UK Trip Day 20 Durham Cathedral

Durham Cathedral and Castle

Ah! Here's the sunshine at last. Perfect weather for the one and a half hour drive up to Durham to see the Cathedral and castle there - keep hearing about how wonderful it is .... time to see for ourselves.

As per usual we parked at the Park and Ride station on the outskirts of the city and caught the bus in. This is both cheaper and less nerve wracking than trying to drive into an unfamiliar town and then find an elusive park. Big multi-storey parking stations don't exist in town. Er .... they do .... a good start is to know where they are.

The bus dropped us off outside the old Durham Market Hall and the central Market square. We had a walk around the shops here and had a cappuccino in the mezzanine café overlooking the stalls.

Market square, Durham

Church in Market square

Afterwards we followed the crowds up the hill towards the cathedral. There seemed to be a heavier than normal police presence in this area, and we did wonder what was going on. Then we turned the corner and realised the police station was right there and all these police were returning to base for lunch or perhaps change of shift!

Walking up to the Cathedral

Durham Cathedral

Durham Cathedral doesn't disappoint. It is amongst the greatest churches ever built. (It must be so .... it's in the guide book). Most of it was built between 1081 and 1096 in the Norman (Romanesque) style. The Rose Window is a later addition in the 18th century when the stained glass was added (after being stripped during the Reformation). One part of the cathedral, the Galilee chapel, is where women were allowed to worship. There is an altar above the grave containing the Venerable Bede's bones - he died in 735. He was a revered scholar who wrote the first history of England (and fascinating it is too, though Bede was preoccupied with the correct way to calculate the date of Easter. This was a matter of great importance in the early Christian church).

The Rose window

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The magnificent columns in the nave

The other chap who is greatly honoured with a shrine behind the High Altar is St Cuthbert. This greatest saint of the north died in 687 after life as a monk on Holy Island (Lindisfarne). His remains seem to have been carted all over the place by monks until they were finally interred in the cathedral in 1104. The elaborately decorated shrine became the centre of pilgrimage during the Middle Ages. Then during the reformation the shrine was destroyed and replaced by a simple marble slab.

St Cuthbert's grave

We particularly loved the cloisters with its internal lawn quadrangle. It reminded us of the cloisters at Mont St Michel in France. The great pillars of the main nave of the church are quite remarkable. They are 6.6 round and 6.6 metres high and together with the composite pillars they support the wonderful stone vault ceiling. They are all intricately carved and decorated and are all differently patterned.

The cloisters

John shops in the Undercroft of the Cathedral

We had a cuppa in the restaurant housed in the church's undercroft and a quick look at the gift shop to get some books, then wandered out to take a look at Durham Castle, which now houses part of Durham University. We weren't allowed in (guided tours by appointment only) but we at least saw the outside.

Durham castle

Now it's a university

The rest of our time in Durham was spent wandering around the main part of the city. We walked over to the Gala Theatre and cinemas to see what was on. Maybe we could see a show or a movie. Shows didn't start until evening, so that idea was a non-starter. Then we wandered down to the river side until we arrived back at the park and ride bus stop. Must be a sign it's time to go back. So we did.

John in Durham

A carving of monks carrying St Cuthbert's coffin to Durham

It's our last evening at the Danby cottage. Tomorrow we have a long drive back to Great Chesterford. Time to pack!