I recently put my name down for a guided tour of Durham Castle. I had never so much as crossed the threshold of the edifice before, and knew next to nothing about the place. To be honest, I thought it was 'out of bounds' to plebs like me.
On an earlier visit to Durham I noticed that this was not the case, and that you could book a tour online at a fiver a shot. So a couple of weeks later I turned up at the gates of this iconic structure and awaited my guide for the venture.
After having booked your slot in advance, you have to call in at the reception of the nearby Museum of Archaeology (itself worth a quick look) to notify them of your arrival and to pick up your official wristband. You then walk the few yards towards the castle gates and wait for the tour to commence.
A small gaggle of us were perhaps a little surprised to discover that a young student was to lead the way - and a Spanish national at that. But very well informed indeed she was, and off we all toddled on our 50 minute tour. We proceeded through the gatehouse (above) and into the 'bailey' area of the castle (below).
Most of Durham Castle is actually given over to student accommodation, so their are strict limits on where you can go. Our guide made it clear, though, that we weren't missing much, as the bits we weren't privy to were clogged up with student-related clutter. Anyway, the first bit we were shown was the Tunstall Chapel, on the right of the above image and shown internally by way of my slightly out-of-focus photo below. It was built in 1540, and contains much of interest, including some very odd wooden carvings - among them several strange beasts and a wife in a wheelbarrow!
The Tunstall Gallery was next, running betwixt the chapel and the Great Hall. It contains a fascinating gaggle of historical bits and bobs, including this lovely archway...
... And a copy of one of Bishop Tunstall's mathematics books. Tunstall's effort was, apparently, the first printed work published in England devoted exclusively to mathematics. Another North-East first, then.
I didn't get a photo of the next area of interest, being the 'flying' or 'floating' staircase that exists at the far end of the Gallery as we approached the Great Hall. Known as the Black Staircase, it was built by Bishop Cosin in the late seventeenth century. It was rather unwisely put together without any vertical supports, then began to lean precariously, and is now supported by wooden posts. It still looks very wobbly indeed, but we were assured it is quite safe!
Finally, there is the Great Hall. This goes way back, date wise, having been extended and altered over the centuries too. It has always been used for wining and dining - from the great and the good of former times to the university staff and students of today. And if it looks familiar, then it was this open space upon which Harry Potter's Hogwarts Great Hall was based (or so we were told). And as for that 'flying staircase', well, yes, that idea, too, was stolen by the Harry Potter folk!
A 50 minute tour of a World Heritage Site for £5. Not bad at all.
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