city of Durham

Though small, Durham is one of the great cities of Britain. It is best seen from the 1857 railway viaduct to the west of the town, which looks down on the great loop of the river Wear, across to the cathedral and the castle. The first settlement was probably at Elvet, where Pehtwine was consecrated bishop of Whithorn in c.762: the church is dedicated to St Oswald ( d. 642), suggesting a 7th- or 8th-cent. foundation. But the arrival of the remains of St Cuthbert in 995 drew pilgrims and the diocese was transferred from Chester-le-Street. After the Norman Conquest, building of the castle was ordered by William I in 1072 and the foundation stone of the cathedral laid by William of St Carilef in 1093. Durham developed into an important regional capital and administrative centre.