Top 8 Castles in County Durham, England

To ensure the safety and well-being of staff and visitors, Durham University’s museums, galleries and Botanic Garden will remain closed until early 2021. We will be using the closed period to carry out improvements at all our sites. At Durham Castle this will include: • Preparing to launch ‘Heralding Women’, a project celebrating the women of University College and Durham Castle which will run through 2021 • Updating and improving the Tunstall Gallery art displays • Develop new online exhibitions and learning resources for users to engage with from anywhere in the world • Catalogue and digitise more of our collections and share them online via our online database Discover

Auckland Castle is one of the best-preserved bishops’ palaces in the whole of Europe and is at the centre of The Auckland Project. The Castle is currently undergoing major conservation work, which will transform its state rooms to their original Georgian Gothic splendour, as designed by the renowned English architect James Wyatt. Auckland Castle re-opened Saturday, 2 November 2019. Parking available at North Bondgate car park, DL14 7PG. PLEASE NOTE: We are temporarily closed due to Covid-19.

Brancepeth Castle is one of the oldest fortified sites in the North East. For 400 years it was the stronghold of the powerful Neville family, where they planned both the battle of Neville's Cross and the Rising of the North. In the early 19th Century the Neville's medieval castle was extended by the fabulously wealthy Russell family to make it a luxurious country home. In the 20th Century it was the headquarters of the Durham Light Infantry and then an advanced research station before becoming a family home again. Tours on selected dates from April - December 2020 are all led by a member of the family; see our website for dates and times. Don't miss our craft fairs in 2020, on 23, 24, 25 July and 26, 27, 28 November, and open-air theatre in July. It is also possible to hire the grand rooms in the castle for private events from weddings for 120+ to dinners for half a dozen. The self-catering Quartermaster's holiday flat sleeps 3 and can be booked for 2 nights or more.