CITY OF DURHAM 



Their internal sills are lower than those of 

 St. Calais' windows, the string-course marking 

 the sill-level of which has been lowered about 

 9 in. in the second and third bays, and has been 

 replaced by a 14th-century string-course in the 

 fourth bay. In each bay is a stone bench ; that 

 in the third bay opposite the site of Bishop 

 Skirlaw's altar is of the late 14th or early 15th 

 century, and the front has multifoiled circular 

 panels containing Skirlaw's shield of arms 

 alternating with smaller cinquefoil-headed 

 panels. The bench in the second bay is quite 

 plain, while that in the fourth bay has a pro- 

 jecting moulding with nail-head enrichment and 

 is stopped by a doorway formerly leading to the 

 Sacrist's Exchequer, or later Song School.'* 



The windows of the south aisle are also 14th- 

 century insertions. They are each of four lights 

 with flowing tracery in a two-centred head, 

 and are said to have been ' restored as they were 

 found' in 1842. The original sill-string has 

 been replaced by a 14th-century siU-string. In 

 the third bay is a plain stone bench. The wall- 

 arcade in the fourth bay has been partly cut 

 away for the insertion of two doorways ; the 

 eastern, which is of the 13th century and 

 has a trefoiled head and shafted jambs, is the 

 * reuestrye ' doorway of Rites, while the 

 western doorway, a 14th-century insertion, may 

 perhaps have opened to stairs to the ' Chamber ' 

 over the west end of the vestry. The ribs of the 

 quadripartite vaults which cover each bay of the 

 original portions of the aisles are moulded with 

 hoUow-chamfered edges and have half-rounds on 

 their soffits. 



Traces of the fittings of the aisles described 

 in Rites can still be seen in the stonework. 

 In the easternmost bay of the north aisle was 

 the loft or 'porch' called the ' Anchoridge.' 

 In it was ' an altar for a monke to say dayly 

 masse beinge in antient time inhabited with an 

 Anchorite, wherunto the Pretors (priors) were 

 wont much to frequent both for the excellency 

 of the place as also to heare the masse standinge 

 so conveniently unto the high altar . . . the 

 entrance to this porch or Anchoridge was upp 

 a paire of faire staires adioyninge to the north 

 dore of St. Cuthbert's feretorie, under the w"^*" 

 staires the pascall did lye. . . .' The fifth and 

 westernmost bay of the aisle, which opens into 

 the eastern aisle of the north transept, was 

 occupied by a ' porch . . . hauinge in it an 

 altar and the rood or picture of our sauiour, 

 w'^'' altar and roode was much frequented in 

 deuotion of D''' Swallwell sometime monke of 

 Durham. . . .' In the easternmost bay of the 



south aisle ' adiojTiinge to the pillar next St. 

 Cuthberts Feretorie, next the Quire door on 

 the south side there was a most fair Roode or 

 picture of our Saviour, called the black rood of 

 Scotland with the picture of Mary and John 

 being brought out of holy rood house in Scotland 

 by King David Bruce, and w-as wonne at the 

 battle of Durham with the picture of our Lady 

 on the one side of our Saviour and the picture 

 of St. John on the other side, the which Rood 

 and pictures were all three very richly wrought 

 in silver, the which were all smoked black over, 

 and on every one of their heads, a Crowne of 

 pure bett gold of goldsmithes work. . . .' The 

 rood was attached to ' fine Wainscot work . . . 

 redd Varnished over very finely, and all sett 

 full of starres of Lead, every starre finely guilted 

 over with gold. . . .' 



On the south side of the quire, between the 

 piers of the western arch of the east double bay, 

 is the MONUMENT OF BISHOP HATFIELD 

 (d. 1 381), with the great throne of stone above 

 it erected by the bishop during his lifetime. 

 The alabaster effigy of the bishop lies on a high 

 table tomb with moulded plinth and arcaded 

 sides, the canopy of which forms the ground 

 story of the throne. This is an elaborate 

 piece of work, open to the north and south by 

 foliated segmental arches, on each side of which 

 are trefoiled niches containing brackets for 

 statues, flanked by narrow buttresses of two 

 stages terminating in pinnacles. The arches 

 are richly moulded and have large shields with 

 the bishop's arms in the spandrels ; the arms 

 also occur on smaller shields all over the monu- 

 ment, the ground work of which is of rich diaper. 

 The canopy has a lierne vaulted roof with 

 moulded ribs, the intersections of which have 

 bosses of sculptured foliage, and on the walls 

 at the east and west ends are the remains of 

 paintings representing in each case two angels.^ 

 A flight of steps on the east side leads from the 

 quire to the throne, which is a kind of pulpitum 

 or gallery containing five seats, for the bishop 

 and his chaplains. The fronts of the seats 

 have quatrefoil panelling and that of the bishop 

 projects in hexagonal form. This middle seat 

 has above it a hexagonal niche with canopy of 

 rich design, and above this again is another 

 canopied niche rising to a considerable height. 

 The backs of the other seats are panelled in the 

 lower part, and above is open tracery work 

 with canopied niches for statues flanking the 

 central opening at a lower level. The back 

 of the throne thus forms an elaborate piece of 

 stone tabernacle work in five bays divided by 



'1 The Exchequer was built by Wessington (1416- 

 1446) and pulled down about 1633-34. ^^^ doorway is 

 now blocked ; externally all traces of it have been 

 effaced. 



*^ Those at the east end hold blank sliields ; the 

 painting at the west end is badly damaged and the 

 objects held by the angels cannot be identified — they 

 were probably shields. 



107 



