One of the
first things to do when visiting the ancient City of Durham is simply stop and stare at one of the
most magnificent settings for a cathedral that could be imagined. Nature
supplied the site in that the River Wear has created a deeply incised valley
and a narrow peninsula with steep sandstone bluffs that are mainly wooded.
It was to
this spot that, in AD 995, the monks of Lindisfarne
brought the body of St Cuthbert, who had died in AD 687. The legend of why
Durham was the final resting place of the saint’s bones is that the monks were
told in a vision to seek a place called Dun Holm, and they only discovered
where this was when a milkmaid was overheard saying that her cow had wandered
off and was probably at Dun Holm. The monks therefore followed the milkmaid,
found the cow, and also the ideal place to end their journey. They promptly
built a wooden church to house St Cuthbert’s remains.
The original
church was replaced by a cathedral, built in the Romanesque style, that was
begun in 1093, took only 40 years to build, excluding the towers, and is
largely what can be seen today.
A good way of
appreciating the splendour of this building from the outside is to walk the
path that runs alongside the river. There are in fact two paths, one on each
side, but the best views are from the outer path, looking across the Wear up at
the three towers of the Cathedral. The walk takes about 30 minutes to complete,
and is definitely to be recommended if favour of trying to see the views from
the roads that are slightly higher up, as the trees get in the way.
The interior
of the Cathedral is every bit as breathtaking as the exterior. Durham Cathedral is one of the
best examples of Romanesque architecture to be seen in the world, being
remarkably complete. It has many features of interest that cannot all be
described in a short article, but the visitor will doubtless be impressed by
the lofty stone-vaulted ceiling, the massive stone pillars with their varied
geometrical decorations, the Shrine of St Cuthbert with its pillars of local
marble including easily seen fossils, the Galilee Chapel containing the tomb of
the Venerable Bede, and the “Sanctuary knocker”, on the north door, which is a
very rare surviving example of Romanesque metalwork (although what you can see
is actually a copy of the original, which is carefully preserved).
Although the
Cathedral is undoubtedly the greatest attraction of Durham City,
it is not the only one. The bishops of Durham
originally occupied Durham
Castle, but in 1832, with the founding of Durham University,
the bishop moved to a new palace at Bishop Auckland and gave the castle to the
University. It is still a University building, occupied both as a college and
for student accommodation.
Because it is
a working building, the Castle can only be visited on a 45-minute guided tour,
such tours being more frequent during college vacations than in term time.
Although the main keep was largely rebuilt after the University took over,
visitors can still see the 15th century kitchen and the Norman
chapel, and can climb the massive hanging staircase.
Durham offers a number of interesting
museums around the City. These include the Museum of Archaeology housed in a
former fulling mill and accessible via the “inner” river path mentioned above.
Slightly out
of town to the south is the University’s Oriental Museum which has
collections of Chinese jade, Japanese woodblock prints and Arabic calligraphy.
Nearby is the Botanic Garden
which contains plants from around the world, both outdoors and in glasshouses,
and a collection of tropical insects. A one-hour science trail offers many
interesting discoveries for explorers of all ages.
In the other
direction, namely north of the city centre, is the Durham
Light Infantry Museum, to which is attached the Durham Art Gallery. The former houses exhibits
relating to this famous former regiment, and the latter specialises in modern
and contemporary art, mounting a series of temporary exhibitions.
June and July
are good months for visiting Durham,
as there is a lot going on. The second weekend of June is when the Durham Regatta is held. This event
goes back to 1834 and is therefore nearly as old as the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race (and has taken
place more often). July is Festival month, with arts and music events taking place at various locations,
particularly the International Brass Festival for the first two weeks and the
Durham Miners Gala on the second Saturday.
There is a
lot to see and do in the city of Durham,
and even more in the towns and countryside that are only a few miles away!
© John
Welford
