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Durham Castle and Cathedral
Site number:
370
Type of site: Cultural
Date: 11-12th century
Date of Inscription: 1986
Location: Europe, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, England, County of Durham
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Description: Durham Cathedral was constructed in the late 11th and early 12th centuries to accommodate the Venerable Bede and the relics of St Cuthbert, the evangelizer of Northumbria. It is the largest and finest Norman architectural example in England and it demonstrates the significance of the early Benedictine monastic community. Its vaulting was novel and daring, foreshadowing Gothic architecture. The castle stands behind the cathedral; it is an early Norman fortress that acted as the residence of Durham’s prince-bishops. --WHMNet paraphrase from the description at WHC Site, where additional information is available.
  Durham Castle is a Norman castle in the city of Durham, England, which has been wholly occupied since 1840 by University College, Durham. The castle stands on top of a hill above the River Wear on Durham's peninsula, opposite Durham Cathedral. The castle was originally built in the 11th century as a projection of the Norman king's power in the north of England, as the population of England in the north remained "wild and fickle" following the disruption of the Norman Conquest in 1066. It is an excellent example of the early motte and bailey castles favoured by the Normans. The holder of the office of Bishop of Durham was appointed by the King to exercise royal authority on his behalf: the Castle was his seat. --Wikipedia. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
Source: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/370
Reference: 1. UNESCO World Heritage Center, Site Page.
 
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