, motto_English = Not for ourselves alone , scarf = , established = , principal = Wendy Powers , vice_principal = Ellen Crabtree , undergraduates = 698 , postgraduates = 153 , coordinates = , location_map = Durham , map_size = 275 , website = , blazon=Azure, a Cross patonce or, between four Lions rampant Argent, on a Chief of the last, the Cross of St Cuthbert Sable, between two Durham Mitres Gules., boat_club= University College Boat Club (Durham), location=The Castle, Palace Green, Durham DH1 3RW University College, informally known as Castle, is a

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

Durham University , mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills (Psalm 87:1) , established = (university status) , type = Public , academic_staff = 1,830 (2020) , administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19) , chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen , vice_chan ...

Durham, England Durham ( , locally ), is a cathedral city and civil parish on the River Wear, County Durham, England. It is an administrative centre of the County Durham District, which is a successor to the historic County Palatine of Durham (which is dif ...

. Centred on

Durham Castle Durham Castle is a Norman castle in the city of Durham, England, which has been occupied since 1837 by University College, Durham after its previous role as the residence of the Bishops of Durham. Designated since 1986 as a cultural World Heri ...

Palace Green Palace Green is an area of grass in the centre of Durham, England, flanked by Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle. The Cathedral and Castle together form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although initially not part of the site itself, Palace Green ...

, it was founded in 1832 and is the oldest of Durham's colleges. As a constituent college of Durham University, it is listed as a higher education institution under section 216 of the Education Reform Act 1988. Almost all academic activities, such as research and tutoring, occur at a university level. University College moved into its current location in 1837. Around 150 students are accommodated within Durham Castle. Other college buildings, including converted 18th century houses and purpose-built accommodation from the 1950s, 1970s and 1980s, are within five minutes' walk of the castle. The college has 700 undergraduates and is currently the most over-subscribed college of the university. In 1987 it admitted women undergraduates for the first time, having previously had an all-male student body. From January 2012 until March 2019 the Master of the college was

political theorist A political theorist is someone who engages in constructing or evaluating political theory, including political philosophy. Theorists may be Academia, academics or independent scholars. Here the most notable political theorists are categorized b ...

David Held David Jonathan Andrew Held (27 August 1951 – 2 March 2019) was a British political scientist who specialised in political theory and international relations. He held a joint appointment as Professor of Politics and International Relations, and w ...

. Wendy Powers joined as the college Principal on 1 June 2020.

History

Early years

University College was formed upon the creation of University of Durham in 1832. It was the first college of the university, and is therefore known as the "foundation college", but the university was founded explicitly on the

Oxbridge Oxbridge is a portmanteau of Oxford and Cambridge, the two oldest, wealthiest, and most famous universities in the United Kingdom. The term is used to refer to them collectively, in contrast to other British universities, and more broadly to de ...

model; the intention was already for the university to develop along collegiate lines in the manner of

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

and

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

, as indeed it has. Previously, for centuries,

had been the

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

palace A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

for the

Bishop of Durham The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in the Province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler has been the Bishop of Durham ...

until the residence was moved to Auckland Castle in 1832. Bishop William van Mildert, one of the founders of the university, had intended for the castle to be given to the college. Temporary accommodation for students was provided at the Archdeacon's Inn (now known as Cosin's Hall) on Palace Green until University College moved into its permanent home in 1837 after van Mildert's successor,

Edward Maltby Edward Maltby (6 April 1770 – 3 July 1859) was an English clergyman of the Church of England. He became Bishop of Durham, controversial for his liberal politics, for his ecumenism, and for the great personal wealth that he amassed. Early ...

, completed renovations of the Castle. The castle's

keep A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in c ...

, formerly a ruin, was redeveloped for student accommodation; in particular, the college's chapels and Great Hall have been restored. Since then high levels of maintenance have been, and still are, necessary to preserve the buildings of the castle. Great Hall, University College, Durham

The university's second college, Hatfield Hall, was formed in 1846 as a response to the high costs of maintaining Castle. These costs arose from the students' expectations of being provided with servants and room furnishings. The university struggled for the rest of the 19th century, held back by a lack of prestige and a distance from the centres of power in the UK. By 1882, Castle contained some 79 undergraduates out of 205 at the university as a whole. Despite the university largely failing to gain recognition and prestige, a number of other colleges had opened by the end of the nineteenth century. Of these, Bishop Cosin's Hall failed to become financially viable and was absorbed into University College in 1864. Enrolment numbers continued to fluctuate.

1919–38

The inter-war years were transformative for Castle. The college was the smallest in Durham university, with just 34 undergraduates in 1928, and was struggling to meet maintenance costs. The Castle, situated on the banks of " The Peninsula", was in danger of collapsing into the River Wear and many of its internal structures were weak. The combination of high costs and low undergraduate numbers meant that the college was often threatened with closure or merger with Hatfield. Castle was saved largely through charitable donations. A visit in the 1920s from Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII), helped increase the profile of the cause. In the 1920s, the castle's foundations were secured through reinforcement with concrete. Following these and other extensive building refurbishments of the 1920s and 1930s the college was now able to expand.

Post-war

One of its most successful periods followed during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

when personnel of the Durham University Air Squadron were posted in the castle, doing short courses before joining the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

. Those from the college who died during World War II were commemorated by the redevelopment of the Norman Gallery area of the Castle in the 1950s. This period also saw the launch of ''Castellum'', an annual journal of the Castle Society, created to keep former students in touch with college life. In order to continue this expansion, the college purchased

Lumley Castle Lumley Castle is a 14th-century quadrangular castle at Chester-le-Street in the North of England, near the city of Durham and a property of the Earl of Scarbrough. It is a Grade I listed building. It is currently a hotel. History It is named a ...

in 1946 to house students, and by 1948 seventy five students were housed there. This section of the college developed a spirit of its own and is still remembered today through activities such as the Lumley Run. Tunstall Chapel

During the 1950s and 1960s the college expanded through developments at Owengate (later renovated in 2014) and Bailey Court, both around

. In the 1970s, the college's lease of

ended. Moatside Court was instead developed, and meant that all the college's students were now housed within five minutes of the main castle. During this period there was rapid change in the size and structure of the college, which expanded to over 300 undergraduates by 1979. Palace Green (1973) - geograph

Female students were admitted to the college for the first time in 1987; until then it had been single sex. Since this time the college has become fully mixed, with undergraduate numbers expanding to nearly seven hundred. Expansion caused a strain on college numbers, however, and in 2004 the college was unable to provide accommodation for all of its

fresher A freshman, fresher, first year, or frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. Ara ...

students for the first time in its history. Following the foundation of

Josephine Butler Josephine Elizabeth Butler (' Grey; 13 April 1828 – 30 December 1906) was an English feminist and social reformer in the Victorian era. She campaigned for women's suffrage, the right of women to better education, the end of coverture ...

, Durham's first new college to be opened since 1972, pressure from the university to take on additional students has lessened, and undergraduate numbers have been intentionally reduced in recent years.

College traditions

College arms

Although it had been in use before this period, the college

arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

were officially granted by the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...

on 29 May 1912, on the occasion of the eightieth anniversary since the founding of the college by the Bishop of Durham in 1832. The arms are blazoned: ''Azure, a Cross patonce or, between four Lions rampant Argent, on a Chief of the last, the Cross of St Cuthbert Sable, between two Durham Mitres Gules.'' The blue field with the gold cross and four lions are the arms of the

Diocese of Durham The Diocese of Durham is a Church of England diocese, based in Durham, and covering the historic county of Durham (and therefore including the part of Tyne and Wear south of the River Tyne, and excluding southern Teesdale). It was created in ...

, the

mitre The mitre (Commonwealth English) (; Greek: μίτρα, "headband" or "turban") or miter (American English; see spelling differences), is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of bishops and certain abbots in ...

s represent the Bishop and St. Cuthbert's cross is included as

Durham Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, commonly known as Durham Cathedral and home of the Shrine of St Cuthbert, is a cathedral in the city of Durham, County Durham, England. It is the seat of t ...

is dedicated to, and is the resting place of St. Cuthbert. Underneath is the motto, in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

, ''"Non nobis solum"'', meaning "Not for ourselves alone". It is derived from a sentence quoting

Plato Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the estab ...

's most influential philosophical work, his treatise '' De Officiis (On Duties).'' University College, Durham -- College Arms (1915)

Grace

Before being served at

formal hall Formal hall or formal meal is a meal held at some of the oldest universities in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland (as well as some other Commonwealth countries) at which students usually dress in formal attire and often gowns to d ...

, on the Tuesday and Thursday evening of each week during term-time, students recite the following Latin

grace Grace may refer to: Places United States * Grace, Idaho, a city * Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois * Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office * Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uninco ...

, led by a senior member of the JCR. Although the origin of the grace is officially unknown, an almost identical version was in use at the time as a

post-prandial Prandial relates to a meal. Postprandial (from post prandium) means after eating a meal, while preprandial is before a meal. Usages of postprandial The term ''postprandial'' is used in many contexts. Gastronomic or social Refers to activities p ...

grace by

Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...

''Domine omnipotens, aeterne Deus; qui tam benigne nos pascere hoc tempore dignatus es; largire nobis, ut tibi semper pro tua in nos bonitate ex animo gratias agamus; vitam honeste et pie transigamus; et studia ea sectemur quae gloriam tuam illustrare et ecclesiae tuae adiumenta esse possint; per Christum dominum nostrum. Amen.''

Translated into English, it reads as follows:

Almighty Lord, eternal God; who hast so graciously deigned to feed us at this time; grant to us, that we may ever give Thee heartfelt thanks for Thy goodness to us; that we may pass our lives honourably and piously; and that we may follow such pursuits as can shed light on Thy glory and afford assistance to Thy church; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Buildings and architecture

Construction of

began in 1072, which makes it the oldest building in use at any University in the world. The castle retains much of its original design and structure, and is part of a UNESCO

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

with

. The castle's northern wing originally contained a dining hall, but this was later divided up to make more luxurious quarters for the Prince Bishop. This area is also home to the two chapels of the college. The Norman Chapel dates from the 11th century and is the oldest accessible part of the castle, and retains its original

Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

architectural style. The Tunstall Chapel is the larger of the two; it dates from the 15th century and is named after Cuthbert Tunstall. It houses the college organ. Both chapels are used for worship within the college. University College is one of two colleges in Durham to have two chapels, the other being Hild Bede. City of Durham (13270321503)

To the east of the courtyard lies the

Keep A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in c ...

. It was re-built in the 1840 by

Anthony Salvin Anthony Salvin (17 October 1799 – 17 December 1881) was an English architect. He gained a reputation as an expert on medieval buildings and applied this expertise to his new buildings and his restorations. He restored castles and country h ...

, having previously lain in ruins. This area has the largest concentration of students living in the castle. To the south of the courtyard is the Gatehouse, built originally by Hugh de Puiset in the 12th century and re-developed in the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. Around this are the college's more modern offices. The college's other buildings are at Moatside Court, Owengate and Bailey Court. The developments at Moatside Court and Bailey Court date from the 1960s and 1970s, whilst Owengate was formed from a series of old houses in the 1950s. Of these, Moatside Court's rooms were of a notoriously poor quality, but have recently been renovated at the cost of over £1 million. Moatside now contains a gym and kitchens on every floor.

Great Hall

To the west of the courtyard is the medieval Great Hall, still used as a dining room by students and staff. It was built during the time of Anthony Bek in the 13th century. For two hundred years this was the largest Great Hall in Great Britain; however, it was shortened by

Richard Foxe Richard Foxe (sometimes Richard Fox) ( 1448 – 5 October 1528) was an English churchman, the founder of Corpus Christi College, Oxford. He was successively Bishop of Exeter, Bath and Wells, Durham, and Winchester, and became also Lo ...

. It still stands some 14 m (46 ft) high and 30 m (98 ft) long. The black staircase that leads from the Great Hall to the

Senior Common Room A common room is a group into which students and the academic body are organised in some universities in the United Kingdom and Ireland—particularly collegiate universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, as well as the University of Bristol ...

dates from 1662, and is another of the older sections of the college still in use. Underneath the Hall is the college bar, located in an 11th-century

undercroft An undercroft is traditionally a cellar or storage room, often brick-lined and vaulted, and used for storage in buildings since medieval times. In modern usage, an undercroft is generally a ground (street-level) area which is relatively open ...

. Around these are student accommodation, the Lowe Library, and kitchens. The Victorian minstrel's gallery at the southern end of the hall is now used a student study space.

Lowe Library

The Lowe Library is the college's library. It was formed from a bequest from Colonel W.D.Lowe, an officer of the Durham University Officers' Training Corps. He later became a Classics tutor at the university and rowing coach for University College, staying until his death in 1921. The library was opened in 1925, extended into the college's wine cellar in 1997, and now contains over 10,000 books. Spread over three floors, it acts as a support to the central university library, providing access to core textbooks.

Masters

The college is run by a "Master", the most senior position in the SCR. As the first master of University College, Archdeacon

Charles Thorp Charles Thorp, (13 October 1783 – 10 October 1862) was an English churchman, rector of the parish of Ryton and, later, Archdeacon of Durham and the first warden of the University of Durham. Life He was born in Gateshead, County Durham, ...

, also held the post of university warden. Following Thorp's death in 1862 the mastership was created as a separate position. All past Masters have their portrait hanging in the Great Hall or SCR ante-room.

List of Masters

1832–1862 * Joseph Waite 1865–1873 * Herbert Booth 1873–1875 * Alfred Plummer 1875–1902 * Henry Gee 1902–1919 * Henry Ellershaw 1919–1930 * J. H. How 1930–1939 * Angus Macfarlane-Grieve 1939–1954 * Len Slater 1954–1973 * D. W. McDowall 1973–1978 * Edward Salthouse 1979–1998 *

Maurice Tucker Maurice Edwin Tucker (born 6 November 1946) is a leading British sedimentologist, specialising in the field of carbonate sedimentology, more commonly known as limestones. From 1993 to 2011 he held the position of Professor of Geological Science ...

1998–2011 * Eva Schumacher-Reid ''(acting)'' 2011 *

2012–2019 * Richard Lawrie ''(acting)'' 2019 *Graham Towl ''(acting)'' 2019 *Wendy Powers 2020–present

Role and activities

University College is the most over-subscribed college at the university; for entry in 2006, there were 2,858 applications for just 170 places (approximately 17 applicants for every place). As with all colleges at Durham, students study for degrees with

, not their college, and teaching takes place in academic departments. University College is a "listed body" under the Education Reform Act (1988). Although colleges are largely concerned with welfare, leisure and accommodation, University College has been running the 'Durham Castle Lecture Series' since 2012. Past speakers have included

Saskia Sassen Saskia Sassen (born January 5, 1947) is a Dutch-American sociologist noted for her analyses of globalization and international human migration. She is Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology at Columbia University in New York City, and Centennial ...

, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak,

Rowan Williams Rowan Douglas Williams, Baron Williams of Oystermouth, (born 14 June 1950) is a Welsh Anglican bishop, theologian and poet. He was the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury, a position he held from December 2002 to December 2012. Previously the Bish ...

, Anthony Giddens,

Justin Welby Justin Portal Welby (born 6 January 1956) is a British bishop who is the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury. He has served in that role since 2013. Welby was previously the vicar of Southam, Warwickshire, and then Bishop of Durham, serving for ...

Martin Wolf Martin Harry Wolf (born 16 August 1946 in London) is a British journalist of Austrian-Dutch descent who focuses on economics. He is the associate editor and chief economics commentator at the ''Financial Times''. Early life Wolf was born in ...

Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American public intellectual: a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is ...

and

Peter Singer Peter Albert David Singer (born 6 July 1946) is an Australian moral philosopher, currently the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University. He specialises in applied ethics and approaches ethical issues from a Secularit ...

. Within Durham's colleges, there is a strong competitive rivalry. Castle's main rival is

Hatfield College , motto_English = Either the first or with the first , scarf = , named_for = Thomas Hatfield , established = , senior_tutor = , master = Ann MacLarnon (2017–) , undergraduates = 1010 (2017/18) , postgradu ...

, which is Durham's second oldest college, having separated from Castle in the 1850s. The rivalry is maintained by student pranks and tricks and in various intercollegiate sporting events. The college has a commercial arm, taking advantage of the attractive nature of the college's buildings. It hosts corporate events, conferences and weddings during the university vacations. The Castle is open to tourists only via guided tours. These occur daily outside of term time, but are more restricted during the term due to potential conflicts with the running of the college. Furthermore, events in the university timetable may result in their cancellation. Tourists are not otherwise permitted entry to the college or any common areas. There is relatively little conflict between students and tourists, with many of the guided tours done by students themselves.

Formals

Students are expected to wear smart clothes and gowns during Formals, which take place twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Great Hall. All those attending the formal must stand when the High Table enters, when grace is being said or sung, and when the Senior Student is bowing out. Complete silence is observed during these periods. Following grace, there is no standing throughout the formal until the Senior Student has bowed out to the Master, a symbol of the official opening or closing of the formal meal.

Student body

Some 700 undergraduates attend Castle, making it slightly smaller than the average Durham college. Of these students, around 100 live in the castle itself, while another 250 are housed in the college's surrounding buildings. It remains the most popular college in Durham for applications, with around 27 students applying for every available place. The undergraduate student body (

Junior Common Room A common room is a group into which students and the academic body are organised in some universities in the United Kingdom and Ireland—particularly collegiate universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, as well as the University of Bristol ...

or JCR) is governed by an elected Executive Committee headed by the Senior Student and supported by several other officers. Regular JCR meetings are held to discuss and vote on important issues. There are several other elected non-executive officers such as Returning Officer, Fresher Rep and Sports Captain who organise other important college functions. The Senior Student meets regularly with college and university authorities to represent the JCR. The JCR runs three balls every year for its students, with one held during each term. The largest is the end of year June Ball, which is the social highlight of the academic year. Tradition dictates that its theme remains closely hidden until the doors to the Castle open. The graduate community at Castle forms the Middle Common Room (MCR), which is based in the

(previously

William de St-Calais William de St-Calais (died 2 January 1096) was a medieval Norman monk, abbot of the abbey of Saint-Vincent in Le Mans in Maine, who was nominated by King William I of England as Bishop of Durham in 1080. During his term as bishop, St-Calais r ...

) Room. However, due to size restrictions, no members of the MCR are currently able to live in the college grounds. The MCR, like the JCR, organises a number of social events and activities, such as the college's entry into the inter-collegiate

University Challenge ''University Challenge'' is a British television quiz programme which first aired in 1962. ''University Challenge'' aired for 913 episodes on ITV from 21 September 1962 to 31 December 1987, presented by quizmaster Bamber Gascoigne. The BBC ...

competition, which acts as trials for the university's team. The Senior Common Room (SCR), is an organisation of academics and tutors connected to the college. The SCR also organises formal meals with guest speakers. The student bar of University College is called the Undercroft Bar (known colloquially as The Undie), due to its location in an 11th-century

Undercroft An undercroft is traditionally a cellar or storage room, often brick-lined and vaulted, and used for storage in buildings since medieval times. In modern usage, an undercroft is generally a ground (street-level) area which is relatively open ...

. It developed from the original Junior Common Room, which opened in the early 1950s. It is currently run by the Food and Beverage Services Manager with the help of several JCR members. In 2018 a new college café replaced the Toastie Bar in the West Courtyard. UCBC2008

Societies

University College JCR also supports many societies run exclusively for Castle students. The most popular societies include University College Boat Club (UCBC), Castle Theatre Company, Mixed Lacrosse, Castle Rugby Club, Castle Football Club, and Castle Hockey Club. There are a number of arts societies within the college. Most notable is Castle Theatre Company, which produces a play each term. These plays are usually performed on the college's grounds, although they sometimes tour nationally. They have also appeared at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Castle Society

The Castle Society was formed in 1947 by Castle Alumni. It was originally named the Durham Castleman's Society. Membership is open to anyone with academic ties to the college, and its aim is to create a wider Castle community beyond its immediate students. The society makes regular donations to the college library, chapel, student bursaries, and various college societies. It has helped fund a number of projects in the college, including the accommodation at Moatside Court and Fellows Garden, as well as the West Courtyard Common Room. The Castle Society produces the annual journal "Castellum", which chronicles life at the Castle and reports on activities of Castle alumni. Since 1990, it has contributed towards the University College Durham Trust, the college's charitable fund.

Notable alumni

Castle alumni are active through organisations and events such as the two annual reunion dinners, which cater for the more than 7,000 living alumni. A number of Castle alumni have made significant contributions in the fields of government, law, science, academia, business, arts, journalism, and athletics, among others. File:Guillaume av Luxemburg.jpg,

Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg (''Guillaume Jean Joseph Marie''; born 11 November 1981), is the heir apparent to the crown of Luxembourg since his father's accession in 2000. Early life and education Prince Guillaume wa ...

File:Walter Robert Adams.jpg, Walter Adams, Archbishop of Yukon. File:Crispin-blunt-high-res-web.jpg,

Crispin Blunt Crispin Jeremy Rupert Blunt (born 15 July 1960) is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Reigate since 1997. A member of the Conservative Party, he was the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prisons and ...

, Conservative MP for

Reigate, Surrey Reigate ( ) is a town in Surrey, England, around south of central London. The settlement is recorded in Domesday Book in 1086 as ''Cherchefelle'' and first appears with its modern name in the 1190s. The earliest archaeological evidence for huma ...

. File:Jackie Doyle Price.JPG,

Jackie Doyle-Price Jacqueline Doyle-Price (born 5 August 1969) is a British Conservative Party politician and former civil servant. She was first elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Thurrock in the 2010 general election. In September 2022, she was app ...

, Conservative MP for

Thurrock Thurrock () is a unitary authority area with borough status and unparished area in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The l ...

. File:Sir Harold Evans 6 Shankbone 2009 NYC.jpg, Sir

Harold Evans Sir Harold Matthew Evans (28 June 192823 September 2020) was a British-American journalist and writer. In his career in his native Britain, he was editor of ''The Sunday Times'' from 1967 to 1981, and its sister title ''The Times'' for a year f ...

, journalist and writer who was editor of

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...

from 1967 to 1981. File:Mr Justice Goss.png, Sir James Goss, Justice of the High Court. File:Helen Grace in 2003.jpg, Helen Grace, English actress. File:Piers Merchant.jpg,

Piers Merchant Piers Rolf Garfield Merchant (2 January 1951 – 21 September 2009) was a British Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Newcastle upon Tyne Central from 1983 to 1987, and then MP for Beckenham from 1992 until he ...

was a British Conservative Party politician. File:Stephenmortimerwarner.jpg,

Stephen Warner Canon Stephen Warner (17 January 1873 – 29 December 1947) was one of Britain's leading evangelists in the first half of the 20th century and the rector of Holy Trinity, Eastbourne for 28 years. Early life Stephen Mortimer Warner was born in E ...

, one of Britain's leading evangelists, and rector of Holy Trinity, Eastbourne. File:James Wharton 2016.jpg, James Wharton, former Conservative MP for Stockton South. File:Teophilus III.jpg, Theophilos III of Jerusalem, current Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem York Minster - RWB Hornby Window

Gallery

File:Durham Castle Bergfried.jpg, The Keep of Durham Castle - where some students are accommodated - as seen from the street. File:Durham Castle Innenhof.jpg, The main entrance to the college from the courtyard. File:Durham Castle from the Cathedral - geograph.org.uk - 1691102.jpg, University College as seen from Durham Cathedral in winter. File:Durham View from Cathedral.JPG, Aerial view of the college. File:Durham Gatehouse.JPG, Durham Gatehouse, the main entrance to the college from Palace Green. File:Owengate, Durham - geograph.org.uk - 1619720.jpg, Houses in Owengate, the oldest of which dates back to the 16th century. They are now used as student accommodation. File:Palace Green Durham Panorama.jpg, Panoramic view of Palace Green, showing Durham Cathedral to the left, the old University Library in centre, and University College and Owengate to the right.