Medieval Graves
Buried beneath the floor of the Chapter House are some of the early Bishops of Durham.
Until the 1300s there were no other burials allowed in the Cathedral. This was because it was believed that to do so would be an insult to St. Cuthbert. The Bishops of Durham were therefore buried under the floor of the Chapter House where the monks who came after them could remember them. Most of these graves are now covered over in order to protect them from damage.
Notable people
Bishop Aldhun (995-1018)
Bishop Aldhun was the last Bishop of Lindisfarne and the first Bishop of Durham. After leaving Chester-le-Street Aldhun led the community of St. Cuthbert who protected his body as it was carried around the North East. In 995, and after receiving a vision from Cuthbert, Aldhun brought him to his final resting place, Durham. The site upon which the Cathedral is now built was first made Holy in 998.
Bishop William de St.-Calais (1080-1096)
Bishop William de St. Calais served as an advisor to both William I and William II. In 1088 he supported a rebellion by Odo of Bayeux, the uncle of William II, to place the king’s brother on the throne. He was exiled to Normandy but returned to favour and Durham in 1091. It was on his orders that work began on building the Cathedral. The first stones were laid on August 11th 1093. When his grave was opened the intact remains of his robe and sandals were found.
Bishop Ranulf Flambard (1099-1128)
Flambard means ‘devouring flame’, a nickname given to him for his fiery personality. He spent the early part of his career working on the Domesday Book and in service to King William II as his main administrator and tax collector. He was sent to the Tower of London by Henry I in August 1100, the first prisoner to ever be kept there. On February 3rd 1101 he became the first person to ever escape the Tower. After getting his guards drunk he used some smuggled rope to climb down the tower wall. Fleeing to France he joined an invading army before making peace with Henry.
In 1104 Flambard was present when Cuthbert’s relics were moved into the newly built Shrine.
In 1120 he oversaw the construction of Framwellgate Bridge, the first stone bridge in Durham.
When his grave was excavated in 1874 he was discovered to have been buried with his chalice, paten (a cup and plate used during Communion for the wine and bread), a sapphire ring and his crozier. The crozier is silver coated iron decorated with various Scandinavian animal patterns.