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Medieval wall painting clue to Durham Castle’s high-status past

18 March 2026
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A man with a beard and glasses looks at a fragment of medieval wall painting in a masonry style with a red flower and stem motif

A hidden section of medieval wall painting, not seen for hundreds of years, is giving clues to the grand past of Durham Castle.

Revealed during renovations, the artwork is of an outlined masonry pattern with a central flower and stem motif.

The painting is thought to date from the late 13th to early 14th centuries – approximately 750 to 700 years ago.

It tells us more about the high status of Durham Castle – part of the City’s UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside Durham Cathedral.

Founded in 1072, the Castle was once the seat of the powerful Prince Bishops of Durham. Today it’s home to University College, with some of our students living there.

Academics and students from our departments of Archaeology and History, Durham Castle Research Group and our flagship Heritage 360 programme, plus staff from our Estates and Facilities team, worked on the find.

The uncovering of this fragment of 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.
Dr Andrew Ferrara
Project lead, Department of Archaeology

Oyster shell “snack” recovered

The painting had been covered by later plasterwork and then 1950s wall panelling.

Alongside it, our team found extensive redecoration and alterations to the same part of the Castle, which is today known as the Senate Suite.

This included the blocking of windows, thought to date from the 1540s when Bishop Cuthbert Tunstall began building work to create a chapel.

An oyster shell was found 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.

Archaeologists think this was 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.

Two people look at a fragment of medieval wall painting which is in a masonry design with a flower and stem motif

(L-R) Dr Andrew Ferrara, Department of Archaeology, Durham University, and Archaeology student Nattakrit Wanthanom look at the section of medieval wall painting uncovered at Durham Castle.

A close up of a man wearing glasses and with a beard holding an oyster shell in front of his face.

Dr Andrew Ferrara, Department of Archaeology, Durham University holds an oyster shell. The shell was found jammed into the infill of the stonework, potentially representing a snack of a16th century mason.

A group of people stand in front of a fragment of medieval wall painting and smile at the camera

Staff and students from the departments of Archaeology and History, Durham Castle Research Group, our flagship Heritage 360 programme and University College stand in front of the revealed medieval wall painting.

Further research

Our team will carry out further research to see what the medieval painting could tell us about the history of Durham Castle, which sits on the peninsula in Durham City.

They’ve also sampled the plaster and mortar from different construction phases for tests, including luminescence dating to date various stages of building works.

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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.
Professor Karen O’Brien
Vice-Chancellor and Warden, Durham University

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