Probably one of the world’s greatest collection of Pugin family architecture, there are a whole host of reasons to visit Ushaw and its 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 its 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
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 - 4pm. Last entry and last orders in the cafe is 3pm.
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.
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.
Christmas Selling Exhibition
The exhibition will start on November 17th
The Unthanks - Unaccompanied, As We Are
Where does a band go, after a symphonic journey that peaks with orchestral performances at the Royal Festival Hall and Royal Albert Hall? Back to the beginning of course. Before fronting one of the most artistically brave and revered bands working today, Tyneside sisters Rachel and Becky Unthank grew up singing songs without accompaniment, in weaving, unschooled vocal harmony. As if to prove that creativity should never be about ambition or aspiration, The Unthanks move on from their recent orchestral explorations by going back to what they know and do best -singing in unaccompanied harmony - joined on this tour by Unthanks member Niopha Keegan to make a vocal trio. The three have already established a band within a band in The Unthanks, with the success of haunting harmony signature pieces like Magpie, recently brought to wider attention by Mackenzie Crook’s beautifully poignant series, Detectorists. On this tour, they fully explore their rich and unique vocal combinations, with brand new material and arrangements, alongside more familiar Unthanks material. Believing unaccompanied song to be a performance art of storytelling and communication, instead of recording a studio album, each show will be recorded and there will be chance at shows to pre-order a forthcoming album compiled from live performances on this tour.
24th May 2019
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.
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 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.
There will also be a contemplative prayer group, meeting on the first and third Friday of every month at 1.45pm. These sessions will last about an hour, and will be held in the Reading Room.
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
