On the accession of Philip—the last vicar, Richard de Coldingham, having recently died—
"Four of the monks from St. Cuthbert’s held possession of the church, and lived constantly in it.
"The Bishop ... issued a command that the monks should quit the church. This they refused to do; whereupon the Bishop employed as many as thirty watchmen, who guarded all the doors and windows, so that no food should reach the monks in the church. After two or three days, two of the monks could endure the fast no longer, and abandoned their charge. Their example was shortly followed by the others.... Four days were occupied by negotiations, at the end of which the Bishop confirmed the possession of the church to them ‘for their own proper uses.’"—Boyle.
The church is of various periods, and has a very good clerestory with a fine open-work parapet, and a tower of more than ordinary interest, with a stone staircase in the thickness of the wall, roofed with thirteenth and fourteenth century grave-covers.
St. Margaret’s and St. Giles’s are two city churches of interest. Both have several pre-Reformation bells, and of the latter—
"an interesting fact in the history of this church is that St. Godric, during the period he resided in Durham, was an attendant at its services, and at length became doorkeeper and bellringer."—Boyle.
Pittington Church, dedicated to St. Lawrence, is one of the most interesting churches in the central district of the county. Portions of the western bays of the nave are of Norman date. In the twelfth century great structural alterations were made to the original church, which had consisted of a nave and chancel only. The tower belongs to this period, and the wonderful north arcade pierced through the original north wall of the nave. The arcading of the wall forms four bays, and a fifth was built as an elongation to the east, the original chancel being taken down and rebuilt. The pillars are alternately cylindrical, ornamented with spiral bands, and octagonal with flutings. The arches are of two orders, ornamented towards the nave with chevron mouldings, and resting on octagonal cushioned capitals. During the thirteenth century the church was enlarged by a south aisle being built. The tower arch is also of this period. The date of the clerestory is uncertain. In 1846 the chancel was taken down, and the south aisle entirely, and north aisle partly, rebuilt, and the nave again lengthened. In the splays of an early window in the north wall of the nave are remains of two wall paintings.
"They are undoubtedly portions of a complete series of paintings occupying the whole interior of the first Norman church.... They represent two incidents in the life of St. Cuthbert—viz., his consecration by Archbishop Theodore, and his vision at the table of the Abbess Ælfleda...."—Fowler.
There is an interesting grave-cover in the floor beneath the tower, bearing an inscription to the memory of Christian the Mason, a contemporary of Bishop Pudsey. Also an effigy attributed to the family of Fitz-Marmaduke, Lords of Horden, and several interesting monumental stones.
All the bells, three in number, are of pre-Reformation date.