I am a documentary filmmaker based in Gateshead, and filming Prior Castell’s Clock in Durham Cathedral was one of the most absorbing commissions I have worked on. The clock sits high on the north wall of the cathedral, half-hidden in the shadows of the north aisle, and it rewards the kind of slow attention that most visitors never quite give it.

The commission came through Durham Cathedral, as part of a wider project to document the building’s lesser-known objects and interiors. My role was to film the clock in a way that would help people understand what it is, why it matters, and what it was like to stand in front of it.

A Medieval Masterpiece with a Particular History

Prior Castell’s Clock was commissioned around 1494 by Prior Thomas Castell. It originally featured painted angels and astronomical dials, combining the spiritual symbolism and scientific curiosity of the medieval period. Much of its inner workings have been replaced or altered over the centuries, but the painted canopy and turret remain, topped by a golden sun that still catches the light in the nave.

One of the clock’s most remarkable stories dates from the 1650s, when Scottish prisoners of war were held inside Durham Cathedral. Desperate for warmth, they burned a great deal of the cathedral’s wooden interior. The clock was spared, apparently because it featured a thistle, a symbol of Scotland. That small detail stays with you. It connects a decorated medieval object to a specific moment of conflict and human decision, in a building that has accumulated centuries of such stories.

Filming Prior Castell’s Clock in a Historic Space

Durham Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built in the late 11th century and one of the finest examples of Norman architecture in Britain. Filming Prior Castell’s Clock inside it required patience and a degree of quiet.

The atmosphere is particular. There is a stillness that the architecture seems to hold, and working around it means keeping equipment small, moving slowly and paying close attention to how light behaves in the space. For the clock, I worked with natural light coming through the stained glass, using slow camera movements and close framing to let the painted detail speak clearly. The aim was not to dramatise the object but to show it as honestly as possible.

Working with heritage objects like this means accepting that the subject will often reveal itself gradually. You cannot force a medieval clock into a particular reading. You watch it and find out what it offers.

Why This Kind of Work Matters

What I find valuable about filming Prior Castell’s Clock, and heritage documentary work more broadly, is that it asks you to take an object seriously on its own terms. The clock is not a backdrop or a symbol. It is a real thing made by real people in a specific place and time, and the film should reflect that.

The footage from this project became part of Durham Cathedral’s work to share its heritage with wider audiences, both locally and further afield. As well as the clock, I filmed in several other parts of the cathedral, including areas and architectural details that most visitors do not see. The people who work and volunteer in the building were also central to the project, and filming them alongside the fabric of the place helped give the footage a human dimension that architectural shots alone cannot provide.

If you are working on a heritage film, a museum commission or a project around a historic building or collection in the North East, I would be happy to talk about what might be involved.