Probably one of the world’s greatest collection of Pugin family architecture, there are a whole host of reasons to visit Ushaw and it’s Park & Gardens, but wherever your interests lie, there will be something here for you to enjoy.
Ushaw is truly one of the hidden jewels in Durham’s crown and is steeped in history dating back to it’s foundation in Douai, France in 1568. Our stunning Chapels, Refectory, Exhibition Hall & Parlour are each must see attractions in their own right and the unique and tranquil atmosphere of Ushaw makes it a remarkable and incomparable place that you will want to return to time and time again.
Ushaw’s Main House, Chapels, Park and Gardens are open Wednesday - Saturday until 22nd December. The Cafe is also open on Monday and Tuesday each week
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On Mondays and Tuesdays, the Cafe and the gardens are open from 11am - 2pm.
On Wednesdays to Saturdays the Cafe, gardens, chapels, gallery and principal rooms are all open from 11am - 5pm. Last entry and last orders in the cafe is 4pm.
Please contact us for further details of Group Tours; or to book an appointment to view our Conference;
Wedding Reception; Meeting Spaces etc.
Telephone: 0191 373 8500 or Email: events@ushaw.org
For more information on who we are, our history and visitor details, click below.
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Home-baked cakes and freshly produced savouries are now available in Divines Tearoom which is located in our stunning Refectory. Monday to Friday 11am - 2pm.
From 2018 Ushaw is introducing an annual charge for daytime visitors during public visiting hours Wednesday and Saturday of £5 - for entry to the Chapels, Exhibitions & Principal Rooms. Our Annual Pass allows unlimited FREE entry within a 12 month period.
This year's Flower Festival was a huge success, with thousands of visitors coming to Ushaw to see the hard work of our staff, volunteers, and talented flower arrangers. To share this special occasion with everyone, we have collated a selection of photographs into a gallery, which can be viewed here.
TOMOAKI SUZUKI EXHIBITION
(July 5 to September 15 – preview night July 4) Following on from the success of Chuck Close tapestries shown in St Cuthbert’s Chapel during summer 2017, we will be installing another contemporary art exhibition featuring figurative work – populating the spaces of Ushaw with adverse group of figures.In a modern twist on the tradition of Japanese woodcarving, Tomoaki Suzuki sculpts small wooden and bronze portraits of human subjects, each some 20 inches high or so, with a remarkable sense of psychological presence. A London resident, Suzuki finds subjects in his Hackney neighborhood; he works with his models in front of him, sketching and photographing them in detail before embarking on the two-to-three-month process of carving, sculpting, and painting each figure in acrylics. The sculptures typically depict diverse urban youths in natural postures, their personal dress styles expressive of their identities.There will be eight wooden sculptures displayed in the William Allen Gallery, four relief portrait panels in the foyer area in front of the gallery and five bronze sculptures in the quadrangle.The separation of the figures and the sense of isolation between them is an essential element of the artist’s intentions and encourages viewers to think about loneliness and solitude. “We are born alone. We die alone. So I install my sculptures as isolated individuals”.
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Once again, Ushaw is proud to host our very own Jazz Festival. We hope to build on the popularity of last year's festival, which was a fantastic success and much enjoyed by all who came. There is a very wide range of talent from across the country, with something for everyone to enjoy. The festival will run from the 24th - 26th of August.
Ushaw is very pleased to announce our exciting brass programme, with a wide range of performances throughout the year. Visit our brass page for more information and updates.
Ushaw has a tradition of choral singing dating back over 200 years, and regularly hosts choral performances as part of its events programme. Our choir of around thirty singers will be performing at various musical events within our programme, as well as singing Vespers three times a year in the glorious Chapel.
The choir meets every Thursday evening at 7.30pm until 9.15pm, and is accompanied by the hugely experienced Allan Coombes, organist at St Margaret’s Church in Durham. There are no auditions for membership of the choir; all that is required is enthusiasm, commitment and the ability to sing in tune. Weekly subs are £2.50.
Friday Mass will usually be celebrated in the Sacred Heart Chapel (next to St Cuthbert’s Chapel) at 12.30 pm on Fridays. Ushaw’s chaplain in residence Canon Bob Spence will deliver the Mass.
A sign on the front desk will notify attendees of the location of each week's mass.
Canon Bob was on the staff at Ushaw many years ago and has just retired as Parish Priest at Lanchester.
We hope this will be appreciated by visitors and local people.
Ushaw College was founded over two hundred years ago and has a rich and fascinating history, with some of the finest Victorian architecture in the North East - surprisingly however, it is relatively unknown. We are now opening up our beautiful chapels and performance spaces for an exciting and varied programme of folk, classical, jazz and choral music as well as talks, plays, exhibitions and services. Our impressive buildings and grounds, which are also being restored, are worthy of a visit themselves and will be open, along with our gift shop and Café Ushaw, before and after events as shown in our programme. We hope that as a result, Ushaw will soon be much better known, it will be a major cultural venue for the North East and it will become a special place for local people to pop in and spend time in the beautiful gardens and chapels.
Fr. John Marsland
Feel free to contact us to ask question or find out more about Ushaw or what's going on here
