View allAll Photos Tagged Forecasting
Well.....after 4 days of rain, I just thought I might as well make the best of it.
Larger view on black: B l a c k M a g i c
Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 105 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: -0.7 EV
BIG! • waddya do when it's rainy and you just watched a depressing movie? A funky shot! So here, lot's of makeup, crazy hair, wear a piece of fabric and create a little fake wind. Taaadaaa!
Alright. Actually, I'm pretty bummed 'cause I'm suppose to have a shoot tomorrow at that fab location, but rain is in the forecast so I think will put a raincheck on that (hehe, see what I did there?)
Er... Ya... *ahem* that's all.
Portrait of Dr. Hanan Morsy, Director of Macroeconomic Policy, Forecasting and Research Department of African Development Bank while addressing during African Economic Conference (AEC) 2019 - Plenary Session 2 - Institutions and Policies for Job Creation, Skills Acquisition and Capacity Building of African Youth (AFDB) on December 02, 2019, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
The weather forecast segment of CBC's (Canadian Broadcasting Corp.) daily Toronto evening news is hosted by weatherman Jay Scotland. Recently he has asked viewers to submit weather-related photos to be posted during the nightly news. If the photo is selected, the photographer's name would be put into a lucky draw for some CBC souvenirs.
During a recent photowalk with flickr friend Will and Ipernity friend John, I took a photo of the foggy High Park. After I got home, I thought perhaps I can try my luck on the competition.
Well, don't ask me why, tonight I had a hunch that my photo might show up, so I set up camera just in case. Well, my sixth sense was right!
There was a brief interruption, and a click, in the middle of the video, as I also wanted to take a photo in case the video doesn't turn out. My camera allows a photo to be taken during the video-recording.
This is the original photo:
The very retro Affluent design was manufactured as part of Mikasa's Forecast line from 1977 to 1979 only.
Funny weather forecast board at the Red Coconut Beach Hotel in Boracay, Philippines.
Our vacation at: Boracay, Philippines
This is a bar and PMU ) where you can make some forecast with horses race. It is often the opportunity have a drink and as you can see the typic French bred called "baguette" is present on the table because you play forecast at the end of morning and people use to buy their bred for the lunch at this time too.
Have been attrative bu this man with the hat and concentrated reading the forecast in the newpaper. This scenery is usuel in France on Sunday at the end of the morning, it is why you can see the bred bought for lunch.
Was there too drinking a glass of white wine called "muscadet", have made my forecast but I have lost :-(
Bar PMU r un dimanche matin, mon regard a été attiré par cet homme et son chapeau complètement absorbé par son journal de pronostics, les verres de bière, les baguettes, les couleurs de ce bar m'ont semblé bien sympatiques.
J'y étais avec mon verre de muscadet, j'ai joué le quinté et j'ai perdu :-(
This is a 30x20 poster I had printed at Costco. You can download the .jpeg version here: www.flickr.com/photos/venosdale/6037243638/in/photostream
The weather forecast was for lots of wind at my usual site, and since I did not want to waste the only decent night close to January's New Moon I decided to set up my gear at the back of the house. It means shooting through coastal humidity and Christchurch's light pollution reflecting on it, but whatever … on such a big and bright object it's half manageable.
Stack of 66 x 1-minute shots at 600mm focal length, F6.3 and 2500ISO.
Unfortunately I left the white balance setting on Custom Auto rather than Colour Temp., and I struggled a bit getting the colours right ...
Forecast for the rest of Friday
Max 30
Shower or two.
Possible rainfall: 1 to 3 mm
Chance of any rain: 60%
Fire Danger - Low-Moderate
Speaker of the Arizona House Russell Bowers and Arizona House Minority Leader Charlene Fernandez speaking with attendees at the 2019 Legislative Forecast Luncheon hosted by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, Arizona.
Please attribute to Gage Skidmore if used elsewhere.
After checking the weather forecast for the next few days, I decided to do a drive N and E of the city the day before yesterday. I knew I would check a few backroads for a Snowy Owl (none were found), but that was not the purpose of my trip, as I have already seen several Snowies this winter, 2020/2021. I wanted to revisit a few old barns that I had seen before and keep my eyes open for any unfamiliar ones, too. The last drive I did out of the city was on 1 February, so almost three weeks ago! Brutally cold, snowy weather, with windchills that dropped to as low as -42C, kept me safely at home. How good it feels to have milder weather now!
One of the locations I wanted to visit again was a ranch with three wonderful, white dairy barns. Two of the barns are very long and quite impressive. The first time I had seen them was in January 2014, when friend, Phil Quinn, took me out for a day drive north of the city. It must have been the worst day of that winter, with blowing snow swirling across some of the roads and a white sky as well as a white ground. Everything was white. The next time I saw them, from a distance, was on 3 November 2020, when I came across them unexpectedly, not realizing just how far I had driven. Unfortunately, almost all of the barns seen yesterday were on roads that had just enough traffic on them to make it really difficult to take photos - there was always at least one car right behind me when I wanted to stop and there was no shoulder to pull over.
On my way home late afternoon, I quickly checked a favourite barn, just in case there was a Great Horned Owl sitting in the window. I had also photographed an owl there in December 2019 - both times an adult. This made a very nice ending to an enjoyable few hours, far away from crowded city parks.
Senior Airmen Brian Colt Gass monitors the air space and weather conditions around the Geronimo landing zone March 14, 2014, at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La. Service members participating in JRTC 14-05 are educated in combat patient care and aeromedical evacuation in a simulated combat environment. Gass is a combat controller with the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron at McChord Air Force Base, Wash. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. John R. Nimmo Sr./Released)
Saturday, 1 February 2020: our temperature is a balmy 7C (windchill 4C). Sunrise is at 8:13 am, and sunset is at 5:27 pm. Very overcast, and the forecast is a 70% chance of rain/snow this afternoon and snow this evening. Hopefully, it will miss my part of the city, as I washed my car yesterday. After two drives this last week on wet, muddy, gravel roads, my car was the same muddy brown colour as all our roads, and I needed to be more visible.
The 8 photos I have posted today were taken on Day 9 of our 13-day birding trip to South Texas, in March 2019. Not a very inspiring set of images, but I want to be able to include them in my South Texas albums. I still have a few more uninspiring images to upload, but then I will get to bird photos on Day 10. I won't be going on holiday anywhere this year, but really want to finish off this trip as soon as I can. The first few photos from Day 9 were added months ago.
On Day 9, we had an early start from Mission, so caught the beautiful sunrise. Unfortunately, my photos had to be taken from back in the vehicle, and through the windshield. Poor quality, but I posted them for the record a few months ago..
The approximate distance between Mission and Brownsville, where we were heading, is 106 km (65.8 miles) and travel time 1 hr 04 mins, travelling along US 83 and US 77. We stopped when we reached the western edge of Brownsville to visit the Resaca de la Palma State Park. The photos from this location were posted a few months ago.
"Resaca de la Palma State Park is one of three state parks belonging to the World Birding Center and managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. At 1,200 acres, Resaca de la Palma State Park is the largest of the World Birding Center sites and is located in Brownsville. The property was acquired by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1977 and was opened to the public in December 2008. A resaca is a type of oxbow lake that can be found in Texas, and is a former channel of the Rio Grande. It is naturally cut off from the river, having no inlet or outlet.
The World Birding Center is the official title given to a combined nine parks and nature preserves in the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas managed by a partnership of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the local communities in which the parks reside." From Wikipedia.
The six images posted this morning were all taken at the Visitor's Centre at Laguna Atascosa, our next stop of the day. This National Wildlife Refuge opened in 1946.
"The Laguna Atascosis National Wildlife Refuge is the largest protected area of natural habitat left in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The 98,000-acre (400 km2) refuge is located almost entirely in Cameron County, Texas (near Harlingen), although a very small part of its northernmost point extends into southern Willacy County.
The Peregrine Fund began reintroducing captive-bred northern aplomado falcons (Falco femoralis septentrionalis) to the refuge in 1985, which had been nearly extirpated from the Southwestern United States; today, it is home to 26 pairs. Nine other endangered or threatened species inhabit the refuge, such as the Texas ocelot (Leopardus pardalis albescens) and Gulf Coast jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi cacomitli), rare wild cats.[3] Programs at the refuge include vegetation and wetland restoration." From Wikipedia.
We started our visit at the Visitor Centre, where there are a number of displays, including mounted Screech Owls, a Greater Roadrunner, and an Aplomado Falcon. The Refuge is on the coast, across the Laguna Madre from South Padre Island. We checked out the view from the edge of the Laguna Atascosa, but saw very little. I seem to remember there was a tiny speck out on the water - a Pied-billed Grebe, I think. Also a distant flock of White Ibis on the ground. We ate our lunch while enjoying the view, stopping just to take a few photos of a large, black beetle. At the Centre, we had been told about a pair of Screech Owls that were nesting in a cavity in a fence post. Despite taking a pile of photos of the round cavity, we still aren't sure if what we were seeing was the top of an owl head and ears, or just the texture of the wood inside the cavity.
The last place we visited on this day, on our drive north, was the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park.
"Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park near Brownsville, Texas is a National Park Service unit which preserves the grounds of the May 8, 1846, Battle of Palo Alto. It was the first major conflict in a border dispute that soon precipitated the Mexican–American War. The United States Army victory here made the invasion of Mexico possible. The historic site portrays the battle and the war, and its causes and consequences, from the perspectives of both the United States and Mexico." From Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palo_Alto_Battlefield_National_Hist...
Group portrait of Angela Lusigi, Strategic Advisor, United National Development Program (UNDP); Dr. Hanan Morsy, Director, Macroeconomic Policy, Forecasting and Research Department, African Development Bank and Adam Elhiraika, Director of Macroeconomics and Governance Division (ECA) during African Economic Conference (AEC) 2019 - Closing Remarks in December 2019 at Sharm el-sheik, Egypt.
With the weather forecast calling for cloudless skies,we made a predawn departure from the Twin Cities for the express purpose of getting this shot. There's a narrow window of decent light this time of year and luck would have to be on our side to get a train.
Contrary to what the weather fairies predicted there wa a pretty good cloud deck in place as we arrived to find a northbound holding out of town for a meet. A good sign for sure, now if the clouds would just thin a little before the southbound got there.
The railfan gods smiled briefly as the train and the best sun we saw all day showed up at the same time. Power could have been a little cleaner, but at least our effort wasn't totally in vain. Next time the fishing gear is coming along.
..and the rain arrived. After the blue skies of dawn this was a bit of a shock.
Taken from Ilam Moor Lane, Staffs
Looks like I just caught a Pied-billed Grebe in this photo. Love the colours of the lake, Laguna Atascosa.
Saturday, 1 February 2020: our temperature is a balmy 7C (windchill 4C). Sunrise is at 8:13 am, and sunset is at 5:27 pm. Very overcast, and the forecast is a 70% chance of rain/snow this afternoon and snow this evening. Hopefully, it will miss my part of the city, as I washed my car yesterday. After two drives this last week on wet, muddy, gravel roads, my car was the same muddy brown colour as all our roads, and I needed to be more visible.
The 8 photos I have posted today were taken on Day 9 of our 13-day birding trip to South Texas, in March 2019. Not a very inspiring set of images, but I want to be able to include them in my South Texas albums. I still have a few more uninspiring images to upload, but then I will get to bird photos on Day 10. I won't be going on holiday anywhere this year, but really want to finish off this trip as soon as I can. The first few photos from Day 9 were added months ago.
On Day 9, we had an early start from Mission, so caught the beautiful sunrise. Unfortunately, my photos had to be taken from back in the vehicle, and through the windshield. Poor quality, but I posted them for the record a few months ago..
The approximate distance between Mission and Brownsville, where we were heading, is 106 km (65.8 miles) and travel time 1 hr 04 mins, travelling along US 83 and US 77. We stopped when we reached the western edge of Brownsville to visit the Resaca de la Palma State Park. The photos from this location were posted a few months ago.
"Resaca de la Palma State Park is one of three state parks belonging to the World Birding Center and managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. At 1,200 acres, Resaca de la Palma State Park is the largest of the World Birding Center sites and is located in Brownsville. The property was acquired by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1977 and was opened to the public in December 2008. A resaca is a type of oxbow lake that can be found in Texas, and is a former channel of the Rio Grande. It is naturally cut off from the river, having no inlet or outlet.
The World Birding Center is the official title given to a combined nine parks and nature preserves in the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas managed by a partnership of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the local communities in which the parks reside." From Wikipedia.
The six images posted this morning were all taken at the Visitor's Centre at Laguna Atascosa, our next stop of the day. This National Wildlife Refuge opened in 1946.
"The Laguna Atascosis National Wildlife Refuge is the largest protected area of natural habitat left in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The 98,000-acre (400 km2) refuge is located almost entirely in Cameron County, Texas (near Harlingen), although a very small part of its northernmost point extends into southern Willacy County.
The Peregrine Fund began reintroducing captive-bred northern aplomado falcons (Falco femoralis septentrionalis) to the refuge in 1985, which had been nearly extirpated from the Southwestern United States; today, it is home to 26 pairs. Nine other endangered or threatened species inhabit the refuge, such as the Texas ocelot (Leopardus pardalis albescens) and Gulf Coast jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi cacomitli), rare wild cats.[3] Programs at the refuge include vegetation and wetland restoration." From Wikipedia.
We started our visit at the Visitor Centre, where there are a number of displays, including mounted Screech Owls, a Greater Roadrunner, and an Aplomado Falcon. The Refuge is on the coast, across the Laguna Madre from South Padre Island. We checked out the view from the edge of the Laguna Atascosa, but saw very little. I seem to remember there was a tiny speck out on the water - a Pied-billed Grebe, I think. Also a distant flock of White Ibis on the ground. We ate our lunch while enjoying the view, stopping just to take a few photos of a large, black beetle. At the Centre, we had been told about a pair of Screech Owls that were nesting in a cavity in a fence post. Despite taking a pile of photos of the round cavity, we still aren't sure if what we were seeing was the top of an owl head and ears, or just the texture of the wood inside the cavity.
The last place we visited on this day, on our drive north, was the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park.
"Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park near Brownsville, Texas is a National Park Service unit which preserves the grounds of the May 8, 1846, Battle of Palo Alto. It was the first major conflict in a border dispute that soon precipitated the Mexican–American War. The United States Army victory here made the invasion of Mexico possible. The historic site portrays the battle and the war, and its causes and consequences, from the perspectives of both the United States and Mexico." From Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palo_Alto_Battlefield_National_Hist...
The weather forecast for Wed, April 6th predicted that clouds would be rolling in towards the afternoon. My buddy and I grabbed our cameras, left work a bit early, and drove up to the Marin Headlands to take photos at Rodeo Beach. We knew these rock pillars were here and had seen some great photos of it and wanted to make our go.
I must say, after my experience at Hole-in-the-Wall Beach I was a little scared when I noticed the tide was REALLY high and almost blocked us in again. Fortunately the tied never became difficult and we got in, did our shoot, and got home safely.
Unlike last week, Mother Nature did not disappoint! As soon as I threw on the my circular polarizer and the Graduated Filters the sky LIT UP! It was like an explosion of color! These photos are NOT HDR and have had very little saturation edits (in fact, I had to lower the saturation a bit so that you wouldn't think it was fake)! The clouds kept the sun hidden so I didn't have any clipping from a bright sun. It also stayed behind the big rock monolith that you see in the center. The soft graduated filters worked great -- gave me some great color in the sky and let me slow the shutter for some neat wave movements. I'm quite pleased with how these came out!
When we first got to the beach I wanted to slow my shutter down more than the camera was letting me so I threw on my circular polarizer. Near the end of the sunset the polarizer was starting to make things *too* dark and the exposure times were getting pretty long. I decided to make one really long exposure so that I could gave a fog like look to the water. I knew I had to keep the photo simple so I zoomed into the rocks and let them frame the photo with the gorgeous sunset.
Nikon D300s w/Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8 ED-IF AF-S:
30mm, f/22, 30 sec, ISO 200, Tripod
B+W F-Pro Circular Polarizer + Hitech 0.9 soft Reverse ND grad filter, Hitech 0.6 soft ND grad filter, and Lee FK Filter holder
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Forecast for the rest of Wednesday
Shower or two.
Possible storm.
Chance of any rain: 60%
====
UPDATE :
we had 50 mm of rain overnight
The weather forecast for this morning was pretty favorable and as I haven’t been out for a week I grabbed my camera to take another tour of town to find some more house numbers for “pekfosmad” Wendy’s Challenge. At the same time I picked up my notebook and biro to see if there was any chance of finding a stranger to continue my project.
I haven’t really tried that hard to restart my 100 Strangers since we moved. Having moved to a town in Northern Brittany, that in the summer is packed full of second home owners and tourists I could probably find 100 strangers in a day, but at this time of the year the population is much smaller than Etampes at any time!! I was well back into the main part of town before I started looking a little harder for someone. I still wasn’t sure I wanted to continue but kept half an eye out, just in case.
And, there she was sitting on a low wall sending a text to someone. I hesitated for a moment or two and then decided why not, no harm in asking. So I asked if she had a few minutes and explained what I wanted. She had a look on the Internet for Flickr to check it was there, as she’d never heard of it. Checked that it wasn’t a scam and then said OK, but as she was on a five minute fag break from work she didn’t have much time.
Where had my technique gone, I was all fingers and thumbs when it came to explaining everything!! Sadly as we only had 5 minutes I didn’t have time to stop, take a breath and start again.
But please meet Sarah, my Stranger N°86 (Round III), she’s 23 and was born here in Perros-Guirec, she’s not married and doesn’t have any children. She works in a bank and I asked her all the questions I could think of while we crossed over the road for her to go back to work. Although she was quite hesitant about it all, she seemed very warm and I wish I’d had time to get to know her a little more and to have explained the project better to her.
I only took one photo of Sarah and hoped it would look as good on the computer as it did on the camera screen, (it did phew). I then very briefly explained the concept of the “What didn’t you like to eat as a child” and after a bit more explaining, as I’d still not got myself organized she said yes and gave me her “Don’t like” photo. Have a guess what, people in Perros, didn’t like sprouts either!!
I thanked her for her time having given her details of where to find her photo and my email address for copies if she wants them. She also gave me hers, so I shall send her the two photos and a link for her to find them on here.
It was probably my worst organized stranger meet of all time, but I enjoyed meeting Sarah and although I’ve got a lot of work to do to get my “speech” back up to scratch again, I’m glad I did it and hope it doesn’t take quite so long to find the last 14 I need for my 300th Stranger.
100 Strangers (Round I) www.flickr.com/photos/44506883@N04/sets/72157627810663376/
100 Strangers (Round II) www.flickr.com/photos/44506883@N04/sets/72157632333365533/
100 Strangers (Round III) www.flickr.com/photos/44506883@N04/sets/72157634454644547/
100 Stranger Group www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/
Merci beaucoup Sarah.
Meteorologist Mark Shanaberger with a mid-March snow forecast on WFMZ TV's AccuWeather Channel 69.2, Allentown, PA.
Signal received 53 miles from transmitter using 4 bay UHF antenna in attic. A regular, and useful, DX catch for me. I also receive WFMZ's translator at Roxborough in Philly, but with slightly lower signal strength. The main Allentown signal is more reliable.
I checked Cornell's live radar this morning about 4:30 a.m. CDT and it was showing over 800 million birds in the air! Bird migrations are one of nature's great phenomenons, yet most people are oblivious to them. Our beautiful world, pass it on.
Ilha da Madeira 2021 -
Weather forecast Netherlands
Heavy (thunder) showers especially in the east
July 24, 2021, 5:22 PM
Tonight, some rain and thunderstorms will move across the country from south to north. The heaviest showers are in the east with possible hail and lots of rain. Tomorrow the sun will shine first, later the chance of thunderstorms increases again. With 23 to 26 degrees it remains warm. After the weekend it will be (slightly) changeable with daily showers. With 21 to 24 degrees it is slightly less warm.
However, I did take a picture of my monitor regarding the weather forecast. It turns out it will need to be my PAD for today. Sorry.
After 6 days of heavy rainfall
After the Canadian army called in to help dwellers of record flood devastated areas .
St Jean sur Richelieu being the worst hit
Optimism abounds
Taken live at 7:15 in Montreal
g
Montreal
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByQjsaCyQd0
The sun is shining - Bob Marley
LR-11629 - Forecast was for rain and it did, so here's a dual memory jogger of the wonderful sunny Bank Holiday (a rarity in the UK) and a legend of Football.
Not been a huge fan of football in recent years, but sometimes things happen and worthy of pulling stuff from the memory banks for a few moments. So Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE, or Alex Ferguson a name from childhood days, announces his retirement after managing Manchester United for 27 years, worth remembering his contribution to football in the UK and across the world. The question is who will they get to fill his boots when the sun goes down. Perhaps he'll pop down to our little rock for a break every now and then or use the skilled surgeons for his forthcoming hip replacement :)
Doffin' my cap to a legend
Sesión Fotografica The Street
Modelo Camila Colombo
Iluminación Natural & Reflejada
Makeup Cynthia
Asistencia Valeri El Russo
Edición Lightroom
Weather forecasts show that Coventry is due for a sunny day the next day. Determined to get at least one shot of the University of Warwick covered in show, I rushed down to my favourite spot for a few snaps and some snow fun!
I have a friend who will visit Canterbury Cathedral once the scaffolding has been taken down from outside.
I had tried two weeks ago to check, but found the cathedral closed for a conferance.
Last week the weather was most inclement, apart from Wednesday when there just wasn't time, as it opens at 10:00 for the winter months, not an hour earlier like in summer on previous visits.
The forecast changed for Monday, so plans we made to head to the city once the rush hour ended, and get there at about ten when the cathedral would be quiet.
Jools went swimming first thing, I went back to sleep and woke at six with Jools having already left, and me being used as a kitty bed.
I got out from beside Cleo, got dressed and made a coffee. Downstairs I found one of the cats had used the litter tray for "number 2s", and had wandered off halfway, so there was a train of poo across the carpet. Jools had cleaned the carpet, but I would change the litter and the remains of the cat's eggs.
Once daylight arrived, the litter was emptied, the tray cleaned, dried and refilled. Bird seed refilled too, and then to catch up on stuff online, wait for Jools so we could have breakfast.
We were all set for a half nine departure, a quick blast up the A2 in damp conditions, along New Dover Road to the ring road, then to the parking garage where we would pay a nice chap to clean the car whilst we went about our stuff.
I went straight to the Cathedral. Its always a wonderful sight, seeing the towers rise above the timber-framed houses along the narrow cobbled streets as you approach the Christchurch Gate. I always take a shot or two, and did again.
I paid to get in, and walked into the Close, and saw that indeed the scaffolding had all gone.
It loos splendid, all clean stone and repaired carvings.
I walk in and see the Nave empty of chairs, not sure I've seen that before. A guide asks if I needed help or guidance, but I was good.
She did tell me to make sure I saw the newly carved updated list of Archbishops, as the new one was in vestured last week at St Paul's in that London.
I took shots.
And I went round taking shots of memorials and views I hadn't snapped before, or love taking.
The cathedral was pretty empty still, so I admire the windows, especially now the west window is free of scaffolding and all glass has been replaced. These are the oldest stained glass in England, dating from the 12th century.
On leaving, two groups of schoolchidren are entering, their voices filling the large empty space of the Nave. I wait for them to pass, then go to sit in the Close, message Jools as to where we should meet.
I get no answer, so exit through the shop, and walk up to Tiny Tim's Tearooms, where I order a beef and cheese bagel and a pot of tea, as I had come suddenly hungry.
At midday, I get a message from Jools, we would meet back at the car. So I walk to Whitefriars, and wait for her before we took the lift to where our car was waiting, all gleaming and looking like new.
We drove home in the rain, which had began again, this time set in for the day.
I had bought two cheese scones from Tiny Tim's, so that was our lunch. Though in truth there were like small loaves. So much so, in fact, we wanted nothing else to eat that day.
I sat on the sofa with Scully to keep her company, so we watch Bangers and Cash for 90 minutes.
Its great that we can just write the day off because either we want to or the weather is crap.
There was Sunderland v Burnley on the tellybox to entertain me, though it was pretty much one way traffic. So much so I went to bed at half time, but the cheers from next door woke me up with Sunderland scored their third and last goal of the night.
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History of the cathedral
THE ORIGIN of a Christian church on the scite of the present cathedral, is supposed to have taken place as early as the Roman empire in Britain, for the use of the antient faithful and believing soldiers of their garrison here; and that Augustine found such a one standing here, adjoining to king Ethelbert's palace, which was included in the king's gift to him.
This supposition is founded on the records of the priory of Christ-church, (fn. 1) concurring with the common opinion of almost all our historians, who tell us of a church in Canterbury, which Augustine found standing in the east part of the city, which he had of king Ethelbert's gift, which after his consecration at Arles, in France, he commended by special dedication to the patronage of our blessed Saviour. (fn. 2)
According to others, the foundations only of an old church formerly built by the believing Romans, were left here, on which Augustine erected that, which he afterwards dedicated to out Saviour; (fn. 3) and indeed it is not probable that king Ethelbert should have suffered the unsightly ruins of a Christian church, which, being a Pagan, must have been very obnoxious to him, so close to his palace, and supposing these ruins had been here, would he not have suffered them to be repaired, rather than have obliged his Christian queen to travel daily to such a distance as St. Martin's church, or St. Pancrace's chapel, for the performance of her devotions.
Some indeed have conjectured that the church found by St. Augustine, in the east part of the city, was that of St.Martin, truly so situated; and urge in favor of it, that there have not been at any time any remains of British or Roman bricks discovered scattered in or about this church of our Saviour, those infallible, as Mr. Somner stiles them, signs of antiquity, and so generally found in buildings, which have been erected on, or close to the spot where more antient ones have stood. But to proceed, king Ethelbert's donation to Augustine was made in the year 596, who immediately afterwards went over to France, and was consecrated a bishop at Arles, and after his return, as soon as he had sufficiently finished a church here, whether built out of ruins or anew, it matters not, he exercised his episcopal function in the dedication of it, says the register of Christ-church, to the honor of Christ our Saviour; whence it afterwards obtained the name of Christ-church. (fn. 4)
From the time of Augustine for the space of upwards of three hundred years, there is not found in any printed or manuscript chronicle, the least mention of the fabric of this church, so that it is probable nothing befell it worthy of being recorded; however it should be mentioned, that during that period the revenues of it were much increased, for in the leiger books of it there are registered more than fifty donations of manors, lands, &c. so large and bountiful, as became the munificence of kings and nobles to confer. (fn. 5)
It is supposed, especially as we find no mention made of any thing to the contrary, that the fabric of this church for two hundred years after Augustine's time, met with no considerable molestations; but afterwards, the frequent invasions of the Danes involved both the civil and ecclesiastical state of this country in continual troubles and dangers; in the confusion of which, this church appears to have run into a state of decay; for when Odo was promoted to the archbishopric, in the year 938, the roof of it was in a ruinous condition; age had impaired it, and neglect had made it extremely dangerous; the walls of it were of an uneven height, according as it had been more or less decayed, and the roof of the church seemed ready to fall down on the heads of those underneath. All this the archbishop undertook to repair, and then covered the whole church with lead; to finish which, it took three years, as Osbern tells us, in the life of Odo; (fn. 6) and further, that there was not to be found a church of so large a size, capable of containing so great a multitude of people, and thus, perhaps, it continued without any material change happening to it, till the year 1011; a dismal and fatal year to this church and city; a time of unspeakable confusion and calamities; for in the month of September that year, the Danes, after a siege of twenty days, entered this city by force, burnt the houses, made a lamentable slaughter of the inhabitants, rifled this church, and then set it on fire, insomuch, that the lead with which archbishop Odo had covered it, being melted, ran down on those who were underneath. The sull story of this calamity is given by Osbern, in the life of archbishop Odo, an abridgement of which the reader will find below. (fn. 7)
The church now lay in ruins, without a roof, the bare walls only standing, and in this desolate condition it remained as long as the fury of the Danes prevailed, who after they had burnt the church, carried away archbishop Alphage with them, kept him in prison seven months, and then put him to death, in the year 1012, the year after which Living, or Livingus, succeeded him as archbishop, though it was rather in his calamities than in his seat of dignity, for he too was chained up by the Danes in a loathsome dungeon for seven months, before he was set free, but he so sensibly felt the deplorable state of this country, which he foresaw was every day growing worse and worse, that by a voluntary exile, he withdrew himself out of the nation, to find some solitary retirement, where he might bewail those desolations of his country, to which he was not able to bring any relief, but by his continual prayers. (fn. 8) He just outlived this storm, returned into England, and before he died saw peace and quientness restored to this land by king Canute, who gaining to himself the sole sovereignty over the nation, made it his first business to repair the injuries which had been done to the churches and monasteries in this kingdom, by his father's and his own wars. (fn. 9)
As for this church, archbishop Ægelnoth, who presided over it from the year 1020 to the year 1038, began and finished the repair, or rather the rebuilding of it, assisted in it by the royal munificence of the king, (fn. 10) who in 1023 presented his crown of gold to this church, and restored to it the port of Sandwich, with its liberties. (fn. 11) Notwithstanding this, in less than forty years afterwards, when Lanfranc soon after the Norman conquest came to the see, he found this church reduced almost to nothing by fire, and dilapidations; for Eadmer says, it had been consumed by a third conflagration, prior to the year of his advancement to it, in which fire almost all the antient records of the privileges of it had perished. (fn. 12)
The same writer has given us a description of this old church, as it was before Lanfranc came to the see; by which we learn, that at the east end there was an altar adjoining to the wall of the church, of rough unhewn stone, cemented with mortar, erected by archbishop Odo, for a repository of the body of Wilfrid, archbishop of York, which Odo had translated from Rippon hither, giving it here the highest place; at a convenient distance from this, westward, there was another altar, dedicated to Christ our Saviour, at which divine service was daily celebrated. In this altar was inclosed the head of St. Swithin, with many other relics, which archbishop Alphage brought with him from Winchester. Passing from this altar westward, many steps led down to the choir and nave, which were both even, or upon the same level. At the bottom of the steps, there was a passage into the undercroft, under all the east part of the church. (fn. 13) At the east end of which, was an altar, in which was inclosed, according to old tradition, the head of St. Furseus. From hence by a winding passage, at the west end of it, was the tomb of St. Dunstan, (fn. 14) but separated from the undercroft by a strong stone wall; over the tomb was erected a monument, pyramid wife, and at the head of it an altar, (fn. 15) for the mattin service. Between these steps, or passage into the undercroft and the nave, was the choir, (fn. 16) which was separated from the nave by a fair and decent partition, to keep off the crowds of people that usually were in the body of the church, so that the singing of the chanters in the choir might not be disturbed. About the middle of the length of the nave, were two towers or steeples, built without the walls; one on the south, and the other on the north side. In the former was the altar of St. Gregory, where was an entrance into the church by the south door, and where law controversies and pleas concerning secular matters were exercised. (fn. 17) In the latter, or north tower, was a passage for the monks into the church, from the monastery; here were the cloysters, where the novices were instructed in their religious rules and offices, and where the monks conversed together. In this tower was the altar of St. Martin. At the west end of the church was a chapel, dedicated to the blessed Virgin Mary, to which there was an ascent by steps, and at the east end of it an altar, dedicated to her, in which was inclosed the head of St. Astroburta the Virgin; and at the western part of it was the archbishop's pontifical chair, made of large stones, compacted together with mortar; a fair piece of work, and placed at a convenient distance from the altar, close to the wall of the church. (fn. 18)
To return now to archbishop Lanfranc, who was sent for from Normandy in 1073, being the fourth year of the Conqueror's reign, to fill this see, a time, when a man of a noble spirit, equal to the laborious task he was to undertake, was wanting especially for this church; and that he was such, the several great works which were performed by him, were incontestable proofs, as well as of his great and generous mind. At the first sight of the ruinous condition of this church, says the historian, the archbishop was struck with astonishment, and almost despaired of seeing that and the monastery re edified; but his care and perseverance raised both in all its parts anew, and that in a novel and more magnificent kind and form of structure, than had been hardly in any place before made use of in this kingdom, which made it a precedent and pattern to succeeding structures of this kind; (fn. 19) and new monasteries and churches were built after the example of it; for it should be observed, that before the coming of the Normans most of the churches and monasteries in this kingdom were of wood; (all the monasteries in my realm, says king Edgar, in his charter to the abbey of Malmesbury, dated anno 974, to the outward sight are nothing but worm-eaten and rotten timber and boards) but after the Norman conquest, such timber fabrics grew out of use, and gave place to stone buildings raised upon arches; a form of structure introduced into general use by that nation, and in these parts surnished with stone from Caen, in Normandy. (fn. 20) After this fashion archbishop Lanfranc rebuilt the whole church from the foundation, with the palace and monastery, the wall which encompassed the court, and all the offices belonging to the monastery within the wall, finishing the whole nearly within the compass of seven years; (fn. 21) besides which, he furnished the church with ornaments and rich vestments; after which, the whole being perfected, he altered the name of it, by a dedication of it to the Holy Trinity; whereas, before it was called the church of our Saviour, or Christ-church, and from the above time it bore (as by Domesday book appears) the name of the church of the Holy Trinity; this new church being built on the same spot on which the antient one stood, though on a far different model.
After Lanfranc's death, archbishop Anselm succeeded in the year 1093, to the see of Canterbury, and must be esteemed a principal benefactor to this church; for though his time was perplexed with a continued series of troubles, of which both banishment and poverty made no small part, which in a great measure prevented him from bestowing that cost on his church, which he would otherwise have done, yet it was through his patronage and protection, and through his care and persuasions, that the fabric of it, begun and perfected by his predecessor, became enlarged and rose to still greater splendor. (fn. 22)
In order to carry this forward, upon the vacancy of the priory, he constituted Ernulph and Conrad, the first in 1104, the latter in 1108, priors of this church; to whose care, being men of generous and noble minds, and of singular skill in these matters, he, during his troubles, not only committed the management of this work, but of all his other concerns during his absence.
Probably archbishop Anselm, on being recalled from banishment on king Henry's accession to the throne, had pulled down that part of the church built by Lanfranc, from the great tower in the middle of it to the east end, intending to rebuild it upon a still larger and more magnificent plan; when being borne down by the king's displeasure, he intrusted prior Ernulph with the work, who raised up the building with such splendor, says Malmesbury, that the like was not to be seen in all England; (fn. 23) but the short time Ernulph continued in this office did not permit him to see his undertaking finished. (fn. 24) This was left to his successor Conrad, who, as the obituary of Christ church informs us, by his great industry, magnificently perfected the choir, which his predecessor had left unfinished, (fn. 25) adorning it with curious pictures, and enriching it with many precious ornaments. (fn. 26)
This great undertaking was not entirely compleated at the death of archbishop Anselm, which happened in 1109, anno 9 Henry I. nor indeed for the space of five years afterwards, during which the see of Canterbury continued vacant; when being finished, in honour of its builder, and on account of its more than ordinary beauty, it gained the name of the glorious choir of Conrad. (fn. 27)
After the see of Canterbury had continued thus vacant for five years, Ralph, or as some call him, Rodulph, bishop of Rochester, was translated to it in the year 1114, at whose coming to it, the church was dedicated anew to the Holy Trinity, the name which had been before given to it by Lanfranc. (fn. 28) The only particular description we have of this church when thus finished, is from Gervas, the monk of this monastery, and that proves imperfect, as to the choir of Lanfranc, which had been taken down soon after his death; (fn. 29) the following is his account of the nave, or western part of it below the choir, being that which had been erected by archbishop Lanfranc, as has been before mentioned. From him we learn, that the west end, where the chapel of the Virgin Mary stood before, was now adorned with two stately towers, on the top of which were gilded pinnacles. The nave or body was supported by eight pair of pillars. At the east end of the nave, on the north side, was an oratory, dedicated in honor to the blessed Virgin, in lieu, I suppose, of the chapel, that had in the former church been dedicated to her at the west end. Between the nave and the choir there was built a great tower or steeple, as it were in the centre of the whole fabric; (fn. 30) under this tower was erected the altar of the Holy Cross; over a partition, which separated this tower from the nave, a beam was laid across from one side to the other of the church; upon the middle of this beam was fixed a great cross, between the images of the Virgin Mary and St. John, and between two cherubims. The pinnacle on the top of this tower, was a gilded cherub, and hence it was called the angel steeple; a name it is frequently called by at this day. (fn. 31)
This great tower had on each side a cross isle, called the north and south wings, which were uniform, of the same model and dimensions; each of them had a strong pillar in the middle for a support to the roof, and each of them had two doors or passages, by which an entrance was open to the east parts of the church. At one of these doors there was a descent by a few steps into the undercroft; at the other, there was an ascent by many steps into the upper parts of the church, that is, the choir, and the isles on each side of it. Near every one of these doors or passages, an altar was erected; at the upper door in the south wing, there was an altar in honour of All Saints; and at the lower door there was one of St. Michael; and before this altar on the south side was buried archbishop Fleologild; and on the north side, the holy Virgin Siburgis, whom St. Dunstan highly admired for her sanctity. In the north isle, by the upper door, was the altar of St. Blaze; and by the lower door, that of St. Benedict. In this wing had been interred four archbishops, Adelm and Ceolnoth, behind the altar, and Egelnoth and Wlfelm before it. At the entrance into this wing, Rodulph and his successor William Corboil, both archbishops, were buried. (fn. 32)
Hence, he continues, we go up by some steps into the great tower, and before us there is a door and steps leading down into the south wing, and on the right hand a pair of folding doors, with stairs going down into the nave of the church; but without turning to any of these, let us ascend eastward, till by several more steps we come to the west end of Conrad's choir; being now at the entrance of the choir, Gervas tells us, that he neither saw the choir built by Lanfranc, nor found it described by any one; that Eadmer had made mention of it, without giving any account of it, as he had done of the old church, the reason of which appears to be, that Lanfranc's choir did not long survive its founder, being pulled down as before-mentioned, by archbishop Anselm; so that it could not stand more than twenty years; therefore the want of a particular description of it will appear no great defect in the history of this church, especially as the deficiency is here supplied by Gervas's full relation of the new choir of Conrad, built instead of it; of which, whoever desires to know the whole architecture and model observed in the fabric, the order, number, height and form of the pillars and windows, may know the whole of it from him. The roof of it, he tells us, (fn. 33) was beautified with curious paintings representing heaven; (fn. 34) in several respects it was agreeable to the present choir, the stalls were large and framed of carved wood. In the middle of it, there hung a gilded crown, on which were placed four and twenty tapers of wax. From the choir an ascent of three steps led to the presbiterium, or place for the presbiters; here, he says, it would be proper to stop a little and take notice of the high altar, which was dedicated to the name of CHRIST. It was placed between two other altars, the one of St. Dunstan, the other of St. Alphage; at the east corners of the high altar were fixed two pillars of wood, beautified with silver and gold; upon these pillars was placed a beam, adorned with gold, which reached across the church, upon it there were placed the glory, (fn. 35) the images of St. Dunstan and St. Alphage, and seven chests or coffers overlaid with gold, full of the relics of many saints. Between those pillars was a cross gilded all over, and upon the upper beam of the cross were set sixty bright crystals.
Beyond this, by an ascent of eight steps towards the east, behind the altar, was the archiepiscopal throne, which Gervas calls the patriarchal chair, made of one stone; in this chair, according to the custom of the church, the archbishop used to sit, upon principal festivals, in his pontifical ornaments, whilst the solemn offices of religion were celebrated, until the consecration of the host, when he came down to the high altar, and there performed the solemnity of consecration. Still further, eastward, behind the patriarchal chair, (fn. 36) was a chapel in the front of the whole church, in which was an altar, dedicated to the Holy Trinity; behind which were laid the bones of two archbishops, Odo of Canterbury, and Wilfrid of York; by this chapel on the south side near the wall of the church, was laid the body of archbishop Lanfranc, and on the north side, the body of archbishop Theobald. Here it is to be observed, that under the whole east part of the church, from the angel steeple, there was an undercrost or crypt, (fn. 37) in which were several altars, chapels and sepulchres; under the chapel of the Trinity before-mentioned, were two altars, on the south side, the altar of St. Augustine, the apostle of the English nation, by which archbishop Athelred was interred. On the north side was the altar of St. John Baptist, by which was laid the body of archbishop Eadsin; under the high altar was the chapel and altar of the blessed Virgin Mary, to whom the whole undercroft was dedicated.
To return now, he continues, to the place where the bresbyterium and choir meet, where on each side there was a cross isle (as was to be seen in his time) which might be called the upper south and north wings; on the east side of each of these wings were two half circular recesses or nooks in the wall, arched over after the form of porticoes. Each of them had an altar, and there was the like number of altars under them in the crost. In the north wing, the north portico had the altar of St. Martin, by which were interred the bodies of two archbishops, Wlfred on the right, and Living on the left hand; under it in the croft, was the altar of St. Mary Magdalen. The other portico in this wing, had the altar of St. Stephen, and by it were buried two archbishops, Athelard on the left hand, and Cuthbert on the right; in the croft under it, was the altar of St. Nicholas. In the south wing, the north portico had the altar of St. John the Evangelist, and by it the bodies of Æthelgar and Aluric, archbishops, were laid. In the croft under it was the altar of St. Paulinus, by which the body of archbishop Siricius was interred. In the south portico was the altar of St. Gregory, by which were laid the corps of the two archbishops Bregwin and Plegmund. In the croft under it was the altar of St. Owen, archbishop of Roan, and underneath in the croft, not far from it the altar of St. Catherine.
Passing from these cross isles eastward there were two towers, one on the north, the other on the south side of the church. In the tower on the north side was the altar of St. Andrew, which gave name to the tower; under it, in the croft, was the altar of the Holy Innocents; the tower on the south side had the altar of St. Peter and St. Paul, behind which the body of St. Anselm was interred, which afterwards gave name both to the altar and tower (fn. 38) (now called St. Anselm's). The wings or isles on each side of the choir had nothing in particular to be taken notice of.— Thus far Gervas, from whose description we in particular learn, where several of the bodies of the old archbishops were deposited, and probably the ashes of some of them remain in the same places to this day.
As this building, deservedly called the glorious choir of Conrad, was a magnificent work, so the undertaking of it at that time will appear almost beyond example, especially when the several circumstances of it are considered; but that it was carried forward at the archbishop's cost, exceeds all belief. It was in the discouraging reign of king William Rufus, a prince notorious in the records of history, for all manner of sacrilegious rapine, that archbishop Anselm was promoted to this see; when he found the lands and revenues of this church so miserably wasted and spoiled, that there was hardly enough left for his bare subsistence; who, in the first years that he sat in the archiepiscopal chair, struggled with poverty, wants and continual vexations through the king's displeasure, (fn. 39) and whose three next years were spent in banishment, during all which time he borrowed money for his present maintenance; who being called home by king Henry I. at his coming to the crown, laboured to pay the debts he had contracted during the time of his banishment, and instead of enjoying that tranquility and ease he hoped for, was, within two years afterwards, again sent into banishment upon a fresh displeasure conceived against him by the king, who then seized upon all the revenues of the archbishopric, (fn. 40) which he retained in his own hands for no less than four years.
Under these hard circumstances, it would have been surprizing indeed, that the archbishop should have been able to carry on so great a work, and yet we are told it, as a truth, by the testimonies of history; but this must surely be understood with the interpretation of his having been the patron, protector and encourager, rather than the builder of this work, which he entrusted to the care and management of the priors Ernulph and Conrad, and sanctioned their employing, as Lanfranc had done before, the revenues and stock of the church to this use. (fn. 41)
In this state as above-mentioned, without any thing material happening to it, this church continued till about the year 1130, anno 30 Henry I. when it seems to have suffered some damage by a fire; (fn. 42) but how much, there is no record left to inform us; however it could not be of any great account, for it was sufficiently repaired, and that mostly at the cost of archbishop Corboil, who then sat in the chair of this see, (fn. 43) before the 4th of May that year, on which day, being Rogation Sunday, the bishops performed the dedication of it with great splendor and magnificence, such, says Gervas, col. 1664, as had not been heard of since the dedication of the temple of Solomon; the king, the queen, David, king of Scots, all the archbishops, and the nobility of both kingdoms being present at it, when this church's former name was restored again, being henceforward commonly called Christ-church. (fn. 44)
Among the manuscripts of Trinity college library, in Cambridge, in a very curious triple psalter of St. Jerome, in Latin, written by the monk Eadwyn, whose picture is at the beginning of it, is a plan or drawing made by him, being an attempt towards a representation of this church and monastery, as they stood between the years 1130 and 1174; which makes it probable, that he was one of the monks of it, and the more so, as the drawing has not any kind of relation to the plalter or sacred hymns contained in the manuscript.
His plan, if so it may be called, for it is neither such, nor an upright, nor a prospect, and yet something of all together; but notwithstanding this rudeness of the draftsman, it shews very plain that it was intended for this church and priory, and gives us a very clear knowledge, more than we have been able to learn from any description we have besides, of what both were at the above period of time. (fn. 45)
Forty-four years after this dedication, on the 5th of September, anno 1174, being the 20th year of king Henry II.'s reign, a fire happened, which consumed great part of this stately edifice, namely, the whole choir, from the angel steeple to the east end of the church, together with the prior's lodgings, the chapel of the Virgin Mary, the infirmary, and some other offices belonging to the monastery; but the angel steeple, the lower cross isles, and the nave appear to have received no material injury from the flames. (fn. 46) The narrative of this accident is told by Gervas, the monk of Canterbury, so often quoted before, who was an eye witness of this calamity, as follows:
Three small houses in the city near the old gate of the monastery took fire by accident, a strong south wind carried the flakes of fire to the top of the church, and lodged them between the joints of the lead, driving them to the timbers under it; this kindled a fire there, which was not discerned till the melted lead gave a free passage for the flames to appear above the church, and the wind gaining by this means a further power of increasing them, drove them inwardly, insomuch that the danger became immediately past all possibility of relief. The timber of the roof being all of it on fire, fell down into the choir, where the stalls of the manks, made of large pieces of carved wood, afforded plenty of fuel to the flames, and great part of the stone work, through the vehement heat of the fire, was so weakened, as to be brought to irreparable ruin, and besides the fabric itself, the many rich ornaments in the church were devoured by the flames.
The choir being thus laid in ashes, the monks removed from amidst the ruins, the bodies of the two saints, whom they called patrons of the church, the archbishops Dunstan and Alphage, and deposited them by the altar of the great cross, in the nave of the church; (fn. 47) and from this time they celebrated the daily religious offices in the oratory of the blessed Virgin Mary in the nave, and continued to do so for more than five years, when the choir being re edified, they returned to it again. (fn. 48)
Upon this destruction of the church, the prior and convent, without any delay, consulted on the most speedy and effectual method of rebuilding it, resolving to finish it in such a manner, as should surpass all the former choirs of it, as well in beauty as size and magnificence. To effect this, they sent for the most skilful architects that could be found either in France or England. These surveyed the walls and pillars, which remained standing, but they found great part of them so weakened by the fire, that they could no ways be built upon with any safety; and it was accordingly resolved, that such of them should be taken down; a whole year was spent in doing this, and in providing materials for the new building, for which they sent abroad for the best stone that could be procured; Gervas has given a large account, (fn. 49) how far this work advanced year by year; what methods and rules of architecture were observed, and other particulars relating to the rebuilding of this church; all which the curious reader may consult at his leisure; it will be sufficient to observe here, that the new building was larger in height and length, and more beautiful in every respect, than the choir of Conrad; for the roof was considerably advanced above what it was before, and was arched over with stone; whereas before it was composed of timber and boards. The capitals of the pillars were now beautified with different sculptures of carvework; whereas, they were before plain, and six pillars more were added than there were before. The former choir had but one triforium, or inner gallery, but now there were two made round it, and one in each side isle and three in the cross isles; before, there were no marble pillars, but such were now added to it in abundance. In forwarding this great work, the monks had spent eight years, when they could proceed no further for want of money; but a fresh supply coming in from the offerings at St. Thomas's tomb, so much more than was necessary for perfecting the repair they were engaged in, as encouraged them to set about a more grand design, which was to pull down the eastern extremity of the church, with the small chapel of the Holy Trinity adjoining to it, and to erect upon a stately undercroft, a most magnificent one instead of it, equally lofty with the roof of the church, and making a part of it, which the former one did not, except by a door into it; but this new chapel, which was dedicated likewise to the Holy Trinity, was not finished till some time after the rest of the church; at the east end of this chapel another handsome one, though small, was afterwards erected at the extremity of the whole building, since called Becket's crown, on purpose for an altar and the reception of some part of his relics; (fn. 50) further mention of which will be made hereafter.
The eastern parts of this church, as Mr. Gostling observes, have the appearance of much greater antiquity than what is generally allowed to them; and indeed if we examine the outside walls and the cross wings on each side of the choir, it will appear, that the whole of them was not rebuilt at the time the choir was, and that great part of them was suffered to remain, though altered, added to, and adapted as far as could be, to the new building erected at that time; the traces of several circular windows and other openings, which were then stopped up, removed, or altered, still appearing on the walls both of the isles and the cross wings, through the white-wash with which they are covered; and on the south side of the south isle, the vaulting of the roof as well as the triforium, which could not be contrived so as to be adjusted to the places of the upper windows, plainly shew it. To which may be added, that the base or foot of one of the westernmost large pillars of the choir on the north side, is strengthened with a strong iron band round it, by which it should seem to have been one of those pillars which had been weakened by the fire, but was judged of sufficient firmness, with this precaution, to remain for the use of the new fabric.
The outside of this part of the church is a corroborating proof of what has been mentioned above, as well in the method, as in the ornaments of the building.— The outside of it towards the south, from St. Michael's chapel eastward, is adorned with a range of small pillars, about six inches diameter, and about three feet high, some with santastic shasts and capitals, others with plain ones; these support little arches, which intersect each other; and this chain or girdle of pillars is continued round the small tower, the eastern cross isle and the chapel of St. Anselm, to the buildings added in honour of the Holy Trinity, and St. Thomas Becket, where they leave off. The casing of St. Michael's chapel has none of them, but the chapel of the Virgin Mary, answering to it on the north side of the church, not being fitted to the wall, shews some of them behind it; which seems as if they had been continued before, quite round the eastern parts of the church.
These pillars, which rise from about the level of the pavement, within the walls above them, are remarkably plain and bare of ornaments; but the tower above mentioned and its opposite, as soon as they rise clear of the building, are enriched with stories of this colonade, one above another, up to the platform from whence their spires rise; and the remains of the two larger towers eastward, called St. Anselm's, and that answering to it on the north side of the church, called St. Andrew's are decorated much after the same manner, as high as they remain at present.
At the time of the before-mentioned fire, which so fatally destroyed the upper part of this church, the undercrost, with the vaulting over it, seems to have remained entire, and unhurt by it.
The vaulting of the undercrost, on which the floor of the choir and eastern parts of the church is raised, is supported by pillars, whose capitals are as various and fantastical as those of the smaller ones described before, and so are their shafts, some being round, others canted, twisted, or carved, so that hardly any two of them are alike, except such as are quite plain.
These, I suppose, may be concluded to be of the same age, and if buildings in the same stile may be conjectured to be so from thence, the antiquity of this part of the church may be judged, though historians have left us in the dark in relation to it.
In Leland's Collectanea, there is an account and description of a vault under the chancel of the antient church of St. Peter, in Oxford, called Grymbald's crypt, being allowed by all, to have been built by him; (fn. 51) Grymbald was one of those great and accomplished men, whom king Alfred invited into England about the year 885, to assist him in restoring Christianity, learning and the liberal arts. (fn. 52) Those who compare the vaults or undercrost of the church of Canterbury, with the description and prints given of Grymbald's crypt, (fn. 53) will easily perceive, that two buildings could hardly have been erected more strongly resembling each other, except that this at Canterbury is larger, and more pro fusely decorated with variety of fancied ornaments, the shafts of several of the pillars here being twisted, or otherwise varied, and many of the captials exactly in the same grotesque taste as those in Grymbald's crypt. (fn. 54) Hence it may be supposed, that those whom archbishop Lanfranc employed as architects and designers of his building at Canterbury, took their model of it, at least of this part of it, from that crypt, and this undercrost now remaining is the same, as was originally built by him, as far eastward, as to that part which begins under the chapel of the Holy Trinity, where it appears to be of a later date, erected at the same time as the chapel. The part built by Lanfranc continues at this time as firm and entire, as it was at the very building of it, though upwards of seven hundred years old. (fn. 55)
But to return to the new building; though the church was not compleatly finished till the end of the year 1184, yet it was so far advanced towards it, that, in 1180, on April 19, being Easter eve, (fn. 56) the archbishop, prior and monks entered the new choir, with a solemn procession, singing Te Deum, for their happy return to it. Three days before which they had privately, by night, carried the bodies of St. Dunstan and St. Alphage to the places prepared for them near the high altar. The body likewise of queen Edive (which after the fire had been removed from the north cross isle, where it lay before, under a stately gilded shrine) to the altar of the great cross, was taken up, carried into the vestry, and thence to the altar of St. Martin, where it was placed under the coffin of archbishop Livinge. In the month of July following the altar of the Holy Trinity was demolished, and the bodies of those archbishops, which had been laid in that part of the church, were removed to other places. Odo's body was laid under St. Dunstan's and Wilfrid's under St. Alphage's; Lanfranc's was deposited nigh the altar of St. Martin, and Theobald's at that of the blessed Virgin, in the nave of the church, (fn. 57) under a marble tomb; and soon afterwards the two archbishops, on the right and left hand of archbishop Becket in the undercrost, were taken up and placed under the altar of St. Mary there. (fn. 58)
After a warning so terrible, as had lately been given, it seemed most necessary to provide against the danger of fire for the time to come; the flames, which had so lately destroyed a considerable part of the church and monastery, were caused by some small houses, which had taken fire at a small distance from the church.— There still remained some other houses near it, which belonged to the abbot and convent of St. Augustine; for these the monks of Christ-church created, by an exchange, which could not be effected till the king interposed, and by his royal authority, in a manner, compelled the abbot and convent to a composition for this purpose, which was dated in the year 1177, that was three years after the late fire of this church. (fn. 59)
These houses were immediately pulled down, and it proved a providential and an effectual means of preserving the church from the like calamity; for in the year 1180, on May 22, this new choir, being not then compleated, though it had been used the month be fore, as has been already mentioned, there happened a fire in the city, which burnt down many houses, and the flames bent their course towards the church, which was again in great danger; but the houses near it being taken away, the fire was stopped, and the church escaped being burnt again. (fn. 60)
Although there is no mention of a new dedication of the church at this time, yet the change made in the name of it has been thought by some to imply a formal solemnity of this kind, as it appears to have been from henceforth usually called the church of St. Thomas the Martyr, and to have continued so for above 350 years afterwards.
New names to churches, it is true. have been usually attended by formal consecrations of them; and had there been any such solemnity here, undoubtedly the same would not have passed by unnoticed by every historian, the circumstance of it must have been notorious, and the magnificence equal at least to the other dedications of this church, which have been constantly mentioned by them; but here was no need of any such ceremony, for although the general voice then burst forth to honour this church with the name of St. Thomas, the universal object of praise and adoration, then stiled the glorious martyr, yet it reached no further, for the name it had received at the former dedication, notwithstanding this common appellation of it, still remained in reality, and it still retained invariably in all records and writings, the name of Christ church only, as appears by many such remaining among the archives of the dean and chapter; and though on the seal of this church, which was changed about this time; the counter side of it had a representation of Becket's martyrdom, yet on the front of it was continued that of the church, and round it an inscription with the former name of Christ church; which seal remained in force till the dissolution of the priory.
It may not be improper to mention here some transactions, worthy of observation, relating to this favorite saint, which passed from the time of his being murdered, to that of his translation to the splendid shrine prepared for his relics.
Archbishop Thomas Becket was barbarously murdered in this church on Dec. 29, 1170, being the 16th year of king Henry II. and his body was privately buried towards the east end of the undercrost. The monks tell us, that about the Easter following, miracles began to be wrought by him, first at his tomb, then in the undercrost, and in every part of the whole fabric of the church; afterwards throughout England, and lastly, throughout the rest of the world. (fn. 61) The same of these miracles procured him the honour of a formal canonization from pope Alexander III. whose bull for that purpose is dated March 13, in the year 1172. (fn. 62) This declaration of the pope was soon known in all places, and the reports of his miracles were every where sounded abroad. (fn. 63)
Hereupon crowds of zealots, led on by a phrenzy of devotion, hastened to kneel at his tomb. In 1177, Philip, earl of Flanders, came hither for that purpose, when king Henry met and had a conference with him at Canterbury. (fn. 64) In June 1178, king Henry returning from Normandy, visited the sepulchre of this new saint; and in July following, William, archbishop of Rhemes, came from France, with a large retinue, to perform his vows to St. Thomas of Canterbury, where the king met him and received him honourably. In the year 1179, Lewis, king of France, came into England; before which neither he nor any of his predecessors had ever set foot in this kingdom. (fn. 65) He landed at Dover, where king Henry waited his arrival, and on August 23, the two kings came to Canterbury, with a great train of nobility of both nations, and were received with due honour and great joy, by the archbishop, with his com-provincial bishops, and the prior and the whole convent. (fn. 66)
King Lewis came in the manner and habit of a pilgrim, and was conducted to the tomb of St. Thomas by a solemn procession; he there offered his cup of gold and a royal precious stone, (fn. 67) and gave the convent a yearly rent for ever, of a hundred muids of wine, to be paid by himself and his successors; which grant was confirmed by his royal charter, under his seal, and delivered next day to the convent; (fn. 68) after he had staid here two, (fn. 69) or as others say, three days, (fn. 70) during which the oblations of gold and silver made were so great, that the relation of them almost exceeded credibility. (fn. 71) In 1181, king Henry, in his return from Normandy, again paid his devotions at this tomb. These visits were the early fruits of the adoration of the new sainted martyr, and these royal examples of kings and great persons were followed by multitudes, who crowded to present with full hands their oblations at his tomb.— Hence the convent was enabled to carry forward the building of the new choir, and they applied all this vast income to the fabric of the church, as the present case instantly required, for which they had the leave and consent of the archbishop, confirmed by the bulls of several succeeding popes. (fn. 72)
¶From the liberal oblations of these royal and noble personages at the tomb of St. Thomas, the expences of rebuilding the choir appear to have been in a great measure supplied, nor did their devotion and offerings to the new saint, after it was compleated, any ways abate, but, on the contrary, they daily increased; for in the year 1184, Philip, archbishop of Cologne, and Philip, earl of Flanders, came together to pay their vows at this tomb, and were met here by king Henry, who gave them an invitation to London. (fn. 73) In 1194, John, archbishop of Lions; in the year afterwards, John, archbishop of York; and in the year 1199, king John, performed their devotions at the foot of this tomb. (fn. 74) King Richard I. likewise, on his release from captivity in Germany, landing on the 30th of March at Sandwich, proceeded from thence, as an humble stranger on foot, towards Canterbury, to return his grateful thanks to God and St. Thomas for his release. (fn. 75) All these by name, with many nobles and multitudes of others, of all sorts and descriptions, visited the saint with humble adoration and rich oblations, whilst his body lay in the undercrost. In the mean time the chapel and altar at the upper part of the east end of the church, which had been formerly consecrated to the Holy Trinity, were demolished, and again prepared with great splendor, for the reception of this saint, who being now placed there, implanted his name not only on the chapel and altar, but on the whole church, which was from thenceforth known only by that of the church of St. Thomas the martyr.
On July 7, anno 1220, the remains of St. Thomas were translated from his tomb to his new shrine, with the greatest solemnity and rejoicings. Pandulph, the pope's legate, the archbishops of Canterbury and Rheims, and many bishops and abbots, carried the coffin on their shoulders, and placed it on the new shrine, and the king graced these solemnities with his royal presence. (fn. 76) The archbishop of Canterbury provided forage along all the road, between London and Canterbury, for the horses of all such as should come to them, and he caused several pipes and conduits to run with wine in different parts of the city. This, with the other expences arising during the time, was so great, that he left a debt on the see, which archbishop Boniface, his fourth successor in it, was hardly enabled to discharge.
¶The saint being now placed in his new repository, became the vain object of adoration to the deluded people, and afterwards numbers of licences were granted to strangers by the king, to visit this shrine. (fn. 77) The titles of glorious, of saint and martyr, were among those given to him; (fn. 78) such veneration had all people for his relics, that the religious of several cathedral churches and monasteries, used all their endeavours to obtain some of them, and thought themselves happy and rich in the possession of the smallest portion of them. (fn. 79) Besides this, there were erected and dedicated to his honour, many churches, chapels, altars and hospitals in different places, both in this kingdom and abroad. (fn. 80) Thus this saint, even whilst he lay in his obscure tomb in the undercroft, brought such large and constant supplies of money, as enabled the monks to finish this beautiful choir, and the eastern parts of the church; and when he was translated to the most exalted and honourable place in it, a still larger abundance of gain filled their coffers, which continued as a plentiful supply to them, from year to year, to the time of the reformation, and the final abolition of the priory itself.
Rescue job, this.
Day off for me. Forecast (as usual) was cack.
Couple of interesting workings on the WCML today; 37/4 bringing a mk 2 coach up from Crewe and three 37s taking the coaching stock for Saturday's railtour for a little jaunt from Kingmoor to Carnforth and back.
WCML's a fair ol' trek for me and it ain't worth it if the sun's not playing ball so I just used my rest day for, er, rest.
'Til mid' afternoon that was. Started to brighten up round my way so I checked the updated forecast and it was relatively optimistic as far as late afternoon was concerned.
I then checked RTT and, lo and behold, 6K73 was in the system.
'Sod it,' thought I, 'let's go and 'ave a look.'
T.O.P.S showed only two loco's at Sellafield so there was a 50% chance of No.37688 being up front.
I decided to suss out a new shot at Ravenglass and if it wasn't on I had Eskmeals viaduct as a back-up plan.
The Ravenglass jobby turned out to be one for earlier in the day so I headed south.
Bad move!
Eskmeals viaduct is undergoing an extensive refurbishment of which I was unaware. Some sort of coating is being applied under almost laboratory conditions. A huge vacuum-cleaner type thingy the size of a truck sits at the southern end with a large bore pipe extending along the bridge. The car park is full of portakabins, contractor's vehicles and associated paraphernalia.
Disaster! The shot wasn't on (and won't be for a while I suspect).
Added to that a check of RTT showed that the train had got away 15 early and was now bearing down on me.
I floored it along the road to the nearest viewpoint, leapt out of the car and there it was.
Luckily my test shots at Ravenglass were taken in similar (poor) light 'cause there was no time for any adjustment.
Unfortunately the brown cow at frame right bent down to graze at the most inappropriate moment.
No.37602 is the second loco.