The keep, Durham Castle

My promised return to Durham, which I passed through on the train last Monday. The weather was a lot sunnier today, which was nice in many ways, but it isn't always the best for photography! However, I think it's OK for this shot.

Here is the keep of Durham Castle, a Norman castle, which now houses University College, Durham. I think you can see parts of the castle on a guided tour, but that didn't seem to be on offer today - maybe the sudents like their Sundays to be peaceful to sleep off the night before.

I've taken some info about Durham Castle from Wikipedia:

The castle was originally built in the 11th century as a projection of the Norman king's power in the north of England, as the population of England in the north remained "wild and fickle" (not much change there!) following the disruption of the Norman Conquest in 1066. It is an example of the early motte and bailey castles (see below) favoured by the Normans. The holder of the office of the Bishop of Durham was appointed by the King to exercise royal authority on his behalf, the Castle was his seat.

It remained the Bishop's palace for the Bishops of Durham until the Bishops made Auckland Castle their primary residence and the castle was converted into a college which opened in 1840.

A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively easy to build with unskilled, often forced labour, but still militarily formidable, these castles were built across northern Europe from the 10th century onwards, spreading from Normandy and Anjou in France, into the Holy Roman Empire in the 11th century. The Normans introduced the design into England and Wales following their invasion in 1066. Motte and bailey castles were adopted in Scotland, Ireland, the Low Countries and Denmark in the 12th and 13th centuries. By the end of the 13th century, the design was largely superseded by alternative forms of fortification, but the earthworks remain a prominent feature in many countries.