Luccent

The Castle, along with the Cathedral, it’s enclosures and Palace Green make up a UNESCO world heritage site. The Castle sits, rather precariously, wobbly almost, on an easily defendable spot, in a meander of the River Wear and is home to University College, Durham (more commonly known as Castle to students); it was gifted to the University by Bishop Van Mildert who also gifts his name to a couple of shops and another one of Durham’s colleges. The Castle is a residential castle (not like many in Europe nowadays, shame…) with the highest body of the castle being occupied by some lucky finalists…

As it does house students during term time; visiting and tours are quite tight to schedule and only certain areas of the castle are open at certain times.

I live in Gilesgate – it’s a very nice street leading off from Claypath, which leads just off from the Market Square in Durham. It shows off some of Durham’s fine Georgian residential stock. Further away from the city centre, the housing stock and on off streets, the housing stock is more modern, with Victorian and a 1950s council estate further on from the junction with the A690, which has slightly less charm. The district grew up from a small village which was centred around St. Giles’ Church, and was absorbed into Durham as it grew. The area is home to the college of St. Hild and St. Bede, which is a constituant college of the University of Durham.