A group of male students has become the first to take their places at a previously all-female college.

Durham University's last single sex college has welcomed its intake of men after bowing to overwhelming demand in the modern era.

Twenty years after the university's last all-male bastion, Hatfield College, admitted female students, St Mary's College, on Elvet Hill, has finally gone co-educational.

It ends 106 years of tradition at St Mary's, which began as a hostel for women students at the university, in Claypath, in 1899.

Having resisted previous calls for change, St Mary's authorities finally agreed to take male students, having seen applications fall in comparison with the university's other 14 colleges and societies.

Twelve of the 15 colleges were originally male or female-only establishments, but gradually they all yielded and only St Mary's retained its single-sex status.

After the university's council approved plans for the barriers to come down, in January last year, accommodation blocks at St Mary's were adapted to provide a mix of male-only, women-only and mixed corridors.

New sports facilities include the purchase of two rowing boats adapted for use by men.

This week, the first 92 men arrived at St Mary's with other first year students

They were officially welcomed by the university at yesterday's annual matriculation ceremony at Durham Cathedral.

In keeping with tradition, the first male and female students in alphabetical order, signed the matriculation book as part of the ceremony, which was overseen by university vice-chancellor Sir Kenneth Calman.

Eighteen-year-olds Vicki Abery, from Ipswich, Suffolk, and Christopher Arckless, from Winlaton, near Gateshead, performed the honours for St Mary's.

Both were surprised to be cast into the limelight at yesterday's ceremony.

Mr Arckless admitted that St Mary's had not been his first choice of college when he applied to Durham to study natural sciences.

"I sort of sneaked in at St Mary's because my first choice college was Grey College, but all the places were filled so I was offered the place at St Mary's," he said.

Engineering student James Barnett, from Monmouth, Wales, said: "I've been blown away by the warmth and friendliness of everyone at the college.

"All the new first years have been made to feel really welcome and we can't wait to get stuck into life here."

St Mary's junior common room president, Vickie Edwards, said: "Everyone has been really enthusiastic about this.

"Students are used to mixing in all other walks of life so it's not that strange."

Principal Jenny Hobbs said: "In some ways this has been many years coming.

"The first expressions about change were made in the 1970s and by the 1990s concerns were being raised about the low expressions of interest to come to the college.

"It will probably be a livelier atmosphere now, but we want to retain some of our values and be a distinct mixed sex college."