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Congratulations!

Congratulations to all our new students!

Find out the next steps in your education journey

Welcome from the Principal, Professor Wendy Powers

Professor Wendy Powers

Welcome to Castle!

Our college community provides a dynamic environment in which you will explore who you are, what you believe, and where you are going.  Your peers will be doing the same, and their journey will be different from yours.  As we get to know one another and engage interesting conversations, we will co-create community grounded in the values of civility, respect and appreciation of difference. 

We hope you’ll use these first weeks and months as an opportunity to get involved – try new activities, meet new people, and ask lots of questions.  There are college, department and uni-wide opportunities for involvement.  The most successful students find ways to engage in a bit of both.

Attending university can be challenging for all sorts of reasons, and we have a wonderful Student Support Team in Castle that is here to assist you along the journey.  The professional staff partners with our student welfare team to ensure there are many educational and supportive outlets for you and your peers. 

We also enjoy the privilege of living and learning in a castle on a world heritage site.  Together, we are trusted caretakers of history while we prepare for and advance the future. 

Remember these keys to Castle student success – those who open their hearts and minds to others, those who practice civility and respect, those who ask for assistance, and those who show up – these are the students most likely to flourish in this renowned learning community. 

On behalf of everyone at Castle, we are delighted you’ve joined us!

Floreat Castellum!

Long live Castle

Wendy

University student
The Castle JCR (Junior Common Room) executive committee and I are excited to welcome you to the place we’ve all called home for the last 2 years; we hope that you’re looking forward to joining us and to what will become some of the most formative years of your life.

Olivia Grace Smith
JCR Senior Student
University student
Hi everyone, and welcome to Freshers’ Week at Castle! The week is run by us as Head Frep and social chair, helped along by our fantastic Frep team. The week is packed full of fun events, games, nights out, icebreakers, and more, so there are loads of opportunities to find your place here at Castle (as well as plenty of down-time too). There really is something for everyone, and we want to make everyone feel included in our community right from the start of term. We can’t wait to welcome you all, and introduce you to (in our opinion) the best Durham college!

Diya
Head Frep

 

 Banner image of the Castle and things you need to do before you arrive

Arriving in Durham

We look forward to meeting you! If you are arriving from overseas please find more information here: www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/arrivals/

If you're travelling from the UK and living in College accommodation you will be invited to book an arrival slot:

  • Self-catered accommodation at New Kepier Court: Saturday 27 September 2025, 12-4pm (anytime)
  • Catered accommodation: you will be invited to book a timed arrival slot for Sunday 28 September, to help manage the traffic flow along the Bailey. The booking link will be shared with students via email along with your licence agreement in due course.

Students registered with Disability Support who need to arrive early to help settle into College accommodation can do so from Wednesday 24 September.

 

MCR and the Principal at Holi

Freshers' Week and Orientation

We'll be sharing more information about plans for Freshers' Week and Orientation in the coming weeks, as well as how to join the Junior Common Room. Check back soon for updates.

Castle JCR

Your first week in Durham – University Induction Week Events Timetable

You can also read more about what you need to do next on our Welcome and Orientation webpages.

You can start planning your Welcome Week by using our online Student Induction Planner. This will show you all of the welcome activities from both your college and your department. If you already have your Durham log in details, simply log in and your planner will automatically populate with your events. If you don’t yet have a log in, simply select University College and choose your department from the options.
Your Personal Induction Planner
Students on laptop with cups of tea in Josephine Butler College café

Get in touch

If you have any queries in the meantime, please contact us. Please be aware that it's a busy time for staff & students and we will endeavour to get back to you as soon as we can.

University College

Durham Castle, Palace Green, Durham, DH1 3RW

College Reception Tel: +44 (0) 191 334 3800