Durham Castle

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Durham Castle is only open to the public at certain times of the year as it used as halls for Durham University and is also a wedding/function venue. Normally you would have to do a guided tour (which I did a long, long time ago), but due to Covid the tours are now self guided, which appealed to me. It was fairly easy to book a ticket in advance as they are released the week before, and aren't snapped up too quickly. When I booked my tour, the weather forecast said it was going to be sunny and pretty decent, but like the previous week, the forecast changed and it was cloudy, spitting, and a bit nippy. There was a definite autumnal feel in the air. It meant I didn't stop on the bridge to get some photos of the castle and cathedral. One day, I will get good weather and good photos with blue skies. I wandered over Framwellgate Bridge and up Silver Street toward the Marketplace, which was pretty busy considering it was still fairly early. I turned on to Saddler Street and then onto Owengate before coming out onto Palace Green. The views of the cathedral were really nice and since I still had a bit of time before my tour started, I had a walk around Palace Green, checking out the old buildings and the cathedral. I didn't have time to go into the cathedral, so I will save that for another trip.

I wasn't too sure where the entrance to the castle was, but I saw plenty of people milling about and figured that must be the entrance. Just before 11 am, a couple of students came out and we all lined up and as we got checked off, we were given a map to do the self guided tour. There are only about 5 or 6 places that you can visit in the castle, but still it would be nice to see inside. Durham Castle dates back to the 11th century having been first built in 1072, and has been continuously occupied ever since. Originally, it was home to the Prince-Bishops of Durham, who were not only the religious head of the diocese, but also were in charge of defending the Kingdom from attack by the Scots in the north. The Prince-Bishops resided here until the 19th century, when Auckland Castle became their official residence. In 1837, the castle became home to University College which is Durham University's oldest college and still is today.

A short walk along the path and I came to the Gatehouse. This isn't the original gatehouse, but it does still have the Norman arch, which dates back to the 12th century. It isn't too imposing, but I liked it. I really wish I could have went inside, but I think that's for staff only. Through the Gatehouse I came out onto the Courtyard. Here, you can see all the different architectural styles of the buildings surrounding it. It was nice to stand there and look at the different buildings and think of their uses and all the people that have come and gone there over the years. I liked spotting the little details like the coats of arms on the walls.

The Normal Chapel was the first building to enter on the tour, so I headed there. Due to social distancing only about 10 people are allowed into the chapel at one time. There was a guide outside to check and he offered an alternative route to start at the next lace and then come back to the Norman Chapel. I was about to do that when one person left the chapel, so I was able to go in. The perks of being alone. The Norman Chapel is the oldest standing building in Durham and was built in 1080. It felt like I was going underground when I entered the chapel, as it was really dark and the few lights and windows were high up on the walls. The chapel was filled with columns which had some rather unusual carvings on them. I wish the lighting had been better as it was too hard for me to get decent photos of them. There are different theories about the chapel, some believe it has always been a chapel, while others think it was a crypt. Also the entrance that I used was not the original, and I was happy that the guide in the room pointed out the original entrance to me. The walls were very thick for defence reasons. The guide was really informative and was telling me that the stone for the pillars came from a local quarry.

Back outside, I headed up the stairs in the next door way and made my way to the Tunstall Chapel. This was built in the 1540s by Bishop Tunstall and was very different in style to the Norman Chapel. It felt much more modern in comparison. There were some great wood carvings. I really like the faces on a plaque on the wall and what I think was a dog. The altar was really beautiful and although I'm not religious, I think it would be really nice to attend a service in such a historic and atmospheric building. I got talking to the guide in the room and he told me that people not affiliated with the university would probably be allowed in. The guide also demonstrated one of the 'misericords' also known as a 'mercy seats'. Since you were not allowed to be seated for religious services and standing for a long time was tiring, these 'mercy seats' were invented to give you a bit of a break. They are beautifully carved ledges that are added to the bottom of the seats, so when folded up, you can lean your bum against them for some respite. A great invention!

I headed to the Tunstall Gallery, which was added to the castle at the same time as the Tunstall Gallery. I came to the Norman Archway that was built in 1170 and was the original entrance to the castle. The Norman Archway led to the Senate Rooms. One is a sitting room, I presume it is used by the students as there were magazines and things piled up and it had a lived in feel to it. The walls were covered with some great tapestries. Also, the fireplace was amazingly intricate. The other room is octagonal shaped and had paintings on the wall. This seemed a bit grander than the first room. As I walked through the Tunstall Gallery, I had a look at some of the exhibits on display. I loved the old gnarled trunk that was on display.

Leaving the Tunstall Gallery, I came to the Black Stairs. Looking up, it felt like the stairs went on forever. The Black Stairs were built in the 1660s as Bishop Cosin set about transforming the castle, which was in a bad state of repair after the English Civil War. The castle was to be transformed into a palace as the building would now be used for residential and comfort purposes as opposed to its previous defensive role. The stairs were cutting edge technology at the time, made from oak and lime and each stair was embedded in the wall, with no vertical supports. However, the builders used unseasoned wood when building the stairs and this caused the staircase to develop a lean to one side. This meant vertical wooden posts had to be added on the outer edge of the stairs. I felt like I was drunk when I was walking up the stairs as the lean forces you to one side. Another interesting feature of the stairs is the carved pineapples that adorn the stairs. Pineapples were a rare and exotic fruit in the 17th and 18th centuries and cost thousands of pounds. Therefore they were used as a status symbol and people used to rent them to show off at dinner parties. The pineapples carvings are not the most realistic looking and it is thought that the carver had probably never seen one.

After climbing the stairs, I came to the Norman Gallery, also known as Constables Hall, which is part of the North Hall. It was built in the 11th century by Bishop Flambard and was designed to be a prestigious building. There are two theories about its original form. One, there was a main block with a chamber block on each side. Second, the hall was divided horizontally into a reception chamber and upper audience hall with a chamber block to the west. Nowadays the gallery is home to University College's Junior Common Room Executive Committee. These are undergraduate students elected to represent their peers for a one year term and a perk for the extra responsibilities they take on is to live here. It must be great to live in such a historic building, I wonder if they are ever bothered by ghosts. One of the first things I did when I entered the gallery was to head to the window and take a look out over Durham. I could see down to the River Wear and Framwellgate Bridge in the foreground, and the railway arches in background. Such a great view, I hope the students have time to appreciate it with their busy studying schedules. All the dorm rooms were shut, so I couldn't see inside any of them. I would have loved to have seen how they'd compared to halls of residences that I'd lived in. An interesting feature is that each room has a set of two doors; an outer door and an inner door. If the outer door is closed it acts as a do not disturb sign and you shouldn't call upon the occupant. If only the inner door is shut, it means that they are willing to accept visitors. I really liked the oars that decorated the walls above the dorm room doors. The hallway had a bit of a weird set up as it was filled with the type of covered chairs that you would get at a wedding or formal function. I'm not sure if the Norman Gallery is used for wedding ceremonies due to the set up of the chairs. Personally, I found it a bit weird as it would feel like you were getting married in a corridor, but I think the photos I took of it make it look nicer than it actually was.

Coming down the stairs, I entered the final place on the tour, the Great Hall. It felt familiar as I had attended a wedding here many, many years ago. The Great Hall actually seemed smaller than I remembered. There seemed to be less seating and also there were a lot less people, so maybe that's why it didn't feel as big, or just like most things in life as you get older things from the past get smaller. It did however have a bit of a Harry Potter vibe to it and I think if it were full of students, it would feel like you were eating dinner at Hogwarts. The hall was built in the 13th century by Bishop Bek and has been the centre of the castle and its social life for centuries. It is believed that a simpler building stood there previously, but Bishop Bek had the Great Hall built for King Edward I's visit to Durham. Over time the hall has been changed, made smaller and bigger, with rooms added to improve its functionality, and windows lengthened to add more light. I really liked all the portraits on the walls. I don't have a clue who any of the men were, I think they were either bishops or previous chancellors and teachers of the university. Also the stained glass window at one end of the Great Hall was beautiful. Coming out of the Great Hall, I spent a while taking some photos of the Courtyard as there were less people around. I enjoyed my tour of the castle and it was nice to learn some of the history of it.

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Photos

Mercy Seat
Tunstall Chapel

View of Durham
Norman Gallery