Palace Green
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Palace Green is a small area of grass in the centre of Durham, England, flanked by Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle. The Cathedral and Castle together form a UNESCO World Heritage Site, although Palace Green itself is not a part.
It is situated atop the narrow, high peninsula formed by a sharp bend in the River Wear. The Cathedral is on the southern side, facing the Castle across the Green on the north side. To the east are Durham University buildings including the law, theology and history departments, with the music department and a small branch of the library to the west.
From the north and east Palace Green is accessed by two cobbled streets called Owengate (formerly Queen Street) and Dun Cow Lane, the latter taking its name from a local legend involving a milkmaid and her cow. From the west a passageway, 'Windy Gap', leads down to the banks of the River Wear between two buildings which are now part of the university Music School. Early in the twentieth centruy one of the buildings had been the home on novelist J. Meade Falkner, author of Moonfleet.
In summer, Palace Green is sometimes used by students of Durham University as a croquet lawn on permission from the groundsman of University College Durham.
'Palace Green' is also the name of a hymn tune written by Michael Fleming (1928-2006) while a music student at the university, for the hymn 'Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above'.[1]
[edit] Buildings situated on Palace Green
Listed clockwise:
- Durham Cathedral
- Durham University School of Music (main premises)
- Durham University School of Music (audiosuite and experimental office)
- Palace Green Library (Houses Music & Law resources)
- University College, Durham ("Castle")
- The Master's House (of University College)
- Moneyer's Garth (Castle accommodation)
- Bailey Court (Castle accommodation)
- Cosin's Hall (Former college, then Castle accommodation, university offices since October 2006)
- The Almshouses (now a cafeteria)
- The Pemberton Rooms (the Durham Union Society)
- Durham University School of Theology