Durham CathedralDurham Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Durham, England. The cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Durham and is the mother church of the diocese of Durham. It also contains the shrines of the Anglo-Saxon saints Cuthbert and Bede. There are daily Church of England services at the cathedral, and it received 393,090 visitors in 2024.
Bishop of DurhamThe bishop of Durham is head of the diocese of Durham in the province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is invariably a member of the House of Lords. The current bishop, in office since 29 April 2026, is the Right Reverend Richard Simpson (formerly Archdeacon of Auckland). The bishop is officially styled The Right Reverend (First Name), by Divine Providence Lord Bishop of Durham, but this full title is rarely used.
Prior of DurhamThe Prior of Durham was the head of the Roman CatholicDurham Cathedral Priory, founded c. 1083 with the move of a previous house from Jarrow. The succession continued until dissolution of the monastery in 1540, when the priory was replaced with a Church of England deanery church. After the Benedictine monastery was dissolved, the last Prior of Durham, Hugh Whitehead, became the first Dean of Durham, heading the cathedral's secular chapter.
CuthbertCuthbert () (c. 634 – 20 March 687) was a saint of the early Northumbrian church in the Celtic tradition. He was a monk, bishop and hermit, associated with the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne in the Kingdom of Northumbria, today in north-eastern England and south-eastern Scotland. Both during his life and after his death, he became a popular medieval saint of Northern England, with a cult centred on his tomb at Durham Cathedral.
Dissolution of the monasteriesThe dissolution of the monasteries, also known as the suppression of the monasteries, was a set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541, by which Henry VIII disbanded all Catholicmonasteries, priories, convents, and friaries in England, Wales, and Ireland, seized their wealth, disposed of their assets, destroyed buildings and relics, dispersed or destroyed libraries and provided for their former personnel and functions.
Durham, EnglandDurham ( DURR-əm, locally ) is a cathedral city and civil parish in County 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. The built-up area had a population of 50,510 at the 2021 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.AldhunAldhun of Durham (died 1018 or 1019), also known as Ealdhun, was the last Bishop of Lindisfarne (based at Chester-le-Street) and the first Bishop of Durham. He was of "noble descent". Since the late 9th century the see of Lindisfarne was based at Chester-le-Street because of constant attacks from invading Danes. However, in 994 King Æthelred II of England had paid a Danegeld (protection money) to King Sweyn I of Denmark and King Olaf I of Norway in return for peace.
CnutKing of Denmark, Norway and England (c.995–1035)Cnut ( ; Old Norse: Knútr; c. 995 – 12 November 1035), also known as Canute and with the epithet the Great, was King of England from 1016, King of Denmark from 1018, and King of Norway from 1028 until his death in 1035. The three kingdoms united under Cnut's rule are referred to together as the North Sea Empire by historians.
Chester-le-StreetChester-le-Street () is a market town in County Durham, England. It is located around 6 miles (10 km) north of Durham and 9 miles (14 km) south of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The town holds markets on Saturdays. In 2021, the town had a population of 23,555.
EnglandCountry within the United KingdomNot to be confused with United Kingdom.England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and more than 100 smaller adjacent islands.
BenedictinesThe Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (Latin: Ordo Sancti Benedicti, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplativemonasticorder of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, they are the oldest of all the religious orders in the Latin Church.
Henry VIIIKing of England from 1509 to 1547Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England and Ireland from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry was born in Greenwich as the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. His elder brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales, was heir apparent and married Catherine of Aragon, a Spanish princess. Arthur died in 1502, and Henry was created Prince of Wales in 1504.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.