Ushaw calls for volunteers as College prepares to open to public

Chapel at Ushaw

Ushaw, the former Catholic seminary is looking to attract dozens of volunteers to help make its public spaces and grounds open and attractive to visitors.

The College has recently established a relationship with Durham University and is exploring the possibility of a long-term future for the 200 year-old campus. Soon  many of its historic rooms, chapels and gardens will be open to the public with music, concerts, exhibitions, open days, lectures. A year-long programme of events will be launched at the Heritage Open Weekend on 13 and 14 September.

The buildings - many of which were designed by the Pugin family - are set in extensive grounds, a large part of which was laid out as formal gardens, with trees and shrubs giving a glorious display of rhododendrons and until fairly recently boasting a small lake. The gardens have declined and suffered over the last few years. Some of the former students of the college, members of St Cuthbert's Society of Ushaw College, have done a valiant job in keeping the Cemetery at the rear of the college in good condition and have also worked on the formal gardens in front of the main building, which are still in need of significant work. Ushaw College now hopes to restore the grounds and the elegant network of paths to their former glory and make them more widely available to visitors.

Roger Kelly, Chair of the Cultural Engagement Group at Ushaw College, said: "To do all this, we are looking for volunteers! The concert and events programme will need volunteers for "front of house" to meet and greet visitors, act as tour guides, assist with refreshments, steward the venues, to collect tickets and sell programmes. If you cannot attend Ushaw on a regular basis we are also looking for on-line supporters."

The Garden Project seeks anyone interested in gardens and the outdoor life to come along and get involved. Initially digging, weeding and planting will be the aim, to recover the herbaceous borders and formal planting areas. While this is being done a scheme will be considered for the longer-term development of the gardens and landscape, which may include cutting-back some of the overgrown trees and opening up views, perhaps even the restoration of the lake.

Monsignor John Marsland, President of Ushaw and Professor Paul Murray, who is directing Durham University's explorations at Ushaw, issued a joint statement saying: "This is an extraordinary opportunity for people of all ages to come along and make a real difference, by helping to open up to the public one of the most important and largely unknown architectural and cultural gems in the region. We hope it will be a rewarding and life-enhancing experience for all. Please come along
whatever your skills and join this wonderful project."

Potential volunteers are invited to a tour of the College buildings and gardens and a meeting at Ushaw on Saturday 13 September at 11am, and on Wednesday 17 September between 4 and 7pm.

Please email:  info@ushaw.ac.uk or call 07421035240 to confirm your attendance - or to make a donation to the project.

Ushaw College, situated just three miles from the centre of Durham, can trace its roots back to Douai College which was founded in 1568 in the Spanish Netherlands (now northern France) to provide priests for the English mission and to educate Catholic laymen at a time when Catholics in this country suffered persecution during the reign of Elizabeth I. 

After the French Revolution students and staff from Douai returned to England and settled in County Durham eventually moving to Ushaw in 1808. The buildings were designed by a number of important Catholic architects including AW Pugin. For much of the nineteenth century, Ushaw's educational facilities made it the premier Catholic college in England

and right up into the 1950s some 400 students were in attendance. Ushaw served as the seminary for the training of priests from the Northern Province and the Diocese of Shrewsbury since its foundation until June 2011. 

For more information see: www.ushaw.ac.uk/