7/2/17 – Durham
Sunday we saw the most exquisite Norman cathedral and we don’t have one interior photo to share.
We left Robin Hoods Bay in the morning and drove to Durham, famous for its UNESCO World Heritage cathedral and castle complex occupying a rocky peninsula jutting into the river Wear.
The first church to stand on the peninsula was built in the 700s AD to house a St. Cuthbert’s remains.
The present cathedral, dating from about 1100AD holds the Shrine of St. Cuthbert, and more interesting to me, the remains of the Venerable Bede who wrote the “Ecclesiastical History of the English People” in about 731AD.
The book was a history of both England and Christianity up to that point and has been an important reference for later historians. I haven’t read his book but I have read many books and listened to many historical podcasts that refer to him and his book.
The cathedral has an interesting 900 year history but we were really enthralled by the architecture both inside and out. We got to see the stained glass rose window with sunlight streaming through it – it was breathtaking. I have seen many cathedral rose windows but I can’t recall ever seeing one when the sun was out and the glass was lit up in all its glory. (That just goes to show how often days in Northern Europe are overcast and/or rainy.) Huge round columns holding up the stone roof were carved with chevrons and Xs decorating the columns in a unique way.
The service Evensong was underway while we were there so we did not tarry. Instead we made our way past the cloisters to the undercroft where a Lego model of the cathedral had been constructed using 299,128 Lego blocks. It is an ongoing fundraiser with each block representing 1£.
There were all sorts of photo-worthy architectural features at the cathedral and we were not allowed to take photos. It wasn’t until I got on line to look for interior shots that I learned I might have been able to purchase a photography pass. I am giving credit where credit is due to the two interior photos I found: paradoxplace.com has some beautiful photos of the cathedral.
Bruce N' Peg 