May 995 A.D. Durham Cathedral, Durham, UK—Diocese of Lindisfarne, 635; St. Cuthbert Re-interred Before Danish Raid on Lindisfarne; Episcopal Diocesan See Founded 995
May 995 A.D. Durham Cathedral,
Durham, UK—Diocese of Lindisfarne, 635;
St. Cuthbert Re-interred Before Danish Raid on Lindisfarne; Episcopal Diocesan See Founded 995; Benedictine Monks Established by Bishop
Willima of St. Carileph, 1093; Cathedral Built 1093; Dissolved 1539; Henry VIII Orders Cuthbert’s
Shrine’s Destruction; 276 Miles NW of London, About 2330 as the Crow Flies
Durham Cathedral
From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
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Durham Cathedral
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The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert
of Durham
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Durham Cathedral from
the south
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Durham Cathedral
Location within County
Durham
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Location
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Country
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England
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Previous denomination
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Website
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Architecture
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Years built
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1093–1133
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Specifications
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Length
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469 feet (143 m) (interior)
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81 feet (25 m) (inc aisles)
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73 feet (22 m)
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Choir height
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74 feet (23 m)
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3
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Tower height
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218 feet (66 m) (central tower)
144 feet (44 m) (western towers) |
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Administration
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Clergy
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The Rt Revd Paul Butler installed and enthroned
on 22 February 2014
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Dr David Kennedy (Sub Dean & Precentor)
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Rosalind Brown (Librarian)
Vacant, Diocesan Canon Vacant, Van Mildert Professor |
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Ian Jagger
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Laity
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Francesca Massey (Sub Organist)
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Philip Davies
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Adrian Beney
Ivor Stolliday (Treasurer) |
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Type:
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Cultural
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Criteria:
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ii, iv, vi
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Designated:
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Reference No.
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Extension:
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2008
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State Party:
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United Kingdom
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Region:
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The
Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham,[1][2][4] usually known as Durham Cathedral[5][6][7] and home of the Shrine of St Cuthbert,[8] is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England, the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present
cathedral being founded in AD 1093. The cathedral is regarded as one of the
finest examples of Norman architecture and has been designated a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site along with nearby Durham Castle, which faces it across Palace Green.
The present cathedral replaced
the 10th century "White Church", built as part of a monastic
foundation to house the shrine of Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne. The treasures of Durham Cathedral include relics of St Cuthbert, the head of StOswald of Northumbria and the remains of the Venerable Bede. In addition, its Library contains one of the most complete sets of early printed books in England,
the pre-Dissolution monastic accounts, and three copies of the Magna Carta.
Durham Cathedral occupies a
strategic position on a promontory high above the River Wear. From 1080 until the 19th century the bishopric
enjoyed the powers of a Bishop Palatine, having military as well as religious leadership
and power. Durham Castle was built as the residence for the Bishop of
Durham. The seat of the Bishop of Durham is the fourth most significant in the Church of England hierarchy, and he stands at the right hand of the
monarch at coronations. Signposts for the modern day County Durham are subtitled "Land of the Prince
Bishops."
There are daily Church of England services at the Cathedral, with the Durham
Cathedral Choir singing daily except Mondays and when the choir is on holiday.
The cathedral is a major tourist attraction within the region, the central
tower of 217 feet (66 m) giving views of Durham and the surrounding
area.
Contents
·
1 History
History
Saxon
Legend of the founding of Durham depicted on cathedral
The see of Durham takes its
origins from the Diocese of Lindisfarne, founded by Saint Aidan at
the behest of Oswald of Northumbria around AD 635. The see lasted until AD 664, at which point it was
translated to York. The see was then reinstated at Lindisfarne in AD 678 by
the Archbishop of Canterbury. Among the many saints produced in the community at Lindisfarne Priory, Saint Cuthbert, who was Bishop of Lindisfarne from AD 685 until his death on Farne Island in 687, is central to the development of Durham
Cathedral.[9]
After repeated Viking raids, the monks fled Lindisfarne in AD 875,
carrying St Cuthbert's relics with them. The diocese of Lindisfarne remained itinerant
until 882, when a community was re-established in Chester-le-Street. The see had its seat here until AD 995, when
further incursions once again caused the monks to move with the relics.
According to local legend, the monks followed two milk maids who were searching for a dun (i.e. brown) cow and
were led into a peninsula formed by a loop in the River Wear. At this point Cuthbert's coffin became immovable.
This trope of hagiography was offered for a sign that the new shrine should
be built here. A more prosaic set of reasons for the selection of the peninsula
is its highly defensible position, and that a community established here would
enjoy the protection of the Earl of Northumberland, as the bishop at this time, Aldhun, had strong family links with the earls. Nevertheless,
the street leading from The Baileypast the Cathedral's eastern towers up to Palace
Green is named Dun Cow Lane.
Initially, a very simple
temporary structure was built from local timber to house the relics of
Cuthbert. The shrine was then transferred to a sturdier, probably wooden,
building known as the White Church. This church was itself replaced three years
later in 998 by a stone building also known as the White Church, which was
complete apart from its tower by 1018. Durham soon became a site of pilgrimage,
encouraged by the growing cult of Saint Cuthbert. King Canute was one early pilgrim, granting many privileges and
much land to the Durham community. The defendable position, flow of money from
pilgrims and power embodied in the church at Durham ensured that a town formed
around the cathedral, establishing the early core of the modern city.
Norman
The nave in 2010
The present cathedral was designed and built under William of St. Carilef (or William of Calais) who was appointed as the
first prince-bishop by William the Conqueror in 1080.[10] Since that time, there have been major additions
and reconstructions of some parts of the building, but the greater part of the
structure remains true to the Norman design.
Construction of the cathedral began in 1093 at the eastern end. The choir was
completed by 1096 and work proceeded on the nave of which the walls were
finished by 1128, and the high vault complete by 1135. The Chapter House,
demolished in the 18th century, was built between 1133 and 1140.[11] William died in 1099 before the building's
completion, passing responsibility to his successor Ranulf Flambard who also built Flamwell Bridge, the first crossing
of the River Wear in the town. Three bishops William of St. Carilef, Ranulf Flambard, and Hugh de Puiset are all buried in the rebuilt Chapter House.
In the 1170s, Bishop Hugh de Puiset, after a false start at the eastern end where the
subsidence and cracking prevented work from continuing, added the Galilee Chapel at the west end of the cathedral.[12] The five-aisled building occupies the position of a
porch, it functioned as a Lady Chapel and the Great West Door was blocked during the
Medieval period by an altar to theVirgin Mary. The door is now blocked by the tomb of Bishop Langley. The Galilee Chapel also holds the remains of theVenerable Bede. The main entrance to the cathedral is on the
northern side, facing towards the Castle.
In 1228 Richard le Poore came
from Salisbury where
a new cathedral was being built in the Gothic style.[12] At this time, the eastern end of the cathedral was
in urgent need of repair and the proposed eastern extension had failed. Richard
le Poore employed the architect Richard Farnham to design an eastern terminal
for the building in which many monks could say theDaily Office simultaneously. The resulting building was the Chapel of the Nine Altars. The
towers also date from the early 13th century, but the central tower was damaged
by lightning and replaced in two stages in the 15th century, the master masons
being Thomas Barton and John Bell.[11]
The Shrine of St. Cuthbert was
located in the eastern apsidal end of the cathedral. The location of the inner
wall of the apse is marked on the pavement, and St. Cuthbert's tomb is covered
by a simple slab. However, an unknown monk wrote in 1593:
[The shrine] "was
estimated to be one of the most sumptuous in all England, so great were the
offerings and jewells bestowed upon it, and endless the miracles that were
wrought at it, even in these last days."
—Rites of Durham, [12]
Dissolution
Cuthbert's tomb was destroyed
on the orders of Henry VIII in
1538,[10] and the monastery's wealth handed over to the king.
The body of the saint was exhumed, and according to the Rites of Durham, was discovered
to be uncorrupted. It was reburied under a plain stone slab worn by
the knees of pilgrims, but the ancient paving around it remains intact. Two
years later, on 31 December 1540, the Benedictine monastery at Durham was dissolved,
and the last prior of Durham – Hugh Whitehead—became the first dean of the cathedral's secular chapter.[12]
17th century
After the Battle of Dunbar on 3 September 1650, Durham Cathedral was used by Oliver Cromwell as a makeshift prison to hold Scottish
prisoners-of-war. It is estimated that as many as 3,000 were imprisoned of whom
1,700 died in the cathedral itself, where they were kept in inhumane
conditions, largely without food, water or heat. The prisoners destroyed much
of the cathedral woodwork for firewood but Prior Castell's Clock,
which featured the Scottish thistle, was spared. It is reputed that the
prisoners' bodies were buried in unmarked graves. The survivors were shipped as
slave labour to North America.
In 1946 during work to install
a new central heating system for the University, a mass grave of the Scottish
soldiers was allegedly uncovered. Towards the end of 2007 a campaign was
launched to commemorate the Dunbar Martyrs. Further to this and with the
agreement of Durham University, Historic Scotland funded a geophysical survey
of Palace Green. It was hoped that this might provide clarity on the final
resting place of the dead, but results were inconclusive. During 2010 the
Cathedral Chapter agreed to the installation of a memorial plaque within St
Margaret of Scotland's chapel at the Cathedral. The "Dunbar Martyr"
campaigners are raising funds to assist with the cost of creation and
installation of the plaque, which will bear a Scots Thistle.[13][14]
Bishop John Cosin, who had previously been a canon of the cathedral,
set about restoring the damage and refurnishing the building with new stalls,
the litany desk and the towering canopy over the font. An oak screen to carry
the organ was added at this time to replace a stone screen pulled down in the
16th century. On the remains of the old refectory, the Dean, John Sudbury
founded a library of early printed books.[12]
1700–1900
During the 18th century, the
deans of Durham often held another position in the south of England, and after
spending the statutory time in residence, would depart to manage their affairs.
Consequently, after Cosin's refurbishment, there was little by way of
restoration or rebuilding.[12] When work commenced again on the building, it was
of a most unsympathetic nature. In 1773 the architect George Nicholson, having completed the Prebend's Bridge across the Wear, persuaded the Dean and Chapter to
let him smooth off much of the outer stonework of the cathedral, thereby
considerably altering its character.[12]
The architect James Wyatt greatly added to the destruction by demolishing
half the Chapter House, altering the stonework of the east end, and inserting a
large rose window that was supposed to be faithful to one that had
been there in the 13th century. Wyatt also planned to demolish the Galilee
Chapel, but the Dean, John Cornwallis, returned and prevented it, just as the
lead was being stripped from the roof.[12]
The restoration of
the cathedral's tower between 1854 and 1859 was by the architect Sir George Gilbert Scott,
working withEdward Robert Robson,
who went on to serve as architect in charge of the cathedral for six years.[15] In 1858 Anthony Salvinrestored the cloisters.[16][17]
20th century
Durham World Heritage marker
In 1986, the Cathedral,
together with the nearby Castle, became a World Heritage Site.
The UNESCO committee classified the Cathedral under criteria C
(ii) (iv) (vi), reporting, "Durham Cathedral is the largest and most
perfect monument of 'Norman' style architecture in England".[18]
In 1996, the Great Western
Doorway was the setting for Bill Viola's large-scale video installation The Messenger.
21st century
Durham Cathedral has been
featured in the Harry Potter films as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and
Wizardry, where it had a spire digitally added onto the top of the famous towers.
Architectural historian Dan Cruickshank selected the Cathedral as one of his four choices
for the 2002 BBC television documentary series Britain's Best Buildings.[19]
In November 2009 the Cathedral
featured in a son et lumière festival
whose highlight was the "Crown of Light"[20] illumination of the North Front of the Cathedral
with a 15-minute presentation that told the story of Lindisfarne and the
foundation of Cathedral, using illustrations and text from the Lindisfarne Gospels.
The Lumiere Festival was repeated in 2011 and 2013.[21]
Floor plan
The building is notable for
the ribbed vault of the nave roof, with pointed transverse arches supported on
relatively slender composite piers alternated with massive drum columns, and flying buttresses or lateral abutments concealed within the triforium over the aisles. These features appear to be
precursors of the Gothic architecture of Northern France a few decades later, doubtless due to the Norman
stonemasons responsible, although the building is considered Romanesque overall. The skilled use of the pointed arch and ribbed vault made it
possible to cover far more elaborate and complicated ground plans than before.
Buttressing made it possible to build taller buildings and open up the
intervening wall spaces to create larger windows.
Saint
Cuthbert's tomb lies at the East in
the Feretory and was once an elaborate monument of cream marble and gold. It
remains a place of pilgrimage.
Other burials
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Geoffrey Rufus, also in the chapter house (where his grave was
also excavated in the 19th century)
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William of St. Barbara, also in the chapter house (where his grave was also
excavated in the 19th century)
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Thomas Langley, his tomb blocking the Great West Door
(necessitating the construction of the two later doors to north and south)
The Cathedral Chapter
The cathedral is governed by
the chapter which
is chaired by the dean. Durham is a "New
Foundation"[23] cathedral in which there are not specific roles to
which members of Chapter are appointed, with the exception of Dean and Van Mildert Professor. The other roles, Sub-Dean, Precentor, Sacrist,
Librarian and Treasurer, are elected by the members of Chapter annually.
Music
Organ
In the 17th century Durham had
an organ by Smith that was replaced in 1876 by Willis, with some pipes being
reused in Durham Castle chapel. Harrison & Harrison worked on the organ
from 1880, with several major additions to the stop list, and a refurbishment
in 1996. The cases, designed by C. Hogdson Fowler and decorated by Clayton and Bell date from 1876 and are in the galleries of the
choir.[24]
Organists
See
also: List of
musicians at English cathedrals
The first organists recorded
at Durham is John Brimley in 1557. Notable organists have included the composer Richard Hey Lloyd and choral conductor David Hill.
Choir
There is a regular choir of
adult lay clerks, choral scholars and child choristers. The latter are educated at the Chorister School. Traditionally child choristers were all boys, but
in November 2009 the Cathedral admitted female choristers for the first time.[25][26] The girls and the boys serve alternately, not as a
mixed choir, except at major festivals such as Easter, Advent and Christmas when the two "top lines"
come together.
Quotations
Ground plan of Durham Cathedral
"Durham is one of the
great experiences of Europe to the eyes of those who appreciate architecture,
and to the minds of those who understand architecture. The group of Cathedral,
Castle, and Monastery on the rock can only be compared to Avignon and Prague."—Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, The
Buildings of England.
"I paused upon the
bridge, and admired and wondered at the beauty and glory of this scene...it was
grand, venerable, and sweet, all at once; I never saw so lovely and magnificent
a scene, nor, being content with this, do I care to see a better." – Nathaniel Hawthorne on Durham Cathedral, The
English Notebooks.
'With the cathedral at Durham
we reach the incomparable masterpiece of Romanesque architecture not only in
England but anywhere. The moment of entering provides for an architectural
experience never to be forgotten, one of the greatest England has to offer.' – Alec Clifton-Taylor,
'English Towns' series on BBC television.
"I unhesitatingly gave
Durham my vote for best cathedral on planet Earth." – Bill Bryson, Notes from a Small Island.
"Grey
towers of Durham
Yet
well I love thy mixed and massive piles
Half
church of God, half castle 'gainst the Scot
And
long to roam those venerable aisles
With
records stored of deeds long since forgot."
See also
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References
1.
Jump up^ English Heritage. No. 1161023: "Cathedral Church of Christ and
St. Mary the Virgin". 6 May 1952. Accessed 21 Dec 2014.
2.
Jump up^ Durham County Council. "Cathedral Church of Christ & St Mary the
Virgin: Listed Building". 2004. Accessed 21 Dec 2014.
3.
Jump up^ Mackenzie, Eneas & al. An Historical, Topographical, and Descriptive View of the
County Palatine of Durham: Comprehending the Various Subjects of Natural,
Civil, and Ecclesiastical Geography, Agriculture, Mines, Manufactures,
Navigation, Trade, Commerce, Buildings, Antiquities, Curiosities, Public
Institutions, Charities, Population, Customs, Biography, Local History, &c., Vol. II, p. 366. Mackenzie & Dent (Newcastle), 1834.
4.
Jump up^ Originally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Mary the
Virgin and St. Cuthbert the Bishop, it was renamed by King Henry's charter of May 12, 1541, to the
"Cathedral Church of Christ and Blessed Mary the Virgin".[3] The Dedication reverted to The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed
Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham in a service on Sunday 4 September 2005. This was reflected in the Cathedral's
Constitution and Statutes on 16 December 2008.
5.
Jump up^ Durham Cathedral: The Shrine of St Cuthbert. "About Us". Chapter of Durham (Durham), 2014. Accessed
21 Dec 2014.
6.
Jump up^ A Church Near You. "Durham Cathedral, Durham". Church of England (London), 2014. Accessed
21 Dec 2014.
8.
Jump up^ Durham Cathedral: The Shrine of St Cuthbert. Official
Website.
Chapter of Durham (Durham), 2014. Accessed 21 Dec 2014.
15.
Jump up^ Who Was Who, online edition, ROBSON, Edward Robert (subscription required), accessed 13
December 2008
16.
Jump up^ English Heritage, "Cathedral cloister west range (1121389)", National
Heritage List for England, retrieved 1 October 2012.
17.
Jump up^ English Heritage, "Cathedral cloister southrange (1310239)", National
Heritage List for England, retrieved 1 October 2012.
19.
Jump up^ Cruickshank, Dan. "Choosing Britain's Best Buildings". BBC History. Retrieved 3 June2008.
22.
Jump up^ "In
Memoriam: Bishop Alfred Robert Tucker, June 19, 1914". World Digital Library. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
25.
Jump up^ "The Northern Echo: Durham Cathedral has female
choristers at service". Retrieved18
November 2009.
27.
Jump up^ The verse is inscribed on a plaque on Prebends Bridge,
which still affords the excellent view of the Cathedral that inspired it,
sometimes known as Scott's View ("Scott's View".and Walter Scott. "Harold the Dauntless".)
Bibliography
·
Clifton-Taylor,
Alec (1967) The Cathedrals of
England. London: Thames and Hudson
·
Dodds, Glen
Lyndon (1996) Historic Sites
of County Durham Albion Press
·
Harvey, John
(1963) English Cathedrals.
London: Batsford
·
Moorhouse,
Geoffrey (2008) The Last
Office: 1539 and the dissolution of a monastery. London: Weidenfeld &
Nicolson
·
Stranks, C.
J. The Pictorial History of
Durham Cathedral. London: Pitkin Pictorials
·
Tatton-Brown,
Tim (2002) The English
Cathedral; text by Timothy Tatton-Brown; photography by John Crook. London:
New Holland ISBN 1-84330-120-2
External links
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