St Nicholas Church, Durham

Who we are

• What we believe
• Mission statement
• History
• Incumbents
• Church guide
  • First impressions
  • The rebuilding of 1858
  • The Fish window
  • The Holy Table
  • The lectern
  • The Cross
  • Rumours of life
  • The church registers
  • The fonts
  • The pillars
  • The stained glass windows
  • The quiet chapel
  • The screens
  • The Holy Table in the chapel
  • The chapel organ
  • The Gateway World Shop
  • The statue of St Nicholas
  • What is a Church?
• Staff team
• PCC
• Interns

The Pillars

The pillars are another part of the 1858 restoration. At the spring of each arch they burst into foliage and fruit. Many different kinds of tree are represented and the carving is of a very high quality. You may be able to identifj oaks, vines, and figs. At first you may think there are no animals or birds but if you look closely you will find one pillar (nearest the door) which contains six animals - a wolf? A sheep? A fox? A cat? (It's difficult to make them out). The pillar supporting the left-hand side of the chancel arch contains a lizard and six birds, one feeding her young.

Though God is good, not everything in the garden is lovely.

On yet another pillar (but you will have to look very carefully) you will find a snake coiled round the branches of a tree. No one has come up with a satisfactory explanation of this motif. Perhaps the architect wanted to suggest that Satan can get in anywhere - even into the church! Whatever his reason for including a serpent, you will find a second serpent (or is it the same one at a later point in time?) being attacked by some birds. Are the pillars an echo of Eden? God said to humankind 'You may eat of the fruit of any of the trees in the garden but of the tree that is in the midst of the garden you shall not eat' (Genesis 3:2). Or are the pillars a celebration of God's glory and bounty in creation with just a hint that, though God is good, not everything in the garden is lovely?