DURHAM CATHEDRAL is regarded as the finest Romanesque building in
Europe. Along with the neighbouring castle it was inscribed as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site in 1986 - one of only two English cathedrals to hold
such an honour. In an online poll held by the Guardian in 2011 to find
Britain's favourite building, Durham Cathedral enjoyed a runaway
victory. Many superlatives have been heaped on this magnificent church,
standing high above the ancient medieval city, on its protective
peninsula formed by the River Wear. It is at once spiritual, powerful
and poetic, the mystic heart of the North East. Built by the Normans to
house the shrine of St Cuthbert, and also containing the shrine of St
Bede, the Father of English History, its inward beauty matches its
exterior. The first impression of the nave, on entering at the west end,
is both incomparable and unforgettable. This book is a journey in words
and images through this wonderful building. It seeks to present the
Cathedral's many facets: architectural, historical, artistic, spiritual
and humane. Its authors have come to admire and love this building over
two lifetimes, and offer their personal interpretation of it as an
invitation to a pilgrimage. They hope that this is a book to remember
the Cathedral by. Perhaps it can be more than a souvenir: rather, a book
that captures the spirit of the place and keeps it alive for all who
have come to cherish it as the authors do.
