Norman Stonework Mugs

Description: An atmospheric illustration of the Norman nave at Durham Cathedral, focusing on its remarkable zigzag-carved pillars, massive round arches and rib-vaulted ceiling. A distinctive design for lovers of medieval construction and architectural detail.

Description: This is an image, in part, of the ruins of the priory on Lindisfarne (Holy Island), which is off the northwest coast of England. The island is tidal and connected to the mainland by a causeway, which floods twice a day. The ruins date from the establishment of the priory by the Normans, following the "Conquest", but the site had previously been that of a monastery with a history that goes back to the mid-7th century. The original monastery was destroyed during the Viking raids. The stone arches and walls are all that remains of the old priory, but these ruins hint at the grand architecture from that bygone era.