Durham cathedral is truly a superb building. I last visited there about twenty years ago and I'm ashamed to say that I had forgotten how wonderful it really is. It's certainly true to say that you dont appreciate what you have on your own doorstep. The only thing that is disappointing is that whilst there is a copy of the Lindsfarne Gospels held within the cathedral the original is kept in London ( a place as far away from Lindisfarne and the history of this area that you could wish to get) miles away from its true beginnings , what better place for anyone to view this holy book than in the area in which it first began.