Grey College, founded in 1959, is one of the colleges of the University of Durham. It is named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, who was Prime Minister at the time of the University's foundation (and who also gives his name to Earl Grey tea). It was the first college to be founded in the post-war expansion, and the last before the demerger of Durham and Newcastle in 1963. The college initially only admitted men, but has been mixed since 1984.

In March 1959, just a few months before the opening of the college, the main block was devestated by fire. However the college recovered to open as scheduled in October and has since adopted the phoenix as its unofficial badge.

The college coat of arms features a scaling ladder (or gré - the badge of the Grey family) between two St Cuthbert's crosses (the symbol of Durham). The motto is gradibus ascendere (or ascending by degrees in english).

External Links

Grey College website