The Miners' Memorial
Durham has been called ‘the Miners’ Cathedral’, and even today the links between the coal workers and the Cathedral remain strong.
Did you know?
Prominently placed in the South Nave aisle is the Miners’ Memorial, dedicated in 1947 to ‘…the Durham Miners who have given their lives in the pits of this county, and those who work in darkness and danger in those pits today.’
Next to it is a Book of Remembrance, illuminated by the miners’ lamp which hangs above it, and listing the many men and boys who lost their lives in the Durham collieries over the years.
Interesting facts
A new use for an old gift
- The wood of the memorial dates from the 1600s.
- The main part was once a fireplace surround at Ramside Hall, just outside Durham. It was donated to the Cathedral by the Pemberton family.
- The memorial was designed by Donald McIntyre, Cathedral Architect from 1935 to 1969, and much of the conversion work was carried out by craftsman Walter Hollis.
- The cherubs decorating the memorial were originally part of the Father Smith organ case, dismantled in the late 1800s.
Follow the guided tour
You’re in: The Nave You’re at: The Miners' Memorial Next stop: Neville Tombs
- Turn to your left from the Miners' Memorial
- Walk down this aisle
- Half way down you will two large stone tombs on your left
- These are the Neville Tombs