Bells Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Durham | Page 4

fled, taking with them the body of their saint, and all their sacred vessels and books. This occurred in A.D. 875.
Here commenced that long wandering which eventually ended in the founding of the Cathedral Church of Durham, where the bones of S. Cuthbert found their final resting-place.
Bishop Eardulph and his monks, with their sacred charge, travelled for seven years, over a great portion of the north of England and part of the south of Scotland. Many churches dedicated to S. Cuthbert in the north are thought to mark their resting-places. From a list of these given by Prior Wessington the probable route of the wanderers can be approximately, made out as follows:--First to Elsdon and down the Rede to Haydon Bridge. Up the South Tyne to Beltinghame, and then following the route of the Roman Wall to Bewcastle. Turning south to Salkeld, and thence by Eden Hall and Plumbland into Lancashire, towards the river Derwent. Here they came to a determination to cross to Ireland, and took ship from the mouth of the Derwent. Very soon a violent storm arose, the vessel became unmanageable and was nearly filled with water, which, according to Symeon, immediately turned into blood. A return was inevitable. It was during this attempt that the famous copy of the Gospels, known as the Durham Book, was washed overboard into the sea. This book is, perhaps, the most beautiful example of Anglo-Saxon writing and illumination extant, and is surpassed only by the celebrated Irish MS., the Book of Kells. It was shortly afterwards found on the coast in a comparatively uninjured condition; and is now preserved in the British Museum. The wandering monks next turned northwards as far as Witherne, on the Galloway coast, and then returned to England, through Westmoreland and across Stainmoor into Teesdale, staying for a time at a village, which no doubt owes it present name Cotherstone to this circumstance. Leaving here and crossing the hills, through Marske, Forcett and Barton, they arrived at the abbey of Craike, near Easingwold, where they were kindly treated by the abbot, and remained about four months. On resuming their journey the monks removed the body of S. Cuthbert to Cuncachester, or, as we now know it, Chester-le-Street, a former Roman camp. Here the fraternity remained for a hundred and thirteen years; and here was the seat of the Bishopric of Bernicia until A.D. 995. Many are the legends clustering round these journeyings. How, when leaving Lindisfarne, the sea opened a passage for them, and how in more than one difficulty the dead saint himself gave them assistance. Notably, on one occasion when the bearers were worn out and weary he appeared and showed them where they would find a horse and car in which to carry their burden. This horse and car were afterwards used on their journeys.
In the year 995, again for safety, they removed once more under Bishop Aldhun, first for a short time to Ripon, and then finally to Durham. It is of this last journey the following story is told:--
"Coming with him" (v. Sanderson), "on the East Side of Durham, to a Place call'd Wardenlawe, they could not with all their Force remove his body further, for it seemed fastened to the Ground; which strange and unforeseen Accident produced great Astonishment in the Hearts of the Bishop, the Monks, and their Associates; whereupon they fasted and prayed three Days with great Devotion, to know by Revelation from God, what to do with the holy Body, which was soon granted to them, it being revealed to Eadmer, a virtuous Man, that he should be carried to Dunholme, where he was to be received to a Place of Rest. They were again in great Distress, in not knowing where Dunholme lay; but as they proceeded, a Woman wanting her Cow, called aloud to her Companion, to know if she had seen her? Who answered, She was in Dunholme. This was an happy and heavenly Sound to the distressed Monks, who thereby had Intelligence that their Journey's End was at Hand, and the Saint's Body near its Resting-place; thereupon with great Joy they arrived with his Body at Dunholme, in the Year 997."
[Illustration: The Dun Cow.]
Arrived at Dunholm they raised a "little Church of Wands and Branches" to protect the sacred relics until a building more worthy of such a charge could be erected. This was the beginning of the Cathedral and City of Durham.
The condition of the place at this time must have been very wild, and it certainly was a natural stronghold. The only open spot seems to have been the plateau where the cathedral now stands. The site is curiously described in a Saxon poem, from which the following is a translation:--
The City is celebrated In the whole Empire of the Britons