Just arrived from sunny Wiltshire with the wife and kids for a eye test after feeling a bit under the weather. Lovely views full of colour and loads of areas to look for eye testing. Gorgeous flowers to test colour blindness. Now off home back to mum and dads house for a roast. Wont use specsavers again if this this visit.

Great place to get your eyes tested!

Great place to sneak away to when you want to be a bit cheeky on lock down !!!!

It was so nice of Dominic to invite us all out for a group eye test during lock down. Don’t worry, we left Matt Hancock in charge during our absence. So we loaded up our charabancs with food hampers and beer; with a discreet police escort we headed down the motorway. After heavily imbibing throughout the day, Michael Gove did a hilarious impression of a glove puppet, but to be honest, he always does in front of the media anyway. Boris just wandered around in his shorts trying to remember how many children he has, all to no avail. Pritti was unusually relaxed whilst insisting that she be in charge of the barbeque. Then it was all back to Dominic’s for a couple of days before heading back to running the country. Happy days.

Beautiful castle with fantastic local amenities. Took the wife and kids there to gauge whether or not my eyes work. They do - all thanks to this gorgeous castle! It's a miracle, plain and simple.

upon arrival the host grabbed our bags and ran with them. we walked inside and were pushed down the stairs into the dungeon. our tour guide then drop kicked us and my new born off the top the tower. i am now recovering in the icu after being on a ventilator and multiple surgeries. the food was medioka, the atmosphere gloomy and overall gordan ramsey would be proud. i was able to meet tom felton and high fived him. he kicked me and my dead child over and proceeded to steal our money and credit cards and run away screaming i hope you get cancer, have a great. he then came back with harry potter and they double round house kicked me and then further kurb stopped me. overall my rating of durham castle it 5 out 5. i felt at home and like i was apart of the group. i really loved it and recommend it do everyone that see's this. thankyou for the great stay.

Stunning by day but spectacular by night with lighting making the architecture look more impressive and breathtaking. Makes you wonder how they managed to complete the building of such places back in times where machinery was non existent.

We had booked a guided tour of the castle which lasts around an hour. You get enough time to explore the castle and take pictures. I found it fascinating that the castle is also a student accommodation. The tour guide was very friendly and had good knowledge about the castle. The guided tour costs £5 (you can ask for student discount).

I wasn’t expecting the castle to be owned/managed by the University and couldn’t understand why all the websites linked back to the university but that explains it! I had a guided tour by Katy who was very knowledgeable and easy to talk to. She explained the rooms, the university use of the halls etc very well. The castle was unlike most castles I’ve visited previously. Less about armour and keeping villagers safe, more about the reformation and uni students. What a gorgeous place to have as your halls! Definitely book tickets days in advance. I only had the choice of one tour (at 16.15) on the day of my booking. About 25 people per tour.

This place deserves a visit when in Durham. £5 for 45 minutes tour are totally worth it. The University staff who will escort you, will have a huge knowledge of the castle and will keep you entertained with lots of anecdotes. On busy days it's better to book the tour in advance to avoid to be disappointed.

Only £5 for an tour lasting an hour. Absolutely stunning, so much to see and really interesting. Well worth a visit and great value for money

Truly magnificent buildings,so much history. Lucky to be able to stay here for a couple of days. Just to roam about breathing in all of that history. Bacon and egg for breakfast pretty good as well. Best to book the tour tickets in advance.

Partial student accommodation, visit by guided tour only (tickets from library off palace green). Our guide was Sonia, she gave great insight into the history and iterations of the buildings on the site. Would highly recommend

We had a 45 minute guided tour of the castle which is part of the University. The castle is 950 years old. It has been added to over time. It was a gun informative guided walk on a well used castle. We really enjoyed it.

Myself and my 4 children visited today for a free tour and reenactment. I have to say I was directed to where to store my pushchair all staff where friendly we could explore in our own time and plenty for my children to do. Ages 13 10 6 and 1. I have never been to the castle and I have to say I will be coming again. Even my kids want to. 😁😁😁😁

Last time I was here was 26 years ago! This visit with my daughter was lovely. The staff at the castle were great, had alot of time for you. Very knowledgeable about the castle, my daughter loved chatting to them about the history of the place. There was a little quiz for the kids, which was good. Colouring in and outfits to dress up in. I think there was a cafe there as well...think I saw one. I recommend a visit! Only £5 entry fee, kids under 11 it's free.

Brilliant guided tour experience and stunning castle. A must visit historical site in Durham. Though make sure to book in advance or turn up early morning for remaining slots for the guided tour on the day.

Nice castle set in a bend in the river at the heart of Durham. Sadly most of the castle is student residences so only part of the castle can be viewed and only on the official tour. It was still worth the money for the parts you do see and the informative guide.

The tour of the castle was really great and was lead by a knowledgeable guide. The grounds are amazing and full of history that would suit anyone coming in. Just felt a bit awkward walking into student study areas and was very conscious not to disturb.

A beautiful and rich of history Norman castle 🌃 in the city of Durham, which has been occupied since 1837 by the University College, after its previous role as the residence of the Bishops of Durham. 🏰 Designated as a cultural World Heritage Site in England, along with Durham Cathedral, since 1986, this building is open to the general public to visit, but only through guided tours, since it is in use as a working building and is home to over 100 students... 🙂 The castle stands on top of a hill above the River Wear 🏞️ on Durham's peninsula, opposite Durham Cathedral... 🌅

As a history nut just what can I say, that hasn't been said before. But what a place.

It’s a wonderful historical well looked after site… it’s worth a visit. You pay a 5 pound tour with a tour guide… ours was a Masters student who was truly very knowledgable and was able to answer all my questions…the tour was so interesting! Go for it! It’s worth a visit

Our first visit today and it was worth the £5 each. Our guide was very knowledgeable and lovely. You do need to book either online or in the library next to the castle and the tours are hourly and last 1 hour.

(Translated by Google) Xl Century Castle, where the city's university is located. It is easy to get to because it is close to public transport🏝 (Original) Castillo de Siglo Xl, donde se encuentra la universidad de la ciudad. Es fácil de llegar porque se encuentra cerca del transporte público🏝

Had a great stay and will come back soon

Wow I have had to update this post because this place of worship has made a jab passport necessary to enter. I thought we won the second World War. This old cathedral shows signs of periods of neglect that adds to its character. The full tour is recommended as this building is steeped in many levels of history and you will see why this was such a strong seat of power for so many years.

Beautiful Durham castle situated 900m from Durham cathedral, private and not accessible most of the time with limited access to students. Wonderful place to see from the bridges

Took my daughter for the University college tour at the castle absolutely picturesque. It was like a harry potter landscape the great hall was fantastic with old portraits and grand fireplaces and huge tables. My daughter left hoping she gets her first choice pick the smile said it all.

Again a very historical place, some interesting ways of life learned, and good guides around to advise you on anything you ask, or seek to know. The Knave of Norman times is quite an experience, look out for the green Man and mermaid and lions, the main castle and the senior university staffs drawing room laid out with papers in a very historical room with tapestries and decor you associate from the 1600's onwards. The Great Hall was laid out for Graduate supper, what a privilege.

Beautiful building only downside is limited access due to university have such control over it. Work a visit if you can get a slot for a tour.

Architecturally stunning! I cannot describe just how beautiful this building is. We were there for a wedding reception.

Absolutely beautiful. You can't access the site without a guided tour as it is an active part of Durham university, but it's worth booking and having a tour.

Fantastic tour. The guides were friendly and very knowledgeable. Tour takes about an hour and costs £10 well worth it!

Beautiful architecture

Guided tour is only option but was informative. Book ahead as they have limited numbers. Looks bigger than it is but worth seeing. Interesting to see a castle used for modern day purposes I.e uni accommodation and dining hall.

A great place to stay in Durham. We booked a night here for £100 last August. It is an accommodation for university students. We stayed in a room on the top floor of the castle, which had a beautiful view. There is no lift access so we had to walk through a lot of steps to get there. But it was a pleasant experience to explore the passage and get lost inside the castle. It was a comfortable night overall.

Fabulous experience, so historic, lots of staff in each room to answer questions. Although we didn't participate in tea and cake. They where quite reasonable in price. Great day out £4.50 for concessions. What we weren't aware of on that day classic cars where there. 🙂

Castle looks good from far, but unfortunately the access is limited to prebooked tours, so you can't just get in whenever you want.

Durham Castle is a Norman castle in the city of Durham, England, which has been fully occupied since 1840 by University College, Durham. It is open to the general public, but only through guided tours, since it is working as a work building and houses more than 300 students. The castle sits on top of a hill above the River Wear on the Durham Peninsula, opposite Durham Cathedral. The feeling of being in a historic place and at the same time full of life was fantastic.

Joined the guided tour and learned some interesting histories about the castle and the Prince Bishop. There were not many places to see inside the castle but it could be justified by the reasonable price of £5 per adult.

I love Durham I spend more time at Durham then at home now I have been in the castle i am thinking of having bed a breakfast there when I have the more just to say I have had sleep in a castle i don't have the money right now the people where lovely and I really enjoyed visiting the castle.

Read website before going. Website mentions self guided tours in summer months. When we arrived it was guided tours only which were all sold out!! Please adjust the website or make things clearer!!

The castle is worth to visit, but noted that not all rooms are available for public visitors, because this castle is used as student accommodation, so only guided tour provided. There are 6 zones to visit, including the entry gate, several chapels and the great hall. The student guide was really friendly and patient, shared many knowledge about the history of castle. Strongly recommend to visit when the weather is good.

It's on a guided tour basis but still £5 is the entry free for such a beautiful castle with a guide tour which lasts for 45mins and gets your access to some parts of the castle :)

Excellent and informative tour, lots of background history about the buildings, interiors, paintings and collection from an enthusiastic and intelligent guide. Well worth the money!

What a great visit, very interesting castle and such good value (£5 per adult ticket)! Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and it's got a lot of interesting history. Recommend visiting, just a heads up though you need to buy a ticket as it's only visitable through a tour as it's lived in by the students!

In all the years I have lived near Durham (about 22yrs) I have NEVER set foot in the castle till today as its often closed for student events or weddings .... Today it was open so we grabbed the opportunity! Our guide was great with a host of info delivered in an interesting and humorous manner, really enjoyed it! well worth a visit....

(Translated by Google) fascinating (Original) Fascinujúce

(Translated by Google) A real castle. Worth a day stop in Durham. (Original) Настоящий замок. Стоит дневной остановки в Дареме.

Very pretty

I called by Durham Castle today whilst visiting the cathedral which incidentally was excellent and staffed by very pleasant and helpful people. The castle on the other hand was a very different experience. I was aware it was closed so we walked to the open entrance arch and stepped in one metre to take a look and take a couple of photos. Whilst standing there a man came out of a building and said “we are closed” to which I responded “I am aware.” He replied in an aggressive voice “closed is closed, get out.....and you’re not wearing a mask, we’re trying to save lives.” Not sure what his problem was, and we were outside so the mask comment was ridiculous. It’s a shame as the week in the north has been met with nothing but welcome and politeness but then there is always one!!!

Superb one....

So so very similar to any castle

Although quite due to current situation and restriction it's still a lovely place to Visit.

Construction of the Castle began in 1072 under the orders of William the Conqueror, six years after the Norman Conquest of England, and soon after the Normans first came to the North. The construction took place under the supervision of the Earl of Northumberland, Waltheof, until he rebelled against William and was executed in 1076. The castle then came under the control of the Bishop of Durham, Walcher, who purchased the earldom and thus became the first of the Prince-Bishops of Durham, a title that was to remain until the 19th century, and was to give Durham a unique status in England. It was under Walcher that many of the Castle’s first buildings were constructed. As was typical of Norman castles, it consisted of a motte (mound) and an inner and outer bailey (fenced or walled area). Whether the motte and inner bailey were built first is unknown. There is also debate about whether or not Durham Castle was originally a stone or a wooden structure. Historic sources mention that its keep (fortified tower) was built of wood, but there is enough archaeological evidence to indicate that even in the late 11th century when it was first built, it had numerous stone buildings.

(Translated by Google) Nice from the access it is not very big but it is very nice to visit it (Original) Bonito desde el acceso no es muy grande pero si es muy bonito para visitarlo

Durham Castle is a beautiful place to visit when you are in town. It is only accessible with previously booked guided tours. During term time it is home for many students, however the guided tour will take you around and show you the common areas, which are remarkably nice.

It was very interesting to go on the tour but the castle is a working university so there are only so many rooms you can view. Photos can only be taken of the outside of the castle.

We were on a 10:15am tour mid week which meant we were in a small group of 7 people. The guide took us around the castle and into many rooms. It’s well priced at £5. This seems like a town that is a little untapped / doesn’t have loads of tourists and tour groups which was lovely.

A beautiful place to visit

I've Lived in Durham for 15 years and didn't even know there was a castle 🙈🙈Tickets were only 5 pounds for an adult ticket and included a guided tour that lasts 45 minutes.The tour itself is interesting and for a fiver it's a bargain.Definitely recommend

Fabulous castle. Really preserved and fascinating. Tour guide was great too. Well preserved. Lovely staff. Good value. Visit. Highly recommended. Stunning beautiful historic building. Lovely guided tour. The guide was very informative and humorous. A very historic building, unbelievably beautiful, home for students of University College.

This is a beautiful stop along the way of visiting Durham. The guides are on hand to assist if required, otherwise guests are free to roam around on their own. No flash photography allowed.

Never been.

Need to explore more this university & castle. So unique

(Translated by Google) Beautiful (Original) Bello

(Translated by Google) Enchanting place. It is a trip to the past. (Original) Lugar encantador. Es un viaje al pasado.

Beautiful inside and out

(Translated by Google) Nice environment, but I would not want to live there. (Original) Pěkné prostředí, žít bych tam ale nechtěl.

Dorms for undergrad

Certainly worth a visit to this historic castle, adjacent to the world famous Cathedral.

Not there yet fantastic here

I love Durham but the cathedral is the most interesting place to visit here

I'm a 7th grader doing a project about midevil castle and i don't know why this is a hotel but it looks like a good hotel .😑

Very pleasant tour by a history student studying his masters. Funny and enjoyable and even shared a few jokes with each other. Made a joke with him about the chess club and he made a retort later on in the tour which I found amusing. Definitely worth visiting for the history and pleasantness of the guides

(Translated by Google) To see, the very British Gothic style! (Original) A voir, le style gothique très british !

Closed to the public when we arrived. Organised tours only.

Very interesting and informative but do not get to see much of the castle.

Beautiful. Absolutely no words.

Beautiful place