Bells Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Durham | Page 2

61 Capitals in the Nine Altars Chapel 62 The Nine Altars Chapel 63
Capital in Galilee Chapel 66 The Galilee Chapel 67, 72 Paintings in the
Galilee Chapel 73 Detail of the Galilee Chapel 75 The Font and Cover
80 The Crypt 85 Stone Coffin Lid 88 The Chapter Library 99 The
Chapel or Crypt, Durham Castle 103 Staircase in the Castle 107 The
Cathedral and Castle, from the North 113
PLAN AND DIMENSIONS 118
* * * * *
[Illustration: The Exterior, from the College.]

DURHAM CATHEDRAL
CHAPTER I
THE BUILDING OF THE CHURCH
The traveller northward by the East Coast Route cannot fail to be struck
by the beauty of the city of Durham, with its red-roofed houses nestling
beneath the majestic site of the cathedral and castle. For splendid
position the Cathedral of Durham stands unequalled in this country; on
the Continent, perhaps that of Albi can alone be compared with it in
this respect. The cathedral and Norman Castle are upon the summit of a
lofty tongue of land which is almost surrounded by the River Wear. In
parts the banks are rocky and steep, in others thickly wooded. The river
itself is spanned here and there by fine and historic bridges.
The early history of Durham is obscure. There are many vague legends
in existence, a natural consequence, perhaps, when we remember the
various and often speedy changes of ownership to which that part of the
country was for centuries subjected.

To lead up clearly to the founding of the Cathedral of Durham, it will
be necessary to describe briefly the earliest introduction of Christianity
into the north of England. That Christianity was known in this country
during the time of the Romans there is sufficient evidence to prove.
There is, however, little to show that it existed in the north to any
appreciable extent. All or nearly all the carved stones, altars, etc.,
disinterred in that part of the country have been of undoubted Pagan
origin.
The ancient kingdom of Northumbria comprised the present counties of
Durham, Northumberland, and Yorkshire, and a part of the south-east
of Scotland as far north as the Firth of Forth. This kingdom was
sub-divided into two portions. The Southern, or Deira, extended from
the Tees to the Humber, and the Northern, or Bernicia, reached from
the Tees to the Firth of Forth. The province of Bernicia was settled
about A.D. 547 by Ida, a chief of the Angles, who made his
headquarters on a steep rock on the sea-coast about sixteen miles south
of Berwick. He was succeeded by his son Ethelric, who built himself a
stronghold, which he named after his wife Bebbanburgh, a name still
retained in a shortened form--Bamburgh. Ethelric was followed by Ella,
whose son Edwin was driven into exile by his fierce brother-in-law,
Ethelfrith, and took possession of Deira, the southern province of
Northumbria. After attaining his majority, Edwin, assisted by Redwald,
regained his kingdom, and eventually ruled over the whole of
Northumbria; it is during his reign that we find the first authentic
history of Christianity in the north. Edwin married Ethelburga, a
daughter of Ethelbert, king of Kent, who had been converted to
Christianity by the preaching of S. Augustine. He himself received
baptism at the hands of Paulinus (625-633), the great Roman
missionary, who was sent north with the Princess Ethelburga. Paulinus
fixed his headquarters at York, where he built his church, the
forerunner of the present cathedral. This attempt of the Romans to
christianise Northumbria was, however, of short duration. Cadwalla
and Penda rose against them, and Edwin fell in battle at Hatfield Moor
in Yorkshire. Paulinus, despairing of the cause, returned to Kent with
the queen-widow Ethelburga and her children; and under Cadwalla and
Penda, the kingdom soon relapsed into Paganism.

We must now direct our attention to a small, barren island on the west
coast of Scotland, Iona. Here came a voluntary exile (A.D. 563),
Columba, a monk, said to have been a descendant of the Irish kings.
Here he lived and founded a great missionary monastery, which
afterwards became the centre of Christian influence in Scotland and the
north of England. He and his followers were active workers; they wrote
Gospels and devotional books, preached, and built churches of wood.
Columba died (A.D. 597), but his work was continued.
In 634, Oswald, a son of Ethelfrith, became king of Northumbria. In his
youth he, with his brothers, had been obliged to flee to Scotland, where,
during his exile, Oswald was converted to Christianity by the teachers
of Iona. On his return he defeated and killed Cadwalla at Hevenfeld, or
Heavenfield, near Hexham, in 634, and became the means of finally
introducing Christianity into his kingdom. Soon after he became king,
Oswald sent to Iona for help, and