When slight subsidence was discovered to part of the chancel arch in the old village church, experts were called in to investigate the cause to this 11th century building close to Consett.
Once work commenced it was obvious that one stone was so different to all the others, and jutted out at a completely different angle. On closer inspection, it was noticed that the stone seemed to turn of its own accord as people walked past, as if it was following them.
When the Bishop of Durham visited to evaluate the maintenance work and assess the proposed cost to the diocese, he was alerted to these strange happenings.
Having been directed to the stone, he reached forward to touch it and as he did, it recoiled from his hand and began spinning irrationally until it was completely dislodged from the wall. It landed heavily on the ground and smashed into a thousand pieces.
Some of the workers fled while others were dumbstruck and unable to move.
The Bishop however was unperturbed and reaching into the hole in the wall retrieved an ancient lead box, opening it tentatively to look inside. A small leather bound book with strange symbols ingrained on it and fastened with a rusty clasp lay there looking like it hadn’t been opened for centuries.
The vicar whispered in the Bishop’s ear,
‘Do you know what it is?’
‘I certainly do!’, he replied wryly, I have been looking for this all my life!’
‘Really, how fascinating, tell me more!’ enquired the vicar.
‘All in good time, my dear, all in good time’, repeated the Bishop and instructed the men who remained to get back to work.
The Bishop disappeared as quickly as he had arrived with his newly found treasure and the maintenance reluctantly began again once the workers had been rounded up. A mason was to be drafted in to carve a replacement stone for the shattered specimen yet there was an uneasy feeling among the workforce.
The vicar once she had locked up the church when the workmen finished their shift decided to call the Bishop that evening, as she was very curious about the book and wanted to know more. Unusually there was no answer. After several phone calls she planned to drive over to Bishops House to meet him in person.
On arrival she was greeted by an assistant who relayed that the Bishop had left in a hurry earlier, asking for a lift to the station where he boarded a train for London; saying he had important research to do which may take some time.
Returning home the vicar switched on the evening news and to her horror saw a picture of her superior with the headlines.
‘Bishop of Durham found lying injured in Kings Cross Railway Station with the imprint of an ancient book cover scorched into both his hands’
The news report went on to say that the Bishop had recovered quickly in the ambulance on the way to hospital and the burn marks on his hands had miraculously disappeared.
After supper the vicar had a strange inclination to go into church to check things over.
Surreptitiously turning the key in the lock, she switched on the lights and walked towards the Chancel Arch.
To her amazement on the floor lay the lead box the Bishop had extracted earlier that day with the leather bound book beside it. Yet now the book was open on the first page and written in illuminated manuscript were the words,
Do not remove or take away
The book you find or you will pay
For I live inside this ancient script
Buried deep in my darkened crypt
I give protection to these stones
Built over bygone Roman bones
Leave me be to serve and rest
And with my frith you will be blessed
With that the book closed and flew into the lead box which in turn jumped into the hole in the chancel wall.
The shattered stone reformed and once again became whole, nestling comfortably back in its place.
The vicar watched mesmerised, as a purifying calmness overtook her.
She felt protected and raising her eyes she whispered a prayer of thanks.
The stone remains undisturbed and can still be seen to this day.
Yet, if you happen to visit you may feel it turning to watch as you pass by.
The Book by Lorraine Weightman – Illustration by Fr John Bagnall
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