A name close to Durham’s heart
In the 11th century, Queen Margaret brought a fragment of the Holy Cross, later known as the Black Rood, to Scotland. This relic was captured at the Battle of Neville’s Cross, which took place a few miles west of the Cathedral, in 1346.
It was presented to Durham Cathedral and honoured until the Reformation, when it was lost.
Dedicating the space to the Holy Cross recalls the church built by Constantine in Jerusalem on the site identified as the place of the crucifixion.