"Booking essential to visit this historic site dating back to Norman times."
"The castle, along with Durham Cathedral, forms a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the 'Durham Castle and Cathedral.'"
"This is a very beautiful castle and back in the days was a very important strong hold for English forces."
"Durham Castle is a historic Norman castle located in the City of Durham."
"Still in good condition this old castle from the 11th century."
"Construction of the Castle began in 1072 under the orders of William the Conqueror, six years after the Norman Conquest of England."
"Really rich history and architecture."
Cons:
"Building mucked about by victorians, like lots of British heritage."
"It doesn’t have the usual bedrooms etc to visit as it’s lived in by students."
"Not very medieval."
"The tour of the castle was very limited, but that was understandable, 75% we were just not allowed to visit because they are student homes."
"You really only saw the dinning hall, a corridor with a fancy staircase and the outside courtyard, disappointed that we couldn't see more."
"For a castle that once belonged to the royals, must say.... its ashame that they use it for the university mainly, Durham and the Castle is not a 'Must go' place."
"Waste of £5. Don't go there. Kids leaving inside. U barely get to see .1 of the castle."
Guided Tours & Staff
Pros:
"Our guide was very knowledgeable and lovely."
"The tour guide we had was amazing. Very knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and perky."
"The staff at the castle were great, had a lot of time for you."
"We were shown around by a very enthusiastic student - Caitlin Potts - who had both knowledge and an interest in the building herself."
"The student running the tour was very good and had great knowledge and did it in a way that felt very light with many curiosities being told."
"The tour guide was very knowledgeable and easy to talk to."
"The student guide was really friendly and patient, shared many knowledge about the history of castle."
Cons:
"Abruptly turned away by a man with marginally official appearance."
"I was really disappointed by the fact that you're not allowed to take pictures of the inside."
"Sadly photography is completely prohibited inside the castle, which is a shame."
"Drove an hour and a half to see castle to find it is closed for the day for a private function. No advice of closure on web site, extremely poor and self centred."
"Please do not visit this place, most of the site is restricted to students, this also includes part of the castle."
"Just felt a bit awkward walking into student study areas and was very conscious not to disturb."
"Went inside through the wide open doors with a group of other tourists and were rudely accosted by the doorman on the other side."
Accommodation & Facilities
Pros:
"Stayed in the castle in one of the student accommodation rooms - first class and wonderful breakfast eaten in the Great Hall."
"This historic castle is used as accommodation space/dormitory for students, however the historic value and the atmosphere are well preserved."
"The feeling of being in a historic place and at the same time full of life was fantastic."
"Such a beautiful place! Stayed inside the castle for two days, absolutely amazing!"
"Great place to stay in school holidays lots of atmosphere room was very comfortable with on sweet."
"Where else can you stay in a castle and be so comfortable, with such great service?"
"A great place to stay in Durham. We booked a night here for £100 last August."
Cons:
"It was very nice on the inside and the people were friendly but we weren't able to use the facilities (e.g. the pool table) due to refurbishments taking place."
"Not easy for any one with disabilities and all the stairs 2 the rooms."
"Main toilet down about 20 stairs then the disabled toilet was full off cleaning stuff."
"Be warned the accommodation is very basic and the price is to say that you've stayed at the castle."
"It's a shame they didn't warn us about it being a student halls of residence when we booked as you could only go around a very small part of it, not really worth going."
"Castle is great, although tour was disappointing. The guide was good but could only show a limited number of rooms as the castle is actually halls for students."
"They ruined Durham more with Students, they are more for students than adults."
Value & Accessibility
Pros:
"Refreshing to be able to visit a lovely building without it costing a fortune."
"Only £5 entry fee, kids under 11 it's free."
"It’s well priced at £5."
"This would have to be the best priced accommodation in town, amazing!"
"It is extremely cheap to get a ticket; between 3-5 quid."
"What a great visit, very interesting castle and such good value (£5 per adult ticket)!"
"This place deserves a visit when in Durham. £5 for 45 minutes tour are totally worth it."
Cons:
"Since it's a university, only students are allowed there unattended."
"It is not possible to visit unescorted."
"You only get to see two chapels and a large hall. Castle is now mostly occupied by the university students."
"Nothing extraordinary of the chapels and the large hall is the dining hall for the students."
"Some areas will be inaccessible to those with limited mobility and some stairs are uneven due to age."
"The two star rating comes from the fact that you can only visit in very restrictive hours."
"Please adjust the website or make things clearer!!"