Durham Castle

Durham Castle was built in 1072 to control the route between England and Scotland. The Norman Prince-Bishops of Durham wielded near-royal powers, ruling the palatinate as a buffer zone. The castle and cathedral form one of the finest Norman architectural ensembles in England.

Why it mattered

• Seat of the Prince-Bishops
• Northern frontier fortress
• UNESCO World Heritage Site (with cathedral)

Architecture and the site

• Norman chapel (one of the oldest in England)
• Great hall
• Keep and curtain wall

Chronology (selected)

• 1072: Walcher, first Norman bishop, begins construction
• 1093: Cathedral construction begins nearby

Further reading

• M. Bonney, "Lordship and the Urban Community: Durham and its Overlords" (1990)

Hub essays

• Region context: norman england conquest and governance and the shared bibliography.
• Castles and fortification: Norman castles — motte to stone.

On the map

Use Open on map to fly to this pin in the Norman expansion era. Layers are teaching overlays — pair them with charters, excavation reports, and the works above.