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More Essex Churches
These are more examples of Essex Church images that show the Architecture, the Interiors, the Exteriors and especially the Stained Glass Windows that I have taken over the last year or two. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did visiting them.
Chignal Smealy is a small village about 5 miles outside Chemsford in a north-west direction. St Nicholas church is mainly a red brick building of Tudor design with the North Aisle being added later. The Font is also made of Tudor Brick, which is quite unusual and thought to be one of two in the country. It is still used for baptisms.
This is the second time I've visited this lovely little church and alas I've not gained access. Still that's often par for the course, unless you arrange entry before going.
This is the second time I've visited this lovely little church and alas I've not gained access. Still that's often par for the course, unless you arrange entry before going.
The tiny village of Remenham lies about I mile down river from the Thameside town of Henley. It lies just a few yards from the towpath, and despite its proximity to the town is completely rural, tucked away on a narrow lane between Remenham Hill and the river.
The beautifully carved and inscribed Victorian lychgate is dedicated to the memory of Violet Constance Noble of Park Place, who died of scarlet fever, aged 14, in 1884.
I went in search of the grave of Caleb Gould, the lock keeper of nearby Hambleden lock who died in 1777 and who lies buried in the graveyard, but I couldn't find it. He died aged 91, and his epitaph on his gravestone reads;
'This world's a jest, and all things show it;
I thought so once, but now I know it'.
Old Caleb baked bread and sold it to the Thames bargemen and remains of the old bread ovens were discovered in 1975.
(I've noticed on the map, the hybrid/satellite view seems to have been taken around the time of Henley Royal Regatta, the riverside meadows full of marquees and all the associated paraphernalia. A lively website at:
This is the second time I've visited this lovely little church and alas I've not gained access. Still that's often par for the course, unless you arrange entry before going.
A wooden church from Kryvka, in the Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life, Shevchenkivskyi Hai, L'viv, Ukraine.
Shevchenkivskyi Hai hosts a collection of over 120 old houses and churches from the the region, erected and restored in the largest open air museum in Europe. The Kryvka Church (St Nicholas' Church) was transferred to Lviv from Kryvka village, Turkivskyi Raion in 1930.
Shot with a Nikon D40 and a Nikkor AFS DX 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6G II lens, and processed in GIMP and Photoscape.
The double towers of the wooden St Nicholas' church, from Kryvka, in the Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life, Shevchenkivskyi Hai, L'viv, Ukraine.
Shevchenkivskyi Hai hosts a collection of over 120 old houses and churches from the the region, erected and restored in the largest open air museum in Europe. The Kryvka Church (St Nicholas' Church) was transferred to Lviv from Kryvka village, Turkivskyi Raion in 1930.
Shot with a Nikon D40 and a Nikkor AFS DX 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6G II lens, and processed in GIMP and Photoscape.
This is the second time I've visited this lovely little church and alas I've not gained access. Still that's often par for the course, unless you arrange entry before going.
St Nicholas's, Nottingham - "The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad" (Psalms 126.3) - window erected by John Francis Townend c1920 as thanksgiving for the safe return of his sons from the Great War
Built in 1380 on the site of an earlier church, St Nicholas’s is a popular destination for the many visitors to the historic town of Arundel
Saint Nicholas of Myra[a] (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (Greek: Μύρα; modern-day Demre, Turkey) during the time of the Roman Empire. Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, prostitutes, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, unmarried people, and students in various cities and countries around Europe. His reputation evolved among the faithful, as was common for early Christian saints, and his legendary habit of secret gift-giving gave rise to the traditional model of Santa Claus ("Saint Nick") through Sinterklaas.
Built in 1380 on the site of an earlier church, St Nicholas’s is a popular destination for the many visitors to the historic town of Arundel.
This is the second time I've visited this lovely little church and alas I've not gained access. Still that's often par for the course, unless you arrange entry before going.
More Essex Churches
These are more examples of Essex Church images that show the Architecture, the Interiors, the Exteriors and especially the Stained Glass Windows that I have taken over the last year or two. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did visiting them.
Chignal Smealy is a small village about 5 miles outside Chemsford in a north-west direction. St Nicholas church is mainly a red brick building of Tudor design with the North Aisle being added later. The Font is also made of Tudor Brick, which is quite unusual and thought to be one of two in the country. It is still used for baptisms.
This is the second time I've visited this lovely little church and alas I've not gained access. Still that's often par for the course, unless you arrange entry before going.
More Essex Churches
These are more examples of Essex Church images that show the Architecture, the Interiors, the Exteriors and especially the Stained Glass Windows that I have taken over the last year or two. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did visiting them.
Chignal Smealy is a small village about 5 miles outside Chemsford in a north-west direction. St Nicholas church is mainly a red brick building of Tudor design with the North Aisle being added later. The Font is also made of Tudor Brick, which is quite unusual and thought to be one of two in the country. It is still used for baptisms.
More Essex Churches
These are more examples of Essex Church images that show the Architecture, the Interiors, the Exteriors and especially the Stained Glass Windows that I have taken over the last year or two. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did visiting them.
Chignal Smealy is a small village about 5 miles outside Chemsford in a north-west direction. St Nicholas church is mainly a red brick building of Tudor design with the North Aisle being added later. The Font is also made of Tudor Brick, which is quite unusual and thought to be one of two in the country. It is still used for baptisms.
Some of the many carved bench ends inside the pretty church of St. Nicholas, Canewden, Essex. Should go back and do all and will.
Sint-Niklaaskerk is one of the oldest landmarks in Ghent and is one of the three domineering steeples that tower over the city. It was begun in the early 13th century replacing a Romanesque church. It is constructed in the Scheldt Gothic style. It was built in the trade centre of the city and was popular among local guilds, which had their own chapels on the sides of the church..
This is the second time I've visited this lovely little church and alas I've not gained access. Still that's often par for the course, unless you arrange entry before going.
St Nicholas's Church on Lowther Street is the resting place of Mildred Warner Washington (grandmother of George Washington, first president of the United States) who died in 1701 shortly after marrying her second husband , George Gale, a tobacco importer based in Whitehaven. The site of her burial is not known , but the parish register records her death.
St. Nicholas' Church
Kosciól sw. Mikolaja
Gdansk
Current building from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries
medievalheritage.eu/en/main-page/heritage/poland/gdansk-s...
20240408_181217
This is the second time I've visited this lovely little church and alas I've not gained access. Still that's often par for the course, unless you arrange entry before going.
West Tanfield is a village and civil parish in the former Hambleton District of North Yorkshire, England. The village is situated approximately six miles north of Ripon on the A6108, which goes from Ripon to Masham and Wensleydale. The parish includes the hamlets of Nosterfield, Thornborough and Binsoe.
Marmion Tower, West Tanfield
The toponym is from the Old English tāna feld, meaning "open land where young shoots grow", or possibly "open land of a man called Tana". The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Tanefeld. The manor was owned by Thorkil at the time of the Norman invasion, but were afterwards granted to Count Alan of Brittany. The manor was held by Hugh, son of Gernegan thereafter and his heirs until at least 1243. One of these heirs, a woman named Avis had married Robert Marmion and held the manor in 1287. The Marmion family held the manor until 1387 when it passed to the next line of descent to the wife of Sir Henry Fitz Hugh. The Fitz Hugh family held the manor until 1513 when the direct line ended and it passed to another branch family, the Parr's. The Parr's held the manor until the death of William Parr, Marquess of Northampton in 1571. William was also the brother of Catherine Parr, Queen consort to Henry VIII. The manor was passed back to the Crown at that time before being granted in 1572 to William Cecil, Lord Burghley. The manor was inherited by his son Thomas, Earl of Exeter and thence his son William. Having no surviving son, the manor of Tanfield passed to his second daughter whose second marriage was to Robert Bruce, 2nd Earl of Elgin and 1st Earl of Ailesbury and who held the manor in 1676 and was passed down the line of descent until 1738. It became the possession of Thomas Bruce Brudenell, who succeeded to the title as well. It remained with the family until 1886.
The village has a monument called the Marmion Tower, a 15th-century gatehouse which belonged to the now vanished manor house and former home of the Marmion family known as the "Hermitage". At first floor level there is an example of an oriel window. The tower is now in the care of English Heritage and is a Grade I listed building.
The village had a railway station on the Masham branch line of the North Eastern Railway until the line was closed in 1963.
Not far from the village are the Thornborough Henges, known as the 'Stone Henge of the North'.
The church in the village is dedicated to St. Nicholas and is situated on Main Street. It is a Grade II Listed building erected in the 13th century and has undergone renovation in the 15th century and in 1860. John Marmion, 4th Baron Marmion of Winteringham is buried in this church. There also is a Methodist Chapel, built in 1798, located next to the old railway station and buildings on Mowbray Terrace and is a Grade II Listed building.
More Essex Churches
These are more examples of Essex Church images that show the Architecture, the Interiors, the Exteriors and especially the Stained Glass Windows that I have taken over the last year or two. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did visiting them.
Chignal Smealy is a small village about 5 miles outside Chemsford in a north-west direction. St Nicholas church is mainly a red brick building of Tudor design with the North Aisle being added later. The Font is also made of Tudor Brick, which is quite unusual and thought to be one of two in the country. It is still used for baptisms.
St Nicholas Church, commonly known as St Nics, is a Church of England parish church located in Durham in County Durham, England. The church is part of the open evangelical tradition of the Church of England.
The original St Nicholas' Church is thought to have been founded in the early 12th century by Ranulf Flambard, Prince Bishop of Durham. He cleared Palace Green, between the cathedral and his castle, and established the current marketplace below the castle, with the church of St Nicholas, patron saint of merchants, beside it. The first recorded vicar was Galfrid de Elemer, in 1133.
This church had a buttressed nave and chancel, and a square tower with battlements. Its north wall formed part of the city walls, and abutted the ancient Clayport Gate on one side until the gate's demolition in 1791. A graveyard lay between the church and the marketplace, and another behind the church.
The building was extensively modified over the centuries, including shortening of the east end to allow widening of the road, and in the 19th century a market piazza was built against its south wall. It was described in 1803 as "very ruinous", while Sir Stephen Glynne, who visited in 1825, said it was "a large structure, & displays some marks of antiquity, although the barbarous hand of innovation has swept nearly all before it", and that its windows "alas! are of too sad a description to be mentioned". He did, however, note that it was "neatly pewed" and that the South porch was "good Perpendicular".
In 1854, a competition was held to secure an architect to renovate the church, which was won by 24-year-old Darlington-based architect James Pigott Pritchett junior. However, when the market piazza was demolished, it was found that the church was beyond repair, and Pritchett was engaged instead to design and build a new church. The incumbent, George Townshend Fox, gave an initial donation of £1000 (equivalent to £100,000 in 2021) towards the cost of rebuilding.
The old church was demolished in June 1857. Almost all that remains from it is its font, dating from 1700, and its five bells, dating from 1687 and therefore the oldest ring of bells in the diocese. Though the bells were not rung from the 1970s onwards due to fears for the safety of the tower, ringing resumed in 2000 and the 17th-century bells, along with a sixth added in 1889, are now rung frequently.
Fundator dei gloriae regno augustissimi Iacobi secundi Nathaniele : : Epise Robert Delaval Arm: Praetore Ralph Trotter Rob: Robson Ch Wardens 1687
Founded to the glory of God in the reign of the most august James II, Nathaniel bishop, Robert Delaval mayor, Ralph Trotter and Robert Robson Church Wardens, 1687
—Inscription on the five original bells
Pritchett's new church, in the decorated gothic style, was estimated to cost £3,600 (equivalent to £385,000 in 2021) and was opened with great ceremony in December 1858. The building was described by the Illustrated London News at the time as "the most beautiful specimen of church architecture in the north of England", and was considered by Nikolaus Pevsner to be one of Pritchett's best. It was the first church in Durham to have a spire; which had not been part of Pritchett's original plan, but was added at the behest of Fox, who paid the £400 cost himself. It is a Grade II listed building.
George Carey, later Archbishop of Canterbury, was vicar of St Nicholas from 1975 to 1982. During that time he led a project, supervised by ecclesiastical architect Ronald Sims, in which the pews and the majority of the Victorian interior features of the church were removed to allow the church to be used more flexibly for worship and community activities. Carey's book The Church in the Marketplace describes the process and its impact on the life of the parish.
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the church moved many of its activities online, producing morning and evening services each Sunday as well as daily prayer. Vicar Arun Arora reported that the church had seen increased attendance at some online services compared to previous in-person events, and intended to continue livestreaming its services once in-person gatherings resumed.
The parish is small (covering only the area around the Market Place, Claypath and The Sands) and is bounded by the parishes of Durham's three other ancient city churches - St Giles', St Oswald's and St Margaret's. Historically the parish was densely populated; however, slum clearance in the 1920s (as well as commercial development of previously residential areas) greatly reduced the population of the parish, and though more recent building has increased this a little, the church draws the majority of its congregation from outside its own parish. It has a large student population, and is classified by the Diocese of Durham as its own locality, meaning that its mission is recognised as distinctly different from those of other city centre churches. The church has a long tradition of evangelicalism, and its patronage has been held by the Church Pastoral Aid Society since the mid-19th century.
One notable feature of the reordered church was the Gateway World Shop, which occupied the south-east corner of the church, having its own outside entrance, and sold Fair trade goods. The shop reflected the church's long involvement with the fair trade movement; Richard Adams, founder of Traidcraft, was a member of the church. The shop closed in February 2023 (shortly after Traidcraft went into administration), citing increasing costs and falling profits linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the increased availability of fair trade goods through mainstream supermarkets.
St Nics has a long history of supporting overseas mission. The first bishop of Uganda, Alfred Tucker, left his curacy at St Nics to bring Christianity to Uganda. This support is currently expressed by the church's financial support of the Church Mission Society, South American Missionary Society, the Bible Society, Spanish Outreach Ministries and the Diocese of Lesotho.
Notable clergy
Arun Arora, previously Director of Communications for the Church of England and subsequently Bishop of Kirkstall, was vicar 2017-2022
Pete Broadbent, later Bishop of Willesden, served his curacy here in the late 1970s.
George Carey, later Archbishop of Canterbury, was vicar of St Nicholas from 1975 to 1982.
David V. Day, former Principal of St John's College, Durham, was a non-stipendiary minister from 1999 to 2007, and remains part of the ministry team as of 2021.
Alistair Magowan, later Bishop of Ludlow, was curate here 1984–9.
George Marchant, later Archdeacon of Auckland, was vicar of St Nicholas from 1954 to 1974.
Maeve Sherlock, Baroness Sherlock, became curate here in 2018, and Associate Minister in 2022.
Alfred Tucker, later Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa, served his curacy here in the 1880s.
John Wenham, Biblical scholar, was vicar 1948–1953.
Frank White, later Bishop of Brixworth, served his curacy here in the 1980s.
Durham is a cathedral city and civil parish in the county of Durham, England. It is the county town and contains the headquarters of Durham County Council, the unitary authority which governs the district of County Durham. It had a population of 48,069 at the 2011 Census.
The city was built on a meander of the River Wear, which surrounds the centre on three sides and creates a narrow neck on the fourth. The surrounding land is hilly, except along the Wear's floodplain to the north and southeast.
Durham was founded in 995 by Anglo-Saxon monks seeking a place safe from Viking raids to house the relics of St Cuthbert. The church the monks built lasted only a century, as it was replaced by the present Durham Cathedral after the Norman Conquest; together with Durham Castle it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From the 1070s until 1836 the city was part of the County Palatine of Durham, a semi-independent jurisdiction ruled by the prince bishops of Durham which acted as a geopolitical buffer between the kingdoms of England and Scotland. In 1346, the Battle of Neville's Cross was fought half a mile west of the city, resulting in an English victory. In 1650, the cathedral was used to house Scottish prisoners after their defeat at the Battle of Dunbar. During the Industrial Revolution, the Durham coalfield was heavily exploited, with dozens of collieries operating around the city and in nearby villages. Although these coal pits have now closed, the annual Durham Miners' Gala continues and is a major event for the city and region. Historically, Durham was also known for the manufacture of hosiery, carpets, and mustard.
The city is the home of Durham University, which was founded in 1832 and therefore has a claim to be the third-oldest university in England. The university is a significant employer in the region, alongside the local council and national government at the land registry and passport office. The University Hospital of North Durham and HM Prison Durham are also located close to the city centre. The city also has significant tourism and hospitality sectors.
Toponymy
The name "Durham" comes from the Brythonic element dun, signifying a hill fort and related to -ton, and the Old Norse holme, which translates to island. The Lord Bishop of Durham takes a Latin variation of the city's name in his official signature, which is signed "N. Dunelm". Some attribute the city's name to the legend of the Dun Cow and the milkmaid who in legend guided the monks of Lindisfarne carrying the body of Saint Cuthbert to the site of the present city in 995 AD. Dun Cow Lane is said to be one of the first streets in Durham, being directly to the east of Durham Cathedral and taking its name from a depiction of the city's founding etched in masonry on the south side of the cathedral. The city has been known by a number of names throughout history. The original Nordic Dun Holm was changed to Duresme by the Normans and was known in Latin as Dunelm. The modern form Durham came into use later in the city's history. The north-eastern historian Robert Surtees chronicled the name changes in his History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham but states that it is an "impossibility" to tell when the city's modern name came into being.
Durham is likely to be Gaer Weir in Armes Prydein, derived from Brittonic cajr meaning "an enclosed, defensible site" (cf. Carlisle; Welsh caer) and the river-name Wear.
History
Early history
Archeological evidence suggests a history of settlement in the area since roughly 2000 BC. The present city can clearly be traced back to AD 995, when a group of monks from Lindisfarne chose the strategic high peninsula as a place to settle with the body of Saint Cuthbert, that had previously lain in Chester-le-Street, founding a church there.
City origins, the Dun Cow story
Local legend states that the city was founded in A.D. 995 by divine intervention. The 12th-century chronicler Symeon of Durham recounts that after wandering in the north, Saint Cuthbert's bier miraculously came to a halt at the hill of Warden Law and, despite the effort of the congregation, would not move. Aldhun, Bishop of Chester-le-Street and leader of the order, decreed a holy fast of three days, accompanied by prayers to the saint. During the fast, Saint Cuthbert appeared to a certain monk named Eadmer, with instructions that the coffin should be taken to Dun Holm. After Eadmer's revelation, Aldhun found that he was able to move the bier, but did not know where Dun Holm was.
The legend of the Dun Cow, which is first documented in The Rites of Durham, an anonymous account about Durham Cathedral, published in 1593, builds on Symeon's account. According to this legend, by chance later that day, the monks came across a milkmaid at Mount Joy (southeast of present-day Durham). She stated that she was seeking her lost dun cow, which she had last seen at Dun Holm. The monks, realising that this was a sign from the saint, followed her. They settled at a wooded "hill-island" – a high wooded rock surrounded on three sides by the River Wear. There they erected a shelter for the relics, on the spot where Durham Cathedral would later stand. Symeon states that a modest wooden building erected there shortly thereafter was the first building in the city. Bishop Aldhun subsequently had a stone church built, which was dedicated in September 998. This no longer remains, having been supplanted by the Norman structure.
The legend is interpreted by a Victorian relief stone carving on the north face of the cathedral and, more recently, by the bronze sculpture 'Durham Cow' (1997, Andrew Burton), which reclines by the River Wear in view of the cathedral.
Medieval era
During the medieval period the city gained spiritual prominence as the final resting place of Saint Cuthbert and Saint Bede the Venerable. The shrine of Saint Cuthbert, situated behind the High Altar of Durham Cathedral, was the most important religious site in England until the martyrdom of St Thomas Becket at Canterbury in 1170.
Saint Cuthbert became famous for two reasons. Firstly, the miraculous healing powers he had displayed in life continued after his death, with many stories of those visiting the saint's shrine being cured of all manner of diseases. This led to him being known as the "wonder worker of England". Secondly, after the first translation of his relics in 698 AD, his body was found to be incorruptible. Apart from a brief translation back to Holy Island during the Norman Invasion the saint's relics have remained enshrined to the present day. Saint Bede's bones are also entombed in the cathedral, and these also drew medieval pilgrims to the city.
Durham's geographical position has always given it an important place in the defence of England against the Scots. The city played an important part in the defence of the north, and Durham Castle is the only Norman castle keep never to have suffered a breach. In 1314, the Bishopric of Durham paid the Scots a 'large sum of money' not to burn Durham. The Battle of Neville's Cross took place around half a mile west of the city on 17 October 1346 between the English and Scots and was a disastrous loss for the Scots.
The city suffered from plague outbreaks in 1544, 1589 and 1598.
Bishops of Durham
Owing to the divine providence evidenced in the city's legendary founding, the Bishop of Durham has always enjoyed the formal title "Bishop by Divine Providence" as opposed to other bishops, who are "Bishop by Divine Permission". However, as the north-east of England lay so far from Westminster, the bishops of Durham enjoyed extraordinary powers such as the ability to hold their own parliament, raise their own armies, appoint their own sheriffs and Justices, administer their own laws, levy taxes and customs duties, create fairs and markets, issue charters, salvage shipwrecks, collect revenue from mines, administer the forests and mint their own coins. So far-reaching were the bishop's powers that the steward of Bishop Antony Bek commented in 1299 AD: "There are two kings in England, namely the Lord King of England, wearing a crown in sign of his regality and the Lord Bishop of Durham wearing a mitre in place of a crown, in sign of his regality in the diocese of Durham". All this activity was administered from the castle and buildings surrounding the Palace Green. Many of the original buildings associated with these functions of the county palatine survive on the peninsula that constitutes the ancient city.
From 1071 to 1836 the bishops of Durham ruled the county palatine of Durham. Although the term "prince bishop" has been used as a helpful tool in the understanding the functions of the bishops of Durham in this era, it is not a title they would have recognised. The last bishop to rule the palatinate, Bishop William Van Mildert, is credited with the foundation of Durham University in 1832. Henry VIII curtailed some of the bishop's powers and, in 1538, ordered the destruction of the shrine of Saint Cuthbert.
A UNESCO site describes the role of the bishops in the "buffer state between England and Scotland":
From 1075, the Bishop of Durham became a Prince-Bishop, with the right to raise an army, mint his own coins, and levy taxes. As long as he remained loyal to the king of England, he could govern as a virtually autonomous ruler, reaping the revenue from his territory, but also remaining mindful of his role of protecting England’s northern frontier.
Legal system
The bishops had their own court system, including most notably the Court of Chancery of the County Palatine of Durham and Sadberge. The county also had its own attorney general, whose authority to bring an indictment for criminal matters was tested by central government in the case of R v Mary Ann Cotton (1873). Certain courts and judicial posts for the county were abolished by the Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1873. Section 2 of the Durham (County Palatine) Act 1836 and section 41 of the Courts Act 1971 abolished others.
Civil War and Cromwell (1640 to 1660)
The city remained loyal to King Charles I in the English Civil War – from 1642 to the execution of the king in 1649. Charles I came to Durham three times during his reign of 1625–1649. Firstly, he came in 1633 to the cathedral for a majestic service in which he was entertained by the Chapter and Bishop at great expense. He returned during preparations for the First Bishops' War (1639). His final visit to the city came towards the end of the civil war; he escaped from the city as Oliver Cromwell's forces got closer. Local legend stated that he escaped down the Bailey and through Old Elvet. Another local legend has it that Cromwell stayed in a room in the present Royal County Hotel on Old Elvet during the civil war. The room is reputed to be haunted by his ghost. Durham suffered greatly during the civil war (1642–1651) and Commonwealth (1649–1660). This was not due to direct assault by Cromwell or his allies, but to the abolition of the Church of England and the closure of religious institutions pertaining to it. The city has always relied upon the Dean and Chapter and cathedral as an economic force.
The castle suffered considerable damage and dilapidation during the Commonwealth due to the abolition of the office of bishop (whose residence it was). Cromwell confiscated the castle and sold it to the Lord Mayor of London shortly after taking it from the bishop. A similar fate befell the cathedral, it being closed in 1650 and used to incarcerate 3,000 Scottish prisoners, who were marched south after the Battle of Dunbar. Graffiti left by them can still be seen today etched into the interior stone.
At the Restoration in 1660, John Cosin (a former canon) was appointed bishop (in office: 1660–1672) and set about a major restoration project. This included the commissioning of the famous elaborate woodwork in the cathedral choir, the font cover and the Black Staircase in the castle. Bishop Cosin's successor Bishop Lord Nathaniel Crewe (in office: 1674–1721) carried out other renovations both to the city and to the cathedral.
18th century
In the 18th century a plan to turn Durham into a seaport through the digging of a canal north to join the River Team, a tributary of the River Tyne near Gateshead, was proposed by John Smeaton. Nothing came of the plan, but the statue of Neptune in the Market Place was a constant reminder of Durham's maritime possibilities.
The thought of ships docking at the Sands or Millburngate remained fresh in the minds of Durham merchants. In 1758, a new proposal hoped to make the Wear navigable from Durham to Sunderland by altering the river's course, but the increasing size of ships made this impractical. Moreover, Sunderland had grown as the north east's main port and centre for shipping.
In 1787 Durham infirmary was founded.
The 18th century also saw the rise of the trade-union movement in the city.
19th century
The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 gave governing power of the town to an elected body. All other aspects of the Bishop's temporal powers were abolished by the Durham (County Palatine) Act 1836 and returned to the Crown.
The Representation of the People Act 2000 and is regarded as the second most senior bishop and fourth most senior clergyman in the Church of England. The Court of Claims of 1953 granted the traditional right of the bishop to accompany the sovereign at the coronation, reflecting his seniority.
The first census, conducted in 1801, states that Durham City had a population of 7,100. The Industrial Revolution mostly passed the city by. However, the city was well known for carpet making and weaving. Although most of the mediaeval weavers who thrived in the city had left by the 19th century, the city was the home of Hugh MacKay Carpets’ factory, which produced the famous brands of axminster and tufted carpets until the factory went into administration in April 2005. Other important industries were the manufacture of mustard and coal extraction.
The Industrial Revolution also placed the city at the heart of the coalfields, the county's main industry until the 1970s. Practically every village around the city had a coal mine and, although these have since disappeared as part of the regional decline in heavy industry, the traditions, heritage and community spirit are still evident.
The 19th century also saw the founding of Durham University thanks to the benevolence of Bishop William Van Mildert and the Chapter in 1832. Durham Castle became the first college (University College, Durham) and the bishop moved to Auckland Castle as his only residence in the county. Bishop Hatfield's Hall (later Hatfield College, Durham) was added in 1846 specifically for the sons of poorer families, the Principal inaugurating a system new to English university life of advance fees to cover accommodation and communal dining.
The first Durham Miners' Gala was attended by 5,000 miners in 1871 in Wharton Park, and remains the largest socialist trade union event in the world.
20th century
Early in the 20th century coal became depleted, with a particularly important seam worked out in 1927, and in the following Great Depression Durham was among those towns that suffered exceptionally severe hardship. However, the university expanded greatly. St John's College and St Cuthbert's Society were founded on the Bailey, completing the series of colleges in that area of the city. From the early 1950s to early 1970s the university expanded to the south of the city centre. Trevelyan, Van Mildert, Collingwood, and Grey colleges were established, and new buildings for St Aidan's and St Mary's colleges for women, formerly housed on the Bailey, were created. The final 20th century collegiate addition came from the merger of the independent nineteenth-century colleges of the Venerable Bede and St Hild, which joined the university in 1979 as the College of St Hild and St Bede. The 1960s and 70s also saw building on New Elvet. Dunelm House for the use of the students' union was built first, followed by Elvet Riverside, containing lecture theatres and staff offices. To the southeast of the city centre sports facilities were built at Maiden Castle, adjacent to the Iron Age fort of the same name, and the Mountjoy site was developed, starting in 1924, eventually containing the university library, administrative buildings, and facilities for the Faculty of Science.
Durham was not bombed during World War II, though one raid on the night of 30 May 1942 did give rise to the local legend of 'St Cuthbert's Mist'. This states that the Luftwaffe attempted to target Durham, but was thwarted when Cuthbert created a mist that covered both the castle and cathedral, sparing them from bombing. The exact events of the night are disputed by contemporary eyewitnesses. The event continues to be referenced within the city, including inspiring the artwork 'Fogscape #03238' at Durham Lumiere 2015.
'Durham Castle and Cathedral' was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. Among the reasons given for the decision were 'Durham Cathedral [being] the largest and most perfect monument of "Norman" style architecture in England', and the cathedral's vaulting being an early and experimental model of the gothic style. Other important UNESCO sites near Durham include Auckland Castle, North of England Lead Mining Museum and Beamish Museum.
Historical
The historic city centre of Durham has changed little over 200 years. It is made up of the peninsula containing the cathedral, palace green, former administrative buildings for the palatine and Durham Castle. This was a strategic defensive decision by the city's founders and gives the cathedral a striking position. So much so that Symeon of Durham stated:
To see Durham is to see the English Sion and by doing so one may save oneself a trip to Jerusalem.
Sir Walter Scott was so inspired by the view of the cathedral from South Street that he wrote "Harold the Dauntless", a poem about Saxons and Vikings set in County Durham and published on 30 January 1817. The following lines from the poem are carved into a stone tablet on Prebends Bridge:
Grey towers of Durham
Yet well I love thy mixed and massive piles
Half church of God, half castle 'gainst the Scot
And long to roam those venerable aisles
With records stored of deeds long since forgot.
The old commercial section of the city encompasses the peninsula on three sides, following the River Wear. The peninsula was historically surrounded by the castle wall extending from the castle keep and broken by two gatehouses to the north and west of the enclosure. After extensive remodelling and "much beautification" by the Victorians the walls were removed with the exception of the gatehouse which is still standing on the Bailey.
The medieval city was made up of the cathedral, castle and administrative buildings on the peninsula. The outlying areas were known as the townships and owned by the bishop, the most famous of these being Gilesgate (which still contains the mediaeval St Giles Church), Claypath and Elvet.
The outlying commercial section of the city, especially around the North Road area, saw much change in the 1960s during a redevelopment spearheaded by Durham City Council; however, much of the original mediaeval street plan remains intact in the area close to the cathedral and market place. Most of the mediaeval buildings in the commercial area of the city have disappeared apart from the House of Correction and the Chapel of Saint Andrew, both under Elvet Bridge. Georgian buildings can still be found on the Bailey and Old Elvet most of which make up the colleges of Durham University.
More Essex Churches
These are more examples of Essex Church images that show the Architecture, the Interiors, the Exteriors and especially the Stained Glass Windows that I have taken over the last year or two. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did visiting them.
Chignal Smealy is a small village about 5 miles outside Chemsford in a north-west direction. St Nicholas church is mainly a red brick building of Tudor design with the North Aisle being added later. The Font is also made of Tudor Brick, which is quite unusual and thought to be one of two in the country. It is still used for baptisms.