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 Statue of St Nicholas

The tour is almost over. As you go out into the marketplace turn and look up at the statue of St Nicholas which stands above the doorway. St Nicholas was a real person who lived in what is now Turkey between 280 and 345 AD. He is better known as Santa Claus. Many of the practices we now associate with Santa Claus are derived from events in St Nicholas' life. He saved the daughters of a poor citizen from prostitution by throwing bags of gold through the window (or down the chimney) under cover of darkness.

His jolly red face, 'the colour of vermilion', is not the result of over indulgence at Christmas but the marks of torture during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian. His care for children is reflected in stories of saving them from being pickled or turned into pies. In the statue outside the church you will see a boat in his hands. St Nicholas is supposed to have stilled a storm and brought terrified sailors to a safe haven. When he prayed in time of famine a ship loaded with grain was diverted in bad weather to his home port. He persuaded the captain to sell him the grain - no doubt for a fair price, It is possible that the historical St Nicholas has much more to teach us than the jolly giant with the white beard and the red nosed reindeer.

You may be turning sharp right, round the back of the church and down the steps to your coach. As you do, remember a story from the distant past.

In 1283, during the time of Galfrid de Elme, the Archbishop of York came to Durham to exercise his right as Visitor to inspect the Convent of Durham. He was refused entrance to the Cathedral. Whereupon he proceeded to the pulpit of St Nicholas which was then near the door, and from there attempted to excommunicate the Prior and Convent of Durham.

'He was received with such tumult that he consulted his own safety by flight down the steps near the school and escaped with his own life along the sands to Kepyer', after having had one of his horse's ears cut off in the struggle. The steps have been restored, of course, but you can still imagine the good Archbishop's hasty and undignified exit as he rushed all the way to Kepier. The hospital is still there, about a mile along the River Wear, and the gateway can be seen in remarkably good condition.