Cathedral Church Of Christ And St Mary The Virgin

CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF CHRIST AND ST MARY THE VIRGIN

Cathedral church, originally of Benedictine Priory, refounded in 1541 as a secular cathedral.

The main body dates from 1093–1130, begun by Bishop William of St. Calais. The Galilee was added in 1189 for Bishop le Puiset. The west tower tops, east bay, and Chapel of Nine Altars date from 1242–c.1280, with a further tower top stage built between 1464–88. Major restorations took place in the late 18th century, early 19th century, and mid-19th century, notably by Bonomi and Jackson, Pickering and Robson, and Fowler.

The cathedral is built of dressed sandstone with slate roofs. It is cruciform in plan with aisles, east transept aisles, a transeptal eastern chapel, a crossing tower, twin west towers, and a western Galilee.

The Galilee is a single storey with a battlemented parapet and a richly-moulded north entrance. It contains large restored 14th and 15th century windows. The west towers have four lower stages aligned with those on the nave; all have shafted round-arched openings, those on the south side enriched, with the ground stage comprising a blank arcade. The clerestory is set back under a corbel table. The entrances in the second nave bays are elaborately moulded with medieval doors; the north entrance now displays a replica of the sanctuary knocker. The two upper stages of the towers have pointed-arched openings under bands of blank arcading, with a corbel table below a pierced battlemented parapet decorated with crocketed pinnacles. The transepts have outer west stair turrets and blank arcading, with large inserted Perpendicular windows to north and south. The crossing tower has two stages with tall openings under crocketed ogee hoods and a high, pierced parapet. The chancel elevations are similar to the nave except for 2-light windows in the triforium and 19th century Decorated windows in the aisles. The eastern transept is nine bays wide, divided into three and then into single bays by large buttresses, with angle towers topped by short spires; the southern tower has elaborate restored panelling.

The interior features a tall 7-bay nave with alternating compound and incised round piers. The ground stage has intersecting blank arcading with single lights above; the gallery bays have paired arches, and the clerestory has three stepped arches. The cathedral is rib-vaulted throughout, with many ribs enriched. The Galilee has five aisles of even width arranged over four bays, with quatrefoil piers with waterleaf capitals and rich chevron mouldings to the arches and vault ribs. The transepts have two bays with intermediate round arcade piers; the south transept aisle now serves as the Durham Light Infantry chapel. A stellar vault covers the crossing tower. The chancel comprises five bays, with the east bay rebuilt in rich 13th century style, all rib-vaulted; the aisle vaults are specially early examples. The Chapel of Nine Altars is two bays by nine bays in width, with the central three bays treated as a unit. Two stages of tall lancets, multi-moulded and shafted with alternate shafts of Frosterley marble, are set above trefoiled blank arcading. The vaults are quadripartite, the centre section double-ribbed with a central circle.

Among the fittings is the Choir reredos, known as the Neville Screen (1380), which has been much restored though its original figures are lost. The choir stalls and aisle screens date from 1665 and were made for Bishop Cosin; they exhibit an eclectic mixture of Gothic and Renaissance motifs. The font and cover are also of this period. Remains of wall paintings from the late 12th to early 14th centuries survive in the Galilee and nave. Several medieval tomb slabs, chests, and figures are preserved, though in poor condition, notably Bishop Hatfield's monument and throne (1363). Later bishops are represented by stone figures, including a particularly moving monument to Shute Barrington (died 1826) by Chantrey. The cathedral contains much good 19th century stained glass as well as collections of rearranged medieval glass. Prior Castell's clock dates from the early 16th century and was reconstructed in 1938 by S. Dykes Bower.