Forward
Durham Crematorium holds a special place in the history and development of cremation in Britain. Its distinction is threefold.
Firstly, it was the fifth and final crematorium to be designed by Norwich architect J.P. Chaplin ARIBA, who remains the only architect to have said to have specialised in this essentially twentieth century building type, having built Norwich (1937), Cambridge (1938) Northampton (1939) and Peterborough (1958) crematoria. It was clear that the Joint Committee formed to build the crematorium had ambitions to achieve the best possible design. Had Chaplin turned down the commission, they intended to approach H.R.W. Orr, the only other experienced architect in the field.
Secondly, Chaplin believed that a crematorium belonged to those who commissioned the project and not to the architect. The architectural expression of both the exterior and interior detailing reference the nearby castle and cathedral respectively; the use of local stone and the choice of subject matter for the decorative schemes all combine to create a building which reflects the region.
Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, it has succeeded in fulfilling Chaplin’s intention of providing a building that might become a significant and meaningful part of the fabric of the communities which it was intended
to serve. Durham Crematorium is linked to those communities by something much stronger than its utilitarian purpose. It offers not only a beautiful natural landscape within which to remember the dead, but has, over time, emerged as a piece of regional history and culture. As such, Durham Crematorium occupies a well-deserved and dignified place in the life of the region.
Professor Hilary J. Grainger
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