CITY OF DURHAM 



two pendants with ball termination decorated 

 with the Tudor rose. Further to the west 

 is a second head very similar in design, but with 

 the initials R.D. (Bishop Richard Trevor) ; 

 the outlet also has a shield bearing a lion 

 rampant impaling the see ; under it is the 

 date 1754. On the north wall are two others 

 somewhat similar in design, both bearing the 

 initials I.D. (Bishop Joseph Butler) with the 

 date 1752, and a shield displaying two bends 

 fimbriated, impaling the see. 



The lower floor of this block was built by 

 Bishop Pudsey and probably consisted of a large 

 central hall with a ' solar ' (the Senate Room 

 Lobby) at the east end, and one or more com- 

 partments at the west end. This arrangement 

 would appear to have been altered not later 

 than 1500 (Bishop Fox) and a range of two 

 stories formed ; the lower floor level corre- 

 sponding with that of the present north lobby 

 floor level on the west, and the pantry on the 

 east ; the upper floor level corresponding with 

 that of the Bishop's Rooms on the west and 

 Octagonal Room on the east. The existence 

 of a floor at this level appears to be confirmed 

 by the level of the lower steps of a range of four 

 15th-century windows stiU existing behind the 

 stucco of the south wall of the Common Room, 

 but whether there ever was a lower story on 

 the actual site of this room is doubtful. When 

 Bishop Tunstall erected his Gallery, it is clear 

 that his roof interfered with the lower portion 

 of these four windows and there is evidence that 

 the sills have been raised, and Bishops Butler 

 and Trevor would entirely obliterate them with 

 their subsequent work. 



The fine oak ceiling probably belongs to the 

 15th century, and the continuation of this 

 ceiling over the Bishop's lavatory suggests that 

 the whole space between the Octagonal Room 

 and the Bishop's Room on the east and west, 

 respectively, was one large compartment. This 

 latter arrangement probably existed until Bishop 

 Butler formed the Common Room ; he lowered 

 the floor and inserted the north windows, and 

 covered up the windows in the south wall by 

 his stoothings. These four windows are deeply 

 recessed with chamfered segmental rear-arches, 

 and slightly splayed jambs with openings 

 formed with single segmental cinquefoil cusped 

 heads; one of these heads may still be seen in 

 the Bishop's lavatory, masked on the outside 

 with mulhoned 18th-century windows. It may 

 be presumed that before the insertion of Bishop 

 Butler's windows in the north wall these lower 

 compartments depended for light upon the 

 south \vaU. 



The lower hall possesses a magnificent 

 Norman doorway, in wonderful preservation, 

 owing to the fact that it was built up for a 

 long period, and was only opened out by Bishop 



Barrington (1791-1826). It originally formed the 

 state entrance to the Norman Castle, and was 

 probably one of the late works of Bishop Pudsey 

 after the rough work upon the rest of the 

 building was executed. The freshness of the 

 stonework of the arch and the partially decayed 

 condition of the lower part of the jambs, now 

 restored in plaster, indicate that it was ap- 

 proached by a flight of steps open at the sides, 

 but with a roof carried on columns, probably 

 somewhat similar to the stairway at Canterbury. 

 The arch is semicircular and consists of three 

 large and two small orders, with a small modern 

 hood mould executed in plaster. The larger 

 orders rest on enriched cushion capitals with 

 moulded abaci ; the middle and outer orders 

 are carried by circular nook shafts, the smaller 

 running round the arch and jambs interrupted 

 only by the abaci. The orders are finished 

 at the bottom on a chamfered plinth resting 

 on a deeply splayed base. The inner order is 

 square, resting upon a triplet of engaged shafts 

 and capitals as before, and is decorated with 

 a series of square and rectangular moulded and 

 sunk panels, each panel ornamented with 

 beaded strings ; the inner smaller order is 

 rounded and decorated with a flower or rose, 

 with a ball beading on either side. The middle 

 order is ornamented with richly moulded double 

 billets, with strings of small balls. Of the two 

 outer orders, the smaller is square in form, and 

 has the lozenge with ball string on the angle, 

 and the larger consists of a series of hexagonal 

 sunk moulded panels, the angles being fiUed up 

 with small square sunk and moulded panels 

 ornamented with a ball. 



The upper or ' Constable's Hall,' now known 

 as the Norman Gallery, from the manner of 

 its decoration must have formed the most im- 

 portant compartment of this building. Possibly 

 the plan of the lower floor was repeated here, 

 but no sign remains of any divisions. Bishop 

 Hatfield is credited with having removed the 

 Norman roof and of having erected an open 

 timber roof ; he also inserted the large window 

 high up on the west gable. This arrangement 

 is suggestive of one large compartment, at any 

 rate at that period. The present apartments 

 upon the north side were formed by Bishop 

 Crewe, 1674-1722. The Norman Gallery was 

 originally lighted by a range of windows on both 

 sides, each window occupying the centre and 

 largest arch of a series of three arches spanning 

 deep recesses. The centre arch springs from stone 

 lintels with scallop moulding which connects 

 the detached shafts with the wall. The smaller 

 arches on each side are treated in the same 

 manner, but on the wall side spring from 

 engaged shafts worked on to the solid jambs ; 

 all the arches are decorated with the cheveron 

 mould and surmounted by hood moulds. The 



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