BattlefieldsSkirmish at St Giles' Church, Gilesgate (William Cumin usurpation)
Medieval

Skirmish at St Giles' Church, Gilesgate (William Cumin usurpation)

1143
County Durham, England
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
County Durham, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
William of St Barbara (bishop-elect of Durham)
VS
Victor
William Cumin (his retainers)
Outcome
William of St Barbara attempted to claim the bishopric of Durham from the usurper William Cumin but was defeated by Cumin's retainers at St Giles' Church, Gilesgate, and forced to take refuge in the church; Cumin's men then destroyed the nearby hospital. Cumin ultimately relinquished his claim to Durham in 1144 in exchange for lands to endow his nephew.
The Battle

History & Significance

Skirmish at St Giles' Church, Gilesgate (William Cumin usurpation) was a medieval skirmish, fought at County Durham, England in 1143. William Cumin (his retainers) prevailed over William of St Barbara (bishop-elect of Durham). William of St Barbara attempted to claim the bishopric of Durham from the usurper William Cumin but was defeated by Cumin's retainers at St Giles' Church, Gilesgate, and forced to take refuge in the church; Cumin's men then destroyed the nearby hospital. Cumin ultimately relinquished his claim to Durham in 1144 in exchange for lands to endow his nephew.

Confirmed battlefield location
The ground

The ground they fought on

The site of Skirmish at St Giles' Church, Gilesgate (William Cumin usurpation) lies on Pennine Middle Coal Measures Formation And South Wales Middle Coal Measures Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Moscovian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.

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This page covers Skirmish at St Giles' Church, Gilesgate (William Cumin usurpation). A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this battle alongside scheduled monuments and everything else the record holds within a few miles:

Overview
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Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
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For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Skirmish at St Giles' Church, Gilesgate (William Cumin usurpation)

Elvet Bridge
Elvet Bridge
Scheduled monument · ~0.3 mi

Elvet Bridge is a medieval bridge spanning the River Wear in Durham, England, first constructed in the twelfth century as a vital crossing for travellers and commerce approaching Durham city from the south. The bridge originally comprised a series of stone arches, though it has undergone substant…

KlausFoehl / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Framwellgate Bridge
Framwellgate Bridge
Scheduled monument · ~0.3 mi

Framwellgate Bridge is a medieval bridge crossing the River Wear in Durham, dating to the twelfth century. The structure comprises a series of stone arches and has been substantially rebuilt and modified over its long history, particularly during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, though i…

Tom Page / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Chapel of St Mary Magdalene
Chapel of St Mary Magdalene
Scheduled monument · ~0.4 mi

Chapel of St Mary Magdalene is a medieval chapel located in Durham, England, designated as a scheduled ancient monument under NHLE list entry 1002338. The chapel dates to the medieval period and represents an important element of Durham's religious infrastructure during the Middle Ages. The struc…

David Hawgood / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Kepier Hospital
Kepier Hospital
Scheduled monument · ~0.5 mi

Kepier Hospital is a medieval charitable institution founded in the twelfth century in Durham, serving as a leper hospital placed strategically outside the city walls. The hospital was established to provide refuge and care for leprosy sufferers, reflecting the social and religious obligations of…

GRAEME and LESLEY CRANSTON / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
The Water Gate
The Water Gate
Scheduled monument · ~0.7 mi

The Water Gate is a medieval fortified gateway structure located in Durham, England, forming part of the town's defensive architecture. Dating to the medieval period, the structure represents an important element of Durham's urban fortifications, controlling access to the settlement via the River…

St Cuthbert's Society, University of Durham / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
Prebend's Bridge
Prebend's Bridge
Scheduled monument · ~0.7 mi

Prebend's Bridge is a medieval stone bridge crossing the River Wear in Durham. The bridge dates from the fourteenth century and represents an important example of medieval bridge construction in the North East of England. It takes its name from the prebends, or cathedral clergy, whose lands it se…

PeterGHughes at English Wikipedia / CC BY 2.5 / Wikimedia Commons
Aldin Grange (or Bearpark) Bridge
Scheduled monument · ~1.7 miles
Moated site at Low Butterby Farm
Scheduled monument · ~2.1 miles
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