The British Library
Collect Britain – Putting history in place: over 90,000 images and sounds from the UK and beyondSkip to content - (access key = S)
Collect Britain

Durham: Echoes Of Power

"There are two kings in England, namely, the lord king of England wearing a crown... and the lord bishop of Durham wearing a mitre in place of a crown..." - William de St Botolph, 1302

After the Norman Conquest, the Palatinate of Durham, was ruled by prince bishops exercising almost royal prerogatives. At the end of the middle ages, their actual power waned but Durham's prestige remained undimmed. Much of their rich architectural legacy survived to be recorded by artists and antiquarians in succeeding centuries.

In partnership with:
Acknowledgements