St. Nicholas Church, Durham - A Guide for Visitors

A bridge between the Christian Church and the Outside World

Welcome to St Nicholas church. There has been a church on this site from at least 994, though this particular building dates only from 1858. The present interior is the result of a major restoration programme which took place in 1980-81. The story of that restoration has been fully told in The Church in the Market Place (G. L. Carey, Kingsway Publ, 1984).

St Nicholas stands on Walker Gate, next to the site of Clayport, one of the ancient gates of the city. A plaque on the outside wall commemorates its removal in 1791. In former times, travellers arriving safely in Durham would pause to give thanks to God for his protection on their journey. Others, about to leave the city would ask him to watch over them as they faced the dangers of the open road. We, just as much as those early travellers, need to commit our goings out and our comings in to God.

O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise.
You discern my going out and my lying down.
You are familiar with all my ways.
(Psalm 139)

The church was once part of the city's fortifications and though the need for a city wall has passed, St Nicholas is inextricably woven into the life of the city. It is literally a church in the market place and makes up one side of the commercial and civic heart of Durham. It is near shops, banks, building societies, the Town Hall, the tourist information centre and the market. All these centres of real life raise questions for the church in the 21st century. What is the place of the Christian faith in the modern world? How can church buildings reflect the relevance of Christ in contemporary society?

George Carey, vicar of St Nicholas from 1975-1982, later to be Archbishop of Canterbury, had a vision of a church at the heart of the city. He wanted it to be 'an open, attractive building, properly furnished, decorated and equipped. A centre where there would be activity seven days a week...offering hospitality and social care.. .a place, in fact, that would be a natural bridge between the Christian church and the outside world.'

First Impressions

Perhaps you were surprised when you entered the building. On the outside it looks like a mid-Victorian church; inside it's rather different. There are no pews, the platform and holy table are positioned along the side, there's more light than you might expect in such an old building and a shop stands in the corner. You can understand why it's been called St Habitat!

To be honest, not every visitor likes the church this way. It's worth pausing for a moment to ask why the changes were made. Buildings communicate a message. Even though churches that are dark and cold may say something about the mystery of God, they run the risk of making God seem remote and locked into the past. We hope that this church says that God is the Living God, that he is always our contemporary and that the church is a place of welcome, warmth and celebration.

This is one reason why many activities take place in the church which you would not expect to find in a sacred building. It will be used for blood donors, art exhibitions, ceilidhs, concerts and cream teas. It has housed weddings and receptions, the ceremony at one end and the meal at the other. Most Sundays will see the congregation drinking coffee in the same area where they have just taken communion. This inevitably means that the building will get dirty and knocked about. Does this show a lack of reverence? Perhaps our ideas of reverence need to be revised. Reverence, love and fellowship have to be embodied in order to mean anything. A church that serves God and the community will mean a certain amount of mess, dirt and damage.

The Rebuilding of 1858

Go across to the noticeboard by the entrance and stand at the foot of the stairs, facing the stained glass window to your right, high up on the wall and half-hidden by the balcony is a plaque celebrating the ministry of George Townsend Fox.

He was appointed Vicar of St Nicholas in 1856 and served for 26 years. Fox seems to have been the leading mover in the rebuilding of the church in the mid-nineteenth century.

He found a church which was 'an eyesore and a disgrace', seriously dilapidated and in need of urgent repair. A man of means, he personally donated £1177 to a project which cost £5530. Adding three noughts to these figures might give some idea of present day values.

The old church had to be taken down to the foundations. The work began in June 1857 and was finished in December 1858. Apparently the restored church was capable of holding a congregation of 660 people, though you might find it difficult to imagine how they would all squeeze in. The present ground plan and pillars are substantially those of the 1858 restoration.

Fox was clearly a man of vision and not to be trifled with. The architect wanted a tower and spire and included one in his designs. The Restoration Committee were hesitant about the extra expense. Fox was convinced that a spire would add immeasurably to the final appearance of the church and agreed to cover the cost personally, even buying and demolishing a neighbouring building in order to create a more attractive setting.

If you stand in the present entrance porch and look up you will see a memento of Fox's contribution to the restoration - a stone fox proudly keeps watch over the work!

The porch holds other clues to the 1858 rebuilding. In the roof Prichett Architect is remembered on the left and Jackson Builder on the right. In the middle the letters CL and the figures 1858 appear on either side of what appears to be the head of St Nicholas. Inside the church, high above the pillars on the south (Fish window) wall you can see other initials: T/HE IP SN. It is not certain what these letters represent but some believe they mark John Henderson, the chairman of the Restoration Committee, J. P. Pritchett of Darlington, the Architect and Saint Nicholas! On either side of the fish window you can see CL, the initials of Charles Londonderry and FAVML, Frances Anne Vane Marchioness of Londonderry.

The re-opening of the church in 1858 was a grand occasion, reported in detail by the Durham Advertiser for December 24. The church was packed, with many turned away but those who managed to gain entrance heard the first singing ever of the hymn Jesu, lover of my soul to the tune Hollingside, composed by Dr J.B. Dykes, the then vicar of St Oswald's.

Alas, at the time the Durham Advertiser was unimpressed. A report commented sourly that 'the exterior work suffered from pettiness in detail and the interior gave an impression of cold nakedness'. This would not be the last time that the building would be the subject of criticism!

How to spend money is a continuing issue for any Christian congregation. The radical option says, 'Detach yourself from buildings, give every penny to the poor, travel light.' The more traditional view sees that buildings can be a message in themselves - a beautiful place in a functional world is not to be despised. Carved stonework, stained glass, tapestries and banners, all point to the glory of God. Most present day members of St Nicholas are glad Fox put his foot down over the spire. It stands out above the city, pointing us away from the consumerism of the market place and lifting our eyes towards heaven.

The Fish Window

Leave the porch and re-enter the church. Immediately on the left as you enter you will find a window with the symbol of a fish set in the glass. The fish is an ancient Christian symbol. The letters of the Greek word for fish -I CH TH U S -stand for Iesous Christos Theou (h)Uios Soter - Jesus Christ, God's Son, Saviour. The fish is the gospel in glass.

The Fish Window stands in the old doorway. Visitors occasionally come during services and peer in to see what's going on. This is as it should be. For hundreds of years stained glass windows have acted as entry points into the gospel. Of course, from the outside youcan see little of their colour and design. You need to be on the inside looking out through them to appreciate their beauty This is a parable of the Christian life. What may seem strange or irrelevant to the casual observer will come alive when viewed from inside the experience.

From inside you can see the marketplace through the glass. This is a reminder that all of life, however difficult or complex it may be, can be transformed if we look at it through the perspective of faith.

The War Memorials

The two memorials on either side of the Fish Window commemorate those who died in armed conflict. It is a strange thing to read the names of people whom we shall never know Perhaps we can sense something of the pity of war as we reflect on these young men. Many films and books have captured the high, even naïve, hopes of those who set off for victory only to meet the terrible slaughter of the trenches. How was the news of death received by parents, brothers and sisters, Sunday school teachers, Boys Brigade leaders? Such memorials are to be found in almost every village in Britain. They mark the flower of the nation cut down in full bloom.

The vicar during the First World War was Westley Bothamley. His reaction speaks for many: 'Oh, that terrible war. I think of the names, my dear friends, inscribed on that memorial who, had they lived, would have been pillars of the church. I look round and cudgel myself sometimes to think that we are not doing better in the church and then I know that those who would have been in the full strength of their young manhood are all gone.

If you have time, pause and pray for peace in our world, that wars may cease and old hatreds be forgotten. Pray for those damaged by war and those who still grieve over the loss of those they loved. Wars begin in the heart. It may be that you need to forgive and seek reconciliation with someone. The two lines of poetry on the left hand memorial urge us to do our part in making this world a better place so that the sacrifice of those who fought for freedom may not have been in vain.

The Holy Table

As we eat and drink these holy gifts
In the presence of your divine majesty,
Renew us by your Spirit,
Inspire us with your love,
And unite us in the body of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

The most prominent piece of furniture in most churches is the holy table. This particular design emphasises the fact that it is a table. Here Sunday by Sunday the service of Holy Communion or Eucharist is celebrated. At its simplest this service looks back to the Last Supper which Jesus had with his friends, commemorates his death for us on the cross and looks forward to his coming again. Bread broken and wine poured out are not only signs of what Christ did for us; they are also ways in which he feeds us now. At this table God gives us himself. The meal reminds us of all those fellowship meals Jesus enjoyed with his followers during his time on earth and looks forwards to the heavenly feast in the life of the age to come.

At the end of the service the President will remind the congregation that worship should lead to service in the words of the dismissal:

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

The Lectern

Near to the Holy Table stands the lectern, a reading desk designed to carry the Bible. For Christians the Bible is the Word of God. From one standpoint it is just a book, containing two main sections, the Old and the New Testaments, and sixty six 'books'. But from the standpoint of faith the Bible is Holy Scripture, God's word written, the primary witness to God's character and actions in history; it is a window through which we can gaze on the face of Christ.

At every service someone will read a passage from this book and the sermon that is preached will be defined and determined by itsmessage. It is by responding to the words of scripture that the congregation is shaped, directed, challenged, nourished and changed to be more like Christ. The Bible deals with events that happened in the past but as we listen to its story, so the words become living and contemporary, a personal message from God to us.

'Today ifyou hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.'
(The letter to the Hebrews, chapter 3, verse 15)

The Cross

Turn and look up at the glass screen in the Chancel arch at the East end. There you will see a cross in black metal. The cross is a universal Christian symbol which points to the centrality of Christ's death for the Christian faith. This particular design by Ronald Sims, the architect of the 1981 restoration, emphasises the pain and suffering of Christ by means of the brutality of the elongated nails and the crown of thorns. The letters above the cross stand for the Latin inscription Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum - Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews.

Paradoxically, the sufferings of Christ are the hope of humanity. They tell of a God who comes into a broken and sinful world, who will not leave it to go its own way but takes into himself its pain and despair. Notice, though, that the architect has designed an empty cross to point to the Risen Christ of Easter who defeated death and is alive for evermore. The empty cross together with the nails and thorns says that Christ's love is stronger than hate and that his life conquers death.

See from his head, his hands, his feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet?
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

It may be that you have brought a hard knot of pain or guilt with you into this church. For centuries men and women have found release In layingg their burdens down at the foot of the cross. Pause a moment and hand over all that troubles you to the Christ who died to set you free.

Rumours of Life

Unfortunately most churches are empty when people visit. To meet the real church you would need to be here on Sunday. During the week you can only eavesdrop on the life of the community, for the church consists of people not buildings. The display of previous vicars of St Nicholas is a sign that year by year the gospel has been faithfully taught and lived in this place.

Each photograph carries a brief biography. Spare a moment to look at Westley Bothamley, known to some older members of the present congregation as 'the tall man on the bike'. He thought of himself only 'as David's ass laden with bread' - an unusual but telling image of the minister. He confessed that he was constantly troubled by a dream 'that he was in the pulpit and had no sermon prepared.' But, he added, 'Then I preach on one subject, Ye are the light of the world.'

Unfortunately there is no picture of the great George Fox. His powerful preaching of the gospel packed the church to the doors. Yet he knew the pain of ministry. A printed sermon of his bears the title: 'A sermon preached in St Nicholas Church, Durham on Sunday evening, 5th February 1860 on the apostacy and elopement of his late curate by the Rev. G.T.Fox.' We know little of the details of this affair but in the society of that day, the scandal must have rocked Durham. In the sermon Fox says: 'The awful facts which have come to light during the past week are known to you all - have surprised, have grieved, have horrified you all.... Never in the course of my life, have I gone through a week of such deep distress of mind and intense sorrow of heart.' It's clear that the news broke early in the week and as Sunday approached Fox decided that he must grasp the nettle in a public sermon. We overhear the pastor's care for the flock. He speaks of 'the grief of a young and innocent wife, whose dreams of happiness have been thus betrayed and peace destroyed'; he mourns 'for the criminal himself', to whom he could yet 'extend...the right hand of forgiveness, if I knew he were truly penitent. But he is not.' But his chief concern is for the impressionable pupils in the Bible class and those recently confirmed who had been the curate's charge. 'My heart has been full of distress, lest.. . your faith be weakened or destroyed by the dismay of such unheard of wickedness in one in whom you trusted... For if anything would break my heart, it would be tohear that Satan had beguiled you to your ruin through this man s sin.

Fox had a great longing that the people of Durham should be built up in the faith and that the gospel should be free. But the system of renting or buying pew sittings for exclusive use meant that the poorer parishioners were often unable to find a seat. A document dated at the time of the rebuilding declares that 'the pew system as in existence in the Church of England is a great evil.' The eight signatories expressed their 'earnest wish that all the sittings in St Nicholas Church be henceforth and for ever free.' And that is how they have remained to this day!

Look at the titles of the books on the bookstall. They will show that the truth of Christ is relevant to the whole of life. There is no problem or genuinely human need to which Christ cannot speak. The noticeboards give a hint of the concern of the community here for children and young people and for God's work overseas. Feel free to read the noticeboards - no one will think you're being nosy! They're like a snapshot of the living body of Christ at work.

The Church Registers

These are now kept in the archives at County Hall and are no longer available in the church. For those who collect oddities, however, a baptismal entry for 1569 may be of interest:

Mem. That a certain Italian brought into the Cittie of Durham the 11th day of June in the yeare aforesaid A very greate strange and monstrous serpent in length sixteene feete, in quantitie and dimension greater than a horse. Which was taken and killed by speciall pollicie in Aethiopia within the Turke's dominions. But before it was killed it had devoured (as it is credibly thought) more than 1000 persons and also destroyed a whole countrey.

The Fonts

St Nicholas has two fonts - one usually stands just inside the entrance, the other on the left-hand side of the chancel arch. They make an instructive contrast. One is clearly very old, some think it may be the oldest object in the building. The other was made at the time of the 1980 restoration.

The old font was removed from the old church when it was pulled down in 1857. It passed through several hands into the possession of one Matthew Fowler MP, in whose garden it stood for some time. When dying in 1898 he directed it to be restored to the custody of the vicar and wardens. It came home in 1904. The font bears the date 1700 and part of an inscription . . ."ChW..." perhaps a portion of the word "Church Warden".

The fonts remind us of the many children who over the centuries have been signed with the sign of the cross and washed in the waters of baptism. The modern font contains a matt black metal representation of the descent of the Holy Spirit 'like a dove'. No one could call this particular dove faint-hearted or timorous! It descends with incandescent power, recalling the description of Jesus as 'the one who will baptise you with the spirit and with fire'.

If you have time, yuo might like to reflect on your own journey of faith from childhood to the present day. You may feel moved to renew your baptismal promises. Please pray for the children of our nation and for all, young or old, who have been baptised, 'that they may continue Christ's faithful soldiers and servants until their lives' end'.

The Pillars

The pillars are another part of the 1858 restoration. At the spring of each arch they burst into foliage and fruit. Many different kinds of tree are represented and the carving is of a very high quality. You may be able to identifj oaks, vines, and figs. At first you may think there are no animals or birds but if you look closely you will find one pillar (nearest the door) which contains six animals - a wolf? A sheep? A fox? A cat? (It's difficult to make them out). The pillar supporting the left-hand side of the chancel arch contains a lizard and six birds, one feeding her young.

Though God is good, not everything in the garden is lovely.

On yet another pillar (but you will have to look very carefully) you will find a snake coiled round the branches of a tree. No one has come up with a satisfactory explanation of this motif. Perhaps the architect wanted to suggest that Satan can get in anywhere - even into the church! Whatever his reason for including a serpent, you will find a second serpent (or is it the same one at a later point in time?) being attacked by some birds. Are the pillars an echo of Eden? God said to humankind 'You may eat of the fruit of any of the trees in the garden but of the tree that is in the midst of the garden you shall not eat' (Genesis 3:2). Or are the pillars a celebration of God's glory and bounty in creation with just a hint that, though God is good, not everything in the garden is lovely?

The Stained Glass Windows

There are two commemorative windows near the entrance, one inside the shop and the other at the foot of the steps. Both were designed and executed in 1961 by Leonard Evetts of the Fine Arts department at Durham University (Newcastle Division). He was a leading artist and craftsman in stained glass and used mediaeval recipes for colouring, together with varying thickness of glass that gave each piece a jewelled appearance. His lead work departed from the Victorian geometrical patterns and developed mediaeval irregular shapes. The windows are thus an echo of an earlier period in St Nicholas' history.

The right hand window was given in memory of Alderman John Pattinson and his wife. He was Mayor of Durham in 1930 and was made an Honorary Freeman of the city by the Town Council in 1950. The City of Durham crest at the foot of the left-hand panel symbolises his service for the community. The shield at the foot of the right hand panel marks Mrs Pattinson's membership of the Salvation Army.

The subject of the window may seem puzzling but there are clues to its meaning. The centre panel is based on Isaiah chapter 6. The prophet Isaiah kneels in the temple. Above him stands one of the seraphim, with six wings, who cries, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory.' The window thus depicts the story of a man who went to the Temple to pray, encountered God in all his majesty, received His cleansing for sin and was given a task which took up all his energies for the rest of his life. You never know what may happen when you open up yourself to God!

The side panels are based on two of the most famous chapters in the book of Isaiah. The left-hand panel echoes chapter 11. A tree rises from the Star of David and leads to the cross of Christ. 'A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse (ie King David's father) and from his roots a branch will bear fruit.' The star at the top recalls Isaiah 9:2, 'The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light'. It thus points to Christmas and Christ's taking on human form (the incarnation). The right hand panel is based on chapter 53 and contains images of the suffering servant - a whip and a cross. 'He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.' The rose at the top symbolises the joy of salvation - 'the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose' - and points to Easter and redemption.

The left-hand window can be seen from the shop or from the balcony. It commemorates the faithful service of Mrs Ethel Pape, a Sunday school teacher for forty years and depicts Christ scattering seed, a reference to the parable of the sower in Mark's gospel chapter 4, verses 1-20. A grain of wheat is shown at Christ's feet. On the left hand panel are images of sowing, growth and harvest -wheat in a field, a heart devoted to Christ (carrying the letters IHS, the first three letters ofJesus in Greek) and a sheaf reaped. The right hand panel depicts rejection of the word. Thorns grow instead of wheat, a purse hints at the silver of betrayal, and at the top fires of judgement beckon. The dove represents the harvest of the Spirit referred to in Galatians 5:22. At the very top you can see the shields of St James (the pilgrim's shell) and St Nicholas (the pawnbrokefs golden balls). Each Sunday the gospel is taught and preached in churches all over the country. This window poses the question for each of us: 'What is the harvest of my life?'

You never know what may happen when you open yourself to God.

The Quiet Chapel

You enter the chapel by a door on the right, next to the shop. It was originally the chancel of the 1858 church. A small plaque on the wall of the right hand (south) entrance tells how its construction was paid for.

This chancel was rebuilt
At the sole cost of
The Most Noble
Frances Anne
Marchioness of Londonderry
1858

The Marchioness gave £1,000 for the purpose. This is the same Marchioness who ensured that a statue of her husband riding triumphantly on his charger was erected in the market place.

At the 1981 restoration it was decided that as far as possible, the chapel at the East End would always be kept for personal prayer. Here you will find a quiet place, set apart for reflection and prayer. There is a book where you may write your own requests, which will then be prayed for at the midweek communion service. Prayer is the heart of our relationship with God. A glance at the book will show that there is no anxiety or need which is beyond God's love and concern. There is nothing we may not bring to Him.

Take time to be still in the middle of your schedule. You might wish to meditate on the words of Jesus set into the East Window - 'Come unto me all who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest'. Let his peace flood into your heart.

The Screens

It may seem odd to turn from prayer to look at the stone 'screens' which make up the side walls of the chapel. The inscription tells us that these were erected by the Proprietors of the Durham Waterworks Company in memory of Ralph Dixon. Ralph Dixon was a staunch member of the church, and one of the Restoration Committee. Alas! He died during the reconstruction and never saw the new building. He is one of those many people who work diligently but never see the results of their labours. In a sense all ministry islike this - Sunday school teachers and youth leaders, faithful priests and loving grandparents. Such people sow seed in hope that it will bear fruit. Ralph Dixon could hardly have guessed that, in a new millennium, in a world unimaginably different, you would sit here, to be quiet, to reflect and perhaps to pray.

The Waterworks Company remembered him as their vice chairman and a respected colleague. This gift links the church with the water fountains (known locally as The Pant) which stood in the marketplace. The church had responsibility for maintaining these and seems to have carried out its obligations conscientiously. All that is left ofThe Pant now is the statue of Neptune which stands more or less where it did, though without the fountains.

The screens remind us that our daily work is part of our Christian calling and ought not to be separated from our faith or our prayers. Indeed, it is the primary way in which most of us serve the kingdom of God. Discipleship has as much to do with Monday morning as with Sunday services.

'Hear our prayer for your faithful people that each in their vocation and ministry may be an instrument of your love... '
(From the service for the ordination of deacons and priests)

The Holy Table in the Chapel

The inscription links the 1858 church with those which went before it.

THIS TABLE
Made from oak formerly used
in the Belfry of this Church
was given to the service of Almighty God
in grateful memory of George Townsend Fox
by his nephew and successor
H. E. Fox
AD 1889

H E is Henry Elliott Fox later (1896) to be General Secretary of the Church Missionary Society.

The Chapel Organ

The organ also joins present to past. In 1980 a decision was made to remove the organ in order to make way for a kitchen. Since then the congregation have sung to an electronic organ. No one at the time pretended that this was an easy decision to make. Many members of the present congregation vividly remember the difficult and painful meeting at which the pros and cons were debated. In the end the vote to remove the organ represented a commitment to the vision of the new ministry of the church and all that proper kitchen facilities might mean for its mission to the community. However, the old organ was not entirely scrapped and the chapel organ was built out of its parts.

Both table and organ are reminders of the loss and the pain that inevitably accompany change. Yet they also point to the possibility of new roles and new purposes. Many people in our society have been battered and bruised by the speed of change. Unemployment, the break up of family life, the loss of the caring neighbour, anxieties about health or the future leave hardly any of us untouched. It's easy to feel as if all you have worked for has been thrown on the scrap heap. Yet God is the ~God who makes all things new'. Easter is the promise that tomorrow can be better than today. Isaiah's words still have the power to speak to us: 'The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad...'

Easter is the promise that tomorrow can be better than today.

(Please note that the Chapel Organ was completely removed in 2007)

The Gateway World Shop

At the re-opening of the church in 1980 the then bishop of Durham remarked, 'I have never blessed a shop before. I don't suppose it can do much harm and it may well do some good.' A shop may seem incongruous. Visitors sometimes make dark remarks about the moneychangers in the Temple. But this is a special kind of shop.

The Gateway World Shop is a Christian alternative retailing company whose aim is to address poverty and injustice in the third world through its work as a fair trader. In its mission statement the shop declares that it is part of the church's calling 'to participate in the coming of the Kingdom of God.' Like most fair trade shops it aims to promote good working conditions for the producers and fair prices which reflect the true cost of production.

It tries to highlight unfair practices, to encourage the empowerment of women and support environmental sustainability. What has all this got to do with the church? Archbishop Desmond Tutu, when asked a similar question, replied, 'Sometimes I wonder what Bible these people are reading.'

The Statue of St Nicholas

The tour is almost over. As you go out into the marketplace turn and look up at the statue of St Nicholas which stands above the doorway. St Nicholas was a real person who lived in what is now Turkey between 280 and 345 AD. He is better known as Santa Claus. Many of the practices we now associate with Santa Claus are derived from events in St Nicholas' life. He saved the daughters of a poor citizen from prostitution by throwing bags of gold through the window (or down the chimney) under cover of darkness.

His jolly red face, 'the colour of vermilion', is not the result of over indulgence at Christmas but the marks of torture during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian. His care for children is reflected in stories of saving them from being pickled or turned into pies. In the statue outside the church you will see a boat in his hands. St Nicholas is supposed to have stilled a storm and brought terrified sailors to a safe haven. When he prayed in time of famine a ship loaded with grain was diverted in bad weather to his home port. He persuaded the captain to sell him the grain - no doubt for a fair price, It is possible that the historical St Nicholas has much more to teach us than the jolly giant with the white beard and the red nosed reindeer.

---

You may be turning sharp right, round the back of the church and down the steps to your coach. As you do, remember a story from the distant past.

In 1283, during the time of Galfrid de Elme, the Archbishop of York came to Durham to exercise his right as Visitor to inspect the Convent of Durham. He was refused entrance to the Cathedral. Whereupon he proceeded to the pulpit of St Nicholas which was then near the door, and from there attempted to excommunicate the Prior and Convent of Durham.

'He was received with such tumult that he consulted his own safety by flight down the steps near the school and escaped with his own life along the sands to Kepyer', after having had one of his horse's ears cut off in the struggle. The steps have been restored, of course, but you can still imagine the good Archbishop's hasty and undignified exit as he rushed all the way to Kepier. The hospital is still there, about a mile along the River Wear, and the gateway can be seen in remarkably good condition.

What is a Church?

In a confused world,
A place to find direction.
In a noisy world,
A place to dream.
In a divided world,
A place to find fellowship.
In a sinful world,
A place to know the love of God.

A place for loving,
Where the world hates.
A place for hoping,
Where the world is cynicla.
A place for trusting,
Where the world is suspicious.
A place for forgiving,
Where the world holds grudges.
A place for serving,
Where the world grabs,
And for healing the wounds
We carry around inside.
Incumbents Of St Nicholas Church, Durham

Rectors:

Name/Year

Galfrid De Elemer 1133
(Names Lost)
Galfrid De Elme 1267
Peter De Sharters 1308
Andrew Burgeis 1314
Richard De Eryam 1315
William De Orchard 1346
John De Appilby 1348
William De Adelstanes 1354
Robert Bulmer 1355
John Austen 1362
Thomas De Bryston 1376
William De Bowland 1378
John De Hayton 1392
John Burnham 1396
William De Yharum 1405
John De Stafford 1406
Richard Bukley 1418
Thomas Bukley 1437

Curate:

John Swan 1501

Perpetual Curates (Or Vicars):

William Headlam 1556
Christopher Green 1578
John Watson 1582
Robert Dobson 1591
Christopher Wright 1603
Edward Smurthwaite 1629
Francis Forster 1637
Jonathan Devereux
(An Intruder) 1649
Samuel Martin 1663
James Sanderson 1688
Henry Porter 1710
William Eden 1720
John Perkins 1722
Robert Pigot MA 1726
William Forster MA 1749
Jonathan Branfoot 1763
John Robson MA 1783
Edward Davison BA 1802
Edward Davison MA 1825
George Townsend Fox MA 1856
Henry Elliot Fox MA 1882
Robert Bruce Dd
(Hon Canon Of Durham) 1896
Westley Bothamley MA
(Hon Canon Of Durham) 1904
Frederick Henry Pickering MA 1930
Hugh A Evan Hopkins MA 1944
John W Wenham MA Bd 1948
George J C Marchant MA Lth
(Hon Canon Of Durham) 1954
George L Carey Bd Mth Phd 1975
Michael Wilcock 1982
Dale Robert Hanson 1998
John Stephen Bellamy 2008

St. Nicholas Church, The Marketplace, Durham.