Martin Roberts will give this talk on Saturday 24th May at 2 pm in Room ER 201, Elvet Riverside, New Elvet, Durham.
It is said that medieval pilgrims approaching Durham from the southeast, stopped and crossed themselves when they first saw the central tower of the cathedral, five miles away. It was a beacon summoning them to the Shrine of St Cuthbert. But the importance of the cathedral view endured beyond the medieval period. Around the city in their rural estates, the local gentry were transforming their inward-looking gardens into wider, more expansive parkland that quite deliberately embraced the sight of the cathedral as an eye-catcher in the landscape.
The topic fits nicely with current work to update the Setting Study for the Durham Castle and Cathedral World Heritage Site. The lecture will be promoted jointly with the World Heritage Site.
