Durham Castle Around 995, monks from Chester-le-Street introduced St. Cuthber's body here to safeguard it in the Danes. They find the naturally prepared site inside an incised loop from the River Put on because the setting for his or her new cathedral. As late as 1075 it rebuffed a Danish attack. The only real landward method of the promontory is guarded by Durham Castle, that was established by William the Conqueror in 1072 but was soon provided to Bishop Welcher. The castle continued to be the main chair from the bishops of Durham until 1836, when Bishop Van Mildert gave it towards the recently founded college. It now can serve as College College. As seen from over the Put on, castle and cathedral form an impressive spectacle. It's the cathedral which rules, however this are only able to be anticipated of England's celebrated Norman chapel. Over the river the castle presents a purely residential fa?ade, the domestic structures sticking out in the great hall towards the fringe of the precipice. Clearly, the steep drop was considered protection enough. Whereas Durham Cathedral continues to be basically a Norman building, the castle exhibits architecture of each and every century in the eleventh towards the nineteenth, reflecting the altering tastes from the bishops, and it is memorable like a structure as opposed to a fortress. In outline, however, the castle continues to be a Norman stronghold, composed of a triangular bailey overlooked with a large motte. The promontory inside the loop from the Put on was handed a stone enclosure wall for added protection under Bishop Flambard in early twelfth century. Point about this wall remains inside a featureless condition, particularly around the west side past the cathedral building. Close to the soythern apex may be the Water Gate, reconstructed in 1778. Rapid gap between your castle motte and also the eastern arm from the river was closed with a more powerful wall and ditch.