Philip Nixon – författare

Saint Cuthbert, the best-loved Northern saint, was born in the early seventh century and lived during an exciting and mysterious time in the history of Northumbria. During his life he had connections with many places - the Lammermuir Hills, Melrose, Ripon in North Yorkshire, the Farne Islands, Whitby, Carlisle, Coldingham, Coquet Island and Lindisfarne - where he served both as prior and bishop. He made many excursions into wild Northumbria to spread the word of Christianity. Cuthbert died on Inner Farne on 20 March 576 AD but his fame did not end there. Eleven years after his death his body was found to be incorrupt. Lindisfarne became a place of pilgrimage - the Lindisfarne Gospels were produced in his honour and his great following further developed. He had prophesied the Viking invasion that made the monks of Lindisfarne take his coff and flee the island to wander for seven years. They eventually settled in Chester-le-Street, near Durham, for over a hundred years until they fled from the Vikings again - this time to Ripon. On their return they found the island peninsula of Durham, and this was chosen as the final resting place for St Cuthbert. Eventually the Normans built the magnificent Durham Cathedral, now a World Heritage Site, to house his tomb. His cult following was as great as that of Thomas Becket. In this lavishly illustrated history of St Cuthbert, Philip Nixon guides the reader through the scenery and architecture that formed the backdrop to the saint's life, work and legacy.

DURHAM CATHEDRAL is regarded as the finest Romanesque building in Europe. Along with the neighbouring castle it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 - one of only two English cathedrals to hold such an honour. In an online poll held by the Guardian in 2011 to find Britain's favourite building, Durham Cathedral enjoyed a runaway victory. Many superlatives have been heaped on this magnificent church, standing high above the ancient medieval city, on its protective peninsula formed by the River Wear. It is at once spiritual, powerful and poetic, the mystic heart of the North East. Built by the Normans to house the shrine of St Cuthbert, and also containing the shrine of St Bede, the Father of English History, its inward beauty matches its exterior. The first impression of the nave, on entering at the west end, is both incomparable and unforgettable. This book is a journey in words and images through this wonderful building. It seeks to present the Cathedral's many facets: architectural, historical, artistic, spiritual and humane. Its authors have come to admire and love this building over two lifetimes, and offer their personal interpretation of it as an invitation to a pilgrimage. They hope that this is a book to remember the Cathedral by. Perhaps it can be more than a souvenir: rather, a book that captures the spirit of the place and keeps it alive for all who have come to cherish it as the authors do.