Durham cathedral may be considered as one of the greatest examples of Norman styled architecture in the world. Its appearance sitting on its rock is so overwhelming that spending time observing the whole building before its details is an exciting experience (Pevsner, 1994). However, the reason of its current location is more than just to impress. This essay will explain the location choice of Durham Cathedral and its effect, and finally justify why the location is one of the crucial aspects of the structure.
Religious Background
The origin of Durham Cathedral can not be related far from St Cuthbert. St Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne from A.D. 615 until his death in A.D. 688, requested his body to be rested “in front of his Oratory at Farne” (Billings, 1843). In contrast to his demand, the Abbot, Herefrid, chose to bury his body in the Cathedral of Lindisfarne. It was not until the Danish raid in 793 that the monks decided to move his remains to a more secure place, as they feared the Danes could harm it (Bequest, 1972), moving north towards Chester-le-Street in 885 before finally settling in Durham in 995, followed by the establishment of a wooden church shortly after. As recorded by Billings (1843), it has been suggested that the Monks were stopped by a “weightie miracle”, as the vehicle that brought the body couldn’t be moved by the Diocese whilst walking pass Durham, and they perceived this as a sign of having found the final resting place of St Cuthbert.
The first bishop of Durham, Bishop Aldwin, commissioned a plan to rebuild the wooden cathedral that by that time has been dilapidated, along with the introduction of the Benedictine Community (Curry, 1986), before being murdered in 1080. He erected a stone church on the site, which was replaced after his death by William of St Calais, the following bishop, who succeeded the monastery and on 11 August 1093, laid the foundation stone of the new church (Pevsner, 1994).
Political Involvement
Being located on the peninsula created by the River Wear (figure 1), the strategic aspect of the location might have been recognized before the settlement of St Cuthbert’s body. As Pevsner (1994) described, the area was neutralized and a defense system was possibly planted in the ground before the first wooden church was built.
As the politic changed in the 11th Century, the role of Bishop included guarding the land in addition to the shrine, as well as being the Earl. The role is so significant that “nearly all the temporal privileges which in other counties belonged to the King, in the County Palatine were the Bishop’s” (Pevsner, 1994). The ruling Bishop foresaw the potential of the shrine of St Cuthbert as it is exposed near the Scottish border, and thus build the Durham Castle nearby on the same rocks, creating the combination of three buildings (cathedral, castle, and monastery) on the peninsula that can be seen today.
Affecting the Local Area
One of the reasons of the popularity of Durham Cathedral is the popularity of St Cuthbert himself, whom has been known for centuries (Bequest, 1972). This in fact affected how the church was built, as it was recorded that Bishop William deconstructed the previous stone church, concerned that it was not enough for such a great saint. He then relied on altar-offerings and receipt of burial-fees to continue funding the construction, which were plentiful enough to erect the great cathedral that can be seen today, and with this Raine (1828) concluded that St Cuthbert was an attraction magnet.
The wealth also came from the construction materials used for the cathedral. Clifton-Taylor (1994) described Durham as being “well provided with stone suitable for building”, and the popular type is the sandstone from the Coal Measures. This type can very well be seen at Durham Cathedral, as it is the main material, showing golden brown in colour and ‘beautifully watermarked’ (Clifton Taylor, 1994) in its original condition. Another type that is also used inside the cathedral is Frosterley marble, which is applied at the Chapel of Nine Altars. Building a cathedral of such great measure means there was a huge demand for these stones. Most of the stones came from Kepier, Baxter Wood, and Littleburn, along with other small quarries around Durham, and this would not only generate wealth, but also jobs for the people of the county.
Global Impact
Durham Cathedral presents the first if not early sign of transition towards Gothic architecture with its rib vault (Pevsner, 1994). This rib vault is apparent in the Eastern transept, known as the Chapel of the Nine Altars (figure 2). Although it was not clear on who originated this idea, James (1983) discovered in a writing by Simeon of Durham (1107) that the decision to build the vault came from Bishop William in 1092, however the early ribs were constructional, and was not realized as a major innovation and a potential supportive structure until circa 1130.
As described by the Aldine (1875), being so high raised in the sky means that travelers might be able to see the cathedral from as far as the railway station. Being exposed to visitors seeking for the shrine of St Cuthbert, the cathedral might not be considered Gothic, but the innovation might have been spread globally and ignited the Gothic style which was created over 30 years later at Saint Denis, France (Pevsner, 1994).
Conclusion
Constructed on the peninsula of county Durham, Durham Cathedral has been a seminal example of a great Norman styled structure. Its impact not only supported by the massive construction itself, but also due to its location and the rich history behind it. From being the final resting place of St Cuthbert, a politically strategic location for the ruling Bishop, source of income for the church and the people around the area, or even being able to be noticed as an early sign of Gothic style, the cathedral is more related to the rocks it is sitting on than what meets the eye of the visitor.