Repair? Restore? Re-Design?: The North Porch of Durham Cathedral - Alex Holton
Channel: University of York, Dept of Archaeology
Date: 2014-10-14

Repair? Restore? Re-Design?: The North Porch of Durham Cathedral
YOHRS Tuesday 14 October 2014, 5.15pm
Speaker: Alexander Holton (Purcell Architects, York)

*note that we had difficulties with the stream, but Alex's slides are available here: https://sites.google.com/a/york.ac.uk/yohrs/alexander-holton

The North Porch of Durham Cathedral was conceived as part of the great Norman building campaign of Durham Cathedral, complete by 1133. At first the general entrance to the nave, the porch subsequently became the principal portal into the cathedral church following Bishop Hugh le Puiset’s addition of the western Galilee chapel in the late C12, and remains so today. The stonework of the porch was the subject of a major ‘Gothick’ restoration in the late C18, followed by further interventions in the C20, and parts of the structure are now in a very poor condition. This seminar will introduce the history and significance of the North Porch, before debating the emerging philosophical and technical challenges that lie ahead, which are still far from being resolved.

Alexander Holton (PhD) has a background in buildings archaeology and historic building conservation, having undertaken his doctorate in the department at York between 2006 and 2010. He currently works as a heritage and conservation consultant with Purcell architects, based in Marygate, York, where is also training as a building surveyor through the College of Estate Management. He regularly supports the MA teaching programme at York (Conservation Studies) and has undertaken many heritage-based reports for major sites in the UK, including Durham Cathedral and Castle World Heritage Site and, more recently, Auckland Castle in Bishop Auckland, Co. Durham.