Durham, Fact, Fable and a Procession of Princes

In this, the second part of Martin Dufferwiel’s personal journey through the long and eventful history of Durham, both city and county, we again meet local figures and re-live events from Durham’s past, set against the broader national history.

The story begins with the discovery of the most northerly Roman Villa in the entire Roman Empire and with an appearance in the County of: ‘King’ Arthur himself.

During the mediaeval years, we encounter some of the most notable, and notorious, of the Prince Bishops of Durham and find out whether they were indeed, as one writer has described them: ‘some of the most splendidly arrogant figures in English history’.

Major national figures also feature in the story; William the Conqueror, Richard the Lionheart, Edward I and his struggle with: ‘Braveheart’, William Wallace. The religious upheavals of the 16th century, the English Civil War and a murder on Framwellgate Bridge are all part of the tale.

As we move through the centuries we encounter a major figure of 19th-century reform, whose memorial is today a County Durham landmark; the slaying of a: ‘Dragon’; the hardships of the Lead Miners of Weardale and Teesdale; and a notorious murder case, in which the killers were convicted following the ghostly testimony of the victim!

Churchmen, Musicians, ‘Madmen’ and Rebellion all feature in this book and add to the thousand year story begun in Martin Dufferwiel’s previous volume: Durham: Over a Thousand Years of History and Legend.