Durham Cathedral

Durham Cathedral is one of the most recognisable buildings in Europe, if not the world. Its Romanesque architecture, stained glass and shrines to St Cuthbert and St Bede ensure it is still a place of pilgrimage a thousand years after it was built.

Some of the most spectacular spaces inside the majestic Cathedral are now being transformed into world-class exhibition galleries, set to open in 2016. The new galleries will provide visitors with access to the Cathedral’s internationally-renowned collection of manuscripts and other priceless artefacts.

To give you more of an insight into this imposing building, its collections and the new exhibitions spaces, we wanted to share ten things with you that you (probably) didn't know:
Over 65,000 tons of sandstone were used to build Durham Cathedral, making it one of the top 100 geo-sites in the UK.


Durham Cathedral boasts the world’s first structural pointed arch, marking a turning point in the history of architecture.


The ceiling and walls of Durham Cathedral were originally painted in vibrant colours, including blues, reds and gold. Traces of paint still remain on the walls and ceiling.
The Monks’ Dormitory is the only intact monastic dormitory in England and the spectacular oak-beamed roof is rivalled only by Westminster Hall. This incredible space will mark the start of the new exhibition route due to open in 2016.


The Great Kitchen is one of only two intact surviving monastic kitchens in England. It will house the Relics of St Cuthbert when the new exhibition galleries open next year.
Durham Cathedral boasts the best-preserved and documented medieval Benedictine Library in the British Isles, with manuscripts dating from the 6th-century onwards.


Durham Cathedral holds three issues of Magna Carta in its collections, dating from 1216, 1225 and 1300. The 1216 Magna Carta is the only surviving copy of this issue.
St Cuthbert’s wooden coffin held in the Cathedral’s collections is one of the oldest surviving examples of Anglo-Saxon wood-carving in the British Isles.


Durham Cathedral holds the only surviving pieces of Anglo-Saxon embroidery in England; the stole and maniple offered in honour of St Cuthbert by King Athelstan in 934.
In 1986, Durham Cathedral became the first English Cathedral to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. Almost thirty years later, it remains one of Britain’s best-loved buildings.


With thanks to Durham Cathedral.

Visit Durham Cathedral's website to find out more about Open Treasure.

Related

Durham Cathedral
Cathedral / Minister
view of Durham Cathedral from River Wear

Thought by many to be the finest example of Norman church architecture in England, with the tombs of St Cuthbert and The Venerable Bede. Please check opening times before travelling.

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