We were delighted to see the news that historian Tom Holland has been appointed to the newly created honorary role of Bede Librarian at Durham Cathedral.
Having had the pleasure of welcoming Tom to Soulton Hall on several occasions, we have the highest regard for his work and his ability to bring the deep, complex layers of our history into the light of the present.
Historian Tom Holland talks about the Soulton Long Barrow in The Times
While the story of these islands was being tackled by writers as far back as Roman times, it was Bede who, in his own era, wove the disparate threads of the early medieval period into a single, enduring narrative.
In taking up this office, Tom steps into a tradition of scholarship that Bede established as a witness to the formative generation that came before him.
Watercolor by Augustus Hare of Bede’s tomb in the Galilee Chapel of Durham Cathedral. The inscription in Latin is as follows:
HAC SUNT IN FOSSA
BEDAE VENERABILIS OSSA.
(“Here are in a grave the bones of the Venerable Bede”)
This period was defined by contemporaries in the generation before Bede like Cuthbert in the North and Erkenwald in the South.
While Cuthbert’s work defined the North—with Durham Cathedral itself standing as a later development of the work he undertook—Erkenwald served as a foundational figure for the East Saxons as the “Light of London.”
Bede, writing in the generation immediately following these men, did not see them as isolated regional figures. Instead, he captured their impact as part of a unified movement, helping to create a shared identity that reached across regional boundaries.
The announcement notes that Tom’s first lecture will focus on “Cuthbert, Bede and the Renewal of Culture.”
Durham Cathedral, tester above the tomb of Saint Cuthbert
This theme resonates deeply here at Soulton.
In an age of volatility, Bede used his library and his pen to provide a sense of stability and vision, preserving the examples of those who preceded him.
By championing Durham’s archives and collections, Tom is continuing that essential work—reminding us that the stories of the past are not just items in a collection, but living guides for our own time.
We look forward to following the insights Tom will bring to this role and to the internationally important collections at Durham.
Our warmest congratulations to Tom on this well-deserved honour.
