St Giles is an obscure saint who lived near Arles in France sometime before the ninth Century.

He was a very popular saint in the Middle Ages and in Britain, where many churches are dedicated to him, he was regarded as the patron saint of cripples and the poor.

The church at Cripplegate in London is dedicated to St Giles and Gillygate in York was once the site of a church dedicated to St Giles.

Older locals know Durham's Gilesgate by its ancient name of "Gilligat" but unlike York's street name, it is pronounced with a soft "g". The street is named after the church of St Giles which stands alongside Gilesgate bank overlooking the Wear valley with fine views of Durham Cathedral. It is reputedly the second oldest church in the city after the Cathedral and dates back to Norman times.

A powerful Prince Bishop of Durham called Ranulf Flambard built the church in 1112 along with a neighbouring hospital.

The dedication of the church to St Giles is no coincidence; the church was built as the chapel for the hospital and St Giles' association with the poor and needy made the saint an appropriate choice.

The hospital stood alongside the church, but it is believed that it was burned down in the 1140s during an incident involving William Cumin, a notorious Norman-Scottish usurper who falsely claimed to be the Bishop of Durham during the troublesome civil war between King Stephen and Matilda. Cumin was encouraged in his claims by the Scottish King David.

Cumin terrorised the neighbourhood and in 1143, the officially elected Bishop of Durham, William of St Barbara, had to challenge Cumin for the Bishopric.

Unfortunately, St Barbara failed to capture the usurper's stronghold of Durham Castle and was forced to take refuge in St Giles Church, which was then protected by a defensive ditch.

A pitched battle took place the following morning between the rival bishops in which buildings were reputedly damaged by fire. The true bishop fled and it was not until the following year that St Barbara was able to oust Cumin from power with the assistance of an army.

St Giles Church can still be seen today set back from the street of Gilesgate overlooking the city's Pelaw Wood. It stands a short distance from a picturesque, village-like section of the street called Gilesgate Green, known more familiarly to locals as the Duck Pond.

This was first mentioned about 1584 when a local man was paid for scouring the "ducke poole" but it was filled in during the 1840s in the interests of health and safety. It is remarkable that the local name Duck Pond still survives to this day.

In 1154, Bishop William St Barbara was succeeded by Bishop Hugh Pudsey, who relocated the hospital of St Giles a short distance away at Kepier near the River Wear.

The establishment was to be the home of a master and 13 brethren, each with a specific role in the management of the hospital's lands. In early times the lands of Kepier in County Durham were extensive and in the Durham area they extended as far to the west as Ramside, near Belmont.

Kepier Hospital was a place of relief and refuge for the poor and was a welcoming place for pilgrims. On one occasion, King Edward I was entertained here, but a more unwelcome visitor was Robert the Bruce, who attacked and burned the hospital in 1306 during a raid.

Rebuilding was probably needed and it is perhaps no coincidence that the existing gatehouse of the old hospital dates from the 14th Century.

Gilesgate and its church were linked to the hospital by a street of tenements called Maudlin Gate, and nearby stood an associated chapel dedicated to Mary Magdalene. Dating from the 1400s, this lies in ruins alongside the present A690 dual carriageway.

Henry VIII closed Kepier Hospital during the dissolution and it was given to Sir William Paget. In 1552, it passed to a Scot called John Cockburn as a reward for service in assisting the English, but in 1568 it passed to the Heath family.

It was subsequently owned by the Coles, Tempests, Carrs and Musgraves. Today it is a private residence and forms part of the Kepier farm.

In next week's Durham Memories we will see how the street of Gilesgate was split into two separate parts and we will remember some of the buildings that were lost during the demolition of the 1960s.

* If you have memories of Durham including old photos or stories of people and places you would like to share with The Northern Echo, write to David Simpson, Durham Memories, The Northern Echo, Priestgate, Darlington, DL1 1NF. All photos will be returned.

Published: ??/??/2003

If you have any memories of Durham City, Chester-le-Street, Derwentside or the Durham coast, including old photos or stories of people and places you would like to share with readers of The Northern Echo, write to David Simpson, Durham Memories, The Northern Echo, Priestgate, Darlington, DL1 1NF or email David.Simpson@nne.co.uk. All photos will be returned.