Several fragments of monumental crosses have been found in the cathedralCathedral (Latin cathedra' throne') Church which contains the throne of the bishop and hence the mother church of the diocese precincts dating from the 8th to the 10th century. They point to the existence of a monastic community on the site before the Norman ConquestNorman Conquest The conquest of the English through the defeat of the Anglo-Saxon king Harold Godwinson by William Duke of Normandy at Hastings in October 1066. The land at Carlisle was granted to St CuthbertCuthbert, St (d. 687) Celtic monk and hermit. Bishop of Lindisfarne 685. in c.685 and it is probable that he founded a monasteryMonastery The house of a religious community there, although it was likely damaged by VikingViking Customarily refers to the Scandinavian explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, and settled in wide areas of Europe and the North Atlantic islands from the late eighth to the mid-eleventh century.There is some debate over the meaning of this word, which is attested but rarely used in the early medieval period. It was revived as a term in Scandinavian languages in the 17th century and in English in the early 19th. In contemporary sources it refers to a raider or pirate, often in association with ships and predatory activity. Some modern scholars try to keep to this restricted definition; others are happy with a wider range of meaning, applying the word to Scandinavians and their culture from approximately 790 to the mid or late 11th century, especially outside the Scandinavian homelands. raids in the 9th century and no buildings remain. The monastery, or ‘minsterMinster Originally a church with a group of clergy which served a large area. Later used to describe a church staffed by many priests or a monastic community’, served as a base for priests to spread Christianity in the area. The current cathedral was founded as an Augustinian Priory in the early 12th century.