Medieval artwork uncovered at Durham Castle
Wall painting find opens up picture of castle’s distant past. Tony Henderson reports.
A hidden section of 700-year-old wall painting has been uncovered by archaeologists at one of the North East’s most prominent castles – giving clues to its illustrious past.
Revealed during renovations at Durham Castle, in Durham City, the decorative artwork is thought to date from the late 13th to early 14th centuries.
Covered by later plasterwork and then 1950s wall panelling, the painting is made up of an outlined masonry pattern with a central flower and stem motif.
Experts from Durham University’s Departments of Archaeology and History and the flagship Heritage 360 programme worked on the find.
They say such decoration confirms that this part of the castle, known since the 19th century as the Senate Suite, was a high-status area in the medieval period.
The team will now carry out further research to see what the painting could tell about the history of Durham Castle, which was once the seat of the powerful Prince Bishops of Durham.
Overall, their investigation has revealed an extensive level of redecoration and alteration over nearly 1,000 years.
Project lead and career development fellow Andrew Ferrara, of Durham University’s Department of Archaeology, said: “The uncovering of this medieval wall painting is an absolutely sensational discovery.
“It’s an incredibly rare survival in such an important castle site and really underscores the power and status of the medieval bishops of Durham.”
Founded in 1072, Durham Castle forms part of the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside Durham Cathedral.
Today, the castle is home to Durham University’s University College. The college has approximately 1,500 undergraduate and postgraduate students, some of whom live in the castle.
The renovations also uncovered several blocked openings, including two rectangular windows.
The blocking of the windows is thought to date from the 1540s when Bishop Cuthbert Tunstall (1530-59) began building work on the room on the other side of the wall, turning it into a chapel.
The stonework still retained an oyster shell, jammed into the infill, potentially representing a snack of one of the 16th-century masons.
Other discoveries included evidence of the castle’s historic subsidence in the shape of a zigzagging crack across the stonework.
This had been caused by the north wall pulling away from the overall structure and threatening to collapse down the slope towards Moatside Lane.
Archaeologists think this happened early in the castle’s history as an angled buttress was added to the external north wall for additional support in the 13th or 14th century.
Professor Karen O’Brien, vice-chancellor and warden of Durham University, said: “Durham Castle has been a living space of learning and community for almost 1,000 years.
“To make a wonderful discovery such as this medieval painting on our own doorstep is further evidence of Durham’s very special history and heritage.
“Together with Durham Cathedral, we are proud custodians of Durham’s UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“We will continue to explore, safeguard and renew this historic site for future generations.”
The work was led by the Durham Castle Research Group, supported by Durham University’s Heritage 360 (H360) network.
Martin Lowe, Historic England inspector of historic buildings and areas for the North East and Yorkshire, said: “This is a beautiful and rare detail of Durham Castle, uncovered thanks to some very careful work. We look forward to seeing the findings of the research into this important discovery.”
Students from Durham University’s Department of Archaeology took part in the recording work alongside departmental staff and members of the Estates and Facilities team.
The team has also sampled the plaster and mortar from different construction phases for further laboratory tests. This will include luminescence dating to better establish the timeframe for various stages of building works.
The find adds to other examples of medieval paintings which can be seen at Durham’s World Heritage Site. This includes a similar, though earlier, mason pattern in the nave of Durham Cathedral, and extensive paintings in the Cathedral’s Galilee Chapel.
People can learn more about the recent archaeology at Durham Castle as part of the County Durham and Darlington Archaeological Day.
Held on Saturday March 21, 10.15am to 4.30pm, in the Richard D Chambers FRS Lecture Theatre (CG85), Chemistry Department, Lower Mountjoy, Durham University, the day will feature a series of talks highlighting new discoveries and ongoing research from around the region.
Further details and instructions on how to book at: www.durham.ac.uk