Durham Cathedral

Cuthbert of Lindisfarne was a monk and bishop in the Kingdom of Northumbria (today part of Northern England and Southern Scotland). He died in 687 and became regarded as the patron saint of the region. Cuthbert was buried on the island of Lindisfarne, but over the ensuing years his enshrined remains were threatened by repeated Viking raids. In 995 the Lindisfarne monks, entrusted with the protection of the remains of St. Cuthbert, set out to find a safer location for their charge.

According to local legend, one of the monks received a vision from St. Cuthbert with instructions that his remains should be interred at a place called Dun Holm. Searching for this, the monks came across two milkmaids looking for a lost dun (a dull shade of brownish grey) cow. They followed the maids to the area where the wayward cow was last seen – a place called (you guessed it) Dun Holm or Durham. Here, on a promontory above a tight, looping bend in the River Wear, the coffin holding the saint’s remains became unmovable. Declaring a miracle, the monks built a shrine to St. Cuthbert on that spot.

The shrine became a popular pilgrimage destination, prompting construction of a monastery, chapels, a church and eventually an entire cathedral complex. The settlement around it grew, as well, becoming the city of Durham. Over the many centuries Durham Cathedral has been expanded and embellished making it the Norman/Romanesque, Gothic masterpiece it is today.

There was so much to see that we’ve included two photo galleries in this post! Enjoy!

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Alnwick Castle

You may recognize some of the exterior of Alnwick Castle as being Hogwarts Castle from the first two Harry Potter films. In reality, it is a spread out installation of fortified stone buildings ranging across a low hilltop, and ringed by vast crenellated walls overlooking the River Aln. Sounds impressive, and it is!

Located near the Scottish border in the town of Alnwick, Northumberland, it was originally built in 1096 as a defensive fortification by the de Vesci family from Normandy. Over time (and many sieges) it was rebuilt, remodeled and expanded. In 1253 however, the castle with all of its considerable property and adjoining estates, were sold by the guardian of the (then under aged) de Vesci lord, to the Percy family from Yorkshire. During the ensuing centuries, the Percys became powerful lords in northern England. The castle was besieged many times, as the Percy family was intimately involved in royal politics. In the last few centuries the castle has been used as both a fortress and a home, but also as a prison, a school and a gallery/museum.

To this day the Percys still own the castle, and even live there during the winter months. During the summer months, the property is open to the public to tour some of the family’s opulent private living areas, as well as some of the fortified outer buildings and grounds. Unfortunately, taking photos of the interior, private living areas is strictly forbidden. We were able to take plenty of pictures of the exterior grounds though! Enjoy!