Extremely well seated in a bend of the Vedra. The neck of the peninsula is guarded by a strong castle, with a great tower upon a keep, or mount: it is now the bishop’s palace: all beyond that is the abbey-ground. The city lies before the castle, and on both sides the river: this being very high ground, the back side of every street has gardens, with a fine prospect over the river. It would be very strange if the Romans missed so fine and strong a situation, so near the great road; yet I do not hear of any antiquities found here: but eastward over the river, upon another peninsula of high ground, I saw a camp, called Maidencastle, which I judge to be theirs: it is almost incompassed too by a rivulet falling into the river from the east: it is of an oblong form, 500 foot long, very steep on three sides; the neck is guarded by a rampart, and without that, at some little distance, with a ditch. The prospect is large, more especially eastward.
69·2d. Roman Monuments now in Durham Library.
Stukeley delin.
Sturt. sc
The church antiquities of this place are capable of a large history, if pursued thoroughly by a judicious hand: it would give one a good idea of the ancient manner and magnificence of our great abbeys: there are no where such remains of that kind left among us. The revenues hereof are very great; which enables them to keep every thing in good repair, and to live very splendidly: indeed the whole city is supported only by the church. The cathedral is a very large and majestic pile, of the Saxon manner of building intirely, and all of a piece, except the east end transept and middle tower, and some later windows of mullion-work put into the old frames. I call that the Saxon manner which was in use among us at the time of the Conquest; being somewhat Roman degenerate, with semicircular windows, and arches, and great round pillars; the walls very thick, without buttresses: these, I suppose, together with pointed arches, slender pillars, and the like, which we call the Gothic, came from France. Very few monuments are left here: one of a bishop, under the bishop’s throne: in the choir the largest one, of a bishop, I ever saw; it is upon the ground, composed of two huge flat stones: the brass of it, which was proportional, is pulled off. Here are many of the ancient original copes, very richly embroidered, in which they officiate at the sacrament service; a custom here only preserved. The screen at the high altar is of stone, with pinacle work, somewhat like that at St. Alban’s; with many niches for images: behind is the stone under which lies the body of St. Cuthbert, and upon which stood his shrine. The eastern wall of the church is one intire transept, as long as the cross transept (I think,) and called the Nine Altars, from so many there placed. Much painted glass of saints, &c. Two images, among others left, are those of St. Cuthbert, and venerable Bede. The dome under the middle tower is very high, with a handsome balustrade of ancient manner within side. At the west end, built upon a high wall from the edge of the river, is a place called the Galilee, consisting of five ailes supported with handsome pillars: the use of it, and the meaning of the name, I know not; but the middlemost seems to have been an oratory, to pray for the soul of the founder of it, whose tomb stands at the east end: his arms are, Palé of ten, a mullet for difference. Near it, under a plain black tomb, lies the great Bede, the light of learning in darkest times; the first and the last among the monks. The cloisters are large and handsome; so is the chapter-house. The dean’s lodging is that of the prior’s; for the most part preserved in its primitive state; the hall, the parlour, large and stately; the prior’s lodging-room well cieled, and roofed with Irish oak, which Mr. Gale conjectures as old as Richard the Second’s time, by the chained white-harts carved therein: the prior’s kitchen is intire; a curious piece of geometry in stone, and vies with that of the abbot of Glastonbury; octagonal, with square outlets at the corners. The prebend’s houses are all very good. A large and handsome library, founded by dean Subden; his picture at full length at the end of it. Here is an excellent and large collection of old manuscripts; a very fine Latin Bible in three volumes; a psaltery wrote by Bede; a collection of Roman and others coins. Sir George Wheeler, a prebend here, gave his intire collection of Greek and other coins, which he collected in his travels; together with some natural curiosities, particularly the impressions of fishes, and other antediluvian matters, upon slate. Here are a great many Roman altars, inscriptions, basso relievo’s, &c. belonging to our own country;[TAB. LXXIV.] which they got from about the Picts Wall, Lanchester, &c. We were particularly favoured with a sight of the treasury as called, being a very numerous repository of the charters, bulls, inspeximus’s, and muniments, belonging to the church, from the kings of England, Scotland, popes, bishops, &c. digested into lockers: among others, an original Magna Charta. We saw likewise the old dormitory of the monks.
In the minster-yard are some monumental stones of knights, and a lady on the ground, with others of flower-work: among them I saw a Roman altar set for a grave-stone, but no inscription left. Likewise Dr. Hunter showed me a Roman head in a garden-wall: if I be not mistaken, it is of Marcus Aurelius. The doctor has a great collection of antiquities. On a coral-coloured patera the potter’s mark, AMANDVS: many of these vessels curiously wrought with lions, flowers, &c. found at Binchester, Vinovium: the clay is there met withall, and there was a great pottery. He showed us a pretty onyx, found at Piercebridge: I think it is Psyche. He says there was an aqueduct at Lanchester: many inscriptions broke there, just before he went. He has a recipient celt, found with some others, and an odd piece of cast brass, at Weremouth near Sunderland, by the sea-side: the edge of the celt is turned up at both ends, and confirms my notion of the use of them, being designed for no great force: it is three inches and a half long, pretty much worn, but sharp yet.
There was a Roman city at Pierce bridge: remains of the castle-ditch. Cunscliff, a mile off, was the place they had their stone from; and there the inscription was found; whence some would fix Condate at this place, though it is plainly Dis Manibus Condati, &c. and refers to a man, not a city. There is an old chapel on the bridge. They call the Roman road here the Watling-street. A brass Jupiter fulminans, and a genius alatus, found at Lanchester, at Dr. Hunter’s. A golden inscription to Hercules, in the library at Durham.
From Pierce bridge we entered immediately upon the Roman road, which comes to the river a little lower down than the present bridge: it is a broad, very strait, and hard road at this day; the great ridge of stone originally laid, being not worn out through so many ages, though broken and in great need of reparation. Several mile-stones by the way. Upon a moor we saw a branch run from it north-west, which goes to Bowes, Lavatræ, and other stations towards Carlisle.