Establishment , drawn by
Francis Wise before its 1733 removal Durham Hall was built to provide a place of learning for
Benedictine monks from
Durham Priory. In 1291 the southern abbeys decided to combine their efforts at
Gloucester College, but Durham had already begun to make its own arrangements. A substantial site to the north of the city walls, opening onto Horsemonger Street (now
Broad Street) and Beaumont (now
Parks Road) was acquired in sections, beginning with 10 acres of land on Beaumont acquired from
Godstow Abbey around 1286 by prior Hugh of Darlington. Further land was acquired and building commenced under Hugh's successor
Richard de Hoton. By 1302, buildings included a two-storey residence, with a dormitory and a cellar, An
oratory was constructed in 1323 and groundwork for a chapel shortly thereafter, though no such chapel was actually built. The hall was intended to house six to ten monks, but numbers were often lower - evidence given in a 1367 lawsuit suggested numbers in that decade varied between two and five, and on one occasion a prior had to send a companion to Oxford to comply with a prohibition on a monk living alone. The hall was headed by a prior, who was appointed centrally as with other cells such as
Finchale Priory. The hall assembled a small collection of books to cater for the needs of students - around 1325 it held 39 theological and philosophical volumes, while by the end of the century this had expanded to 115, including logic, medicine and miscellaneous works. Inscriptions in surviving volumes record that a wider range of books were acquired and exchanged by individual students. In his 1345 book
The Philobiblon, he described in detail his plans for the college library and its lending system. However, de Bury died later in 1345 with heavy debts, and the surviving college rolls suggest that no part of this plan took place. Simonburn was given instead to the Canons of
St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, while de Bury's books were sold to meet his debts. Execution of the scheme was delayed after Hatfield's death in 1381, but the funds were eventually delivered. The Prior of Durham, Robert de Berington of
Walworth, placed a monk of Durham, John de Berington (probably his brother) in charge of the funds, and he used them – perhaps somewhat wastefully – to purchase a number of rectories –
Frampton,
Fishlake,
Bossall and
Ruddington – and estates, to provide income for the college. The statutes drawn up stated that the fellows were to take instruction in philosophy and theology; they were also to oversee the selection of the scholars, four of whom were to be drawn from
North Yorkshire and four from the
Diocese of Durham. The eight scholars would learn philosophy and grammar, whilst being paid to assist the monks in day-to-day tasks. All students were expected to remain for seven or eight years to complete their instruction. The running of the college would be overseen by one of the fellows, who was to take the title of
warden, and the
Bishop of Durham was to be
visitor. The funds proved sufficient for the laying out of college buildings over the following years. A new gate onto Horsemonger Street was constructed in 1397, opening onto a walled road leading to a
quadrangle of new buildings, including living quarters, a
refectory, a chapel (1408–9, with the aid of a bequest from Bishop
Walter Skirlaw) and a library (1417–8). The chapel was licensed for interments by a bull of
Pisan Pope John XIII in 1412. The quadrangle seems to have been completed in 1420-1, with only repairs listed in the accounts after that date. There were occasional disputes over authority in the college, with the
prior studentium of
Gloucester College claiming (with some legal justification) authority over all Benedictine monks resident at the university, including those in Durham College and
Canterbury College. The college seems to have acted as a home for students from other Northern Benedictine abbeys, including
York and
Whitby. Rooms also seem to have been rented to others who were not part of the foundation, including university chancellor
Gilbert Kymer, whose acts during his second period as chancellor (1446–1453) were dated from Durham College. "University monks" were influential in the governance of Durham Priory in its later years: six wardens of the college became priors of Durham, and many others held other important posts such as priors of
Coldingham Priory and
Finchale Priory. In 1541,
Henry VIII proposed founding a university in Durham using the funds of the college, but the plans were scaled down to a grammar school, with a headmaster and assistant master paid from Cathedral funds. The college buildings were again surrendered to the crown in March 1544/5 and not regranted, The buildings were briefly occupied as a private hall by
Walter Wright, Archdeacon of Oxford and later Vice-Chancellor of the university, but they then fell into disrepair, and are described colourfully by
Anthony Wood as "canilia lustra" (dog kennels). ==Legacy==