Visitors to one of the oldest surviving Norman stone buildings in England will be taken back almost 1,000 years by a new light and sound experience.
Jewel of the North is a permanent installation in Durham Castle’s Grade I-listed Norman chapel and will form part of the building’s public tours.
It tells the story of the Norman Conquest, the Battle of Hastings and the building of Durham Castle, and also brings to life original medieval imagery and carvings from the chapel.
Combining the original words of Anglo-Saxons and Normans to tell their own stories, the installation allows people to enter the world of early Norman England, its culture, voices and music.
Available to view from today (Oct 13) Jewel of the North has been created by award-winning sound and light artists Ross Ashton and Karen Monid from The Projection Studio in collaboration with Durham University.
The voices and music featured in the installation are performed by academics and students at the university.
Jewel of the North is led by Professor Giles Gasper, in Durham University’s Department of History, and Dr Gillian Rennie, curator (Castle and Colleges), Durham University.
Giles Gasper, Professor in High Medieval History, said: “Durham plays an important part in England’s Norman past, with the establishment of the Castle and Cathedral. It remains one of the best-preserved Norman landscapes in the UK.
“By drawing together history, scholarship and creativity, ‘Jewel of the North’ offers a fresh way to explore this past, revealing how a remarkable chapel can illuminate a much wider story of conquest, faith and community.”
Durham Castle’s Norman Chapel dates from the 1070s to 1080s, not long after William the Conqueror’s 1066 invasion of England.
Jewel of the North makes innovative use of the chapel’s architecture, illuminating its distinctive carvings, including its famous mermaid.
The installation also reveals the stories and beliefs that shaped medieval Durham.
It brings together chronicles of the Norman Conquest, prayers from Anglo-Saxon and Norman traditions, medieval poetry, music, saints’ lives and one of the earliest descriptions of Durham Castle and its chapel.
Visitors will encounter the writings of Durham monk Symeon and Lawrence of Durham, accounts of the Norman dukes, echoes of the Song of Roland, medieval bestiaries (illustrated manuscripts depicting real and imaginary animals), and sacred chants that once resonated across Norman Europe.
Gillian Rennie said: “Jewel of the North invites visitors to step beyond the Castle’s stone walls and discover the people, events and traditions that shaped medieval Durham following the Norman conquest. It will connect today’s audiences with stories and voices that have been rarely heard for centuries.”
Jewel of the North is supported by Durham’s Castle research group Heritage 360. The Castle is home to Durham University’s University College.
The installation will form part of Year of the Normans during 2027, marking 1,000 years since William the Conqueror’s birth.
Events will take place across the UK, France, Ireland, the Channel Islands, Flanders, southern Italy, Norway and Denmark. This includes the ongoing loan of the Bayeux Tapestry to the British Museum.
Jewel of the North will also pave the way for a major exhibition in Durham Castle’s Tunstall Gallery next year, exploring daily life in the Norman castle, from food and pageantry to animals, landscape and medieval society.
Together with complementary exhibitions at Durham Cathedral and Auckland Castle, it promises to offer new insights into the history and legacy of Norman Durham.
Durham Castle, alongside Durham Cathedral, is part of the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, managed jointly by the University and Cathedral.
Dr Anne Allen, senior manager of the World Heritage Site Partnership, said: “The World Heritage Site was inscribed by UNESCO as the finest example of Norman architecture in England. This new sound and light installation is a fabulous way to bring the story of this amazing place to life.”
To book a tour of the Castle, visit the website or call 0191 334 2932 for more information.
