Durham Castle and Cathedral

• Official name: Durham Castle and Cathedral
• Location: Durham, England
• Year of inscription: 1986

The Durham Castle and Cathedral are historic landmarks in the United Kingdom. The landmarks and land surrounding them were together named a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site in 1986. William the Conqueror, whose defeat of the Saxons changed English history, helped establish the castle at the site. Although, the site was most likely home to Saxon fortifications before the 1000s, when the castle was first constructed.

The Durham Castle and Cathedral are in the historic part of the city of Durham, which was founded along the banks of the River Wear. The city’s historic section, including the cathedral and the castle, is on a peninsula located at a large bend in the River Wear. William the Conqueror chose the location at the bend for the city for defensive purposes. Durham’s location—in the north of England, close to Scotland—made it a strategically important area. William wanted a castle built in the area to help protect his kingdom from attacks from the north.

Construction of the cathedral lasted between 1093 and 1133. The cathedral was built to replace a smaller church, which housed the remains of Saint Cuthbert. The cathedral was made to include a shrine to the saint, and it eventually also had a shrine to the Venerable Bede, who lived after Saint Cuthbert. The cathedral was built by a Benedictine monastic community, and the Benedictine influence is still noticeable in some places, even though most of these signs were removed during the Reformation when the cathedral became part of the Anglican Church.

History

William the Conqueror and the Normans defeated the English forces at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, and the Normans took over the Kingdom of England. Soon after taking control, William the Conqueror, or William I, oversaw efforts to increase his kingdom’s defense. He ordered the construction of numerous castles, which he and his forces could use as military outposts and centers of defense. William wanted to defend his kingdom from attacks from the north. The northern part of the English kingdom included the region of Northumbria, which had been a separate Saxon kingdom until the 900s when various Saxon kingdoms joined to create the kingdom of England. This northern section of England was still fairly independent. William realized that it would be difficult for him, living in the southern part of the kingdom, to maintain control of the region. He worried that the Scottish would attack from the north, overtaking the area and potentially gaining enough power to strike farther south.

William used various strategies to help keep the area safe. First, he ordered the construction of the castle at Durham. A large bend in the River Wear at Durham gave the location a strategic benefit, and William ordered the construction of the castle there starting in 1072. William’s second strategy was to maintain loyalty from the leaders in Northumbria. The two most powerful leaders there were the Earl of Northumbria and the bishop, with whom he sought alliances.

William asked the Earl of Northumberland, Waltheof, to oversee the construction of the castle. However, after Waltheof rebelled against William and was executed, William wanted to ally himself with a leader in the area that he could trust and could count on to protect northern England. The Bishop of Durham at the time was Walcher, and he purchased the earldom of the region. That made Walcher the secular and religious leader of Durham. William decided to make a deal with the Bishop of Durham to ensure the bishop’s loyalty. William understood the strategic benefit of the region and was willing to compromise to ensure it would remain part of the English kingdom. William then created the position of Prince-Bishop to give Walcher and subsequent bishops more secular powers. William believed that giving the Prince-Bishops more autonomy would encourage them to stay loyal and help protect northern England from attack. The Prince-Bishop had the power to impose and collect taxes, mint money, and raise an army. The Prince-Bishops had a great deal of power and autonomy; however, in return, they were expected to help protect the rest of England.

Walcher oversaw early parts of the construction of the castle at Durham, which followed a Norman architectural style. Walcher oversaw the building of the motte and the inner and outer bailey. The builders located the castle at the front of the peninsula so that attacking forces would have difficulty reaching the other parts of Durham. Various buildings, including a chapel, were also constructed inside the bailey over the years. Larger, grander structures eventually replaced some of the older buildings as the castle continued to be used and improved over hundreds of years. A serious fire in the twelfth century made it necessary to rebuild numerous structures inside the castle.

While the castle acted as an important defensive structure, it was also a palace for the bishop. During the late Middle Ages, the defensive importance of castles was reduced as new weapons were developed that could destroy stone walls. Therefore, Durham Castle became more important as a symbol of wealth and status than as a military center. The Great Hall was rebuilt and expanded numerous times in part as a display of wealth. Other additions and renovations happened over the years out of necessity and because of changing technology and different uses of the various buildings. In 1837, the castle became the home of Durham University, making more renovations and additions necessary in some parts of the castle. In the twenty-first century, as part of the World Heritage Site, the castle is maintained and retains its historical features.

The cathedral at Durham was constructed separately from the castle. Construction of the cathedral began in 1093 when Bishop William of Saint Calais ordered that a grand cathedral be built to replace a church, which had been constructed in the 990s. Monks in the Benedictine Order built the church close to the River Wear to house the remains of Saint Cuthbert. Cuthbert had been an important Christian preacher in the area that became England in the 600s, and he helped convert many people in the region to Christianity. Cuthbert was the Prior at Lindisfarne, where he died in 687. Because he was revered for his faith, his body was buried at the altar in Lindisfarne. Years later, his body was supposed to be moved. Although the monks who were moving the body expected to find a skeleton, they found a complete, uncorrupted body, according to the Venerable Bede—who himself would become a saint.

The monks stored Saint Cuthbert’s remains in an oak casket and displayed it so the faithful could see it. Years later, Viking raids made living at Lindisfarne too dangerous and disruptive for the monks. They sought out a new place to live and store Saint Cuthbert’s remains. They traveled for years looking for a new place to build a church and live. After more than one hundred years, the monks finally settled in Durham at the bend in the River Wear. They built a small wooden church and stored Cuthbert’s remains there. The wooden church was later replaced with one built from stone. In 1022, the Venerable Bede’s relic—which had been preserved since his death in 735—was moved to the church along with Saint Cuthbert’s. People reported that they witnessed miracles happen at the site, and many people visited the area to see Cuthbert’s shrine.

In part because of the popularity of Saint Cuthbert’s relics, Bishop William of Saint Calais wanted to build a larger, grander cathedral in Durham. According to the writing of a monk living in Durham at the time, the first stones were laid for the cathedral’s foundation in August 1093. Bishop William of Saint Calais planned some of the cathedral’s elements on the old St. Peter’s in Rome. However, the cathedral had a distinctive Norman style that included English elements, such as distinctive carving styles. When Bishop William of Saint Calais died in 1096, Ranulf Flambard took over the management of the cathedral’s construction. Flambard himself died in 1128, and construction on the building was completed in 1133.

The completed cathedral remained a popular destination for people who believed they might experience miracles because of Saint Cuthbert’s remains being there. It also served the Benedictine community that lived there. During the Reformation in the 1500s, when the Church of England split from the Catholic Church, the king ordered that the Catholic monasteries be dissolved. This led to the English government’s appropriating many of the Catholic Church’s assets in England. Monasteries were stripped of their gold, art, and other valuables. The cathedral then became part of the Anglican Church.

Significance

The Durham Castle and Cathedral are important historical, architectural, and cultural landmarks. The sites are important historically because they are from an important time of transition in England’s history. The Norman conquest of England changed English history, and William I’s construction of the castle at Durham helped cement his position of power and protect his kingdom from intruders. The sites are also historically important because of their association with the Prince-Bishops of Durham, who held a unique position in the English government.

Another reason that the Castle and Cathedral are important is that they are some of the best examples of intact Norman architecture in England. The castle and the cathedral also have elements of other architectural styles. For example, the cathedral includes elements inspired by Italian, Spanish, and English architecture. The buildings also show the development of Norman architecture. For example, the cathedral’s roof was different from many other Norman-style roofs, which were normally constructed from wood. The cathedral was one of the first Norman-style buildings to use a ribbed vault system with pointed arches. This is an important development in the Norman style and in engineering. This vaulted ceiling was a foreshadowing of the designs that became famous in Gothic architecture. In August 2024, the first phase of renovations to Norman Chapel at Durham Castle was completed. These renovations worked to conserve the stonework and repair elements to maintain the chapel's authenticity. Additionally, improvements were made to things such as lighting and making the chapel more accessible to visitors.

Bibliography

“About.” Durham World Heritage Site, www.durhamworldheritagesite.com/about. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Cavendish, Richard. “St Cuthbert Reburied in Durham Cathedral.” History Today, vol. 54, no. 9, Sept. 2004, p. 54. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=khh&AN=14324432&site=ehost-live. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Creighton, Oliver H. “Castles, Lordship and Settlement in Norman England and Wales.” History Today, vol. 53, no. 4, Apr. 2003, p. 12. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=khh&AN=9454145&site=ehost-live. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

“Durham Castle.” Durham University, www.dur.ac.uk/durham.castle/about/history. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

“Durham Castle and Cathedral.” UNESCO World Heritage Convention, whc.unesco.org/en/list/370. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Ellis, Siân. “How the Normans Changed England.” British Heritage, vol. 33, no. 4, Sept. 2012, pp. 42–48. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=khh&AN=76618301&site=ehost-live. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Kahn, Deborah. “The Norman World of Art.” History Today, vol. 36, no. 3, Mar. 1986, p. 34. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=khh&AN=4862824&site=ehost-live. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Murugesu, Jason Arunn. “Medieval Chapel Restoration First Phase Complete.” BBC, 12 Aug. 2024, www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gxpv0vjjlo. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Wood, Rita. “The Norman Chapel in Durham Castle.” Northern History, vol. 47, no. 1, Mar. 2010, pp. 9–48. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=khh&AN=48138511&site=ehost-live. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.