Photographs of Durham Castle

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Durham
North East England
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Durham Castle is the ancient palace of the Prince Bishops of Durham and lies on a promontory with the River Wear on three sides. It shares the top of the hill with the Cathedral. It is situated on the site of a fortress built to the orders of William the Conqueror on his return from Scotland in 1072. He then gave it to the newly appointed Prince Bishop of Durham. The castle was the home and office of the Bishop of Durham until it was converted to a college. Early bishops exercised power over the region on behalf of the King. Since then a succession of Prince Bishops have added sections to the Castle. Each Bishop has marked his additions with his crest. Names to remember include Bishop Flambard (1099-1128), Bishop Puiset (1153-1195), Bishop Bek (1284-1311), Bishop Hatfield (1345-1381), Bishop Foxe (1494-1501), Bishop Tunstall (1530-1559) and Bishop Cosin (1660-1672).
Unusually the Keep is the part of the castle that had decayed the most and it was rebuilt in the 1840s as sleeping quarters for students when the castle became Durham's University College. The remaining parts of the castle are situated around a courtyard below the Keep. The courtyard is entered from the gatehouse near to the site of the castle moat. The Great Hall was built in 1284 and is used as the College Dining Hall. The Medieval kitchens, built in 1499, are still in use. The castle's North wing was the site of a hall built by Bishop Puiset but a number of alterations have been made since.