Durham castle

If you could actually explore this truely imposing palace/ castle i would give it a five star as it is save your money and just admire from outside .

You pay for a tour, which lasts about an hour. Again a bit pricey but very interesting and worth seeing if your visiting Durham. The frustrating thing is because their is students living there, You can not see most of the castle and I would have loved to see all of it. Really nice pictures to be taken from the outside, you are not allowed to take pictures of the inside as the tour advisor said it damaged the tapstry.
The tour advisor really knew her stuff and told us some interesting facts about the castle and history behind it.

Not good for disabled people as loads of awkward stairs.

People can get married here on certain dates, seems an ideal place.

Would certainly recommend a visit.

This has 100 students living in it all the time, so is not always available for tours. it was basically saved from ruin by money from American alumni. It has an ancient working kitchen, tudor, originally open to the air, with old black and white timber which has to be seen to be believed!
The great hall where everyone eats is very impressive, as is the chapel, but it is the ancient chapel underneath that is the most impressive. This bit is older even than the cathedral, and has strange pagan carvings on the tops of the pillars, the origin of which no-one knows. The carvings show tropical lands, African animals and fruit! Possibly carved by slaves? Or prisoners would also have had enough time to carve them.
There is a perfectly preserved Norman doorway which was rediscovered only recently, and an enormous ‘flying’ staircase that is about 400 years old and covered with the ulitmate sign of wealth, pineapples.
The student’s rooms all have two doors, and they are closed in a certain way to let people know whether you want to be disturbed or not. These are the ones that can be hired out as b&b. Probably well worth it.