Hexham, Northumerland, England
St. Winfred's Chair - The Bishop's Throne

 

hexham MarketInside Hexham Abbey you'll find this cracked stone chair. In days gone past, a criminal could gain sanctuary from his accusers by entering the Abbey and sitting in this chair. The monks would then protect him.

Also, in the Abbey, you can descend through a trap door into the crypt. It's one of the oldest parts surviving. While you're there, notice the walls - they have a reddish tint caused by the plaster used, being made from ox blood and hair. The stones used in the construction of the Abbey were quarried from the Roman wall and you can still see the marks of the Roman stone masons. There's a 'secret' passage leading from the crypt - no one is quiet sure where it went, you'll find it blocked after a few yards.

You are listening to a short MP3 of a Benedictine chant.


Follow the North Tyne
upstream
:
Follow the South Tyne
upstream
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