So which building is your favourite?
Durham Cathedral.
Do you think that’s an obvious choice – or do you reckon it’s a hidden gem?
An obvious choice if you live in or have spent any time in the North East of England.
Can you tell us a little about its history?
It is a Norman cathedral as you can tell by the thick columns. The site was first used to house the shrine of St Cuthbert in 1093. Since then it has been a monastery and a Cathedral in various iterations. It was declared as a UNESCO heritage site in 1986.
What about your history with the building – what was your first memory of it?
I don’t actually remember the first time I went inside the cathedral, probably because it amazes me every time I walk through the doors. I do remember being nearby for a family 25th wedding anniversary (when in my early teens) and seeing the two towers of the cathedral from the outside high up looking down over the river. I never forgot that view and even some years later when I went to university there, I always knew I was home when I could see the cathedral from the train window.
Is it the inside or outside that does it for you?
Both and please don’t ask me to choose! It’s really a central point in the city although you have to walk slightly out of the centre to find it.
- Outside – you can see it for miles around and there are some amazing views from the riverbanks below and from the surrounding hills. The rose window is spectacular, and we were lucky enough to have a view of it from our student house (also on the same road as the back entrance to Durham Prison so not completely glamorous!).
- Inside – it is stunning! Slightly darker than some other cathedrals due to the thick columns (some of them are stripey and some have zig zag patterns – simple but effective) but the rose window again is a highlight, also the Galilee Chapel and the cloisters. There is a real sense of calm about these places, particularly if you go there first thing in the morning. I also love the Quire and the screen before you get to it, but I would say that as a singer and this was the first place I sung Choral Evensong.
How do you think the lawyers felt about it?
Privileged to work on such a great building! I don’t expect they had delay claims as buildings took so long in those days – quite a few extensions of time otherwise. I hope they had some provisions for war and conquests – pretty turbulent times, I think!
Nothing’s perfect though, is there anything you would change about it?
I would bring it closer to where I live now in Wimbledon so I could go there more. Or, maybe, I should just move back. On a more serious note, the walls were all historically painted with frescoes/murals and I would love to have seen those in their full glory. It’s also quite cold so an effective heating system would be good. I remember a friend’s ordination once in July and it being bitterly cold.
Do you think it will last?
Urm…it’s been there for hundreds of years so I think it might just!
Have you got any others to tick off?
Loads. I love buildings, particularly cathedrals and especially if I can go and sing in them! I have not yet been to Ely Cathedral or Wells Cathedral (if I have, I was too little to remember) and loads of others. Straying away from this theme though, I’d love to see the ruins of various ancient civilisations in Mexico and Central America, Machu Picchu in Peru for example and Chichen Itza in Mexico.
Any honourable mentions?
Temple Church – unique, beautiful, quiet and obviously it has a connection with the legal profession, and the V&A.
Dishonourable mentions?
Various tall office-y looking buildings on the A3 around Tolworth and most retail parks – when you can have market towns and villages with charm, why build these soulless places!
