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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