Maiden Castle sports centre

Maiden Castle
Map
AddressMaiden Castle
Stockton Road
Durham
DH1 3SE[1]
United Kingdom
Coordinates54°46′01″N 1°33′32″W / 54.767°N 1.559°W / 54.767; -1.559[2]
Elevation35 m (115 ft) to 36 m (118 ft)
Public transit"Houghall College" bus stop (multiple routes from Arriva and Go North East)[1]
Parking250 cars; 16 coaches
OwnerDurham University
Record attendance2,381 (Football: Durham W.F.C. vs Manchester City W.F.C., Women's FA Cup, 14 January 2024)[3]
ScoreboardYes (digital)[4]
Construction
Built1961–1965
Opened8 May 1965 (1965-05-08)
Expanded1984–88, 2009–12, 2017–19
Tenants
1965–present
2020–present
Hartlepool United (training ground)
by 2009–2017 and 2021–present
2021
Newcastle United (training ground)
1992–2001

Maiden Castle sports centre, also known as the Graham Sports Centre and the Durham University Sport and Wellbeing Park, is the main sports complex at Durham University and the home for many of the university's teams. It also stages professional football as the home of Durham W.F.C. since 2020 and is used as an international venue, including hosting one of the four 2023 Women's EuroHockey Championship Qualifiers tournaments in summer 2022 and the 1995 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. It has been used as a training ground by Hartlepool United since 2021, having previously been used by Newcastle United.

The sports centre is situated on the southeast side of Durham on the floodplain of the River Wear, just south of the Maiden Castle iron age fort from which it takes its name. The main sports complex, including the centre buildings and artificial pitches, are located on the west bank of the river, with vehicular access from the A177 Stockton Road, with additional playing fields on the east bank linked to the main complex via a footbridge. Paths along the river link Maiden Castle to the university's other sports fields at Hollow Drift (150 m north) and The Racecourse.[5]

  1. ^ a b "Travel Information". Durham Women FC. 23 April 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  2. ^ "National Statistics Postcode Lookup". Open Geography Portal. Office for National Statistics. May 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  3. ^ Joseph Saunders (16 January 2024). "Record crowd watch Man City dump Durham Women out of the cup". Palatinate.
  4. ^ "New additions at Maiden Castle for Durham Women ahead of 2024/25 season". Durham Women FC. 5 September 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  5. ^ FaulknerBrowns Architects (June 2017). "Design and access statement" (PDF). Planning application documents for case DM/17/01929/FPA Extension and refurbishment of the existing sports centre, erection of associated changing pavilion, 2 no. beach volley ball courts with associated landscaping and infrastructure. Durham County Council. Retrieved 30 July 2022.