fourteenth century, with an ancient font, are the principal old
churches in the town, and also the chapel of 1491 attached to Trinity
House. The old Saxon churches of Jarrow and Monk Wearmouth are in the
neighbourhood.
DURHAM CATHEDRAL
Durham Cathedral is one of the grandest buildings in the world.
Standing upon the summit of a lofty hill, which rises abruptly from
the River Wear, its position is one of surpassing beauty, and the
dignity of the building, its massive walls and towers, and the
interesting associations which cluster round the venerable pile, make
it one of the most superb edifices in this or any other country.
The story of Durham carries us back to the very early days of
Christianity. In spite of the efforts of Paulinus the Saxons of
Northumbria were still heathen until Oswald became king in 634, who
was converted to Christianity by the monks of Iona, where a monastery
had been founded by Columba, an Irish saint. Desiring to benefit his
people, Oswald sent to Iona, and under St. Aidan a colony of monks was
founded at Lindisfarne, or Holy Island. St. Cuthbert, the Patron Saint
of Durham, succeeded, who died in 687. After the lapse of nearly two
centuries the coast was harassed by the attacks of the Danes, and the
monks fled from Lindisfarne, bearing with them their most precious
relics and with these the body of St. Cuthbert. They wandered far and
wide with their holy burden; a hundred years elapsed; generations of
monks passed away; but the bones of the saint knew no rest. For a long
time they tarried at Chester-le-Street, which became the seat of the
Northumbrian bishopric; but still the savage Northmen threatened them
with danger, and at last in 995 the wearied monks found a shelter on
the lofty and impregnable rock where the Cathedral now stands, the
abiding resting-place of St. Cuthbert's bones. On the outside of the
church there is the figure of the Dun Cow, which is associated with
their wanderings. It was revealed to one of the monks that Dunholme
was to be their final home; but not knowing where this place was, they
were in much distress. However, they heard a woman inquiring about her
lost cow, to whom her companion replied that it was at Dunholme. "That
was a happy and heavenly sound to the distressed monks," says the
chronicler, "and thereupon with great joy they arrived with the
saint's body at Dunholme in the year 997." Here they raised a church
of boughs to cover their precious treasure and then a stone building,
and then Bishop Aldwin "raised no small building of stone-work for his
Cathedral church, when all the people between the Coquet and Tees
three years were at work, and were paid for their pains with treasure
in heaven, than which there was never a dearer or cheaper way to build
churches." Around this holy house the city began to grow, which owes
its importance and very existence to the monastery.
Troublous times followed the advent of the Conqueror. Exasperated by
the tyranny of the favourites of Walcher, the first Norman prelate,
the people set fire to the church and slew the bishop. Then followed
William de St. Carileph, who founded the present church. He expelled
the secular clergy, and introduced the Benedictine rule. For the part
he took in the rebellion against William Rufus he was exiled for three
years, and lived in Normandy. Animated by the sight of the beautiful
churches which there abounded he resolved to erect a more glorious
edifice on the rugged hill of Durham, and on his return commenced the
work. The foundation stone was laid in 1093. He began to build the
east end of the choir, and continued the walls as far as the first
arch of the nave. After his death in 1096, the prior and convent
continued the building until the advent of Bishop Flambard
(1099-1128), who carried on the work and nearly finished the nave,
aisles, western towers and doorway. The chapter-house was erected by
the next bishop, Galfrid Rufus (1133-1140). Bishop Hugh Pudsey
(1153-1195) built the Galilee Chapel. In 1229 Bishop Poore, the
builder of Salisbury, was translated to Durham; he discovered the
unsafe condition of the eastern apsidal walls of his church, and
determined to erect the beautiful Chapel of the Nine Altars, which is
such a charming specimen of Early English architecture. He did not
live to carry out his design, which was continued after his death
under the rule of Prior Melsanby. The priors of Durham rivalled the
bishops in their zeal for perfecting their noble Cathedral. Prior
Darlington erected a belfry, and Prior Fossor part of the monastic
buildings and the west windows of the nave in 1342. Bishop Skirlaw
(1388-1405) was the chief builder of the present cloisters. In 1429
the tower was struck by lightning, and was rebuilt under the direction
of Prior Bell.
[Illustration Durham Cathedral]
The church was now complete, but like most of our cathedrals it has
suffered from the evils of "restoration," and Wyatt, the
destructive architect of the eighteenth century, was allowed to do
much damage. We shall notice his handiwork as we examine the details
of the building. There seem to have been great disputes between the
bishop and the monks, and the peace of this solemn sanctuary was often
disturbed by angry quarrels and open violence. Sometimes the Scots
made incursions, and on one occasion William Cumin seized the castle
and committed great ravages. In the time of Bishop Hatfield was fought
the great battle of Neville's Cross, when, by the aid of St. Cuthbert
and his banner, the English won the day, and a hymn of thanksgiving is
still sung every year on the top of the tower. The choir used to sing
on all the four sides, but on one occasion a choir-boy fell, and ever
since they only chant the hymn from three sides.
The Bishops of Durham were great men, holding the rank of temporal
princes or Counts Palatine. Their courts were independent of the king,
and they could coin money and live as they listed. Moreover, many of
them were mighty warriors. Bishop Anthony Bek took part in the
Scottish wars, and had a vast army of knights and men-at-arms. It was
not until the year 1836 that the dignity of Count Palatine was removed
from the holders of the Durham See. Cardinal Wolsey was bishop here
for six years, but never set foot in his diocese. The monastery was
suppressed by Henry VIII., and a dean and chapter appointed. Many
learned and good men have held the See of Durham, and the names of the
last two bishops--Lightfoot and Westcott--will always be held in
esteem.
THE EXTERIOR
As we approach the church from the Palace Green we notice the grand
Norman building, which is much the same as when Bishop Carileph left
it. At the east end there is the Early English Nine Altar Chapel, at
the west the Galilee; the upper portions of the towers, the north
porch and a few windows are the only additions, and the whole
appearance of the church is at once bold, stern and commanding.
The _Central Tower_, the work of Prior Bell, was built in 1471. The
Bell Ringer's Gallery divides it into two portions, with two windows
in each, the lower ones being glazed and the upper louvred. The
panelled work, the ogee-shaped labels and the surmounting parapet
proclaim their Perpendicular style.
Two _Octagonal Towers_ of Norman character rise at the north corners
of the north transept. The _Western Towers_ are Norman as far as the
level of the nave roof, the upper portion being added in the
thirteenth century, and the pinnacles and parapets at the end of the
eighteenth. We have already alluded to the construction of the east
end, which replaced the apsidal termination of the original building.
The famous rose window is in the gable of the east end, and beneath
are nine lofty lancet windows. Notice the sculpture of the Dun Cow in
the north angle of the Nine Altars, placed there in 1775.
The _Porch_ was built by Wyatt, and we can endorse the decision of
Canon Greenwell, Durham's great historian, that "in its present
condition it is a most unworthy and discreditable portal for so
magnificent a temple as that into which it ushers the worshipper." The
woodwork is ancient, and here we see the famous sanctuary knocker,
which criminals used when they wished to gain an entrance and secure
the rights of sanctuary from mob violence or secular law. Two porters
were employed in watching for fugitives, and directly the refugee
knocked he was admitted, clad in a black cloth gown, with a yellow
cross on his left shoulder, conducted to a chamber near the south door
of the Galilee Chapel, and given shelter for thirty-seven days.
At the west end there is the _Galilee Chapel_, of Late Norman work,
which covers the west door, over the main entrance. This door, walled
up by Cardinal Langley in the fifteenth century, and re-opened in
1845, was made by Flambard (1099-1128). It has thirteen detached
cartouches, each having an animal or flower within it, and is adorned
with chevron ornament. The window was inserted by Prior Fossor
(1342-1374), and contained coloured glass, represented "the Stem of
Jesse," which was destroyed at the Reformation. In 1867 Dean
Waddington restored the glass, reproducing the old design. The
arch-destroyer, Wyatt, actually proposed to remove the Galilee Chapel,
and make a carriage drive to the west door; but happily his nefarious
design was frustrated.
There are two south doorways; the one opposite the north door, known
as the Monks' Door, was erected by Bishop Pudsey, and has fine
carvings of floral and other designs upon the arches and columns. The
mouldings and sculptures are most profuse, the zigzag and double
chevron and diaper being extensively employed. The leaf pattern is
observed on the arch, and the iron-work of the door is a fine specimen
of Norman workmanship. The other doorway, known as the Prior's Door,
is of the same date, but the carving is much decayed.
We will now examine the _Cloisters_, enclosed on the north by the
walls of the Cathedral, on the south by the refectory, on the east by
the chapter-house, deanery and south transept, and on the west by the
dormitory, now, together with the refectory, used as the library, and
beneath it the so-called crypt, which was the common hall of the
monks. The present buildings were erected by Bishop Skirlaw in the
early years of the fifteenth century, the refectory being restored at
the Restoration. A stone laver or conduit stood in the centre of the
cloister erected in 1432, the basin only remaining.
The _Chapter-House_ was a victim to Wyatt's misdoings, and the greater
part was pulled down by him. It has, however, been recently restored
in memory of Bishop Lightfoot, and is a noble chamber, having an
apsidal termination at the east end, an arcade of interlacing arches
running round the wall, and round-headed windows.
The library and museum contains many objects of great interest,
including a number of Roman altars and tablets, Saxon crosses and
carved stones, remarkable for their beautiful scroll-work. There is
the famous Ruthwell cross, memorial crosses of the four last Saxon
bishops, Hadrian stone from the Roman wall, the monastic dining-table,
a remarkable treasure-chest, with five different locks and keys,
and--most interesting of all--the remains of St. Cuthbert's coffin,
his robes, and other relics taken from his tomb. Amongst these we
notice his stole and maniple and pectoral cross. In another case we
see three rings of the first Norman bishops, and the crozier of Bishop
Flambard. Durham has many interesting MSS., amongst others the Book of
the Landisfarne Gospels, brought away by the monks when they fled from
Holy Island, which fell into the waves and still retains the stains of
sea water; a MS. of the seventh century, which once belonged to the
Venerable Bede, and the Bede Roll (1456 and 1468), containing a list
of all the religious houses in England and abroad which were asked for
prayers for the souls of Priors Ebchester and Burnaby. The roof is
remarkably fine.
THE INTERIOR
As we stand at the west door we get a magnificent view of this noble
edifice, with its grand Norman cylindrical pillars, 23 feet in
circumference, some adorned with zigzag furrows, others
lozenge-shaped, with narrow ribs, or spiral, and arches round and
carved, with rolls and chevron moulding. The capitals are cushioned,
and cut octagonally. Above is the triforium, composed of large arches,
enclosing two smaller ones, with cushioned capitals; and higher still
the clerestory, composed of single round-headed windows, surmounted by
the vaulting ribs, adorned with chevrons. This nave and aisles were
built by Bishop Flambard (1099-1128). The roof of stone vaulting was
finished in 1133, and Durham is said to be the only Cathedral in
England which retains the original stone Norman vaulting over the
nave.
[Illustration The Galilee Chapel]
The _Sanctuary Chamber_, wherein the hunted fugitives from justice
found a shelter, formerly stood near the south door of the Galilee
Chapel, but all traces have been removed. The font is modern, the
subjects carved on it representing scenes from the life of St.
Cuthbert. The canopy was erected by Bishop Cosin in 1663.
The internal north doorway should be examined, especially the
beautiful foliage-work. In the lozenges and mouldings there are some
strange creatures represented--a centaur shooting with bow and arrow,
a boy being whipped, a man riding a lion, and other curious subjects.
Before proceeding eastward we will see the Galilee Chapel, which was
the Lady Chapel, a beautiful specimen of Late Norman work, erected by
Bishop Pudsey in 1175. Lady chapels usually stand at the east end, but
no women were allowed to enter churches dedicated to St. Cuthbert, who
has been accused of misogyny. We notice in the nave a boundary stone,
beyond which no female foot might go in the direction of the high
altar. We mark a change in the style of architecture from that used in
the nave. The arches and columns are lighter, with graceful capitals,
on which the volute appears. The style is approaching that of the
graceful period of Early English. Cardinal Langley (1406-1437) made
extensive alterations in this chapel, heightening the walls, erecting
a new roof, inserting Perpendicular windows, closing the west door of
the church, and making two other entrances. All visitors will approach
with reverence and interest the tomb of the Venerable Bede, the great
Anglo-Saxon scholar, and the father of English history. His bones were
once covered with a splendid shrine, which the iniquitous
commissioners of Henry VIII. destroyed. Now a plain marble slab, with
the inscription:
"_Hac sunt in fossa Bædæ Venerabilis ossa,_"
alone marks the grave of this illustrious man. The altar of the Virgin
stood in the great western doorway, which was then walled up, of which
the stone slab carved with the five crosses, the aumbrey and some
colouring alone remain. The builder of this chapel, Cardinal Langley,
lies buried here, and his monument remains. Some much-damaged mural
paintings mark the site of the Altar of Our Lady of Pity. The
paintings are supposed to represent St. Oswald and St. Cuthbert. There
is some uncertainty about the origin of the name "Galilee." Most
probably it arose from the custom of the monks to go in procession at
certain times around the church, and to halt at certain stations in
memory of our Lord's appearance after His Resurrection. His last
appearance was on a mountain in Galilee; it is therefore not
improbable that the place where the procession made its final halt
should receive that name. Here in ancient times the consistory court
held its sittings, and here the commissioners of Henry VIII. met and
destroyed, or appropriated, the rich store of treasures, the
vestments, plate and ornaments which had been given to the Cathedral
by countless generations of pious benefactors. Again entering the nave
in the south aisle, we see the Neville monuments, which have been much
mutilated by the Scottish prisoners, or during the Reformation period.
Between the fifth and sixth pillars is an altar tomb to the memory of
Lord John Neville and his wife Matilda (1386), daughter of Hotspur.
The matrix of the brass of Bishop Robert Neville (1438-1457) is in
front of this. In the next bay is the altar tomb of Lord Ralph
Neville and his wife, Lady Alice (1374), who founded the Neville
Chapel. Holes in the pillar show where the iron grating stood which
divided the chapel from the rest of the church, and in this enclosure
there was "an altar with a fair alabaster table above it, where Mass
was daily celebrated." Traces of the colouring which once adorned this
beautiful chapel can still be seen.
Leaving the nave, we enter the _Transepts_, which were part of
Carileph's work. The large window in the north transept was inserted
by Prior Fossor (1341-1374), and is in the Decorated style. Prior
Castell in 1512 restored the window, and filled it with coloured glass
representing the four doctors--SS. Augustine, Ambrose, Gregory and
Jerome. Hence it is known as the Window of the Four Doctors. In the
south transept is the large Perpendicular _Te Deum_ window, erected
about 1450. Some of the glass is ancient, but the greater part was
inserted in 1869 in memory of Archdeacon Thorp. Altars stood formerly
in the aisles at the north and south extremities of the transepts.
Traces of colour may still be seen, and the remains of some brackets
which contained sculptured figures. Chantrey's fine monument of Bishop
Barrington (1791-1826) stands in the south transept.
The whole of the lantern _Tower_ is of the Perpendicular style, and
was probably built by Prior Bell (1464-1478). A gallery surrounds the
lower stage, supported by grotesque heads. The Tudor flower ornament
may be observed on the string-course over the panelling. The screen is
modern, and was designed by Sir Gilbert Scott. Passing into the choir,
the earliest part of the building, we see the Norman work of Carileph
blended with the later Early English style. As we have already
noticed, the east end of the Norman church terminated with apses.
These were subsequently removed. The whole choir comprehends four
pillars on each side, two of them clustered and two round, the latter
of which are cut in a spiral form. The roof was new vaulted by Prior
Horton, who succeeded in 1289, the ribs of the vaulting being
decorated with the dog-tooth mouldings. The work around the altar is
all Early English. Clustered pillars divide the nine altars from the
choir, decorated with foliage.
In the year 1650 a large number of Scottish prisoners were confined in
the Cathedral, who did much damage to the internal fittings. In order
to gain fresh air, or for love of mischief, they broke most of the
windows, and the holes in the floor in the south transept show where
they made their fires for cooking their meals. Another mark of their
presence was the destruction of the woodwork of the choir, which they
doubtless used for firewood. At the Restoration Bishop Cosin erected
the present stalls. The _misereres_ are worthy of remark--lions,
mermaids, monsters, apes, peacocks and dolphins being the most
striking subjects. The modern lectern and pulpit are both very
beautiful, the former being designed after the ancient lectern
described in the _Rites of Durham_.
The altar-screen is very graceful and beautiful, and was originally
erected by Lord Neville of Raby in 1380, and much restored in 1876. It
was originally painted, and the 107 niches were filled with images.
The matrix of an immense brass to the memory of Bishop Beaumont
(1318-1333) is seen near the altar steps. It must have been one of the
largest brasses in England, and resembles the immense one at Lynn,
Norfolk. The choir is paved with mosaics similar to those of the
Confessor's Chapel at Westminster.
[Illustration The Bishop's Throne]
The magnificent tomb of Bishop Hatfield (d. 1381) is on the south side
of the choir. He is habited in his episcopal dress. The outer garment
is the chasuble, and beneath it the linen alb or surplice. His hands
are covered with episcopal gloves, embroidered on the back; on his
left arm is the maniple. The tomb was originally gilded and coloured.
Above is the throne erected by him, the highest in England. The
monument of Bishop Lightfoot stands opposite.
The _North and South Aisles of the Choir_ are similar in their
architectural features to the choir itself, showing the blending of
the stately Norman with the graceful Early English work. The monks
used frequently to resort to the north aisle, where was a porch having
an altar, with a rood and pictures of St. Mary and St. John, where
they sang Mass daily. Certain holes in the stone mark the place of the
porch, sometimes called the anchorage. Bishop Skirlaw's tomb stood
between the third and fourth piers, before the old altar of St. Blaze.
His monument has disappeared, but the stone bench remains, erected by
him for his almsmen to sit upon. In the _South Aisle_ the doorway of
the great vestry remains, though the building was destroyed in 1802.
The grave cover of the Prior of Lytham, a cell belonging to Durham, is
preserved here. Here also stood the famous Black Rood of Scotland,
captured from King David Bruce of Scotland at Neville's Cross (1346).
And now we will enter the _Chapel of the Nine Altars_, at the extreme
east of the building. It was commenced in 1242, and the architect was
Richard de Farnham, probably a relation of Nicholas de Farnham, then
bishop. Prior Melsanby (1233-1244) presided over the erection of the
building, and the name of the master-mason is preserved on an
inscription: _Thomas Moises_. We notice the nine-lancet windows (under
each of which stood an altar separated from its neighbour by screens
and partitions of wainscot); the large rose window, "restored" by
Wyatt; the beautiful arcade, with its trefoiled arches and deeply-cut
mouldings, raised on slender shafts of marble, and surmounted by
capitals. The altars were dedicated (beginning on the south side) to
St. Andrew and St. Mary Magdalene; St. John the Baptist and St.
Margaret; St. Thomas à Becket and St. Catherine; St. Oswald and St.
Lawrence; St. Cuthbert and St. Bede; St. Martin and St. Edmund; St.
Peter and St. Paul; St. Aidan and St. Helen; St. Michael, the
Archangel.
Forty years were consumed in building this chapel, and the style
developed as the work progressed. The north end was finished last, as
we see from the noble double-traceried window, one of the finest in
existence. The south windows are Perpendicular. Among the monuments
are those of Bishop Bury, tutor of Edward III. (1345), and Bishop Bek
(1310), and Bishop Van Mildert (1836), the last of the prince
bishops.
Behind the high altar is all that remains of the famous shrine of St.
Cuthbert, once the glory of Durham, where countless pilgrims came to
pay their devotions and offerings, and seek the protection of the
saint. The cavities in the floor are said to have been worn by their
feet. The grave of the saint was opened in 1827, and the vestments and
other relics taken from it are kept in the library, and have already
been described.
On the south of the church is _the College_, containing the Deanery
and prebendal houses. The gate is an interesting structure, built by
Prior Castell in 1515.
THE CASTLE
William the Conqueror in 1072, when Walcher was bishop, on his return
from Scotland, ordered the castle to be built, which was continued by
Carileph and Flambard. Bishop Pudsey erected a new wall and a hall
which bears his name, and Bishop Bek built the hall on the west of the
courtyard. Bishop Hatfield rebuilt the keep. Tunstall's Gallery
(1530-1558) connects the great hall and clock tower, and his chapel is
remarkable for its beautifully-carved stalls. At the Restoration the
castle was in a ruinous condition. It had been sold to the Lord Mayor
of London. The Scots had plundered it; and Bishop Cosin set to work to
rebuild and repair the home of his predecessors. In 1840 the keep was
rebuilt, and the castle is now the seat of the University of Durham.