The structure has a magical essence to it due to its grandeur and the time spent building it. The new architectural methods brought with the Normans to the English culture contributed in the making of such an immense structure with a feel of simplicity and serenity. A feeling of solitude engulfs you when you say something and know that it will echo throughout the whole structure because of the high arched rooms. As it is a cathedral, you would probably feel at whole with yourself walking through the endless halls and entering its colossal rooms. Its massive structure is to show the domination of the church and Christianity at the time and the river Wear as a siege. It was built with such grandeur that standing in front of it makes you feel safe as if you were in a world of your own that no one can invade. This is due to the calming waters of the river surrounding it. All aspects mentioned above are what makes us think that it is the most breathtaking Romanesque cathedral in England. But, what do you think?!

Here’s a little background information about the Durham Cathedral:

Analysis and purpose:

The Durham Cathedral situated in the city of Durham, York, England is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham and is an example of English Romanesque architecture. The cathedral had religious and later military functions. It served as a cathedral, the seat of the bishop, the church of the Benedictine monks (the administrators of the cathedral), and the house of the shrine of the most important saint of northern England, St. Cuthbert, Additionally, in 1093, it served as a site of pilgrimage for the cult of St. Cuthbert. It took 40 years to be completed (excluding the upper sections of the western towers) and this gave the builders enough time to alter the designs. Some alterations introduced were the wall passage at the clerestory level, the stone vaults throughout the entire church, the chevron ornaments in the nave, the ribbed vaults, and the simplification of the cylindrical piers. Due to the massive structure, the large amount of stones were organized and designed prior to their assembly at the construction scene.

Construction and material:

The cathedrals’ construction began at the east end and extended to the first to arches of the nave. The distribution of the chevron ornament confirmed that the first two arches and one bay of the gallery were completed before the rest of the nave and this is to serve the buttress for the west side of the crossing. Also, the cathedral was the first building in England to completely be covered with ribbed vaults. The construction material used was mainly sturdy Coal Measure sandstone. This brown sandstone is fine to medium grained and was produced locally, thus saving the monks money on its transportation.

Location vs. function:

The cathedral is surrounded by the river Wear, which kept it protected from enemies. Also, its only free side was protected by a castle of the bishop of Durham. The cathedral had a revolutionary impact on English society and the English church, which led to the reorganization of the dioceses and the moving of some sites of bishops to centers of Norman power.

Since your opinion matters most to us and to this project, we would like to know what element strikes your eye the most? What do you think is the most important architectural aspect of the Durham Cathedral??Also, in what aspects do you think the Cathedral affected its surrounding?

Sources

- Kevin Matthews, “Durham Cathedral” (GreatBuildings; http://www.GreatBuildings.com/buildings/Durham_Cathedral.html; 2008)

- Richard Hilton, “Welcome to the Durham Cathedral” (The Chapter of Durham; http://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/; 2006-2009)