Durham
The House
The house system in St Andrew's was inaugurated in 1953 with just three houses. The three original houses were Canterbury, Salisbury and York. Durham House was established in 1996 to accommodate the growth of the School. Although a recent addition to the House structure, Durham members have greatly contributed to School life on the sporting fields and in the classrooms. Durham House won the Dean Pitt Shield in 2004.
The Cathedral
Durham Cathedral - a large part of which dates back some 900 years - is widely regarded as one of the most complete and perfect examples of Romanesque architecture still in existence. It possesses a heroic grandeur that moved Sir Walter Scott to write:
"Grey towers of Durham
Yet well I love thy mixed and massive piles
Half church of God half castle 'gainst the Scot
And long to roam these venerable aisles
With records stored of deeds long since forgot."
Durham Cathedral Church of Christ and Blessed Mary the Virgin is the last resting place of many saints, scholars and warriors including St Cuthbert, St Bede and St Oswald. For centuries the Cathedral was home for a community of Benedictine monks and seat of the mighty Prince Bishops of Durham. In 1986 the uniqueness of this religious, historical and cultural treasure was recognised when the Cathedral (together with Durham Castle) was awarded the highest of accolades - designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Durham Cathedral has been operating as a place of prayer and pilgrimage in north-east England for more than 900 years.
The Cathedral is central to Diocese of Durham which comprises 236 parishes in an area extending from the River Tyne in the north to the River Tees in the south. St Cuthbert's tomb on the site of its ancient shrine and the massive grandeur of the Cathedral architecture continue to inspire and impress visitors from around the world.
The Durham School, which educates choristers singing in the Cathedral, has an enrolment of around 185 boys and girls in primary years.
