Bells Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Durham

Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral
Church of
by J. E. Bygate

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Title: Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Durham A
Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Espiscopal See
Author: J. E. Bygate
Release Date: December 26, 2006 [EBook #20191]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF DURHAM ***

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[Illustration: Durham Cathedral, from the South-West.]

THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF DURHAM
A DESCRIPTION OF ITS FABRIC AND A BRIEF HISTORY OF
THE EPISCOPAL SEE
BY J.E. BYGATE, A.R.C.A.
[Illustration: Arms of the See.]
WITH FORTY-FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS
LONDON GEORGE BELL & SONS 1905
First Published ... March 1899 Second Edition, Revised ... September
1900 Reprinted ... 1905
The Riverside Press Limited, Edinburgh
* * * * *

GENERAL PREFACE
This series of monographs has been planned to supply visitors to the
great English Cathedrals with accurate and well illustrated guide-books
at a popular price. The aim of each writer has been to produce a work
compiled with sufficient knowledge and scholarship to be of value to
the student of Archæology and History, and yet not too technical in
language for the use of an ordinary visitor or tourist.
To specify all the authorities which have been made use of in each case
would be difficult and tedious in this place. But amongst the general
sources of information which have been almost invariably found useful
are:--(1) the great county histories, the value of which, especially in
questions of genealogy and local records, is generally recognised; (2)

the numerous papers by experts which appear from time to time in the
Transactions of the Antiquarian and Archæological Societies; (3) the
important documents made accessible in the series issued by the Master
of the Rolls; (4) the well-known works of Britton and Willis on the
English Cathedrals; and (5) the very excellent series of Handbooks to
the Cathedrals originated by the late Mr John Murray; to which the
reader may in most cases be referred for fuller detail, especially in
reference to the histories of the respective sees.
* * * * *

AUTHOR'S PREFACE
As much as possible of this brief description of Durham is from the
personal acquaintance of the writer with the building. Yet many
authorities have, of necessity, been consulted in its preparation, notably
a pamphlet by the Rev. Canon W. Greenwell, and the "County of
Durham," by J.R. Boyle, F.S.A. Thanks are also due to the authorities
of the Cathedral for having freely given permission to make drawings
and measurements, and to the late Mr Weatherall, chief verger, for his
kindly assistance and information.
The illustrations are chiefly from sketches and drawings by the writer,
and from photographs reproduced by the kindness of the Photochrom
Company, Ltd., and Messrs S.B. Bolas & Co.
J.E.B.
* * * * *

CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
--The Building of the Church 3

CHAPTER II.
--Description of the Exterior 21 The Towers 21 The East Front 22 The
West Front 25 The North Door 25 The South Door 26 The West Door
28 The Cloister 29 The Chapter-House 32 The Dun Cow 35
CHAPTER III.
--Description of the Interior 39 The Nave 39 The Choir 40 The Neville
Screen 43 The Transepts 50 The Tower 53 The East End 54 The
Chapel of the Nine Altars 61 The Tomb of S. Cuthbert 69 The Galilee
or Lady Chapel 72 Monuments in the Nave and Transepts 79 The Font
81
CHAPTER IV.
--History of the See 82
CHAPTER V.
--The Castle and University 102
CHAPTER VI.
--The City 111

ILLUSTRATIONS
Durham Cathedral, from the South-West Frontispiece Arms of the See
Title Page The Exterior, from the College 2 The Dun Cow 9 The West
End (from an Old Print) 17 The Exterior, from Palace Green 20 The
Central Tower 23 Detail of Ironwork 26 The Sanctuary Knocker 26
Ironwork on Doors of Cloisters 27 Ornament on South Doorway 28
The Cloister 29 S. Cuthbert's Chest. 32 The Chapter-House 33 The
Exterior, from the South-East 35 The Nave, looking West 38 One Bay
of the Nave (Measured Drawing) 41 Triforium and Clerestory 45 The

Choir, looking West 47 The Transepts, looking North 51 Corbels in
Choir 54, 58 The Choir, looking East 55 Triforium of Nave and Choir
59 Plan of Norman East End 61 Sections of Hood and Arch Mouldings