Durham Castle can host dinners for up to 200 guests in its Great Hall and meetings for up to 40 delegates in the Bishop's Dining Room, with bed and breakfast in castle rooms during university vacations. The castle stands on the peninsula above the River Wear in Durham, facing the cathedral, and is home to University College, part of Durham University. Bookings go through Event Durham, the university's events team.
Seminars and company events
The Bishop's Dining Room is available all year. It takes 40 people in theatre style and 25 around a boardroom table, which suits board meetings, academic workshops and small seminars. A dinner for up to 40 in the same room can close the day. Larger groups use the Great Hall for a conference dinner or an awards evening, outside term time. Guided tours of the castle run Monday to Saturday and can be added to a programme.
Because the castle is a working college, the Great Hall and the bedrooms are offered during university vacations, mainly at Christmas, Easter and in summer. Check the academic calendar before fixing dates.
Weddings and receptions
Civil ceremonies take place in the Bishop's Dining Room for up to 40 guests and are conducted by Durham Registrars, whom the couple books directly. Arrival drinks are served in the courtyard. The wedding breakfast is held in the Great Hall for up to 200 guests, or in the Bishop's Dining Room for up to 40. Hire charges apply to the ceremony spaces, and Event Durham handles wedding enquiries through its own form.
Rooms and capacities
The Great Hall, dating from 1284, holds up to 200 for dinner and is available in vacations. The Bishop's Dining Room holds 40 for dinner, a civil ceremony or a theatre-style meeting, and 25 as a boardroom. The Courtyard is used for drinks receptions. The Undercroft, below the hall, serves breakfast during restoration works.
Accommodation
During vacations the castle offers bed and breakfast in 57 en suite and 27 standard rooms, from singles to twins, doubles and triples. They are spread across Hall Stairs, next to the Great Hall, the Keep and Junction, and Owengate, just outside the walls and open in summer only. Breakfast is served in the Great Hall. Rooms have tea and coffee facilities, towels and toiletries. There are no lifts, some rooms in the Keep are reached by more than 100 steps, and most rooms are not wheelchair accessible. Groups of more than 10 book through Event Durham.
Catering
Catering comes from the college's own team, with a banqueting menu published by the university for each academic year. Breakfast is included with the rooms.
History and setting
William the Conqueror ordered the castle in 1072, and for centuries it was the palace of the Prince-Bishops of Durham, who governed the county with powers close to those of a king. In 1837 Bishop William Van Mildert gave it to the new university, and students have lived there ever since. With the cathedral, it forms a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1986. The Norman chapel, the Black Staircase and Tunstall's Gallery show the different periods of building.
Getting there
Durham station, on the East Coast Main Line between London King's Cross and Edinburgh, is about 15 minutes on foot from the castle. Newcastle International Airport is about 30 minutes by car. Vehicle access to the peninsula is restricted, so plan coaches and drop-offs with Event Durham.
