History in Structure

Prior's Kitchen (Dean and Chapter Library)

A Grade I Listed Building in Durham, County Durham

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Coordinates

Latitude: 54.7728 / 54°46'22"N

Longitude: -1.5771 / 1°34'37"W

OS Eastings: 427302

OS Northings: 542069

OS Grid: NZ273420

Mapcode National: GBR KFF7.CW

Mapcode Global: WHC4Q.R95F

Plus Code: 9C6WQCFF+45

Entry Name: Prior's Kitchen (Dean and Chapter Library)

Listing Date: 6 May 1952

Grade: I

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1323260

English Heritage Legacy ID: 110146

ID on this website: 101323260

Location: Durham Cathedral, Durham, County Durham, DH1

County: County Durham

Electoral Ward/Division: Elvet and Gilesgate

Parish: City of Durham

Built-Up Area: Durham

Traditional County: Durham

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): County Durham

Tagged with: Library building

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Description


DURHAM AND FRAMWELLGATE THE COLLEGE
NZ 2742 SW (North side)

14/98 Prior's Kitchen (Dean
6/5/52 and Chapter Library)

GV I

Kitchen, now muniment room. 1366-74 by John Lewyn. Coursed squared sandstone
with plinth and ashlar dressings. Octagonal with corner projections making
square plan at ground level. Lantern has stone-flagged roof. South elevation
has gabled angle buttresses flanking paired chamfered lancets; corner bays have
clusped lancet at left, inserted small square window at right; sloped stone coping
to these projections. Top battlemented parapet. Sundial on right buttress.
Lantern has high hipped roof with gablets and gabled dormers.

Interior: coursed squared sandstone with ashlar dressings; later brick insertions;
stone-vaulted roof with 16 ribs springing in parallel pairs from each side, forming
a star with 2 ribs springing from each corner; the central intersections form the
base of the lantern, reconstructed in render and glass c.1970. Each wall has a
relieving arch; ovens on north, south-west and south-east walls have brick
voussoirs, that on north-west has brick segmental head. Round-headed doorways
in north-east wall (2), and beside fire in north-west and south-west, the latter
giving access to a small room in which the rear of an C18 bread oven is seen; the
iron door of the oven is in the rear of the medieval fire. 2-centred arched
openings in east wall, and similar but blind openings in west. The corner rooms
make use of space within the square-cornered additions to the octagonal plan which
serve as buttresses to the vault, the structures being rubble-filled over the rooms.
It is thought that the design of the vault is either original or derived from
mosques as in Cordoba, Spain.

Source: W. Page V.C.H. 1928 reprint 1968, 129.


Listing NGR: NZ2730242069

External Links

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