I had been on a guided tour in durham castle before and loved it. I decided that next time i went to durham i would go during the uni holidays so i could stay there. Two friends joined me. The castle itself is wonderful and very central, and there was a good choice of food at the buffet breakfast. However, the booking confirmation stated we would get permits for parking on the palace green (though no guarantee of a space) and as we were staying, we were also advised that we would get a free guided tour. Despite sending them an email a week before our visit and leaving messages on 2 of their different phone numbers included in the booking email (couldn't get to speak to anyone on the phone despite trying several times), nobody got back to me to clarify the process for the permits and if we could book the free tour in advance. On arrival we were told no permits were being issued due to a wedding, and the free guided tours had been discontinued 2 weeks before. Nobody had got in touch with us to advise us of this. We had a twin room and a single - both en suite. Not expecting much as it is student accommodation. However, the single room had not been dusted in weeks - fluff on the kettle and furniture, and hairs were on the shower room wall tiles. The main light in the twin room wasn't working. Reported the light in the morning to the porters (3 of them were present) who advised it would be fixed by the evening. It wasn't. The porter on duty in the evening said he knew nothing about it. We were there for 2 nights, and neither room was cleaned during our stay. Total lack of communication was disappointing to say the least, and general standards of hygiene/care were poor.

On a day out in Durham and couldn't wait to view Durham Castle, an absolutely must go destination if you're planning a trip to this beautiful town
With parts of the castle dating from 1072 ,it was built on the orders of William The Conqueror, stones from the cliff below the castle were used in the construction of Durham Castle, its such an iconic structure, looks amazing, since 1837 it's been home to Durham University College and has even been used in the famous Harry Potter movies ,I loved visiting here ,along with the Cathedral, its the most famous site in this pretty town, if you're planning a trip to Durham a must go destination.