prince-bishops were entitled to raise an army, levy taxes and mint their own coinage. The wide remit granted them by the English crown allowed them virtual autonomy to act as a defence both against Scottish incursions from the north, and internal rebellions.

Walcher continued the building of the castle, as a combination of bishops' palace and defensive stronghold. Inner and outer baileys and a keep were constructed. The earliest structures may have been of wood, but there is evidence of building in stone from the end of the 11th century. In May 1080, the castle was attacked and besieged for four days by rebels from Northumbria and Bishop Walcher was killed.

In the 12th century, Bishop Pudsey ( Hugh de Puiset) built the Norman archway and the Galilee of the cathedral. In 1177, King Henry II of England seized the castle after a disagreement with de Puiset. Other major alterations were made by Bishop Thomas Hatfield in the 1300s, including a rebuilding of the keep and enlargement of the keep mount.

The castle has a large Great Hall, originally called a Dining Hall, created by Bishop Antony Bek in the early 14th century; Bishop Hatfield added a wooden minstrels' gallery. The hall was modified and enlarged, then reduced, in size by subsequent bishops. Today, the Hall is high and over long.

University College

The Castle remained the bishop's palace for the Bishop of Durham until Auckland Castle was made the bishops' residence in 1832; the current bishop still maintains offices at that castle, roughly ten miles to the south. Subsequently, Durham castle was donated to the University of Durham by Bishop William Van Mildert and would later become the college. The college did not occupy the castle until 1837, after the next Bishop, Edward Maltby, had completed renovations of the building.

The cathedral was targeted for a Baedeker Blitz or bombing raid by Germany but escaped because fog rolled in and blocked the pilots' view.

Architecture and description

Chapels

The Norman Chapel is the oldest accessible part of the castle built about 1078. Its architecture is Anglian in nature, possibly due to forced Anglian labour being used to build it. In the 15th century, its three windows were all but blocked up because of the expanded keep. It fell into disuse until 1841 when it was used as a corridor through which to access the keep. During the Second World War, it was used as a command and observation post for the Royal Air Force. The chapel was re-consecrated shortly after the war and is still used for weekly services by the college.

Tunstall's Chapel, named after Cuthbert Tunstall, was built in the 16th century and is used for worship within the college. It was modified in the 17th century by Bishop Cosin.

World Heritage status and historic listing designations

Durham Castle is jointly designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral, a short distance across Palace Green.

The UNESCO report provides specifics about the Castle's important aspects:

Within the Castle precinct are later buildings of the Durham Palatinate, reflecting the Prince-Bishops’ civic responsibilities and privileges. These include the Bishop’s Court (now a library), almshouses, and schools. Palace Green, a large open space connecting the various buildings of the site once provided the Prince Bishops with a venue for processions and gatherings befitting their status, and is now still a forum for public events.

Seventeen elements of the castle are listed, all at the highest Grade, I. These are: the keep, the north and west ranges, the entrance gatehouse, a bastion and twelve sections of the castle walls.*Durham Castle: Keep *Durham Castle: North Range *Durham Castle: West Range *Durham Castle: Gatehouse, entrance gateway, side walls, linking walls and front wall *Durham Castle: Bastion behind No. 50 and attached wall *Durham Castle: Terrace wall, castle wall behind No.s 7-18 consecutive *Durham Castle: Wall around motte on west, north and east sides *Durham Castle: Wall behind Hatfield College *Durham Castle: Wall behind No.3 *Durham Castle: Wall behind Nos. 16-22 and No.22a (St Chad's) *Durham Castle: Wall behind Nos. 26-28 *Durham Castle: Terrace wall north of Bow Lane *Durham Castle walls: Terrace wall south of Bow Lane and east of Kingsgate *Durham Castle: Durham Castle walls: Wall behind Nos. 12 and 12a *Durham Castle walls: Wall behind St John's College from Nos. 1 to 11 consecutive, and garden house attached behind No.11 *Durham Castle walls: Wall to west of No.13 *Durham Castle walls: Walls attached to No.s 12 to 15

Gallery

Durham Castle, April 2017 (18) (33687759022).jpg, Entrance to Bishop Bek's Great Hall
Durham Castle, April 2017 (12) (33843774815).jpg, Inside Bishop Bek's Great Hall
Durham Castle (27999239856).jpg, Durham Castle
Durham Castle, April 2017 (4) (33802918126).jpg, The original great hall range with later adaptations
Durham Castle, April 2017 (2) (33802921566).jpg, The entrance to Durham Castle, remodelled in the 18th and 19th centuries

See also

* Castles in Great Britain and Ireland
* List of castles in England

References

External links

Durham Castle - Durham University

Durham Castle - Durham World Heritage site

A Tour of Durham Cathedral & Castle

{{CastlesCDT&W

Buildings and structures completed in the 11th century
Castle
World Heritage Sites in England
Houses in County Durham
Castles in County Durham
Grade I listed buildings in County Durham
Grade I listed castles
Grade I listed educational buildings
Historic house museums in County Durham
Motte-and-bailey castles
Museums of Durham University
Episcopal palaces of the bishops of Durham
University College, Durham
Norman castles