A tour of Durham Cathedral

The dean himself, far right, with cat

-----

Last week, Chad's MCR was awarded the privilege of a private tour of the dean of the Cathedral.  It was one of those hushed, after-hours gifts, where the bustle of the Cathedral was all quiet with everyone else away.  We say the Venerable Bede, who wrote The Eccelesiastical History of the English Speaking People, a text so important to British medieval-ism.  We also saw the tomb of St Cuthbert and were told the story of how Cuthbert lived in Lindisfarne and died there.  At the time Dutch (Saxon) invaders were coming into Britain, and the route they normally used passed right through Lindisfarne.  Not very well protected, the monks took the body of Cuthbert and the book, the Lindisfarne Gospels, and travelled for years and years until they found a fortified place.  They came to Durham, with its high hill, protected by the river on three sides, and thought this sufficient, so buried Cuthbert here.  He was such a popular saint, many people began making pilgrimages from here and a church was built here. When the Normans invaded, they liked Durham as a buffer to the Scots and Cuthbert, and so built not only the Cathedral, but the Castle as well to host the Prince-Bishops. And it is because of St Cuthbert a community arose around the shrined saint and have a University here today.

Of course we weren't allowed photography inside the Cathedral, but here some of the beautiful interior of other parts of the Cathedral, namely where the Dean took us to have drinks afterwards.  A very old, but perky cat even joined us which made it all the merrier.  The dean asked us how we were adjusting to Durham.  Very well considering that these are the sorts of things granted us! 

The Bishop of Durham has been in the news lately because he has recently been appointed as the Archbishop of Canterbury.  Will have to be sure to see him in action at Durham before he leaves us.  I went to evensong last week and it was just glorious, simply wonderful. I like the thought of ending each day with evensong, when possible.