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Durham (Ancient city and parliamentary)
an ancient city and parliamentary borough in England, capital of the county of the same name, on the river Wear, which is crossed here by four bridges, 14 miles S. of Newcastle. buildings are the The principal public buildings (now appropriated to the ancient castle (now uses of the university), the cathedral, and other churches, the town hall, county prison, and the grammar school. The educational institutions comprise the university, the grammar school, training school for school-mistresses, and other schools. There are manufactures of carpeting and mustard. The cathedral occupies a height overlooking the Wear. The larger portion of it is Norman in style, with insertions in all the English styles. Three magnificent and elaborately ornamented towers spring up from the body of the building, one from the center 212 feet high, and two together from the W. end, each 143 feet high; the entire length is 420 feet. It was founded by William de Carilephe and Malcolm, King of Scotland, in 1093. Pop. about 15,000.