Durham Castle is a Norman castle on a rocky peninsula above the River Wear in the English city of Durham, next to Durham Cathedral. William the Conqueror ordered it built on his return from Scotland as a base for controlling the north of England. It began as a motte-and-bailey castle and became the residence of the Prince-Bishops of Durham, who held both religious and secular power as semi-independent rulers in the region for centuries. In 1837 the bishop gave the castle to the newly founded University of Durham, and it has since housed University College, whose students live inside it. The Norman chapel is one of the oldest parts. UNESCO inscribed the castle and cathedral as a World Heritage Site in 1986.
Before and after
- 30 December 10661066 Granada Anti-Jewish massacre
- 1067Construction of Wartburg
- c. 1067Origins of Minsk
- 1070Construction of Windsor Castle
- 1072Construction of Durham Castle
- from 1075 to 1124Investiture controversy
- 1077Rise of Anushtegin dynasty
- from 1077 to 1307Sultanate of Rum
- from 1079 to 1318House of Hohenstaufen
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- from 800 CE to 1258Islamic Golden Age
- 1342Construction of Palace of Westminster
- 1386Construction of Heidelberg University
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 11th century.