Religious Devotion and Reform

• The Normans were highly religious and used religion in England to their advantage to increase control over the local population.

  William was keen to reform religion and make it more like the churches in Europe.

  William wanted to end corruption within the church and make people follow the church more strictly.
• Durham was an important religious site before the Norman Conquest, as the Anglo-Saxons had built a church there as a shrine to St Cuthbert. His remains were kept at the Cathedral.
• William Walcher attempted to introduce Benedictine Monks to Durham and build monastic buildings. He wanted to change the way monks worshipped at Durham.
• William of St Calais ordered the building of the new Norman cathedral at Durham. He was a Benedictine Monk and leader of an abbey in France. He was determined to reform the monks at Durham and make them more like Norman Monks.
• William of St Calais wanted to end 'unclean living' within the church such as some of the monks having wives and children. He replaced most of these monks with monks from Calais. These monks lived to much stricter standards with regular services and patterns of worship. These reforms were supported by Prior Turgot who was the leader of the monastic community at Durham.