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 simple central flower and stem motif. The painting is thought to date from the late 13th to early 14th centuries.
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 the departments of Archaeology and History, Durham Castle Research Group and the flagship Heritage 360 project., plus staff from Estates and Facilities team, worked on the find.
The painting had been covered by later plasterwork and then 1950s wall panelling.
Alongside it, the 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, rather than representing a snack of a 16th century masons these are often used as packing.
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.
Further research
The Durham 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 overlooking the 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.
Image Credit: 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. Credit: Durham University.
Story from : Medieval wall painting clue to Durham Castle’s high-status past – Durham University
