Time at Durham

This vacation was to be more or less divided into three segments: birthday, Germany, and Durham. So this is the third.

After Pat left, we had a few days before we were to come up to the City of Durham (being educated now to know that a settlement is a city if it has a cathedral, whatever its size). The first of those days, a Sunday, we went into London to St. Bride's Church for an Evensong. We had been there is the winter, and enjoyed the music. So wanted to go back again. And it did not disappoint—although we could have done without the sermon that told us to obey the orders of the magistrate, and to be a good followers. The next day was a quiet day, with some walking about, but more staying by the flat and watching the cats play. Dan worked at home, Katy at her workplace. Dinner at the Grange. The following day included a lunch with all the women (Darlene, Katy, and Claire [Katy's mother]) meeting on a fancy boat-cum-diner on the Thames. And Dan and I made a picnic lunch and ate at the local park, called Spa Park. It was a lovely warm, sunny day, and the lunch was a good time for us all to connect.

That evening, we prepared for our journey up to the town of Katy's University education. I was excited to be going. And the town did not disappoint. We caught the train at Kings Cross Station, for the three-hour ride up there. Countryside was flat and agricultural, once we got out of London.

And then we got to Durnham. The hills had begun a few kilometres south of the town, and we could see some of the larger hills off to the east. But the Cathedral and the Castle are up on a central hill in town. And they dominate the town.

We walked into town, which involved going downhill, and through some cobbled streets to our B&B, which was near the town centre. And what a lovely old town, at least the tourist part of it.

The river Wear (pronounced "we're") has an oxbow loop around the cathedral and the castle, and this of course was where the Normans decided to build about a millennium ago. And build they did. The cathedral is magnificent, and a blend of the Norman and Gothic styles appropriate to its age.

Of course, Dan and I had to take a tour, and this included going up the tower. Some three hundred steps, the last hundred or so being narrow enough that you could easily touch both walls of the staircase (and you had to yell ahead to make sure there was none coming the other way, since there was no place to allow passing). At the top, the open area was dizzying. A wind made it a little more vertiginous for me, but I eventually got my feet planted and took some pictures.

Further tourist activities ensued, mixed with wonderful decadent suppers and stops for libations of various kinds. Dan and I also did a Castle tour, and learned that this area was one where there was an explicit understanding of the political influence of the church—so much that it is the only part of England that had what they called "prince-bishops". And they were powerful enough that William (the conqueror) had to ensure he had his own man in power there. We had a terrific two days there, including walking about most of the centre of town. And there was a quite loud thunderstorm during our stay as well, just to add some drama.

Then back to London, another day at Dan and Katy's place (which included a barbecue with many of their friends on the Saturday night), and then it was done. We left early in the morning on Sunday, July 5, for our return trip back to soggy Dundas.

Overall, a very successful and rewarding vacation.

Addendum: I also wanted to make a note of the Norman chapel we saw at Durham Castle. This is actually one of the first buildings that the Normans constructed when the took over this area from the Saxons. It was built almost a millennium ago, was small in scope/size and partly underground. We were not allowed to take pictures inside it, so I can't show what it looks like. But it is rectangular, supported by strong pillars made of local sandstone. Walls are very thick, as you would guess. But it has some interesting features.

First, the sandstone that they used has a fair amount of iron in it. So the pillars are actually rusting. We were warned not to touch them, since this could lead to some of the stone actually flaking off (the moisture is high enough and damaging enough that the chapel is about to be closed for two years to try and dehumidify and rectify this).

Second, the floor has a herringbone pattern of stones, laid out in the stone tiles. This is more typical of Saxon architecture, not used by the Normans. So where does that come from?

Third, the capitals of the columns are carved with snakes and even a mermaid, again, not typical of Norman carving. And the people carved into the stone are seen in a praying posture, with their arms up, rather than their hands together as they would have been in Norman life. So where does this carving come from, and why is it more Saxon than you would suppose?

Posted with Blogsy