Durham Cathedral is a Norman era cathedral located in the city of Durham, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Durham. The cathedral was built in 1093 and replaced the city’s previous ‘White Church’. It is home to the Shrine of St Cuthbert and many other relics, including Saint Oswald’s head and the Venerable Bede’s remains. The cathedral also contains the Durham Dean and Chapter Library, which has some of the most complete sets of early printed books in England, pre-Dissolution monastic accounts, and three copies of Magna Carta.
The diocese of Durham originated from the Diocese of Lindisfarne, founded by Saint Aidan in about 635. Among the many saints who originated at Lindisfarne Priory, the greatest was Saint Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne from 685 until his death in 687, who is central to the development of Durham Cathedral. After repeated Viking raids, the monks fled from Lindisfarne in 875, carrying Saint Cuthbert’s relics with them. The diocese of Lindisfarne remained itinerant until 882, when the monks resettled at Chester-le-Street, 60 miles south of Lindisfarne and 6 miles north of Durham. The see remained at Chester-le-Street until 995, when further Viking incursions once again caused the monks to move with their relics. According to local legend, the new shrine should be built on the current site of the cathedral, on a peninsula formed by a loop in the River Wear, due to its highly defensible position.
Initially, a very simple temporary structure was built from local timber to house the relics of Saint Cuthbert. The shrine was then transferred to a sturdier, probably still 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. Durham soon became a site of pilgrimage, encouraged by the growing cult of Saint Cuthbert. The present cathedral was designed and built under William de St-Calais, who in 1080 was appointed as the first Prince-Bishop by King William the Conqueror. In 1083 he founded the Benedictine Priory of St. Cuthbert at Durham and replaced secular canons with monks from the monasteries of Wearmouth and Jarrow. The extensive lands of the church were divided between his own bishopric and the new Priory. The monks continued at their own expense to build the monastic buildings while the bishop took the responsibility for completing the building of the cathedral.
Construction of the cathedral began in 1093, at the eastern end, and the choir was completed by 1096. The chapter house was built between 1133 and 1140. The present structure of the cathedral is largely the original Norman era structure, with many major additions and reconstructions of parts of the building over time. The Galilee Chapel, located at the west end, holds the remains of the Venerable Bede. The Chapel of the Nine Altars, designed by Richard Farnham and built by Bishop Richard le Poore, was added in the 13th century, and the original roof of the cathedral was replaced by a vault in 1250. The towers also date from the early 13th century, and the central tower was damaged by lightning and replaced in two stages in the 15th century.
Durham Cathedral played an important role in Anglo-Scottish border control. From 1080 until 1836, the Bishop of Durham held the powers of an Earl Palatine, including exercising military, civil, and religious leadership. The cathedral walls formed part of Durham Castle, the chief seat of the Bishop of Durham. Today, there are daily Church of England services at the cathedral, and the Durham Cathedral Choir sing daily except Mondays and holidays, receiving 727,367 visitors in 2019.
In 1986, the cathedral and Durham Castle were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The cathedral and its surrounding areas have a rich history, and Durham Cathedral’s relics and archives reflect this history. From its origin at Lindisfarne to its present-day status as a significant cultural and religious site, Durham Cathedral remains an important landmark and a testament to the continued importance and relevance of the Church of England.
Posted by millicand@rocketmail.com on 2022-10-25 16:35:11