Durham Cathedral Size report

Durham Cathedral is a Romanesque church located in Durham, a city in northeastern England. It is the cathedral of the Anglican Church of Durham, founded in 1093-1133. The cathedral is strategically located on the River Weir's heights, and the bishop's residence is nearby Durham Castle. The Bishop of Durham, fourth in the Anglican hierarchy, stood at the monarch's right hand during the coronation.

Durham Castle was built in 1072 and has undergone several changes, but the overall building still reflects its Norman style. The location of the movie adaptation of J.K. Rowling's series of novels, "Harry Potter." Since 1837, Durham University has taken over the castle as a school building.

Because there are many relics with historical and architectural value, in 1986, according to the selection criteria for cultural heritage, Durham Cathedral and Castle was approved by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee as a cultural heritage and included in the "World Heritage List." Let's find out more interesting facts about Durham Cathedral.

Durham Cathedral Size and Structure

Durham is famous for its cathedral and castle, built in the Norman period, towering on the top of the steep stone slope of the Weir. The Durham Cathedral and its outbuildings are to the south, and the castle is to the north. Behind the cathedral stands the castle, an ancient Norman fortress that was the residence of the prince-bishops of Durham. Most of the cathedral's buildings have a history of more than 900 years, and the relics of St. Cuthbert and St. Bede, the evangelists of Northumbria, are enshrined inside, showing the prominent status of the early Benedictine monks.

Durham Cathedral is the most typical and largest Norman church in the UK, featuring thick columns, rounded arches, high windows, and thick walls. Two symmetrical square towers stand on the west side of the church, and another majestic tower rises in the middle. On the north gate of the church, there is a grimace decorated with a polished copper ring in its mouth, a relic of the 12th century. In the Middle Ages, countless unbelievers endured hardships to hold on to this door knocker and ask for God's forgiveness.

Measurements of Durham Cathedral

The size of Durham Cathedral was unusual for the time, with an interior length of 143 meters, a nave of 60 meters long, and 12 meters wide, reaching a respectable height of 22 meters. The central tower is 66 meters, and the two western towers are shorter at 44 meters. One of the most architecturally successful parts of Durham Cathedral is the stone vault of the main hall, the earliest church with a wide stone vault in the Western world.

Final Words

Durham Cathedral is considered the largest and most outstanding Norman architecture in the UK. The bold innovation of its vault has heralded the birth of Gothic architecture. The construction process of this medieval-style church is no different from that of a modern factory. The production of bricks is as uniform as possible, and precision is the most basic requirement. Currently, Durham Cathedral is the main tourist attraction in Durham, and the 66-meter-high bell tower can overlook the nearby scenery.