Carilef who was appointed by William the Conqueror in 1080 AD. The foundation stone was laid on August 12 1098 AD and completed forty years later. The building is built in the shape of a Latin cross, with the choir, transepts and the nave forming the main cross shape. It is built on a peninsula of land with the River Wear underneath, and the west end of the Cathedral towers over a gorge. The northern end of the Cathedral faces onto the Palace Green and the whole 469 feet length of the Cathedral can be seen. The position of the Cathedral adds to the striking effect and grandeur of its general appearance.
The building is faced with dressed stone and the roofs of the Nave, Quire, the North Transept and the Chapel of the Nine Altars are all covered with slate, the rest of the roof is covered in lead. The Cathedral is made up of an Eastern Transept which is 192 feet long from north to south and 34 feet wide, an aisled Quire which is an area between the nave and sanctuary with five bays, a North and South transept, a central tower, a nave of eight bays, north and south aisles, a western porch and the Chapel of Galilee. The cathedral has a three story elevation made up of an arcade, gallery and clerestory. The main arches of the cathedral are supported by cylindrical and compound piers and the soffits are decorated with roll moldings. The cylindrical piers are decorated with spiral patterns, zig-zags, lozenges and flutes all carved into them.
The walls of Durham Cathedral are of massive thickness built out of local stone, and the arches within the Cathedral are pointed. Many of the massive columns are constructed of ashlar masonry with a hollow core that is filled with rubble. Many of these columns are decorated with incised carvings. The vaults of Durham Cathedral have diagonal ribs which are decorated with chevrons, the moldings of the nave are carved with several layers of the same pattern, and the massive columns within the Cathedral are carved with many geometric patterns, all of which help to create an impression of directional movement.
