Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Durham Part 8

Two other important libraries may here be mentioned, though they do not belong to the University--viz. the Chapter Library and Bishop Cosin's Library.

CHAPTER VI

THE CITY

Besides the Cathedral and Castle, the City of Durham possesses several churches of decided interest to the student of architecture, which deserve a brief notice.

The Parish Church of #S. Mary in the North Bailey.#--This small church is generally known as S. Mary le Bow, owing to the fact that in its original steeple was an arch, through which the roadway pa.s.sed. This steeple fell in 1637, and the ancient structure was allowed to lapse into complete ruin. The present church was built in 1685, and its most noticeable feature is the open carved screen between the nave and chancel erected in 1707. The site of the church is the oldest in the city, and some writers have thought it probably identical with that of the White Church in which the body of S. Cuthbert was placed during the building of the cathedral.

#S. Mary-the-Less# is a small but picturesque church situated in the South Bailey, and is of Norman date. Its original architectural character is, however, almost entirely lost, owing to extensive restorations which took place in 1846-7. The round-headed window now in the south wall of the chancel, but formerly in the west wall of the nave, is the only remaining original feature. The church is entered by a porch on the south side, and consists of a nave and chancel only. Some stones in the churchyard, which were removed from their position when the church was restored, are carved with chevron ornament, and would seem to show that the date of the original structure was the earlier part of the twelfth century.

#S. Oswald.#--This church stands on high ground overlooking the river Wear, at the head of New Elvet; and is the parish church of the ancient borough of Elvet. The first church was erected by Bishop Carileph, though the earliest parts of the existing building are of the time of Bishop Pudsey, who also built the bridge across the river, known as the Elvet Bridge. To this date (about 1190) belongs the eastern part of the nave arcade, the arches of which are semi-circular and rest upon tall round piers. Early in the fourteenth century a new chancel was built, the aisles rebuilt and extended to the west end, and two new arches added to the west end of the nave arcades. In the early part of the fifteenth century a clerestory and open parapet were added, and a new oak roof placed over the nave. This was most probably a hammer-beam roof, and was coloured and gilded and decorated with angels holding s.h.i.+elds. The only parts remaining at the present day are the grotesque carved corbels, and the angels. The tower was also constructed at this time. In 1834, owing to subsidence of the ground, it became necessary to rebuild the south aisle and a large part of the chancel, which caused the destruction of much architectural beauty. The open parapet was removed, the clerestory windows replaced by the present inferior ones, and the fine oak roof destroyed. The east end of the chancel was rebuilt in 1864. Special attention should be directed to the fine oak stall-work in the chancel, boldly carved in the style of the early part of the fifteenth century. The tower, which forms a beautiful and conspicuous landmark, is reached by a stone staircase of unusual character. It is placed in the thickness of the wall, and is covered in with twenty-four gravestones of thirteenth and fourteenth century date, on which may yet be seen portions of inscriptions and symbols. Built into the tower was part of a Saxon cross, which has now been removed for preservation to the dean and chapter library. This cross is interesting as evidence of the existence on the same site of a pre-Norman church. The tower was carefully restored in 1863. It contains a peal of six bells, which were re-cast in 1694, and bear the following inscriptions:--

1. GLOVIA(?) IN ALTISSMISS(?) DEO PEX FORSTER A VIC CHRISTO HODSON ME FECIT 1694.

3. DEVM TIMETE PEX FORSTER AM VIC I EVANS C WARDEN CHRISTO HODSON ME FECIT.

4. REGEM HONORATE PEX FORSTER A M VIC 1694 CHRISTOPR HODSON MADE ME I EVANS I S H R.

5. IBIMUS IN DOMVM DOMINI PEX FORSTER A M VIC CHRISTOPER HODSON MADE ME 1694 IO EVANS CHV W.

6. OSVALDUS FLOREM MEREOR QVIA GESTO TENOREM PEX FORSTER AM VIC IO EVANS IS WH RW CW 94.

The second bell was cast in 1885.

#S. Margaret's# Parish Church is situated on the steep hill called Crossgate. It is opposite to and across the river from the Castle, and from its churchyard a fine western view of the cathedral is obtained.

The church was built during the early part of the episcopate of Bishop Pudsey (1154) and was formerly a chapel under the church of S. Oswald.

Here again alterations and restorations have obliterated much that originally existed. The church at present consists of a nave and aisles, a chancel with aisles, a western tower, and north and south porches. The existing portions of the original church are the chancel arch, and the south arcade of four bays, together with part of the clerestory and the north wall of the chancel. The arcade consists of low ma.s.sive circular piers, with cus.h.i.+on capitals and plain chamfered abaci, which support semi-circular arches of one order also chamfered.

The north arcade is also Norman, and very similar in character to that of S. Oswald. No doubt it is of the same date, and probably built by the same architect. The chancel arch has two orders, recessed square and chamfered, with a plain chamfered hood mould. On both north and south sides of the arch is a squint. With the exception of two which are Norman, the windows are nearly all of modern date. One is in the north wall of the chancel and is widely splayed. It is not seen on the outside owing to the vestry which now covers it. The other, a very interesting specimen, is situated over the western bay of the south arcade, and is a portion of the original clerestory and the earliest known clerestory window in the county. The roof of the nave is of oak, and a good specimen of Perpendicular work. The tower is of fifteenth-century date, and exceedingly plain externally, but vaulted in the interior. It opens on to the church by an arch which has been inserted in the west wall.

There is an interesting font of Frosterley marble, which is apparently of the same date as the chancel. The vestry which is raised above the level of the church floor is of the fifteenth century, and has on its gable the original gable cross.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Cathedral and Castle, from the North.]

The Parish Church of #S. Giles# occupies a very elevated position at the north-east end of the city, and commands one of the finest views of the cathedral, castle, and city, which it is possible to obtain. It was built by Bishop Flambard and finished as early as 1112; but the north wall of the nave, containing two small Norman windows, widely splayed inwards, and a walled-up doorway is all that remains of this early church. The chancel is of later Norman of the time of Pudsey. Both within and without a bold chamfered string course runs round the chancel. On the south side is a semi-circular headed window, with a carved dripstone and nook shafts, the capitals of which bear a similar character to those in the Galilee Chapel of the cathedral. In the north wall of the chancel is the priests' door, now walled up, and the corbels and springers of the original chancel arch built by Pudsey. The present arch was erected in 1876. In 1414 considerable alterations were made during the episcopate of Bishop Langley, when the walls of the nave were raised, the upper stage of the tower built, and the west window inserted. The font is a fine stone bowl resting on a shaft, and is undoubtedly of the time of Flambard. The chancel contains some monuments of the Tempest and Heath families, who were the ancestors of the Marchioness of Londonderry, patroness of the church and parish of S.

Giles. The tower contains three bells, the first and second of which are pre-Reformation and the third bears the date 1646.

On the north side of Gilesgate near to the North-Eastern goods station, are the ruins of the little #Chapel of S. Mary Magdalen#, of which only a small portion remains. At the west end of the north and south walls are two doorways, the latter walled up. Portions of the east window are still in position, but it would appear to have been of earlier date than the surrounding walls, and probably had been brought from some other building. In the interior are the remains of a Frosterley marble font, and a gable cross of thirteenth-century date is in the custody of the dean and chapter. The chapel was 43 feet by 16 feet wide. It is supposed to have been founded by Sir John Fitz Alexander. In 1370 it was almost entirely rebuilt, and again in 1449, on a site near the original one. The reason for this was the moisture of the ground, which caused the foundations to become insecure. The government was in the hands of the almoner of the cathedral, who distributed doles to the poor. The chapel was used as a place of wors.h.i.+p until nearly the end of the seventeenth century, when, owing to its ruinous condition, services were finally discontinued.