The Brougham Door Knocker
The Brougham door knocker is a fascinating piece, with a long and storied history.
Four examples of this 12th century design exist: two in Durham and two from Brougham. The original graced the north door of Durham Cathedral, from 1172 to 1977, when it was removed to the safety of the Cathedral Treasury and replaced by a replica, cast by the British Museum.
Both the Durham rings were bronze, whilst the original Brougham ring was made of iron – it was believed that sanctuary in the Cathedral was assured to any fugitive who grasped the ring. It survived the War but was stolen, crated and sent to Sotheby’s for auction.
In an attempt to replace it, the Brougham Hall Charitable Trust asked the Bishop of Durham for consent to use the British Museum mould. The Bishop was amenable but the Dean and Chapter were not – this resulted in the laborious operation of drawing another, from which the monster’s head was carved in wood. A sand mould was taken from the wooden head and was finally cast in bronze, in seven pieces, by Collier’s foundry, in Sussex in 1993. None of this would have been possible without the financial help of Tony Karawani, a generous friend of Brougham.
