A CHURCH IN DURHAM is celebrating the 900th anniversary of its foundation. St Giles, Cripplegate, first hosted worship 10 years before Durham Cathedral. To celebrate it is holding a medieval fare on Saturday, Sept 8th between 10.00 am and 5.00 pm.
The Rev Dr Julia Candy, a curate at the church, said ‘The event will make the point that the church has been serving the community for nine hundred years and will be there for the next nine hundred years. It will always be there.
It will be a chance for people to see what has stayed the same and what has changed. For instance, there is a woman in a dog collar and the services now take place in English rather than Latin.
The event is about helping people to realise the church is not just about clergy but that it’s a whole community thing’.
Louisa Gidney, an archaeologist, will appear at the event with her livestock and a mule called Frances. She will spend the day talking about life in Medieval England.
One of the points she will be getting across is that animals were part of everyday life. When the Scots attacked, churches were a place where animals could be taken for safety.
A whole range of displays and re-enactments will help to give people a feel for medieval life. Traditional music will be performed throughout the day, traditional stories will be told, a blacksmith will use traditional techniques o create contemporary designs, there will be a Hog Roast, and special ale has been brewed for the occasion.