How to Visit the English CathedralsSingleton, Esther
History
How to Visit the English Cathedrals
Singleton, Esther
Cathedrals -- England
When Henry VIII. suppressed the monasteries in 1540, the shrine was
destroyed; but the monks secured St. Cuthbert’s body and buried it
beneath the platform on which the shrine had stood. In 1827 the grave
was opened. A coffin was found that had been made in 1541; this enclosed
another, supposed to date from 1104; and this, a third, that agreed with
the description of the one made in 698. In the latter was found St.
Cuthbert’s body, wrapped in five robes of embroidered silk. Thus it
almost seemed as if there were some reason for the legend that his body
was supposed to be incorrupt.
William the Conqueror, anxious to see this incorrupt body, ordered the
shrine to be opened; but, at the first stroke, such sickness and terror
fell upon him that he rushed from the Cathedral; and, mounting his
horse, he never drew bridle until he had crossed the Tees.
Until the Reformation the banner of St. Cuthbert hung over his shrine.
It was made from a cloth used by St. Cuthbert in celebrating mass and it
was believed to insure victory to the army in whose ranks it was
carried. Flodden was one of the many fields in which the defeat of the
Scots was ascribed to the Standard of St. Cuthbert. Another was
Neville’s Cross, near Durham, when 15,000 Scots perished. A thanksgiving
hymn was ordered to be sung on top of the Cathedral tower on each
anniversary of the battle. This custom is still observed.
Returning now to the architectural history of the Cathedral, the next
great builder was Hugh Pudsey (1153-1195), in whose time the Norman
style was passing out of fashion. Pudsey began to build a Lady-Chapel at
the east end; but when he saw great cracks appearing in the walls, he
thought that St. Cuthbert was manifesting his displeasure. Consequently
he removed all his building materials, including the Purbeck marble
columns, and began and finished the wonderful Galilee Chapel at the west
end, about 1175.
Pudsey was a great prince as well as a fine builder. He was only
twenty-five when he became Bishop of Durham. He bought the earldom of
Northumberland and also a manor. When King Henry decided to go to
Jerusalem after his capture by the Saracens, Pudsey fitted out ships and
had a seat of silver for himself in one of them. The King died, and
Pudsey remained at home; and while King Richard went on the trip Pudsey
and the Bishop of Ely quarrelled. Pudsey was decoyed to London and
thrown into the Tower. He was released. He died on another journey from
Durham to London in 1195.
Bishop Poore (1229-1237), arriving from Salisbury Cathedral (see page
77), planned the Chapel of the Nine Altars, another special feature of
Durham and one of the best examples of Early English in existence. As
soon as he arrived in Durham, Bishop Poore began to plan the eastern
transept, for the apse of Carileph’s choir had been deemed unsafe.
Building, however, was not undertaken until after his death.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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