Durham University: The Castle Ghosts of England’s Third University

Durham University, founded in 1832, is England’s third-oldest university after Oxford and Cambridge. Uniquely, its oldest college—University College—is housed in Durham Castle, a Norman fortress built in 1072 that also served as the palace of the Prince Bishops of Durham. Students sleep in rooms where medieval bishops prayed, dine in a Norman hall, and study in towers where prisoners were once held. No other university in the world offers such an intimate connection to the medieval past—and no other university has students living with so many ghosts.

Durham Castle sits on a dramatic peninsula alongside Durham Cathedral, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The castle has witnessed nearly 1,000 years of history—Norman conquest, Scottish invasions, religious conflict, and political intrigue. When the university was founded, the castle became University College, but the ghosts of bishops, soldiers, and the executed remained. Students at Durham don’t just study history—they live inside it, alongside its supernatural residents.

The Hauntings

The Grey Lady

Durham Castle’s most famous ghost:

• A woman in grey medieval dress
• Most commonly seen on the Black Staircase
• Believed to be the wife of a Norman lord
• She walks the stairs carrying a light
• Witnesses report feeling profound sadness
• Some believe she is searching for her husband
• Others say she was murdered in the castle
• Seen regularly for over 200 years

Prince Bishop Cosin

John Cosin, Bishop of Durham (1660-1672):

• A controversial figure who survived the Civil War
• His ghost appears in the State Rooms he renovated
• A figure in bishop’s robes examining the architecture
• He spent enormous sums beautifying the castle
• Perhaps he returns to admire his work
• Most commonly seen in the Bishop’s Suite
• Witnesses report feeling observed by a critical presence

The Norman Soldier

From the castle’s earliest days:

• A knight in Norman chainmail
• Seen in the Norman Chapel and on the ramparts
• He appears to be on guard duty
• The castle was a military fortress for centuries
• This soldier may have died defending it
• Witnesses describe feeling challenged, as if questioned by a sentry
• Most commonly seen at night

The Scottish Prisoners

From the 1650 Battle of Dunbar:

• Cromwell imprisoned 3,000 Scottish soldiers in Durham Cathedral
• About 1,700 died of starvation and disease
• Some were held in the castle
• Figures in tattered Scottish military dress
• Appearing emaciated and desperate
• The sound of Scottish accents and weeping
• They appear in the undercroft and dungeons
• A collective haunting of suffering and death

The Tunstall Chapel Ghost

The castle’s Norman chapel:

• A hooded figure kneeling in prayer
• Believed to be a medieval monk or bishop
• The chapel dates from 1080
• Nearly 1,000 years of prayer have imbued it with power
• The figure appears solid, then vanishes
• Witnesses report feeling overwhelming religious devotion
• The smell of incense when none is burning
• Some students avoid the chapel at night

Frederick Copeman

A student who died in the 1960s:

• Fell from the castle keep
• His ghost appears near the spot where he died
• A young man in 1960s student dress
• He seems confused and disoriented
• Some witnesses report seeing him fall, then disappear
• A modern ghost among ancient ones
• His death traumatized the college
• Students still remember his story

The Great Hall

The medieval dining hall:

• Generations of students eating phantom meals
• The sound of medieval feasting
• Norman lords and bishops at high table
• The hall has been used for dining for nearly 1,000 years
• Students from every era appear together
• A layering of time—all periods present at once
• The atmosphere particularly strong during formal dinners

The Black Staircase

The most haunted location:

• The Grey Lady’s primary haunt
• Multiple other apparitions appear here
• A servant who fell to his death in the 18th century
• Strange lights ascending and descending
• The sound of footsteps when no one is there
• Students report being touched or pushed
• An oppressive atmosphere, especially at night
• Many students refuse to use it after dark

The Keep

The castle’s defensive tower:

• Used as a prison for centuries
• The spirits of the executed and imprisoned
• Shadow figures in the cells
• The sound of chains and moaning
• Scratching sounds on the walls
• Before modern justice, dungeons were places of torture
• The suffering remains imprinted
• Now student accommodation—some rooms are particularly active

The Castle Undercroft

The medieval basement:

• Norman foundations from 1072
• The oldest part of the castle
• Multiple apparitions from different eras
• A hooded monk
• The Scottish prisoners
• Strange lights and orbs
• The temperature drops dramatically
• Used for storage now, but few venture there alone

The Student Ghosts

From 200 years of university use:

• Victorian students in gowns
• A student who committed suicide in the 1930s
• The pressure of exams and isolation
• Figures studying in empty libraries
• The sound of footsteps in corridors at night
• Some appear to current students, as if seeking help

The Cathedral Connection

Durham Castle and Cathedral form one complex:

• The cathedral has its own extensive hauntings
• Ghosts move between the two buildings
• Monks from the Benedictine monastery
• The Venerable Bede’s tomb in the cathedral may influence the haunting
• Both buildings are on sacred ground
• The spiritual power of the site amplifies supernatural activity

Living with Ghosts

University College students’ experience:

• Sleeping in rooms with 1,000 years of history
• Regular paranormal experiences considered normal
• Freshers are told the ghost stories during orientation
• The Grey Lady is part of college identity
• Students take pride in living with ghosts
• Some rooms have reputations and are in high demand
• Others are avoided if possible
• Ghost stories bond students across generations

Modern Activity

Durham’s hauntings are ongoing and well-documented:

• The college maintains archives of supernatural accounts
• Staff acknowledge the phenomena
• Paranormal researchers regularly request access
• The BBC has filmed investigations
• Students post their experiences on social media
• Each year brings new sightings
• The combination of medieval architecture, student emotion, and deep history creates intense activity

Academic Perspective

Durham takes a scholarly approach:

• History professors study the castle’s ghosts
• Psychology department has investigated experiences
• The university’s position—neither confirming nor denying
• The ghosts are part of the UNESCO heritage
• Preservation of stories as cultural history
• Scientific interest in why the castle is so haunted

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Durham University occupies one of Britain’s most historic buildings. Students sleep in a Norman castle, dine in a hall used for 1,000 years, and study in towers where prisoners once suffered. The Grey Lady walks the Black Staircase, Norman soldiers stand guard, Scottish prisoners still suffer in the undercroft, and student ghosts from every era continue their studies. At Durham, the past is not history—it’s your roommate.