Although we’re coming to the end of the summer holidays, there are still opportunities to continue getting out and about to enjoy our local cultural heritage.
To mark Heritage Open Days, which is taking place from Friday 6 – Sunday 15 September, Dialogue headed off to one of our cultural treasures that you might not have visited before.
Durham Castle is a major city landmark at the heart of the World Heritage Site and offers guided tours to help visitors find out about the building and its 1,000-year history.
Visitor Services Coordinator, Raffaella Aliprandi
We caught up with Raffaella Aliprandi, Visitor Services Coordinator at the Castle, to delve further into its story.
Raffaella said:
The Castle has been here since building work began in 1072. The Bishops of Durham owned it for around 750 years and the Castle has seen rebellions, civil war, plagues, famine and religious reforms.
“It’s been a military stronghold and a civic and ceremonial palace for the Bishops so it has a long and rich history, which makes it a fascinating place to visit.
“We’re taking part in the Heritage Open Days in September so now could be a great time to come along – although for all members of staff, the Castle is free to visit!”
Up to 1,000 visitors
“Normally visitors need to join a guided tour of the Castle, but we’re running self-guided tours every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday until Sunday 8 September, which is our Heritage Open day. We’re expecting about 1,000 visitors to come along for free tours on the day. We usually have up to 200 people visiting on a normal day, so it’ll be a really busy one, but everyone’s welcome to come along.
“There’s usually a national theme for the Heritage Open Days and this year it’s ‘journeys’. There are so many journeys connected with the Castle, including those of the Normans who constructed the building, our tapestries which have been restored in Glasgow recently, and the students’ physical and educational journeys. So we’ll be exploring these during the open days.”
Spotting the Grey Lady
“Outside of term time, we offer self-guided tours of the Castle, while during the rest of the year you can visit via a guided tour that will take you to some of our highlights, including the Norman Chapel, Tunstall Chapel and Gallery, the Great Hall, and the Black Stairs which are said to be haunted by the Castle’s own Grey Lady.
“No one knows her identity - one theory is that she is the ghost of Isabella Van Mildert, who some say died in the 17th century after falling down the stairs to her death. Only her top half appears as she’s walking on stairs that were lower than they are now, and her appearance is accompanied by the smell of lavender.
“I’ve never seen a ghost, but the Castle has a long and sometimes grisly history, and people who work here say they’ve seen strange things like mysterious figures on the roof, orbs of light and piano music when the building’s empty. Who knows!
“This Halloween might be a good time to come ghost hunting, as we run special events around that time with activities for children. Later in the year, we’re open for self-guided tours at Christmas, where we also have mulled wine and mince pies to help celebrate the festive season.”
A little about Raffaella…
How long have you been in this job?
“In October, I’ll have been in the job for five years. I started work at the University in 2010 after doing my Master’s in Modern Languages here. I started working as a Visitor Services Assistant across Libraries and Collections and for Event Durham, but started as Visitor Services Coordinator in 2019.”
What does the job involve?
“I organise the guided tours and special events in the Castle throughout the year, and co-ordinate the Castle tour guides and volunteers. I’m also responsible for their training, and the health and safety of staff and visitors. I try to carry out a visitor tour at least once a month and I run tours of the Castle for VIPs and journalists, and get involved with things like the marketing of the Castle.
“In fact, we’re going to be featuring in Matt Baker’s Channel 4 programme 'Travels with Mum and Dad' this month, so look out for that on TV soon!”
What’s your favourite thing about your job?
“I think it’s two things really. Firstly, I enjoy that we can inspire visitors from all over the world and give them lasting memories of Durham by promoting our heritage. I think having the arts and history in our lives is really important, so I want to give people experiences that bring history and culture to life.
“Durham Castle is a really special place. It’s not trapped in crystal as there’s a community that lives and thrives here, and the Castle continues to adapt to the modern age. There aren’t many buildings that get used as a place of learning, a visitor venue and commercial centre all at once. There are so many realities within the building that are continuing to create history here every day.
“The other major thing I enjoy about my job is the mentoring role I have with our guides. It’s great to see young people having their first experiences of work here and thriving in their careers. It’s also rewarding on a personal level that people can come to me for support – I’m also a Staff Mental Health First Aider so I feel I’m well-placed to help people tackle a range of issues.”
Find out more about the Castle and all our cultural attractions on the Things To Do website.