5 The College is a Grade II Listed Building within the cathedral close (called 'The College' in Durham). It is home to the Durham Cathedral Archive and other collections.
Access to the archive collections is available.
Access is strictly by appointment
Appointments are normally available for the following days:
Closed on the following dates:
Due to archive repackaging work, access to the cathedral archive and other archive collections at 5 The College will be limited from the start of summer vacation. In particular, we will not be able to provide access for groups or classes, and will not be able to assist with interpretation of the documents. Spaces will be very limited, so please contact us to make a booking as far in advance as possible.
5 The College
DURHAM
DH1 3EQ
Tel: +44 (0)191 334 1210
Online enquiry form
You can get in touch through our live chat service or by email, and search our FAQs for answers to your questions.
On-site access to the Archives and Special Collections is available for members of Durham University and external researchers. You will need to make an appointment, for which use our online enquiry form.
Please see our separate guides to reprographics services and to accessing the collections virtually, if you are unable to visit in person.
For information on the collections that are managed at 5 The College, see:
The building is within the Cathedral Close (called ‘The College’) located on the south side of the cathedral. Number 5 is at the left side of the main terrace of houses.
Access to The College is through an archway on North Bailey, just before you reach St John’s College
We are at number 58 on the Durham City map or can be found by searching for DH1 3EQ on Google Maps.
Appointments are required for all visits. Please use the metal doorbell when you arrive, at the top of the stone steps (see under Accessibility).
The University welcomes the use of face coverings in shared indoor spaces on campus. If you are feeling unwell, please stay at home and try to avoid contact with people. Please visit the University webpages for more details.
There are steps at the front of the building and our archives search room is located on the first floor with no lift access. If no lift access would cause difficulties for you, please mention this when making an appointment and we can make alternative arrangements to access the collections stored here.
An Access Guide is available from the AccessAble website.