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Durham Cathedral was built next to the bishop's castle at the highest point of the city within a loop of the River Wear. It is one of the purest embodiments of Norman architecture. It was preceded by a monastery church from the last decade of the tenth century.
The present large-scale building is a basilica with aisles and an alternating system of supports, porch to the west, façade with two towers, transept with two aisles, choir and rectangular chapel at the east end, replacing the three Romanesque apses. The building was begun by Bishop William of St. Carileph (Guillaume de Saint-Calais, 1081-1096) in 1093. The east section was probably completed by 1104, when the relics of St. Cuthbert were transferred there. In about 1128, the church was completed with the addition of galleries, a clerestory, groin vaulting in the east section and probably a wooden vault in the nave. The rib vaulting was added later, in 1130-60.
The photo shows a view from the north.
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