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Life of St Wilfrid

Eddius Stephanus, tr. Colgrave, 1927

22. Concerning the Building of the House of God at Hexham

So continually, in the words of the Psalmist, he drew near to God, placing in Him his hope and rendering to the Lord who had given him all things, his dearest vows. For in Hexham, having obtained an estate from the queen, St Aethilthryth, the dedicated to God, he founded and built a house to the Lord in honour of St Andrew the Apostle. My feeble tongue will not permit me to enlarge here upon the depth of the foundations in the earth, and its crypts of wonderfully dressed stone, and the manifold building above ground, supported by various columns and many side aisles, and adorned with walls of notable length and height, surrounded by various winding passages with spiral stairs leading up and down; for our holy bishop, being taught by the Spirit of God, thought out how to construct these buildings; nor have we heard of any other house on this side of the Alps built on such a scale. Further, Bishop Acca of blessed memory, who by the grace of God is still alive, provided for this manifold building splendid ornaments of gold, silver, and precious stones; but of these and of the way he decorated the altars with purple and silk, who is sufficient to tell? Let us return to our subject.