Durham Cathedral Priory 1083–1539

The city of Durham is dominated by the twin monuments of its medieval cathedral and episcopal castle-palace. Facing each other across the open space of Palace Green, they crown the summit of a narrow-mouthed peninsular which is tightly bound by a loop of the River Wear. Long recognized as a magnificent Anglo-Norman achievement, the present Durham Cathedral, founded in 1093, is considered one of the great buildings of Western Europe: a building of immense dimensions and technological daring.1 In its original Romanesque form its length of 123 metres is estimated to have slightly exceeded that of Old St Peter’s in Rome.2 Durham Cathedral was conceived as a suitably monumental setting for the mortal remains of St Cuthbert, whose body was translated there in 1104.3 The elaborate complex of cathedral church and monastic buildings bears witness to an age characterized as one in which ‘faith held such an empire on the minds of men that they were persuaded to build churches to the greater glory of God, and to think no building too magnificent for His service’.4 Besides this monumental legacy in stone, the monks of Durham Cathedral Priory have bequeathed to us an administrative archive of great richness in which upwards of 4,500 financial and accounting records and documents still survive. This chapter explains the purpose and function of the cathedral priory as a medieval institution before sketching the origins, foundation and demise of Durham Cathedral Priory and identifying a number of events and persons significant in its 460 years of existence. It then examines the assets with which the priory was endowed, and the management practices adopted to administer its resources and enable satisfactory performance of its functions. Finally, a number of threats and challenges to the resources available for the adequate fulfilment of these activities are then outlined.