The first female Professor of Durham University and renowned archaeologist – the late Professor Dame Rosemary Cramp – has been honoured with a blue plaque in Elvet, Durham City.

Among her many achievements, Professor Cramp helped to develop the university’s archaeology department and led excavations at the twin monastery of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow, home to the Venerable Bede.

Professor Cramp was a leading expert and voice on Anglo-Saxon and early medieval archaeology for over 70 years and served 19 years (1971-1990) as Head of Department in Archaeology at Durham University.(Image: Contributor)

She also founded the large and long-running Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture research project. This was the first comprehensive catalogue of the surviving stone sculpture from pre-Conquest England, and records many previously inaccessible pieces.

In the Queen’s Birthday Honour’s List of 2011, Professor Cramp was one of just eight women awarded a DBE (Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire), when the list was announced in June. 

Professor Cramp was awarded the honour in recognition of her services to scholarship. 

On Friday, the blue plaque was unveiled by the university’s Vice-Chancellor and Warden Professor Karen O’Brien – herself the first female Vice-Chancellor of Durham University - alongside close friend and colleague of Dame Rosemary’s, the celebrated archaeologist Professor Sarah Semple.

The City of Durham Parish Council has funded the production of new blue plaques around the parish area, as part of efforts to highlight hidden gems and historical locations.

These blue plaques seek to celebrate a person, event or building of significance and have been popular with visitors and local residents.

The blue plaque itself has been installed on Church Street in Durham City, the former home of the late Professor, and said to be where she spent many happy years carrying out much of her research. Professor Cramp lived and worked here from November 1972 until June 1988.

Chair of the Parish Council’s Environment Committee, Cllr Carole Lattin said: “It is a great delight for us as a Parish Council to fund the production of new blue plaques around the parish area, as part of our aim of promoting the rich and diverse heritage of the City.

"These blue plaques seek to celebrate a person, event or building of significance in our city and celebrating the trailblazing Professor Dame Rosemary Cramp is no exception.”

She added: “Professor Cramp was a dear friend and mentor to me personally and I am thrilled to see the community of which she was an enormous part turn out in such force to honour her life and works.

"Professor Cramp helped to develop the University’s archaeology department to what it is today and, in so doing, paved the way for future female academics to come. It is only right that we honour this contribution today and I hope that this blue plaque acts as a source of inspiration to all our students who travel this route each day to their place of study.”

Professor Karen O’Brien, Vice-Chancellor and Warden, Durham University, said: “Dame Rosemary was a pioneering female researcher and an extremely accomplished archaeologist, who was held in very high regard by her students and peers throughout the world.

“Alongside Eric Birley, she was instrumental in founding our Department of Archaeology, which is now one of the best in the world. “It is fitting that her many achievements are being commemorated with a blue plaque in the City that she loved and was her home for so many years.”

Professor Sarah Semple, of Durham University’s Department of Archaeology and a long-time collaborator with Professor Dame Rosemary Cramp, said: “Professor Cramp was an outstanding trailblazer in archaeology and ahead of her time.

"She was one of the founders of the discipline of medieval archaeology, led some of the very first field excavations of early Christian monastic sites, and was the leading voice on pre-Conquest sculpture in Britain.

 

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“Rosemary developed the Department of Archaeology at Durham as a world-leading centre for archaeology and archaeological science and remained deeply committed throughout her career to involving and engaging the communities of Durham and the northeast region with local heritage.”

Later this year, the Parish Council also intends to unveil a blue plaque dedicated to St. Mary’s College – of which Professor Cramp was a part – as the College celebrates its 125th Anniversary this academic year.