About There are not many cities in the United Kingdom, let alone the world, that have as fascinating backstory to their origin than that of the northern enclave known as Durham. If one is to believe this incredible folktale, they would have to turn the clock back more than a few centuries. It begins with the Viking incursions into the British Isles sometime in the 7th or 8th centuries. The body of the Anglo-Saxon St.
Cuthbert, (634 -687) needed to be moved from the sanctity of his burial place on Lindsfarne, (Holy Island) for safekeeping. Divine intervention instructed the current monks to take the relics to a place called Dunholme, (Durham). Dun is "hill" in old English and "holme" is island in Norse. The issue, no one from this funeral cortège knew where this location was.
As the story goes, the party was met by a milkmaid who had lost her cow. They were informed by a second maiden that she had seen her bovine heading for Dunholme. Off they set excitedly in search of their desired goals and the rest, they say, is history. In 1997, English sculptor Andrew Burton was commissioned to erect a piece along the city's riverside art walk.
He chose to depict a large bronze image of an ox resting by the River Wear, surrounded by several stone fragments. These represent the cross-sections of Norman columns found in the Cathedral. The statue is said to represent the story of the Dun Cow, and not to be interpreted as a 'specifically Christian piece'.
Related Tags Sculptures Cows Know Before You Go Free and accessible at all hours. The statue is located along the banks of the River Wear. situated between the Durham University Cricket Pavillon and the Bowling Club. It sits in an open green space, so one will have to walk to it.
Durham Cathedral also has stone depiction of the Dun Cow, it is located on the south-eastern side of the building. Community Contributors Added By SEANETTA Published December 5, 2025 Edit this listing Make an Edit Add Photos Sources https://fabulousnorth.com/durham-cow/ https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/durham-cow-315082 Bronze sculpture paying homage to Norma “Duffy” Lyon, famous for creating a life-size cow made of butter at the state fair.
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