Paranormal History

A Short History.

On the 28th November 1986 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) designated Durham Cathedral as a World heritage Site. And rightly so, the origins of this magnificent monument to Christendom date from the times of Saxon civil war, when King Oswald of Northumbria, who defeated a pagan army under Welsh King Cadwallon in 684AD at the Battle of Heavenfield, thus ensuring the return of Christianity to the region. He sent to Iona for a missionary to be sent to teach the local populace the Christian faith. Unfortunalty no one told the monk about the strange Northumbrian language and he had to be sent away. The second monk to arrive was Aiden, who established the monastery on Lindisfarne. From the most humble beginnings this tiny island became the "cradle for Christianity" and people travelled from all over the world to the Island close to Bamburgh Castle in the North Sea. At the same time that King Oswald was toasting his victory at Heavenfield a boy was born in the Border Hills of the north, his name was Cuthbert and he at first became a sheep herder, while out tending his flock as a young man he had a vision of a saints body being carried up to heaven by a host of angels. He found out this was the body of Aiden, and promptly went off to join the holy community of Melrose. Within this religious community Cuthbert flourished and gained a deeper understanding of his faith. He rose through the ranks of the local clergy and became Bishop of Lindisfarne, after spending ten years as a hermit on Inner Farne, the largest of the Farne Islands. On his deathbed on 20th March 687AD, on Inner Farne, he told his followers that should the need arise they were to take his body to a safe place, to keep it out of the hands of heathens. His saintliness was proved eleven years later when his coffin was opened for veneration and his remains were found to be uncorrupted by decay.

In 875AD the Norsemen came and attacked Lindisfarne, taking with them holy relics and anything else they wished to take. Remembering St. Cuthbert’s wishes to be taken away his monks took flight with their saint, firstly to Chester-le-Street where it rested for 113 years, then when the Vikings threatened this haven they travelled further south to Ripon, before travelling back north again. In 995AD they prepared to enter Chester-le-Street, the coffin not only held St. Cuthberts remains but those of St. Oswald, St. Aiden and Eata of Melrose, and illuminated manuscripts such as the Lindisfarne Gospels. The place they reached was Wrdelau, a place just to the east of what is now Durham City. Here the coffin stuck to the ground and no amount of force could persuade it to be moved. The monks travelling with the coffin were troubled and so started to fast and to pray in order to find an answer as to why the coffin would not move. On the third night a monk named Eadmer had a vision of St. Cuthbert, who told him that Chester-le-Street was not a good place to go to and that they should instead find Dunholme, which is Saxon for Hill Island. Unfortunately none of the Brethren knew where Dunholme was. Until two Dairy Maids were overheard one day in a field close by, one was complaining that one of her cows had gone up the Dunholme and she couldn’t get to it. The monks were taken by the girl to Dunholme and there they placed a few wooden boughs over the coffin to keep it dry. The Bishop in charge of the party, Alduhn, told the monks to start building a wooden structure more befitting their patron saint, but even this did not last long.

On 4th September 998AD a stone church, known as the "White Church" was dedicated to the saints body and his remains were laid to rest within its precincts. Up to the Norman Conquest of Britain (1066-80) the church was served by secular priests, the priests wives and children lived close by and this "Congregation of Saint Cuthbert", however with the coming of the new Norman overlords the title of Bishop of Durham went to Walcher of Lorraine who held this title for nine years, 1071-80. The main reason he didn’t last any longer was the Northumbrian Saxon revolt in Gateshead, and his death in trying to suppress it. The Normans had many problems with the North in these early days of their reign and their response to this was known as the "harrying of the north", the worst affected parts were between York and the River Tweed, however whole regions reaching from the entire Welsh Border to the Border of Scotland were laid waste, perhaps up to 100'000 people died within ten years of the conquest, ninety percent of the Saxon population died over all but the Normans were here to stay. Bishop William de St Carileph took over the running of the Secular Community and he ejected the monks and their families. Benedictine Monks from Jarrow and Wearmouth now took over from the Saxon Priests and they did not leave until the reformation. William de St Carileph did not have the best of starts to his Bishopric, after he was accused of plotting against the King and sent to exile in France he then returned to start building what is still there now. Durham Cathedral.

11th of August 1093 saw the very first foundation stones laid for the new Cathedral, William de St Carileph however did not see the completion of his masterpiece for he passed away in 1132. Following Bishops over the centuries added their own little pieces of creation, for example Bishop Hugh Pudsey in the 12th/13th Century added more than most, the Galilee Chapel in the west end is one of his better creations. Not only does the Cathedral house the remains of Saint Cuthbert, St Aiden, St Osbert and Eata of Melrose it now also housed the Venerable Bede who was the "Father of English History", writing many works including the original Life of St Cuthbert. Norman Architecture plays the most prominent theme in Durham’s Cathedral, however other things to look out for are the Geometrical and Perpendicular styles which have added to its unique charm over the years. The way leading to the magnificent Rose Window is called the nave and its Romanesque Pillars are a fantastic setting for the Chapel of the Nine Alters, they themselves being made from local Frosterley Marble. It is not just Stone work which holds a fascinated eye for any historical architect, much of the woodwork is the handy work of Bishop John Cosin, who had to repair most of the original woodwork when it was destroyed by Scottish Soldiers in 1650, this was no invading army however, the religious fanatic Oliver Cromwell had no other use for Durham Cathedral than to use it as a Prisoner of War internment, housing 4'000 Scots captured in battle. The Scots at this time also desecrated the tomb of the Neville’s, no doubt as some kind of revenge for that families feuding with the Scots of the Douglas’ during the medieval period. During the Medieval times the Bishop of Durham was second to the King and held regal powers over the north, the status of these Prince Bishops can be seen by the height of the Cathedra, or the Bishops throne, this is above the tomb of Bishop Hatfield. Just beyond the Neville Screen of Caen stone is the tomb of Saint Cuthbert, Saint Cuthbert is said to haunt the Cathedral, and especially takes a dislike to women, for legend has it he was once falsely accused of seducing a young daughter of a Pictish King, though wether this is true or not must be open to question as the Venerable Bede wrote of St Cuthbert having many female friends.

However there may be some truth in it, the Galilee Chapel was built by Bishop Pudsey for the sole reason for women to worship there, as they were not allowed inside the Cathedral. For a taste of Anglo-Saxon stone carvings head for the Monks Dormitory, which dates from 1400 though the carvings are much older. Inside also are many fantastic illuminated manuscripts. The Cloister would have been a hub of activity in times gone past, however it took longer to build this part of the cathedral than any other part. Begun in 1368 under Bishop Skirlaw but not finished until 1498 under Bishop Langley, a total of 130 years!

Durham Cathedral dominates Durham City, pretty much anywhere you go you can see it’s impressive architecture, the people of Durham have a deep affection for their Cathedral and the Saints which dwell inside, some even say they have been saved by these Saints in times of need. One story tells of a German bombing raid on the 1st of May 1942, at 2:40am. The air raid sirens started their eerie scree into the night as Gwen Wilkinson was on duty, she was on fire watch and would stand ready with buckets of water or sand ready to extinguish any incendiary bombs dropped by the Luftwaffe. A few days earlier Lord Haw Haw, an American traitor working on German Propaganda Radio had warned that Durham Cathedral shall burn for a night and a day, in revenge for the Allied bombing offensive upon Germany. Gwen stepped from her house on South Street, just opposite the Castle and Cathedral grounds to see a strange sight. In the beautiful moonlight she saw a fog come rolling from the river Wear, it stretched up the steep sides of the hill and around the Cathedral, holding the building in a dark lightless grip. The German bombers roaring above could not see anything below, where moments before the moon had illuminated a perfect target, now they could not see a thing. The Bombers dropped their bombs on the empty fields to the east and returned back to their bases in Norway, Gwen, on hearing the all clear, stepped back inside her house, removed her tin helmet and prayed for thanks. The mist disappeared as soon as the Germans had gone.

Many strange things are imbedded within this ancient building as well as the magnificent, the Bedesmen’s Bench is just one. Opposite the Tomb of Bishop Skirlaw, who created the Bedesmen, are the Bedesmen’s Benches, the name Bedesmen comes from the Old Saxon word bidden, which means "to Pray". There are thirteen Bishops Shields on the long stone bench, here would sit the Bedesmen, men who were the equivalent of the Chelsea Pensioners, old soldiers, or men who had been wounded in the service of the crown or the Bishop. They would receive a meal and a bed for Praying for others, sitting upon this bench waiting for anyone wanting someone to pray for them. They were first created by Bishop Skirlaw, who was Bishop from 1388-1405, no doubt many a man sent to fight in the 100 Years War would have wanted someone back home praying for them in such a magnificent Cathedral, and so they would pay for a mans bed and meal if they would do so. This service ended in 1920 and by then had become a crown appointment!

Looking on the turret of the Chapel of the Nine Alters you will see a stone panel commemorating the Dun Cow, the legend of which I have covered but the stonework is just a beauty to behold. Another oddity is the Sanctuary Knocker, as during the middle ages any church was regarded as Sanctuary, but not an indefinite source of escape from the authorities. Once a man or woman had their hand around the knocker they were immune from prosecution for any crime, In the middle ages there were two rooms above the North Door, site of the Sanctuary Knocker, these would have housed a couple of monks whose duty it was to admit anyone wishing to be kept safe. Once admitted the Galilee Bell would be sounded and their confession heard. His details would be taken down in the Sanctuary Book, which still exists, from 1464 to 1525 there were 331 criminals, mainly these are written in Latin and out of the 331 crimes 283 are for murder, with the rest an assortment between cattle rustling and burglary. The most named city from where the criminal has come from is Newcastle, which accounts for just 8, the rest come from all over the North East. The felon would have to cast aside his/her clothes and don a black gown with a large yellow cross of St Cuthbert upon the shoulder, letting everyone know they were enjoying the privilege of sanctuary. After 37 days the man or woman would have to leave, if no Royal Pardon would come, they would have to carry a wooden cross to the coast and leave the country, the criminal would have to keep to a tight schedule to reach the coast which varied, one man was given only nine days to reach Dover! The belief that once a person had touched the Sanctuary Knocker and had become "infected" with holiness must have led to many people playing the game too many times, a man in theory could simply go into sanctuary for 37 days then whilst en route to his ship simply change his identity. The original Knocker has long gone, the one on the North Door today is a copy, the original may even have had enamel eyes to add to its sinister charm. It should be noted that for almost any crime a man or woman could find sanctuary, including High Treason, the only crime punished by the Church was of course Sacrilege.

Durham Cathedral is an amazing place to spend an afternoon, you can even (for a small charge) go up to the top of the roof and get an amazing view of the surrounding city and countryside. Many students use the grounds to relax and while away an hour or two sitting on a seat reading a book, whilst tourists from all over the world come to savour what has been described the most beautiful Holy Place in Europe.

CJ Linton.