Question 1

How much does it cost?

Accepted Answer

'Mr Borrowdale's Study' & 'Lab Heist' cost £56 for a team of 2 players all week. On Weekday, City centre games cost from £68- £78 for 3-6 players. We have tiered pricing at weekends from £72 for 3 players to £90 for 6 players.

Lumley Castles game 'Lily Of Lumley' is priced per player. Prices range from £15-£25 per person. Check the games pages to see specific pricing.

Question 2

Where are you?

Accepted Answer

We have two sites. 'Mr Borrowdales Study' & 'Lab Heist' are based at our City Centre Site. 'Lily Of Lumley' is based at Lumley Castle Hotel. 
 
City Centre: 41-42 Saddler Street, Durham City, DH1 3NU. The black doorway, in between Jack Wills and Flat White Kitchen. Take a look at our map on the 'Contact'page. 
 
Lumley Castle: Ropery Ln, Chester le Street, County Durham, DH3 4NX. Please wait in the hotel reception where your game operator will collect you. 
 
Please call ahead before visiting as our venues may only be manned when games are being played.

Question 3

Can I buy a gift voucher as a gift?

Accepted Answer

Yes, an escape room is an amazing gift. You can buy a voucher which will allow the recipient to book the room for a time that's suitable for them. Just click on 'Gift Vouchers'

Question 4

How many people can play?

Accepted Answer

We recommend between 2-7 people in a team dependent on which game is selected. Any more will reduce the enjoyment of your game.

Question 5

Do you have an age limit?

Accepted Answer

Our Escape Rooms are designed for players over the age of 11. We recommend that the majority of the team are 11+ but it is all dependent on the abilities of individuals.
Players under 16 should be accompanied by at least one adult (18+)
Younger players are also very welcome and will enjoy if they're part of an older team.
Our games are considered appropriate for younger and older parties but we do require an Adult present in the game or in the the building for under 16's.  If in doubt or you have any questions, please give us a ring.

Question 6

How do I book?

Accepted Answer

It is quickest and easiest to book online. However, online booking closes 26 hours before games. If you want to play today or tomorrow give reception a call on 0191 303 6393 or E-mail team@escapedurham.co.uk

Question 7

When is your best availability?

Accepted Answer

Our best availability is Monday to Friday 11:00-19:00. For weekday evenings we recomend booking a couple of days to a week in advance. Our busiest time of the week is 11:00-20:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. We recomend booking 3-4 weeks in advance for Saturday afternoon games. 
 
For evenings in the lead up to Christmas we reccomend booking at least a month in advance.

Question 8

When should I arrive?

Accepted Answer

We ask that you arrive  at least TEN MINUTES before your booked time slot but no more than 20 minutes. We have to carefully manage the people traffic in the building for fire safety. Our reception is used as a briefing room and as such cannot be used as a waiting room for long periods of time. 
 
When playing at Lumley Castle please report to the Hotel Reception to let them know you have arrived and one of our Game Operators will come and collect you from there. Thank you.

Question 9

What happens if I'm late?

Accepted Answer

It is crucially important that you arrive on time for your game. We work on a ticketed system and cannot wait for any late arrival, this would delay the schedule of games for the entire day. If you are going to be late, please call us on 0191 303 6393. We will do what we can, but we may have to start the game timer before you arrive.

Question 10

Can we play two games at the same time?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes. On a weekday and Sundays this will be free of charge, on a Saturday there is an excess charge of £50 to play at the same time as this requires us to cancel other games. We have to manage the people traffic coming through the building as we have rather small premises. If there is no game before you then we will try our best and you should be in within minutes of each other.
 
You can play at the same time any other day of the week. In cases where a game is booked in before you there may be a wait of 5-10 minutes before we can start your second game. We apologise for this if it is an inconvenience, it's one of the hurdles of being so small.

Question 11

Am I REALLY locked in?

Accepted Answer

The door is locked, however there is ALWAYS a way to unlock the door and leave at any part of the game for any reason. If you would rather leave the door unlocked during your game just let your game operator know.

Question 12

What should I wear?

Accepted Answer

Just casual clothing is fine. Please be aware that in the summer months on hot afternoons the rooms can get rather warm. 
 
Please be aware that the 'Black Knight' restaurant at Lumley Castle has a smart casual dress code.

Question 13

Can I get a refund if I cancel?

Accepted Answer

We do NOT offer any refunds for our Escape game tickets. Escape Games are a live event, and therefore operate to the same standard as live performances, film showings and hotel rooms.
 
If you contact us more than 24 hours before the start of your game we will be able to move your game to a new date or offer you a gift voucher valid for 12 months to use at your convenience.
 
The first time you reschedule a game is free, any subsequent re-schedule requests are charged at £25.00 per move. 
 
Missed games without 24 hours prior notice of cancellation cannot be moved or exchanged for vouchers.

Question 14

Can I use the toilet during the game?

Accepted Answer

We have 1 toilet on the City Centre premises and you may leave the game to use the toilet, however, the clock wont be paused.
 
Lumley Castle has a number of Toilets that may be used during the game.

Question 15

I haven't received my gift voucher! Help!

Accepted Answer

Please check your spam folder to see if it has been mistaken for advertising. If you still cant find your voucher, please E-mail admin@escapedurham.co.uk with your order details and someone will get in touch with you. Alternatively, call reception on 0191 303 6393

Question 16

Do you have any student discounts?

Accepted Answer

Yes we do! Teams made up ENTIRELY of students can get 20% off their booking by using the code STUDENT20 at checkout. Please remember to bring your university ID with you. There must be no non-students in the team.

Question 17

Do you have any other deals?

Accepted Answer

We occasionally run deals and discounts for our social media followers on our Facebook page, Twitter account and Instagram account, usually for last minute weekday bookings.  We no longer post discounts with third party companies such as 'Groupon' and have no future plans to do so.

Question 18

Can I smoke / Vape / Eat / Drink inside the games?

Accepted Answer

No. Our rooms contain electrical equipment and expensive props. The rooms must be kept at a condition which is pleasant for other customers use. Bottled water is the only drink allowed inside the game rooms.

Question 19

Can we drink alcohol before or during our game?

Accepted Answer

We do not have a bar at Escape Rooms Durham. You will need a clear head to complete our games and so we do not advise consuming alcohol before playing. Please bare in mind we are a family friendly venue. Anyone appearing to be drunk, disorderly or abusive (including the use of vulgar or offensive language) will be refused admission, or asked to leave at the discretion of Escape Rooms Durham staff. This is for the safety and comfort of the person in question, their team mates, other visitors and Escape Durham staff.

Question 20

When will you have new games?

Accepted Answer

Please keep up to date with news of new games and challenges via our social media.

Question 21

Where is the best place to park?

Accepted Answer

The nearest car park is the Prince Bishops Car park which is 5 minutes walk away from Escape Rooms Durham. Walkergate multi storey car park is 5-10 minutes walk. There are also numerous places to park on the street, which is usually free on weekends and weekday evenings. There is no parking in the old town of Durham, which is where we are located. 
 
Lumley Castle has private customer parking which is free.

Question 22

What do you do with my card information?

Accepted Answer

Our payment processor is "Stripe" No Escape Rooms Durham staff, or it's company directors, have any access to the card information you provide via the online payment gateway. 
If you pay over the phone, your information is used to immediately process the payment before being safely and securly destroyed.
Your personal information (Name, E-mail and Mobile Number) are kept on file by our secure booking system, if you wish to be removed from the system after your game please e-mail grimupnorthoffice@gmail.com with your details.

Question 23

How can I contact management?

Accepted Answer

You can contact the management of Escape Rooms Durham, Grim Up North LTD, by E-mailing grimupnorthoffice@gmail.com

Frequently Asked Questions