This beautiful art print shows the Durham Sanctuary Knocker, the knocker from the northern door of the cathedral. Ideal for anyone who loves the Cathedral or old medieval art. As an added bonus the image was also created using a variation of the historic Cyanotype process in blue, white and gold for an added touch of historical nostalgia. Exclusive to Alchemi Art you won’t find this print in the big chain stores.
The original knocker dates back to 1172 and is now kept inside the Cathedral, however, a replica was created and placed on the outside door in 1977. Its original use was to allow a person who had committed a crime (or possibly just been accused of one) to knock and gain sanctuary inside the Cathedral. You couldn’t stay in the church or Cathedral forever though because the time was limited to about 37 days. As soon as your time was up if you had not been able to resolve the issue the diocese would help you to leave safely usually into exile. The creature shown is usually quoted as being a lion which represents a guardian with strength and power. Legal sanctuary in a church was abolished in England in 1624.
This Durham Cathedral Sanctuary Knocker Print is currently available to buy online in the A4 (with small white border) and 16×12″ (without border) sizes only. If you would like a different size then please contact me.
Mounted prints in various sizes are available on our stand at events only.
All payments are taken via the Stripe payment platform which accepts all major forms of payment. However don’t worry if you don’t have a Stripe account, you don’t need one in order to process your payment. All payments are made in GBP.
You can have your order posted to you with shipping via Royal Mail.
Alternatively, you can collect in person and will find our Upcoming events listed on the homepage. Just decide which one you would like to visit then let me know in the ‘order notes’ section during checkout.
By choosing to buy from Alchemi Art you are choosing to buy something a little different to what you will find in the big chain store or mega commerce websites. You’ll get a print that stands out from others and also has a story behind it. All the artwork designs are created by me in my studio in County Durham so you’ll also be supporting a small local business.
I love working with the old Victorian photographic processes. One of my favourites is the cyanotype which has a distinctive blue and white colour. If you would like to learn more about the process then check out these articles here on the website. Cyanotype Art and the Cyanotype Process. How to make a cyanotype tutorial. Inspired by Anna Atkins.
