St Mary’s College is a
constituent college
A collegiate university is a university where functions are divided between a central administration and a number of constituent colleges. Historically, the first collegiate university was the University of Paris and its first college was the Col ...
of
Durham University
Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament (UK), Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by r ...
. It is located mainly on
Elvet Hill to the South of the city centre, becoming the first of Durham’s “
hill colleges”. Following the grant of a supplemental charter in 1895 allowing women to receive degrees of the university, St Mary's was founded as a
women’s only college called the Women’s Hostel in 1899, adopting its present name in May 1920. It enjoys a reputation as one of the most attractive colleges of Durham because of its
neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture, sometimes referred to as Classical Revival architecture, is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy, France and Germany. It became one of t ...
and picturesque landscape.
The college is co-educational, having only begun to admit men in 2005, the last of Durham’s original
single-sex colleges to do so. The college has 750 undergraduate students, around 150 full-time postgraduates students and 200 part-time postgraduate students reading for a Durham degree.
St Mary’s is considered one of the more traditional colleges. It is the only college in Durham that insist on
gowns being worn at
JCR meetings and also emphasises its use in
formal halls. St Mary’s also holds its own
matriculation
Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination.
Australia
In Australia, the term ''matriculation'' is seldom used no ...
ceremony in addition to the university-wide ceremony held in the
Cathedral
A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...
, where new students sign their name onto the college’s matriculation book, thereby sealing an oath to adhere to its customs and traditions. It also host 3 balls in an academic year, which are the Winter Ball in
Michaelmas term
Michaelmas ( ) term is the first academic term of the academic year in a number of English-speaking universities and schools in the northern hemisphere, especially in the United Kingdom. Michaelmas term derives its name from the Feast of St M ...
, the Masquerade Ball in
Epiphany term
Epiphany term is the second academic term at Durham University, falling between Michaelmas term and Easter term, as in the Christian Feast of the Epiphany, held in January.
The term runs from January until March, equivalent to the Spring term at m ...
, and the Midsummer Ball in
Easter term
Easter term is the summer term at the University of Cambridge, University of Wales, Lampeter, University of Durham, and formerly University of Newcastle upon Tyne (before 2004Durham Cathedral
Durham Cathedral, formally the , is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Durham, England. The cathedral is the seat of the bishop of Durham and is the Mother Church#Cathedral, mother church of the diocese of Durham. It also contains the ...
, which is now occupied by the
Chorister School.
In 1952, it moved to a new site on Elvet Hill, becoming the first of the
"hill colleges". The foundation stone for the new building, now known as the Fergusson Building, was laid in 1947 by
Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II). St Mary's is the only one of the hill colleges to have been founded in the 19th century.
Change to a mixed college
For several decades there had been debates about St Mary's continuing as a single-sex college within the university, and it had been originally mooted in the 1970s that it should go mixed. The
Middle Common Room, which consisted of postgraduate students, went mixed in the early 1990s, and by the early twenty-first century had elected its first male MCR President (John Newton held the post from 2000 to 2001). St Mary's was the last of Durham's colleges to become entirely mixed when it took in both males and females at undergraduate level in 2005, ending over a hundred years of tradition. During the decision-making process the student body was split. Some members of the college felt so strongly against the proposed plans in 2000 that they protested, marching on the University Offices at Old Shire Hall. There had been several polls of the student body over the issue of the college going mixed, and from 1999 onwards these were held almost annually. The results tended to be close, but marginally in favour of retaining the status quo.
The transition to a mixed college took place in 2005, and the first male JCR President, James Liddell, was elected in 2009. The college still provides single-sex accommodation for both sexes as and when required. The recently refurbished Shepherd wing of the Fergusson building is a segregated women's-only area for students who, for personal, religious or other reasons, would prefer single sex accommodation. A refurbishment of the Williamson building took place between July and December 2007.
Facilities and traditions

The college is centred on two main buildings: the Fergusson and Williamson Buildings. The Fergusson building, designed by
Vincent Harris
Emanuel Vincent Harris (26 June 1876 – 1 August 1971), often known as E. Vincent Harris, was an English architect who designed several important public buildings in traditional styles.
Early life
He was born in Devonport, Devon, Devon ...
, was built in the early 1950s and houses most of the college facilities, including the college's dining hall, two computer rooms, the college library, the chapel, a laundry, two student common rooms and three music rooms. The chapel is located on the top floor of the North East wing and was designed by the ecclesiastical architect
George Pace. In addition to interiors and furniture produced by Thompson of Kilburn (the Mouseman), it now houses a sculpture of the Blessed Virgin Mary by acclaimed sculptor
Fenwick Lawson, which was commissioned in 2005 by the college.

The basement location of the Chapel prior to the 1960s now houses the JCR Bar which is managed by a Student Sabbatical Bars Steward. Opposite the Bar entrance is the Toastie Bar. At the other end of the basement is the JCR Shop which stocks sweets and snacks as well as toiletries, college clothing and some memorabilia.
The Williamson building was built in the early 1960s and is mainly an accommodation block with 110 study bedrooms. On the ground floor there is a student common room and one half of the lower ground floor contains the JCR fitness room and a laundry.
In the 1990s three ensuite blocks were built on to the front of the Williamson building and are the only ensuite rooms in the college, with the exception of a few located in the Shepherd Wing. These are mainly filled by 2nd, 3rd or 4th year students who move back into college accommodation, but some are made available to students from any year group who require an ensuite room for medical or personal reasons.
In 2015, principal Simon Hackett opened the new Boughton Wing in Williamson building which was established to maintain this provision and provide women-only accommodation to those who require it.
Student life
The majority of students located on site are first years, who are required to 'live in'. These students change rooms each term using a 'room ballot' system to ensure that no-one has to share a room for more than one term of their first year. 2nd, 3rd and 4th year students often choose to 'live out' in houses around Durham, although accommodation is available on-site for those who want it. The room ballot ceased to operate at the start of the 2015–2016 academic year and those who lived in kept their rooms for the whole academic year. All those who live on site are fully catered, except in exceptional circumstances.
The college requires the wearing of gowns at formal dinners, which are held between two and three times a term and on the first and last Sunday of each term. Further to this the college requires gowns to be worn at JCR meetings and
Matriculation
Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination.
Australia
In Australia, the term ''matriculation'' is seldom used no ...
.
Large student led events are held throughout the year, notable highlights include Masquerade Ball, Midsummer Ball and Mary's Day.
The college also has its own boat club,
St Mary's College Boat Club (SMBC),which welcomes any members of the college to join in and participate. SMBC is a registered Boat Club through
British Rowing, with Boat Code "SMC" and is a member organisation of
Durham College Rowing.
College shield and arms
The college arms are blazoned as "
Argent
In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...
a Cross Formy Quadrate
Gules
In heraldry, gules () is the tincture with the colour red. It is one of the class of five dark tinctures called "colours", the others being azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green) and purpure (purple).
Gules is portrayed in heraldic hatch ...
a Chief
Azure thereon a Durham
Mitre
The mitre (Commonwealth English) or miter (American English; American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, see spelling differences; both pronounced ; ) is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of ...
Or between two Lilies proper."
The college's motto is "Ancilla Domini" and can be translated to "Handmaiden of the Lord."
Gallery
File:SMCBCMen.jpg, St. Mary's College Boat Club's Men's team racing on the Wear.
File:St. Mary's College grounds.jpg, Entrance to the college.
File:St Marys entrance.jpg, Sign for the entrance of the College on Quarryheads lane.
List of Principals
* 1899 Laura Roberts
* 1900 Elizabeth Robinson
* 1913 Phyllis Wragge
* 1915 Rachel E D Donaldson
* 1940 Margaret B Fergusson
* 1955 Dame
Elsie Marjorie Williamson
* 1962 Mary Holdsworth
* 1974 Florence I Prowse (née Calvert)
* 1977 Joan M Kenworthy
* 1999 Jenifer L Hobbs
* 2007
Phil Gilmartin
* 2011
Simon Hackett
* 2019
Maggi Dawn
* 2022 Adrian Simpson
Notable alumni
*
Jamie Atkinson - Hong Kong Cricket Captain
*
Biddy Baxter - Children's TV presenter/radio host
*
Holly Colvin - England International Cricketer
*
Julia Copus - Poet and biographer
*
Jane Griffiths - politician
*
Katharine Gun - GCHQ translator and whistleblower
*
Tom Harwood - Political journalist; deputy political editor of
GB News
GB News is a British free-to-air, editorial, opinion-orientated television and radio news channel. The channel is available on Freeview (UK), Freeview, Freesat, Sky UK, Sky, YouView, Virgin Media and via the internet on Samsung TV Plus, LG web ...
*
Tracy Langlands -
bronze medal
A bronze medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of bronze awarded to the third-place finisher of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The outright winner receives ...
list (World Championships) rower
*
Jenny Willott - politician
*
Ambika Mod - actress, writer, and comedian
*
H F M Prescott - Author, academic, and historian. Vice Principal, St Mary's College 1944-48
[College Principal Margaret Fergusson Statements 1944 et sec, St Mary's College Archives]
References
* Boyd, Elizabeth B. (1999) ''St. Mary's College, University of Durham, 1899–1999: A Centenary Review.'' Durham: St. Mary's College.
* Hird, Marilyn, ed. (1974) ''St. Mary's College, 1899–1974: An Account of the Women's Hostel 1899–1920 and Some Impressions of Later College Life.'' Durham: St. Mary's College Society.
* Hird, Marilyn, ed. (1982) ''Doves & Dons: A History of St. Mary's College, Durham. An Account of the Women's Hostel 1899–1920 and Some Impressions of Later College Life.'' Durham: St. Mary's College.
External links
St Mary's CollegeSt Mary's College Junior Common Room (JCR)
St Mary's College Middle Common Room (MCR)St Mary's College Boat ClubSt Mary's College SocietyAlumni Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Mary's College, Durham
Colleges of Durham University
Educational institutions established in 1899
Former women's universities and colleges in the United Kingdom
1899 establishments in England