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Metrobus route 22 is affected by the latest review of bus services by Surrey CC, with changes from 29th August 2015.
The Metrobus Saturday service is withdrawn - the last Saturday of operation thus being 22nd August 2015, therefore making it one of the first of the many changes to take place.
A morning service is being retained on Saturdays, but this will be run by Buses 4U using a minibus (to a fixed timetable). During the afternoon, the Buses 4U dial-a-ride service will be available.
While all points the Metrobus-run 22 currently serves will continue to see Metrobus 'proper' buses, journeys on the current Saturday service run to/from Newdigate four times, whereas on weekdays, the Metrobus 22 only reaches the village on one early evening journey. The withdrawal of the Saturday service therefore means it will be much more difficult to snap a Metrobus at Newdigate.
In a change of plan, I was able to go to Newdigate and snap the 22 there on this, the last Saturday of operation.
Mini Pointer Dart 6289 (SN03 YCT) was doing the honours on the last day. Here's an interior shot at Dorking rail station.
I rode it to Newdigate which was a very interesting journey. As can be seen, it wasn't very busy! It trundled its way around the country lanes south of the A25, most of which I'd never been to before, taking in Leigh before reaching Newdigate. Many single track roads, and we did meet a motorhome at one point which was tricky!
Station Approach, Dorking rail station, Dorking, Surrey.
The Cornerstone Gallery is set at the grand entrance of Liverpool Hope's Cornerstone Campus, 10 minutes from the city centre. The Gallery exists as an autonomous space within the building with a prime aim of assisting and promoting new and emerging artists within the North West, along with creating access to contemporary art within education and the local community.
'The Cornerstone is an increasingly significant (and desirable) gallery space' - Joe Riley, Liverpool Echo, 14th February 2006.
Current Exhibition
Pre_paid_Logo_1.jpgPrivate Viewing - Thursday 4th December, 6-8pm
Exhibition Open - Friday 5th to Friday 12th December.
Auction - Friday 12th December, 5.30-8pm
The Cornerstone Gallery is proud to present 'Pre-paid', an exhibition and auction of postcard works donated by artists and celebrities who contribute to Liverpool’s prestigious cultural life and continuing development. The contributor’s names will be withheld until the preview night on Thursday 4th December 6 - 8pm and the postcards subsequently exhibited for one week only. Names will not be matched to the cards.
On Friday 12th December, 5.30 - 8pm a blind auction, hosted by Liverpool's very own and not-to-be-missed Paul O'Keefe, will provide the opportunity for all to bid for those works they are interested in.
This will be a very exciting event, one not to be missed and a great opportunity to acquire a piece of work by a prominent artist or celebrity of our time.
‘Can you work out whose work is which?'
List of Contributing Artists and Celebrities
Richard Ashworth, Jon Barraclough, Colin Beckett, Anna Benson, David Bixter, Sir Peter Blake RA, Derek Boak, Jess Bowstead, Lucy Byrne, Margaret Cahill, Peter Collins, Richard Cooke, Eileen Cooper RA, Peter Corbett, Derek Culley, Anne Desmet, Peter Dover, Phil Dowling, Terry Duffy, Janice Egerton, Lisa Jane Forrester, Lizabeth Gatley, Steve Gatley, Stephen Graham, Martin Greenland, Robin Hartwell, Rebecca Hill, Lin Holland, Axel Höpter, Ghislaine Howard, Jane E. Hughes, Roisin Hyland, Ian Jackson, Minako Jackson, Holly Johnson,Barbara Jones, Jason Jones, Michelle Jones-Hughes, Selwyn Jones-Hughes, Evonne Keeler,Jeanne-Marie Kenny, Anna Ketskemety, Tony Knox, John C. Maloney, Mike McCartney,Joanna McGreggor, Richard Meaghan, Geoff Molyneux, John Monaghan, Tabitha Moses,Anthony O’Connell, Paul O’Grady, Christine O’Reilly Wilson, Mark Owen,Charlotte Owens, Nathan Pendlebury, Ruth Piper, Alan Powell, Stephen Pratt, Roozbeh Rajaie,Sarah Richards, Alice Roberts, Arthur Roberts, Doug Robinson, Jacqueline Scholes, Margaretha Schoning, Colin Serjent, Tony Smith, Constantine Soteriou, David Stanley, Steve Strode,Adam Vaughan, Fiona Ward, Alan Whittaker, Wendy Williams, Elizabeth Willow, Alex Wolkowicz, Iain Yell
Cornerstone Gallery
On that date, between 5.30 - 8pm a blind auction will be hosted by Paul O'Keeffe providing an exceptional opportunity to bid for these works. The proceeds will be donated to The Artists’ Benevolent Institution.
Bonnie Jeanne Dunbar (born March 3, 1949) is a former NASA astronaut. She retired from NASA in September 2005 then served as president and CEO of The Museum of Flight until April 2010. From January 2013 - December 2015, Dr. Dunbar lead the University of Houston's STEM Center (science, technology, engineering and math) and was a faculty member in the Cullen College of Engineering.[1] Currently, she is a professor of aerospace engineering at Texas A&M University and serves as Director of the Institute for Engineering Education and Innovation (IEEI), a joint entity in the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) and the Dwight Look College of Engineering at Texas A&M University.
Contents
1 Early life
2 NASA career
3 Spaceflight experience
4 Education
5 Organizations
6 Awards and honors
7 References
Early life
Dunbar was born in Sunnyside, Washington. In 1967, she graduated from Sunnyside High School, Sunnyside, Washington. Following graduation in 1971 from the University of Washington, Dunbar worked for Boeing Computer Services for two years as a systems analyst. From 1973 to 1975, she conducted research for her master's thesis in the field of mechanisms and kinetics of ionic diffusion in sodium beta-alumina. She is a member of Kappa Delta sorority.
In 1975, she was invited to participate in research at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell near Oxford, England, as a visiting scientist. Her work there involved the wetting behavior of liquids on solid substrates. Following her work in England, she accepted a senior research engineer position with Rockwell International Space Division in Downey, California. Her responsibilities there included developing equipment and processes for the manufacture of the Space Shuttle thermal protection system in Palmdale, California. She also represented Rockwell International as a member of the Dr. Kraft Ehricke evaluation committee on prospective space industrialization concepts. Dunbar completed her doctorate at the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. Her multi-disciplinary dissertation (materials science and physiology) involved evaluating the effects of simulated space flight on bone strength and fracture toughness. These results were correlated to alterations in hormonal and metabolic activity. Dr. Dunbar has served as an adjunct assistant professor in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Houston.
Dunbar is a private pilot with over 200 hours in single engine land aircraft, has logged more than 700 hours flying time in T-38 jets as a back-seater, and has over 100 hours as co-pilot in a Cessna Citation jet. She was married to fellow astronaut Ronald M. Sega.[2]
NASA career
Dunbar accepted a position as a payload officer/flight controller at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in 1978. She served as a guidance and navigation officer/flight controller for the Skylab reentry mission in 1979 and was subsequently designated project officer/payload officer for the integration of several Space Shuttle payloads.[3][4]
Dunbar became a NASA astronaut in August 1981. Her technical assignments have included assisting in the verification of Shuttle flight software at the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL), serving as a member of the Flight Crew Equipment Control Board, participation as a member of the Astronaut Office Science Support Group, supporting operational development of the remote manipulator system (RMS). She has served as chief of the Mission Development Branch, as the Astronaut Office interface for "secondary" payloads, and as lead for the Science Support Group. In 1993, Dr. Dunbar served as Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Life and Microgravity Sciences, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. In February 1994, she traveled to Star City, Russia, where she spent 13-months training as a back-up crew member for a 3-month flight on the Russian Space Station, Mir. In March 1995, she was certified by the Russian Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center as qualified to fly on long duration Mir Space Station flights. From October 1995 to November 1996, she was detailed to the NASA JSC Mission Operations Directorate as Assistant Director where she was responsible for chairing the International Space Station Training Readiness Reviews, and facilitating Russian/American operations and training strategies.
A veteran of five space flights, Dunbar has logged more than 1,208 hours (50 days) in space. She served as a mission specialist on STS-61-A in 1985, STS-32 in 1990, and STS-71 in 1995, and was the Payload Commander on STS-50 in 1992, and STS-89 in 1998.
Spaceflight experience
STS-61-A Challenger (October 30-November 6, 1985), was the West German D-1 Spacelab mission. It was the first to carry eight crew members, the largest to fly in space, and was also the first in which payload activities were controlled from outside the United States. More than 75 scientific experiments were completed in the areas of physiological sciences, materials science, biology, and navigation. During the flight, Dunbar was responsible for operating Spacelab and its subsystems and performing a variety of experiments. Her mission training included six months of experiment training in Germany, France, Switzerland, and The Netherlands. STS-61-A launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, and returned to land at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Mission duration was 7 days, 44 minutes 51 seconds, traveling 2.5 million miles in 111 orbits of the Earth.
STS-32 Columbia (January 9–20, 1990), launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, and returned to a night landing at Edwards Air Base in California. During the flight, the crew successfully deployed the Syncom IV-F5 satellite, and retrieved the 21,400-pound Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) using the RMS. They also operated a variety of middeck experiments including the Microgravity Disturbance Experiment (MDE) using the Fluids Experiment Apparatus (FEA), Protein Crystal Growth (PCG), American Flight Echocardiograph (AFE), Latitude/Longitude Locator (L3), Mesoscale Lightning Experiment (MLE), Characterization of Neurospora Circadian Rhythms (CNCR), and the IMAX Camera. Dunbar was principal investigator for the MDE/FEA Experiment. Additionally, numerous medical test objectives, including in-flight lower body negative pressure (LBNP), in-flight aerobic exercise and muscle performance were conducted to evaluate human adaptation to extended duration missions. Mission duration was 10 days, 21 hours, 01 minute, 38 seconds, traveling 4.5 million miles in 173 orbits of the Earth.
STS-50 Columbia (June 25 to July 9, 1992). Dunbar was the Payload Commander on STS-50, the United States Microgravity Lab-1 mission which was dedicated to microgravity fluid physics and materials science. Over 30 experiments sponsored by over 100 investigators were housed in the Spacelab in the Shuttle's Payload Bay. A payload crew of four operated around-the-clock for 13 days performing experiments in scientific disciplines such as protein crystal growth, electronic and infrared detector crystal growth, surface tension physics, zeolite crystal growth, and human physiology. Mission duration was 13 days, 19 hours, 30 minutes and 4 seconds, traveling 5.7 million miles in 221 orbits of the Earth.
STS-71 Atlantis (June 27 to July 7, 1995), was the first Space Shuttle mission to dock with the Russian Space Station Mir, and involved an exchange of crews. The Atlantis was modified to carry a docking system compatible with the Russian Mir Space Station. Dunbar served as MS-3 on this flight which also carried a Spacelab module in the payload bay in which the crew performed medical evaluations on the returning Mir crew. These evaluations included ascertaining the effects of weightlessness on the cardio/vascular system, the bone/muscle system, the immune system, and the cardio/pulmonary system. Mission duration was 9 days, 19 hours, 23 minutes and 8 seconds, traveling 4.1 million miles in 153 orbits of the earth.
STS-89 Endeavour (January 22–31, 1998), was the eighth Shuttle-Mir docking mission during which the crew transferred more than 9,000 pounds of scientific equipment, logistical hardware and water from Space Shuttle Endeavour to Mir. In the fifth and last exchange of a U.S. astronaut, STS-89 delivered Andy Thomas to Mir and returned with David Wolf. Mission duration was 8 days, 19 hours and 47 seconds, traveling 3.6 million miles in 138 orbits of the Earth. Dunbar was the Payload Commander, responsible for all payload activities including the conduct of 23 technology and science experiments.
Education
1971: B.S. Ceramic Engineering, University of Washington
1975: M.S. Ceramic Engineering, University of Washington
1983: Ph.D. Mechanical/Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston
Organizations
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
The American Ceramic Society (ACerS)
National Institute of Ceramic Engineers (NICE)
Keramos Honorary
Society of Biomedical Engineering
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Tau Beta Pi
Materials Research Society (MRS)
Board of Directors, Arnold Air Society and Angel Flight
Board of Trustees Silver Wings (service organization) (SW)
International Academy of Astronautics (IAF)
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
Association of Space Explorers (ASE)
Awards and honors
Honorary Doctorate from Heritage University in 2016
Kappa Delta sorority
Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in 2000 [5]
The American Ceramic Society (ACerS) James I. Mueller Award, Cocoa Beach, Florida (2000)
Inducted into the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame (2000), one of five women in the world so honored annually
Selected as one of the top 20 women in technology in Houston, Texas (2000)
NASA Space Flight Medals (1985, 1990, 1992, 1995 and 1998)
NASA Superior Accomplishment Award (1997)
Member, National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Advisory Board, 1993–present
NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal (1996)
NASA Outstanding Leadership Award (1993)
Fellow of American Ceramic Society (1993)
Design News Engineering Achievement Award (1993)
IEEE Judith A. Resnik Award (1993)[6]
Society of Women Engineers Resnik Challenger Medal (1993)
Museum of Flight Pathfinder Award (1992)
AAES National Engineering Award (1992)
NASA Exceptional Service Award (1991)
University of Houston Distinguished Engineering Alumna (1991)
M.R.S. President's Award (1990)
The American Ceramic Society (ACerS) Schwaltzwalder P.A.C.E. Award (1990)
University of Washington Engineering Alumni Achievement (1989)
NASA Exceptional Service Medal (1988)
The American Ceramic Society (ACerS) Life Membership (1986)
General Jimmy Doolittle Fellow of the Aerospace Education Foundation (1986)
Evergreen Safety Council Public Service in Space Award (1986)
The American Ceramic Society (ACerS) Greaves-Walker Award (1985)
Rockwell International Engineer of the Year (1978)
Graduated Cum Laude from the University of Washington in 1975
This is the treehouse Robin had read about. It's a six-story wooden structure built about 20 years ago but the Ithaca High School Class of 2000, and it's called TreeTops. (You can tell this was a late '90s/early millennium thing because of the capitalization structure of the name. I used to make fun of that all the time.) You can climb up here and get a pretty nice view of the forest canopy 60 feet in the air. School kids probably love it.
Guarujá is a municipality in the São Paulo state of Brazil. The population in 2006 was 305.171, the population density is 1,969.47/km² and the area is 143 km². This place name comes from the Tupi language. The population is highly urbanized.
Geography
Guarujá is located in Santo Amaro island, situated in São Paulo shore. Its main economic sources are seasonal tourism and port related activities..
Guarujá is a popular weekend destination for families from São Paulo, which can get there driving in less than an hour (through the Imigrantes highway). Traffic gets heavy during the evening in holidays. Guarujá also has relics from history such as the Barra Grande Fortress, built by the colonizers in 1584, the Forte Velho just 8 km from the centre. It accessed by the Santa Cruz dos Navegantes road, or by boat, from the Ponte dos Práticos (Pilot’s Bridge), and the Armação das Baleias, the first industrial plant set up in the state for the extraction of whale oil.
Armistice Day (which overlaps with Remembrance Day and Veterans Day) is celebrated every year on 11 November to commemorate the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918. While this official date to mark the end of the war reflects the ceasefire on the Western Front, hostilities continued in other regions, especially across the former Russian Empire and in parts of the old Ottoman Empire.
The date was declared a national holiday in many allied nations, to commemorate those members of the armed forces who were killed during war. An exception is Italy, where the end of the war is commemorated on 4 November, the day of the Armistice of Villa Giusti.
The Initial or Very First Armistice Day was held at Buckingham Palace commencing with King George V hosting a "Banquet in Honour of The President of the French Republic" during the evening hours of November 10 1919. The First Official Armistice Day was subsequently held on the Grounds of Buckingham Palace on the Morning of November 11th 1919. This would set the trend for a day of Remembrance for decades to come.
Most countries changed the name of the holiday after World War II, to honour veterans of that and subsequent conflicts. Most member states of the Commonwealth of Nations adopted the name Remembrance Day, while the United States chose All Veterans Day (later shortened to 'Veterans Day') to explicitly honour veterans of all conflicts. "Armistice Day" remains the name of the holiday in France, Belgium and New Zealand; and it has been a statutory holiday in Serbia since 2012.
In the U.S., the function of Veterans Day is subtly different from that of other 11 November holidays. Unlike the situation in other countries, where that calendar date is set aside specifically for honouring those who died in action, Veterans Day honors all American veterans, whether living, dead in action, or deceased from other causes. The official national remembrance of war dead is instead Memorial Day, originally called 'Decoration Day', from the practice of decorating the graves of soldiers, which originated in the years immediately following the American Civil War.
In many parts of the world, people observe two consecutive minutes moment of silence at 11:00 a.m. local time as a sign of respect in the first minute for the roughly 20 million people who died in the war, and in the second minute dedicated to the living left behind, generally understood to be wives, children and families left behind but deeply affected by the conflict. This gesture of respect was suggested by Edward George Honey in a letter to a British newspaper, although Wellesley Tudor Pole had established two ceremonial periods of remembrance based on events in 1917.
From the outset, many veterans in many countries have also used silence to pay homage to departed comrades. The toast of "Fallen" or "Absent Comrades" has always been honoured in silence at New Zealand veteran functions, while the news of a member’s death has similarly been observed in silence at meetings.
Similar ceremonies developed in other countries during the inter-war period. In South Africa, for example, the Memorable Order of Tin Hats had by the late 1920s developed a ceremony whereby the toast of "Fallen Comrades" was observed not only in silence but darkness, all except for the "Light of Remembrance", with the ceremony ending with the Order’s anthem "Old Soldiers Never Die". In Australia, meanwhile, the South Australian State Branch of the Returned Sailors & Soldiers' Imperial League of Australia similarly developed during the interwar period a simple ceremony of silence for departed comrades at 9 p.m., presumably to coincide with the traditional 11 a.m. time for Armistice ceremonies taking place in Europe (due to the ten-hour time difference between Eastern Australia and Europe).
In the United Kingdom, beginning in 1939, the two-minute silence was moved to the Sunday nearest to 11 November in order not to interfere with wartime production should 11 November fall on a weekday. After the end of World War II, most Armistice Day events were moved to the nearest Sunday and began to commemorate both World Wars. The change was made in many Commonwealth countries, as well as the United Kingdom, and the new commemoration was named Remembrance Sunday or Remembrance Day. Both Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday are now commemorated formally in the UK. In recent years Armistice Day has become increasingly recognised, and many people now attend the 11am ceremony at the Cenotaph in London - an event organised by The Western Front Association, a UK charity dedicated to perpetuating the memory of those who served in the First World War.
LIVERPOOL ST. GEORGES HALL NOVEMBER 2013
I have a lot of shots to post. I have been very busy, and then there are the photos I helped escape the house-clearance people from Mum's.
So, back to the matter in hand: Ospringe.
Ospringe is one of the most easily identifiable churches in Kent, with its unusual saddleback tower, but it is well seen, as you can see the tower before the turn off to Faversham. It looks fabulous.
Ospringe was a small village, but now is part of the urban sprawl of Faversham as it spreads to the south of the old A2.
You turn down a tight junction, then along a narrow road with cars parked on either side, until you break into open country, and the church is on a bend in the road.
I was last here on winter about a decade ago, it was a bitterly cold day and the planned Christmas Tree festival had been delayed a week due to bad weather the weekend before.
I cam here on the off-chance, and I was met by a volunteer come to clean the church, but no one with a key.
The vicar arrived, and after explaining again about the project, he reluctantly let me in, but warned he would not be here long.
Last time here, i took 7 shots, and none of details, so I made busy with the nifty fifty.....
John Vigar says this is a church hard to gain access too, maybe I have been lucky, but worth seeking out if you're passing.
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A pretty church whose thirteenth century origins seem lost beneath a Victorian veneer – yet inside all become clear. The north wall is thickened to take the rood loft staircase (see also Challock) but there is a medieval stair in the south side too, just to confuse. The font is a lovely twelfth century piece supported by the familiar five columns. Much of the glass is by Thomas Willement and displays his signature TW, which can also be seen in the Alpha emblem in the top of the striking east window. The chancel is a riot of Victoriana of grand design – constructed in several campaigns, the reredos and flooring definitely by different hands. Old photos show that the whole church was once stencilled, but now that the nave is relatively plain, the chancel is once more the focus of attention. The south chapel has a rather nice 19th century roof structure and must once have been a grand family chapel. All in all a lovely church full of interest and one which should be more accessible and better known.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Ospringe
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OSPRINGE
LIES the next parish north westward from Sheldwich. It is usually written in antient records Ospringes, and takes its name from the spring or fresh stream which rises in it.
The town of Ospringe, as it is called, is a franchise separate from the hundred of Faversham, having a constable of its own, but the rest of the parish is within the jurisdiction of that hundred.
The borough of Chetham, in this parish, was given to the abbey of Faversham by Richard de Lucy, and confirmed to it by king Henry II. king John, and king Henry III. (fn. 1) It still continues an appendage to the manor of Faversham, at which a borsholder is chosen yearly for this borough, and extends over Beacon farm on the south side of the London road, at the 45th mile stone in Ospringe and Stone, and very little besides. There is another small borough in this parish, called the borough of Brimstone, for which a borsholder is elected annually at the same manor. It extends over the Red Lion inn, in Ospringe-street, and some land, an house and oast behind the bowling-green, northward of it.
The parish of Ospringe is of large extent, being near five miles from north to south, though it is not much more than two miles in breadth. The village, or town of Ospringe, as it was formerly called, and now usually Ospringe-street, stands on the high London road, between the 46th and 47th mile-stone, but the north side of the street, as well as of that road, from the summit of Judde hill, as far eastward as the 47th mile stone, is within Faversham parish, the liberties of which town begin from the rivulet in Ospringe, and extend eastward, including the late Mr. Lypeatt's new-built house. Thus that parish intervenes, and entirely separates from the rest of it that part of Ospringe parish, at the northern boundaries of it, in which are the storekeeper's house, part of the offices, &c. and some of the royal powder mills, and in the town of Faversham, that parish again intervening, there is a small part of Weststreet within this parish. The grand valley, called Newnham bottom, through which the high road leads to Maidstone, lies at the western boundary of the parish, on the summit of the hill eastward of it is Juddehouse, built after a design of Inigo Jones, a fine situation, having a most beautiful prospect eastward, over a most fertile extent of country, to the Boughton hills, and the channel north eastward of it, but the large tract of woodland, of many hundred acres, which reach up close to the gardens at the back of it, render it rather an unhealthy situation. About a quarter of a mile eastward of Ospringe-street is a good house, called from the antient oratory or chapel formerly adjoining to it, but pulled down within these few years, chapelhouse. This oratory was dedicated to St. Nicholas, and erected for a priest to say mass in it, for the safety and good success of passengers, who left their acknowledgments for his pains in it. It belonged lately to Mr. John Simmons, whose son sold it to Isaac Rutton, esq. and he alienated the house to Mr. Neame, the present owner; but on a part of the land adjoining he built an elegant villa, naming it Ospringe Place, in which he now resides.
In Ospringe-street there is a tolerable inn, and the remains of the Maison Dieu on each side of the high road close to the small rivulet which crosses the street. This stream rises at Westbrook, at a small distance southward of the hamlet of Whitehill, at the back of which it runs, and at about a mile and an half distance, passing by Ospringe church, and the mansion of Queen-court, now a respectable farm-house, it turns a mill, erected some years ago for the manufacturing of madder, though now used for the grinding corn, and having crossed Ospringe-street, it turns a gunpowder mill not far from it, occupied by government, but belonging to St. John's college, in Cambridge, and having supplied the storekeeper's gardens, it afterwards turns a corn-mill, close to the west side of Faversham town, after which it supplies the rest of the government mills and works, and runs from thence into Faversham creek, to which it is a very necessary and beneficial back water. There is a nailbourne, or temporary land spring, such as are not unusual in the parts of this county eastward of Sittingborne, which run but once perhaps in several years, their failing and continuance having no certain periods, the breaking forth of them being held by the common people to be a forerunner of scarcity and dearness of corn and victuals. This at Ospringe, when it breaks out, rises about half a mile southward of Whitehill, near Kennaways, in the road to Stalisfield, and joining the above-mentioned rivulet, which it considerably increases, flows with it into Faversham creek. In February, 1674, it began to run, but stopped before Michaelmas. It broke forth in February, 1712, and run with such violence along the high road, that trenches were cut through the lands adjoining to carry the water off, but it stopped again before Michaelmas. It had continued dry till it broke out afresh in 1753, and continued to run till summer 1778, when it stopped, and has continued dry ever since.
About a mile southward of Ospringe-street is the hamlet of Whitehill, mentioned before, situated in the vale through which the rivulet takes its course. There are two houses of some account in it, formerly owned by the family of Drayton, who had resided in this parish for many years. Robert Drayton resided here anno 7 Edward IV. in which year he died, and was buried in the church-yard of Ospringe, being then possessed, as appears by his will, of a house called Smythes, with its lands and appurtenances, at Whitehill. After this family had become extinct here, one of these houses came into the possession of Ruck, and escheated, for want of lawful heirs, to the lord of the manor, and now as such belongs to the earl of Guildford, but Mr. James Foord resides in it. The other, after the Draytons were become extinct here, came into the name of Wreight, one of whom, Henry Wreight, gent. died possessed of it in 1695, and was buried in Faversham church. His son of the same name resided here, and died in 1773, and his grandson Henry Wreight, gent. of Faversham, sold it to John Montresor of Belmont, esq. who now owns it, but John Smith esq. resides in it. About a mile westward on the hill, near Hanslets Fostall and the parsonage, is a new-erected house, called the Oaks, built not many years since, on the scite of an antient one, called Nicholas, formerly belonging to the Draytons, by Mr. John Toker, who resides in it; the woodgrounds in the upland parts of this parish are very extensive, and contain many hundred acres. The soil of this parish, from its large extent, is various, to the north and north-east of the church the lands are level and very fertile, being a fine rich loam, but as they extend southward to the uplands, the soil becomes more and more barren, much of it chalky, and the rest a cludgy red earth, stiff tillage land, and very stony. A fair is held in Ospringe-street on the 29th of May.
¶Much has already been said in the former parts of these volumes, of the different opinions of learned men where the Roman station, called in the second iter of Antonine Durolevum, ought to be placed. Most of the copies of Antonine make the distance from the last station Durobrovis, which is allowed by all to be Rochester, to the station of Durolevum, to be xiii or xvi miles, though the Peutongerian tables make it only vii. If the number xvi is right, no place bids so fair for it as Judde-hill, in this parish, which then would have every probable circumstance in favor of it. The Romans undoubtedly had some strong military post on this hill, on the summit of which there are the remains of a very deep and broad ditch, the south and east sides are still entire, as is a small part of the north side at the eastern corners of it, the remaining part of the north side was filled up not many years since. The west side has nothing left of it; close within the southern part of it is a high mount of earth thrown up to a considerable height above the ground round it, the scite of Judde house, and the gardens are contained within it. The form of it seems to have been a square, with the corners rounded, and to have contained between three and four acres of ground within its area, the common people call it king Stephen's castle, but it is certainly of a much older date. At a small distance from it, on the opposite, or north side of the high road, there are several breast works cast up across the field facing the west. At the bottom of the hill, in the next field to this, are the ruins of Stone chapel, in which numbers of Roman bricks are interspersed among the flints, and in the midst of the south wall of it, there is a separate piece of a Roman building, about a rod in length, and near three feet high, composed of two rows of Roman tiles, of about fourteen inches square each, and on them are laid small stones hewed, but of no regular size or shape, for about a foot high, and then tiles again, and so on alternately.
THIS PARISH is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Ospringe
The church stands within the jurisdiction of the town of Ospringe, about half a mile southward from Ospringe-street. It is dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul. It is an antient building, consisting of three isles and a chancel. The steeple was formerly at the west end, and was built circular of flints, supposed to be Danish, with a shingled spire on it, of upwards of fifty feet high, in which were four bells; but in ringing them on Oct. 11, 1695, on king William's return from Flanders, it suddenly fell to the ground, providentially no one was hurt by it. There are no remains left of any painted glass in the windows of this church, though there was formerly much in most of them; particularly, in the window of the north isle was once the figure of a mitred bishop, on the rack, with a knife on the table by him, and of another person tied to a tree, and wounded with arrows. In another was a label to the memory of Robert Seton, and of a woman kneeling; and there was not many years ago remaining in the east window, at the end of the south isle, forming a kind of chancel, the effigies of a knight in his tabard of arms, with spurs on his heels, in a kneeling posture, looking up to a crucisix, painted just above him, of which there remained only the lower part. The knight's arms, Azure, three harts heads, caboshed, or, were thrown under him, and at a little distance some part of his crest, An hart's head, attired full, or, with a crown about his neck, azure, and underneath, Pray for the soul of Thomas Hart. This Sir Thomas Hart was possessed of an estate in this parish, which he purchased of Norwood. The Greenstreets, of Selling, lately claimed this chancel, and several of them lie buried in it. There was a chapel, dedicated to St. Thomas, in this church.
In the east part of the church-yard there was once a chapel, said to have been built by Sir John Denton, of Denton, in this parish and Easling, the foundations of which are still visible.
It appears by the Testa de Nevil, taken in the reign of king Henry III. that the church of Ospringe was in the king's gift, and was afterwards given by king John to John de Burgo, who then held it, and that it was worth forty marcs. After which, in the 8th year of Richard II. anno 1384, it was become appropriated to the abbot of Pontiniac, and was valued at 13l. 6s. 8d. at which time there was a vicarage here of his patronage likewise. It afterwards became part of the possessions of the hospital or Maison Dieu, in Ospringestreet, but by what means, or when, I have not found, and it continued so till the escheat of the hospital anno 20 Edward IV. after which, the parsonage appropriate of this church of Ospringe, together with the advowson of the vicarage, was by means of Fisher, bishop of Rochester, obtained of Henry VIII. in manner as has been already mentioned, for St. John's college, in Cambridge, the master and fellows of which are at this time entitled to them, the parsonage being let by them on a beneficial lease; but the advowson of the vicarage they retain in their own hands.
The lessee of this parsonage, in the reign of queen Elizabeth, was Robert Streynsham, esq. who rebuilt the house and offices belonging to it, and afterwards resided in it. He had been fellow of All Souls college, LL. B. and secretary to the earl of Pembroke. He lies buried in this church, and bore for his arms, Or, a pale dancette, gules. He left two daughters and coheirs, of whom, Audrey, the eldest, carried her interest in it in marriage to Edward Master, esq. eldest son of James Master, esq. of East Langdon, who was first of Sandwich, and afterwards built a seat for himself and his posterity at East Langdon. He was twice married, and had fourteen children; at length worn out with age, he betook himself hither to his eldest son Edward, and dying in 1631, æt. 84, was buried in this church. Edward Master, the son, resided here, and was afterwards knighted, and on his father's death in 1631 removed to that seat, in whose descendants it continued till it was at length alienated to Buller, of Cornwall, whose son sold his interest in to Markham, as he did to Mr. Robert Lyddel, merchant, of London, brother of Sir Henry Lyddel, who in 1751 assigned his interest in it to Ralph Terrey, yeoman, of Knolton, whose son Mr. Michael Terrey, of Ospringe, devised it to his only daughter and heir Olive, who married Nathaniel Marsh, esq. of Boughton Blean, and the heirs of his son Terrey Marsh, esq. late of that parish, are the present lessees of it.
The vicarage of Ospringe is valued in the king's books at ten pounds, and the yearly tenths at one pound.
In 1640 it was valued at sixty pounds, when there were communicants here 226.
The vicarage is endowed with all vicarial tithes, woad only excepted, and also with those of hay, saintfoin, clover, and coppice woods. There are about twenty-seven acres of glebe-land belonging to it. The vicarage-house is situated in the valley, at a small distance eastward from the church, and the parsonagehouse near a mile southward of that.
Ospringe was formerly the head of a rural deanry, of which institution it will be necessary to give some account here.
The office of rural dean was not unknown to our Saxon ancestors, as appears by the laws of king Edward the Confessor; they were called both Archipresbiteri and Decani Temporarii, to distinguish them from the deans of cathedrals, who were Decani Perpetui. Besides these, there were in the greater monasteries, especially those of the Benedictine order, such officers called deans, and there are deans still remaining in several of the colleges of the universities, who take care of the studies and exercises of the youth, and are a check on the morals and behaviour of such as are members under them.
¶The antient exercise of jurisdiction in the church seems to have been instituted in conformity to like subordinations in the state. Thus the dioceses within this realm seem to have been divided into archdeaconries and rural deanries, to make them correspond to the like division of the kingdom into counties and hundreds; hence the former, whose courts were to answer those of the county, had the county usually for their district, and took their title from thence, and the names of the latter from the hundred, or chief place of it, wherein they acted; and as in the state every hundred was at first divided into ten tithings or fribourghs, and every tithing was made up of ten families, both which kept their original names, notwithstanding the increase of villages and people; so in the church the name of deanry continued, notwithstanding the increase of persons and churches, and the districts of them were contracted and enlarged from time to time, at the discretion of the bishop, the rural dean of Ospringe having jurisdiction over the whole deanry of it, consisting of twenty-six parishes. He had a seal of office, which being temporary, it had only the name of the office, and not, as other seals of jurisdiction, the name of the person also, engraved on it. The seal belonging to this deanry had on it, the Virgin Mary crowned, with the sceptre in her left hand, and her child, with a glory round his head, in her right, and round the margin, Sigillu Decani Decanatus de Ospreng. He was in antient times called the dean of the bishop, because appointed by him, and had alone the inspection of the lives and manners of the clergy and people within the district under him, and was to report the same to the bishop; to which end, that he might have a thorough knowledge of the state and condition of his respective deanry, he had a power to convene rural chapters, which were made up of the instituted clergy, or their curates as proxies of them, and the dean as president of them, where the clergy brought information of all irregularities committed within their respective parishes. Those upon ordinary occasions were held at first every three weeks, in imitation of the courts of manors, held from three weeks to three weeks, and afterwards each month, and from thence were called Kalendæ, but their more solemn and principal chapters were assembled once a quarter, where maters of greater import were transacted, and a fuller attendance given. They were at first held in any one church within the district, where the minister of the place was to procure and provide entertainment and procurations for the dean and his immediate officers, and they were afterwards held only in the larger or more eminent parishes. The part of their office of inspecting and reporting the manners of the clergy and people, rendered them necessary attendants on the episcopal synod or general visitation, in which they were the standing representatives of the rest of the clergy within their division, and they were there to deliver information of abuses committed within their knowledge, and consult for the reformation of them; for which they were to have their expences, called from hence synodals, allowed them by those whom they represented, according to the time of their attendance. That part of their office, of being convened to provincial and episcopal synods, was transferred to two proctors, or representatives of the parochial clergy in each diocese; and that of information of scandals and offences, has devolved on the churchwardens of the respective parishes. Besides this another principal part of the duty of a rural dean was to execute all processes of the bishop, or of the officers and ministers under his authority; but by the constitution of the pope's legate, Otho, the archdeacon, in the reign of Henry III. was required to be frequently present at them, who being superior to the rural dean, did in effect take the presidency out of his hands; and these chapters were afterwards often held by the archdeacon's officials, from which may be dated the decay of rural deanries, for the rural dean was not only discouraged by this, but the archdeacon and his official, as might naturally be supposed he would, drew the business usually transacted there to his own visitation, or chapter, as it might be termed. By which intersering of the archdeacon and his officials, it happened that in the age next before the reformation, the jurisdiction of rural deans declined almost to nothing, and at the reformation nothing was done for their restoration by the legislative power, so that they became extinct in most deanries, nor did this of Ospringe survive the earliest decline of them. (fn. 16) Where they still continue, they have only the name and shadow left, and what little remains of this dignity and jurisdiction, de pends greatly on the custom of places, and the pleasure of diocesans.
In the 31st year of Edward I. Richard Christian, dean of Ospringe, being sent to execute some citations of the archbishop at Selling, was set upon by the people there, who placed him with his face to his horse's tail, which they made him hold in his hand for a bridle, in which posture they led him through the village, with songs, shouts, and dances, and afterwards having cut off the tail, ears, and lips of the beast, they threw the dean into the dirt, to his great disgrace; for which, the king directed his writ to the sheriff, to make enquiry by inquisition of a jury concerning it.
This is the third tome I have visited St Vncent: first time I found it locked, or more likely did not push the door hard enough, second time I did go inside but only took a handful of shots. So this time, it means a lot of snapping.
Both this and Wingham were among the first churches I visited in this project, and with years of accumulated knowledge a return is always good to see what you missed the first, and second time.
As it turned out, I could not find the church. It is signposted off the main road, then nothing. We were two miles in the country before I found a place to turn round, but a check of the county map and we turned back to the village and found it on Church lane, of course.
Littlebourne is another village and church on the banks of the Nailbourne, a winterbourne, that flows through here to Bridge, eventually to Barham. Downstream it turns quickly into the Little Stour which in turn flows into the Great Stour at Plucks Gutter.
The view from the south is limited due to mature trees, but from the north reveals several periods of buildings with rooflines at different angles and heights.
A simple church inside, with a wall painting of St Christopher clearly visible on the north wall as you walk in through the porch. Some fine glass too, but there is also signs of damp too.
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The villages 13th century church, St Vincent of Saragossa, is thought to have been founded by the monks of St Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury and contains an ancient wall painting depicting Saint Christopher, patron saint of travellers. The church also has what is reckoned to be one of the finest collection of stained glass windows designed by Nathaniel Westlake in the country. Nathaniel Westlake was a leading designer of the Gothic Revival movement in England.
Work done in 1995 by experts from the V&A Museum established that he designed each of the windows over the long period of his work with the Company, thus giving an outstanding example of the development of his style.
The Church has a six-bell peal, the oldest bell dating back to 1597, the newest 1899.
www.littlebournebenefice.org.uk/littlebournechurchhistory...
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LOCATION: Situated at about 40 feet above O.D. on Head brickearth (over Upper Chalk). A little to the west of the river Little Stour. Littlebourne Court, originally belonging to St. Augustine’s Abbey, lies immediately to the north-west. Wickhambreaux and Ickham churches are not far away to the north and east.
DESCRIPTION: As with many North-East Kent churches, this church points south-east, and it is first documented in Domesday Book, with the eastern three-quarters of the nave of the present church presumably being, in part, of an early Norman date. The only visible evidence for the earliest structure, however, is outside the south-west corner of the nave. Here one can see reused Roman bricks, and the original steep slope of the very early 13th century south aisle (continuing the line of the nave roof). The nave must be earlier than this, so is at least 12th century in date. It is also worth noting the very rare dedication, to St Vincent.
The whole of the south arcade for the south aisle still survives in its very early 13th century form, with four pointed arches (that on the west is smaller). The arches have continuous flat
the piers themselves. All the dressings are in Caen stone.
Later in the 13th century a large new chancel was built, probably at about the time (c. 1245) when St Augustine’s Abbey were endowing the new vicarage there, after the appropriation. The chancel has four tall lancets on either side, and an eastern triplet which has internal shafting on the jambs, and deeply moulded rere-arches and hood-moulds. All the other lancets have plain rere-arches, and all the chancel windows sit internally on a filleted roll-moulding which steps up at the east end and runs under the triplet. There is a piscina on the south-east with a pointed arch (with hood) over it, and bar-stopped chamfers on the sides. On the north-west side of the chancel is a small doorway, which was restored in the 19th century. The chancel was fairly heavily restored on the outside in the 19th century (‘1865’ on one of the rain-water hoppers), but much of its original coursed whole flints are still visible, as well as some of the rows of putlog holes. The chancel also has a separate roof, with a west gable, but this was rebuilt completely in c. 1865.
At about the same time as the chancel was being rebuilt in the early to mid-15th century, a very plain tower was added at the west end (It is similar to the neighbouring tower at Ickham). This has a tall simple pointed arch (with flat chamfers and abaci) into the nave, and on the west is a simple pointed doorway with flat chamfers and a tall lancet above it. The tower is unbuttressed, and has four more wide restored lancets (one in each face) in the top (belfry) stage. Externally the tower has the remains of its original plastering over coursed flint with side-alternate Caenstone quoins. On top of the tower is a later medieval (14th/15th century) brooch spire (now covered in slates).
The tower was restored in 1899, and the bells were rehung in a new timber and cast iron frame. There are now six bells, dated 1597,1610, 1650 and three of 1899 (said to have been recast from two late medieval ones). Glynne tells us that there was an organ in a west gallery under the tower, but this was removed during the restoration. A shed (now 2 cloakrooms) was also added to the north side of the tower in c. 1899.
A small Lady Chapel may have been added to the north-east side of the nave in the later 13th century as shown by its two light trefoil-headed (with circular opening above) east window (it has an internal rere-arch). All other evidence for this above ground was removed by the early 14th and early 19th century re-buildings (see below). The Lady Chapel is first documented in the late 15th century, but most churches acquired a separate Lady Chapel in N.W. Kent in the 13th century.
In the early 14th century both the south and north aisles had their outer walls rebuilt. On the south this was a continuous heightening and rebuild for the full length of the nave (with the evidence for the earlier lean-to aisle surviving in the west wall, as shown above). There is however still a later 13th century lancet in the centre of the south wall, with a probable later 13th century south doorway next to it (though completely rebuilt externally in the 19th century). The other aisle windows are all, however, 2 - light early 14th century traceried windows, and the gables and separate pitched roof over the aisle is also perhaps 14th century (it is still hidden under a flat plaster ceiling). In the south aisle wall are some reused Reigate stone fragments, and the large later south buttress has Ragstone quoins and reused Reigate And Caenstone fragments (and heavy 19th century knapped flintwork). Some Purbeck marble is reused in the wall west of the south porch. This aisle also has a small square-topped piscina in its south-east corner, and a very small stoup just inside the door on the east.
Hasted tells us that ‘a few years ago the north isle fell down, when there were some curious paintings discovered by the breaking of the plaster from the walls. This aisle was immediately rebuilt’. It is however, clear from the present remains (and from the Petrie water-colour view), that the church was again rebuilt in the early 19th century, with the present flatish 4-bay crown/king post nave roof and lath and plaster ceiling. The two dormers on the south side of the nave roof are presumably of the same date as is the shallow-pitched shed-roof over the north aisle, and the wooden post and two semi-circular arches into the north aisle. On the north-west side of the nave one can see an infilled pointed arch (? of chalk) with abaci, suggesting that there was originally a 13th century 3-bay north aisle (and Lady Chapel). The scar for the south-west corner of this aisle which did not continue to the west end of the nave, is just visible, and the late 18th century collapse was clearly at the west end of this aisle, which was not rebuilt (the other aisle-wall window being reset in the nave wall). The north wall of the north aisle must have been rebuilt in the early 14th century with buttresses and new two-light traceried windows. There may have been a north door here.
Only the chancel was heavily restored in the later 19th century (1865) with a new south porch in 1896, replacing a brick one, according to Glynne. A porch is documented from at least 1505.
BUILDING MATERIALS: (Incl. old plaster, paintings, glass, tiles etc.):
The main local material is flint, and whole flints, in courses, are used for all the early work with dressings of Caenstone. Some Reigate stone is then used in the 13th century, with Kent Rag for the quoins in the early 14th century. There is also some reused Purbeck marble in the walls, and Bathstone is used for the late 19th century restorations. Hasted mentions ‘the remains of good painted glass’ in the chancel side lancets and ‘seven sacraments, etc. handsomely done, with rich borders’ in the eastern lancets, ‘but they have been some few years since removed’ (op. cit. below, p.155). Also he mentions armorial glass in the S.E. window of the south aisle, and other now-vanished glass is known from the church - see C.R. Councer (below).
EXCEPTIONAL MONUMENTS IN CHURCH: None, but remains of medieval wall-painting on the north side of the nave, at the west end. Also a leger slab, with a small brass inscription in it, dated 1585, in front of the chancel arch. Also some early 19th century Benefaction boards on the west wall of the south aisle. Most of the furnishings in the church date from the restoration of 1864-4, or later.
CHURCHYARD AND ENVIRONS:
Size & Shape: Large north-south rectangular area around church, with large extensions to north (20th century) and south (19th century).
Condition: Good
Building in churchyard or on boundary: Lych Gate of timber (1892) to the south. Very large c. early 14th century great barn of Littlebourne Court (172ft long) runs along west boundary of the churchyard.
Ecological potential: ? Yes. The burial under a ‘great palm’ (ie. Yew Tree) in the churchyard is mentioned in a will of 1542, and there are still some quite large Yews north of the church.
Late med. Status: Vicarage endowed in 1245 with a house, some tithes, etc. A chaplain had to be found to celebrate weekly in Garrington Chapel.
Patron: St. Augstine’s Abbey, Canterbury (and alienated to the Italian monastery of Monte Mirteto in Italy, 1224). In 1538 it went to the crown, and then on to the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury in 1541.
Other documentary sources: Hasted IX (1800) , 155-8. There is much documentation in Thorne’s Chronicle and the ‘Black Book’ of St Augustine’s. Testamenta Cantiana (E. Kent, 1907), 196-8 mentions burial in the churchyard from 1473, the church porch (1501), various ‘lights’, the altar of Our Lady (1499+), reparation of the altars of St James and St Nicholas (1473), for paving between the chancel and the west door (1419).
SURVIVAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL DEPOSITS:
Inside present church: ? Good.
Outside present church: ? Good, though there is a large soil build-up around the church, and a brick-lined drainage gulley (up to 2ft deep) has been made all around the church.
RECENT DISTURBANCES/ALTERATIONS:
To structure: None, but chancel stalls brought from St Johns, Herne Bay in 1974, and organ in north aisle from Holy Cross, Canterbury in 1972.
To floors: Brick floor relaid at east end of S. aisle - Oct 1991.
Quinquennial inspection (date/architect): Feb. 1990 Maureen O’Connor.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL ASSESSMENT:
A Norman nave was given a lean-to south aisle and perhaps extended to the west in the very early 13th century, with a plain west tower being added soon after. The chancel was rebuilt (and greatly enlarged) in the mid 13th century, and there was probably also a Lady Chapel and nave north aisle by the later 13th century. The outer walls of the aisles were rebuilt in the early 14th century. A timber spire was also built. In the late 18th century the west end of the north aisle collapsed and this was rebuilt along with the nave roof, etc. again in the early 19th century. Chancel restored in 1865, and west tower in 1899 (with rehung bells). A new south porch was built in 1896.
The wider context: One of a group of churches belonging to St Augustine’s Abbey, Canterbury with major rebuildings in the 13th and early 14th centuries.
REFERENCES: S.R. Glynne, Notes of the Churches of Kent (1877), 167-8. (He visited in 1851). C.R. Councer, Lost Glass from Kent Churches ) (1980), 77-8.
Guide Book: None available in church, but see St Vincent’s Church, Littlebourne by Elizabeth Jeffries (1984) - very poor for architectural history.
Plans & drawings: Petrie early 19th cent. view from N.E., with continuous roof slope over nave and N. aisle.
DATES VISITED: 19th December 1996 REPORT BY: Tim Tatton-Brown
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/01/03/LIT.htm
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LITTLEBORNE
LIES the next parish south-eastward from Stodmarsh, taking its name from its situation close to the stream which bounds the eastern part of it, and at the same time to distinguish it from the other parishes of the name of Borne in the near neighbourhood of it.
There is but one borough in this parish, called the borough of Littleborne.
Littleborne extends to the skirt of the beautiful and healthy parts of East Kent, and verging farther from the large levels of marsh land which lie near the Stour, quits that gloomy aspect of ill health so prevalent near them, and here begins to assume one more cheerful, pleasant and healthy; and Twyne tells us, (fn. 1) that it was allotted by the abbot and convent of St. Augustine's, who possessed the manor, for the plantation of vines. The village is built on the high road leading from Canterbury to Sandwich and Deal, at the eastern boundary of the parish, adjoinining to the Little Stour, and consists of about forty houses. The church stands at a small distance from it, having the courtlodge close to it, with the parsonage at a small distance. This parish extends northward as far as the Stour, opposite to Westbere, in which part of it however, there is but a small quantity of marsh-land, near which is an estate called Higham, which antiently was owned by a family of that name. Above the hill, south-eastward from hence, there is a great deal of woodland, and among it a tract of heathy rough land, belonging to the archbishop, called Fishpool-downs, through which the road leads to Wickham. At the bottom of Fishpool hill is the valley called the Ponds, now entirely covered with wood, part of which is in this parish. The ponds were supplied from a spring called Arrianes well, probably for Adrian's well, and were of a considerable size and depth, made for the supply of the convent of St. Augustine, the owners of them, with fish for their refectory, the sides of them now equally thick with coppice wood, were antiently a vineyard. These woods continue from hence adjoining the high road towards the village in great quantities, much of which belongs to the archbishop, and are intermixed with a great deal of rough bushy ground. The lands in this parish are in general very poor and gravelly, but towards Wickham they are much more fertile both for corn and hops, of which there are several plantations. This parish extends across the river eastward towards the hill, and takes in great part of Lower Garwinton, and part of the house, and some little land of Upper Garwinton within it, which is entirely separated from the rest of it by the parish of Adisham intervening.
Polygonatum scalacæci, Solomon's seal; grows plentifully on Fishpool-hill in this parish.
A fair is held here on the 5th of July, for toys and pedlary.
In the year 690, Widred, king of Kent, gave to the monastery of St. Augustine, in pure and perpetual alms, five plough-lands called Litleborne, on condition of their remembring of him in their prayers and solemn masses. And in the year 1047, king Edward the Consessor gave another plough-land here, which consisted of the estates of Bourne, Dene, and Wiliyington, to archbishop Eadsin, free from all service, except. the trinoda necessitas, and he bestowed it on that monastery. After which the manor of Little borne continued in the possession of the abbey to the time of taking the survey of Domesday, in which it is thus entered under the general title of the land of the church of St. Augustine:
In Dunamesfort hundred, the abbot himself holds, Liteburne, which is taxed at seven sulings. The arable land is twelve carucates. In demesne there are three carucates, and thirty-five villeins, with fourteen cottagers having six and an half. There is a church, and thirtyeight acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of four hogs. In the time of king Edward the Consessor it was worth twenty-five pounds, afterwards twenty pounds, now thirty-two pounds. Of this manor the bishop of Baieux has in his park, as much as is worth sixty shillings.
After this the abbot and convent's possessions here were increased by several gifts and purchases of different parcels of land. (fn. 2)
King Henry III. in his 54th year, granted to the abbot and convent free-warren in all their demesne lands of Littleborne, among others. In the 7th year of king Edward II.'s reign, anno 1313, in the iter of H. de Stanton and his sociates, justices itinerant, the abbot, upon a quo warranto, claimed and was allowed in this manor among others, free warren in all his demesne lands of it, and view of frank-pledge, and other liberties therein-mentioned, in like manner as has been already mentioned before, in the description of the manors of Sturry and Stodmarsh. (fn. 3) By a register of the monastery of about this time, it appears, that this manor had then in demesne the park of Trendesle. In the 10th year of king Edward III. Solomon de Ripple being custos, or bailiff of this manor, made many improvements here, and purchased more lands in it, all the buildings of it being in a manner wholly re-built and raised from the ground, with much cost, by him. In king Richard II.'s reign, the abbot's manor of Littleborne was valued at 23l. 8s. 6d. the admeasurement of the lands being 505 acres. After which this manor continued with the monastery till its dissolution, anno 30 Henry VIII. when it came into the king's hands, and remained in the crown till king Edward VI. in his 1st year, granted the manor and manor-house, with all lands and appurtenances, and a water-mill lately belonging to the abbot and convent of St. Augustine, to the archbishop, among other premises, in exchange for the manor of Mayfield, &c. parcel of the possessions of whose see it still remains, the archbishop being the present owner of it. The manor, with the profits of courts, royalties, &c. the archbishop keeps in his own hands; but the demesnes have been from time to time demised on a beneficial lease. The family of Denne have been for more than a century lessees of it, who now reside in the court-lodge.
On the abolition of episcopacy, after the death of king Charles I. this manor was sold by the state to Sir John Roberts and John Cogan, the latter of whom, by his will in 1657, gave his moiety of it to the mayor and aldermen of Canterbury, for the benefit of six poor ministers widows (for whose use he had at the same time demised his dwelling-house in Canterbury, now called Cogan's hospital. But the manor of Littleborne, on the restoration in 1660, returned again to the see of Canterbury.
The manor of Wolton, alias Walton, lies in the southern part of this parish, adjoining to the precinct of Well, and was antiently possessed by a family who took their name from it, one of whom, John, son of John de Wolton, held it at the latter end of king Henry III.'s reign. But this family became extinct here before the reign of king Edward III. in the 20th year of which, Roger de Garwinton held it by knight's service, (fn. 4) in whose descendants it continued till it passed into the family of Petit, of Shalmsford, who held it of the abbot of St. Augustine's by the like service, in which name and family it continued till it was at length alienated to Sir Henry Palmer, of Bekesborne, whose descendant of the same name passed it away by sale to Sir Robert Hales, of Bekesborne, in whose descendants it continued down to Sir Philip Hales, bart. of Howlets, who in 1787 alienated this manor to Isaac Baugh, esq. of Well, the present owner of it.
Wingate, alias Lower Garwington, in a manor, which lies on the other or eastern side of the river, adjoining to Ickham, taking the former of those names from a family, who were owners of it in Henry III.'s reign, and held it by knight's service of the abbot and convent of St. Augustine. In which reign Simon de Wingate held it as above-mentioned, but before the 20th year of King Edward III. this name was extinct here, and Thomas de Garwinton then held this estate, lying in Wingate, held of the abbot by the like tenure. (fn. 5) In the descendants of Thomas de Garwington, who resided at their mansion and manor, since called Upper Garwinton, adjoining to it, seems to have continued some time, and from them, as well as to distinguish it from that, to have taken the name of Wingate, alias Lower Garwinton. After this family had quitted the possession of it, the Clyffords appear from different records to have become owners of it, and after them the Sandfords, and it appears by the escheat rolls, that Humphrey Sandford died possessed of it in the 14th year of king Henry VII. and that Thomas Sandford was his son and heir. After which it came into the hands of the crown, for king Henry VIII. in his 30th year, granted the manors of Wingate and Garwinton to Sir Christopher Hales, then master of the rolls. He left three daughters his coheirs, who became jointly, entitled to it, and on the division of their estates it was allotted to the youngest daughter Mary, who entitled her husband Alexander Colepeper, esq. to it, in which name it continued till the 22d of queen Elizabeth, when it was passed away by sale to Thomas Fane, esq. whose son Francis, earl of Westmoreland, sold it to William Prude, alias Proude, esq. who being a lieutenant-colonel in the army, was slain at the siege of Maestricht in 1632, having devised this estate in tail male to his eldest surviving son Serles Prude, who died in 1642, leaving only two daughters his coheirs, upon which it came to his next brother William, who left an only daughter Dorothy, and she, the entail being barred, carried it first in marriage to Nethersole, by whom she had no issue, and secondly to Christopher May, esq. of Rawmere, in Suffex, whose only daughter and heir Anne, entitled her husband William Broadnax, esq. of Godmersham, to the possession of it. His son Thomas Changed his name, first to May and then to Knight, and died possessed of this manor in 1781, leaving an only son Thomas Knight, esq. of Godmersham, who in the year 1785 exchanged it for other lands in Crundal with Thomas Barret, esq. of Lee, the present owner of it.
Upper Garwinton is a manor, which lies adjoining to that last-described, southward, at the boundary of this parish, next to Adisham, in which parish part of the mansion of it stands, being written in the survery of Domesday, Warwintone, one of the many instances in that book of the mistakes of the Norman scribes. It was, after the conquest, parcel of those possessions with which the Conqueror enriched his half-brother Odo, the great bishop of Baieux and earl of Kent, and was exchanged by him for other lands with the abbot of St. Augustine's, accordingly it is thus entered in that record, under the general title of the land of the church of St. Augustine:
The abbot himself holds Warwintone, and the bishop of Baieux gave it to him in exchange of his park. It was taxed at half a suling and forty-two acres of land. The arable land is one carucate, and there is in demesne, with three cottagers, and sixteen acres of meadow. In the time of king Edward the Confessor it was worth four pounds, and afterwards forty shillings, now four pounds. This manor Edric de Sbern Biga held, and now Radulf holds it of the abbot.
Whether this description extended to the last-described manor of Wingate, is uncertain, though most probably, as both were held of the abbot by knight's service, it was comprehended in it. However that may be, this manor of Garwintone, called as above, erroneously, in Domesday, Warwintone, was held of the abbot by a family who took their surname from it; one of whom, Richard de Garwynton, resided here at the latter end of king Henry II.'s reign, and had a chapel at his mansion here; and in 1194, the abbot granted to him and his heirs, to have the divine office celebrated for three days in a week in this chapel by the priest of Littleborne. (fn. 6) His descendant Thomas Garwinton was possessed of this manor and several other estates in this part of the county, in the 20th year of king Edward III. whose great-grandson William Garwynton dying S. P. Joane his kinswoman, married to Richard Haut, was anno II Henry IV. found to be his heir not only to this manor, but to much other lands in these parts, and their son Richard Haut having an only daughter and heir Margery, she carried this manor in marriage to William Isaac, esq. of Patrixborne, whose descendant Edward Isaac, at his death, gave this manor to his two daughter by his second wife, viz. Mary, married to Thomas Appleton, esq. of Suffolk, and Margaret, to John Jermye, second son of Sir John Jermye, of the same county, and they seem to have shared this manor between them. Thomas Appleton sold his share afterwards to Anthony Parker, who with Isaac Jermye, eldest son of John above-mentioned, joined in the sale of the entire see of it to Sir Henry Palmer, of Howlets, and he by his will in 1611, devised it to his nephew John Goodwyn, whose heirs some time afterwards passed it away by sale to George Curteis, esq. afterwards knighted, and of Otterden, and he alienated it to Sir Robert Hales, of Bekesborne, in whose descendants it continued down to Sir Philip Hales, bart. of Howlets, who in 1787, passed it away by sale to Isaac Baugh, esq. the present owner of it.
Charities.
John Dorrante, of Bekesborne, yeoman, in 1560, gave by will, to discharge the poor from the assessments of the church, the overplus to be paid to the most antient poor of the parish, the sum of 3s, 6d. on Palm Sunday and the Monday before Penticost; and 21s. 6d. on Christmas-day yearly, out of the house and lands called Church-house, now vested in Mr. Peter Inge.
Henry Sloyden, of Wickhambreaux, in 1568, gave by will to the poor of this parish and of Wickham, six acres and a half of land, called Church-close, to be divided between them yearly, now of the annual produce of 3l. 9s. 9d.
Sir Henry Palmer, by his will in 1611, gave 10s. to be paid yearly out of his manor of Welle, for the use of the poor.
James Franklyn, by will in 1616, gave to the parishes of Littleborne, Chistlet, and Hoathe, in Reculver, 5l. each, to be employed in a stock for the poor. This 5l. is now increased to 11l. this interest of which being 8s. 93frac34;d. is distributed among the poor in general.
Valentine Norton, gent. by his will, was a benefactor to the poor; but there are no particulars further known of it.
The poor constantly relieved are about fifty, casually thirtyfive.
This parish is within the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Bridge.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Vincent, consists of three isles and a chancel, having at the west end a low pointed steeple, in which hang five bells. The church is kept very neat. It is a good sized building, and is handsomely ceiled. The chancel is lostly, and has four narrow lancet windows on each side, and three at the end; in the former are the remains of good painted glass, and in the latter some years ago were the seven sacraments, &c. very handsomely done, with rich borders, but they have been some few years since removed. In it is a memorial for George I'anns, curate, obt. 1699. In the middle isle are several memorials for the family of Denne, for many descents lessees of the court-lodge, and descended from those of Dennehill, in Kingston, In the south-east window of the south isle is a saint holding a shield of arms, in front, Gules, three cocks, argent, being the arms of Bunington, on the lest side a moon, on the right a sun, all very well done; and there were formerly in one of the windows, the arms of Higham, argent, a lion passant regardant, between six cross-croslets fitchee, sable, impaling Gallaway, ermine, three lozenges, gules. A few years ago the north isle fell down, when there were some curious paintings discovered, by the breaking of the plaister from the walls. This isle was immediately rebuilt. In the church-yard, at the north-west part of it, are several tombs and head stones of the family of Denne before- mentioned.
¶The church of Littleborne was antiently appendant to the manor, part of the possessions of the abbot and convent of St. Augustine, and continued so till the year 1224, when Robert de Bello being chosen abbot, and finding much difficulty in obtaining the pope's benediction, to facilitate it, gave this church to the monastery of St. Mary de Monte Mirteto, in Italy, to which the pope, in 1241, appropriated it. Immediately after which, this parsonage, so appropriated, was demised to the abbot and convent of St. Augustine, in perpetual ferme, at the clear yearly sum of thirty marcs. (fn. 7) Four years after which, anno 1245, archbishop Stratford endowed the vicarage of it, the advowson of which was reserved to the abbot and convent of St. Augustine, when he decreed, that the vicarage should be endowed with a mansion, the tithes of filva cæ dua, of hay, and in three acres of arable, one acre of meadow, and in the receipt of three marcs and an half in money from the religious yearly, and in the tithes of flax, hemp, ducks, calves, pigeons, bees, milk, milkmeats, mills, wool, pigs, and in all oblations and other small tithes belonging to the church; and that the vicar should serve the church in divine rites, and find one chaplain to celebrate weekly in the chapel of Garwyntone, and to find bread, wine, and tapers, for celebrating divine rites in the church. Which endowment was afterwards, in 1370, certified by inspeximus, by archbishop Wittlesey. In which state this church and advowson remained till the final dissolution of the abbey of St. Augustine, in the 30th year of Henry VIII. when they came into the king's hands, and the king, in his 33d year, settled both, by his dotation-charter, on his new-erected dean and chapter of Canterbury, with whom they continue at this time. The parsonage has been from time to time let on a beneficial lease, Mr. Thomas Holness being the present lessee of it, but the advowson of the vicarage the dean and chapter retain in their own hands.
The vicarage of Littleborne is valued in the king's books at 7l. 19s. 10d. but the yearly tenths taken are sixteen shillings, the sum total being erroneonsly cast up in the king's books at eight pounds. The antient pension of 3l. 17s. 4d. from the abbey of St. Augustine's, is yearly received by the vicar out of the exchequer; the demesne lands of the court-lodge pay no greattithes, and the archbishop's woods in his own occupation pay none. In 1588 here were one hundred and fifty communicants; in 1640 the same, when it was valued at thirty-five pounds. It has been augmented by the dean and chapter with fifty pounds per annum.
The chapel of Lukedale, in the precinct of Well, was once esteemed as within the bounds of this parish, of which more may be seen herefter, under Ickham, to which parish Well is now annexed.
man is he adoooorable!! but i keep wishing for a tan cookie. In this tan. And the only ones around are FG cookies :/
Anyways, still thinking if he'll stay or if he'll go, while i keep trying to grow the money tree
NCDOT is building the state's first turbine interchange in north Charlotte where I-85 and I-485 will connect. Traffic on I-85 North is moving from the bottom to top of the photo. In the center are several bridges connecting the two interstates, and to the left is the final segment of I-485 currently under construction. Both projects should wrap up by the end of 2014.
This is from a pre-production version of the Sony NEX7 and a pre-production Zeiss 24mm f1.8.
ISO400, manual, concert lighting, not much of a photo but it was all I could get.
The camera software didn't record shutter speed or other useful info. Just aperture. This is a very early pre-production kit I was told.
You might enjoy my blog at thepicturedesk.blogspot.com/
This is my cane toad dissection. We normally have to do them in groups so I was pretty pleased to be able to do one on my own. I picked a good specimen who turned out to have some interesting bits. We were collecting a variety of data from them, including: sex, mass (g), SVL (Snout-to-Vent Length in mm), Snout-to-Urostyle Length (mm), Lung Parasites (presence and number), Stomach Contents (weight and type), Reproductive Organs (weight in g, including egg mass in females) and Fat Bodies (g).
Primate's Palace (Slovak Primaciální palác) is a neoclassical building on Primate's Square in Bratislava, built as the seat of the Archbishop of Esztergom.
History
City of Bratislava, which was at the heart of present-day Bratislava, was the head offices of archbishops, because of its historical residence in Esztergom was there. 1543 in the hands of the Turkish Pasha. The house, which in the center of the small square behind the town hall owned, probably originally stood on the ruins of ancient buildings, in the 15th 50 years century was rebuilt in Gothic style, the next big update then held at 18th 30 years century. Despite these adjustments at the end of the 18th century did not satisfy the requirements placed on the Archbishop's residence, therefore, Archbishop Jozef Batthyany decided to demolish the old building and build a new palace, and designed by architect Melchior Hefele Austrian origin; construction was finished in 1781.
After the death of Empress Maria Theresa, her son, Emperor Joseph II . transferred to the central office of Buda and the archbishopric was moved back to Esztergom. Obelisk Primasil the object left, but stayed here only sporadically. The palace was used for the temporary accommodation of kings and members of their families, there were offices, schools, apartments, etc.
26th December 1805 at the Mirror Hall of the palace was signed by Johann I. of Liechtenstein, Ignácz Gyulay and Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand called Bratislava Peace between France and Austria, which among other things has deprived Austria Tyrol and Dalmatia. In the hall was held the inaugural meeting of the Uherského Assembly (Kingdom of Hungary), which was located in the present building of the University Library. In 1848 there was signed last crowned Emperor Ferdinand V. so-called March laws like abolition of serfdom.
The first palace courtyard
3 August 1903 the palace for 120,000 gold bought in the city of Bratislava and its reconstruction was hidden in a forgotten hallway wallpaper in one of the salons discovered unique and complete a series of six unknowns tapestries, depicting the ancient tragic love story of Hero and Leander. Were made around 1630 in English Mortlake group Flemish weavers Philip de Maechta designed by Francis Clyne (probably involving Rubens and van Dyck). Archbishopric 's unearthed tried priceless tapestries from gain, but the court ruled in favor of the city. Now part of the exhibition in the prestigious premises of the palace.
In the following decade took place very generous and sensitive reconstruction for the needs of the town hall. Served this purpose until the end of the 20th 40 years century, when it was finished building a new town hall on the site of the former Ormosdyho Palace on Primate's Square, in the following decades the state rooms of the palace used as an exhibition Gallery of Bratislava. Mirror Hall, however, continued until the end of the 80 years served as a meeting hall of the then National Committee of Bratislava. At present, the palace headquarters of the Mayor and the Mirror Hall of the Town Council meets, in addition, are held weddings or concerts. Other ceremonial hall of the palace are open to the public without restriction, decorated salons are combined as a picture gallery.
The form of the palace
Tympanum with a mosaic of Ernest Zmetáka and coat of arms of Cardinal Batthyány by Matus Kögler.
The architectural layout of the building is quite simple: representational spaces are located on the north side of the building, a huge classicist facade, which not only dominates the whole building, but operates across a small square. Above the main gate is a balcony supported by four Tuscan columns, the facade is dominated by a triangular tympanum initially with fresco depicting allegories observance of God's commandments by Franz Anton Maulbertsch, it was at the time of reconstruction of the palace destroyed so that it can not save the years 1956-1958 and was replaced by color stone mosaic Ernest Zmeták. At the climax of the tympanum is placed a huge stone ancestral character Archbishop Batthyany, the Attica palaces are located next sculpture.
Tripartite input (full gate and two side entrances for pedestrians) leads to a square courtyard with statues of St. George 17th century and blind arcades. In the southwestern corner of the courtyard is a portal with a relief of the Virgin and Child in red marble, probably from the 16th century. The portal leads to a hallway, which leads into the palace chapel, which is not visible from the outside. The chapel, dedicated to St. Martin Ladislav, is built on the original site chapel residence, and in a single year (1780). Oval space pervades all floors of the palace and is connected to an adjacent room. The arch bears a mural depicting the miracle of light - Ladislav; view of authorship F.A. Maulbertsch is now being questioned. Paintings on three altars come from J. Zollinger (St. Ladislav on the main altar), J. Meydingera (painting angels on the left side altar) and J. Kohl (image sv. Josefa on the right side altar). Carved pews are from 18 century. Chapel by the end of the 2nd World War II did not serve its original mission, only in 1993 was again a place of worship.
Fountain with statues of St. . George
From the entrance vestibule based on right and left entrance hall. Left hallway leading to the main staircase, which forms the national ceremonial space on the first floor, so piano nobile. On the east side is attached to them so festive Mirror Hall. It also permeates its height into the highest floor, where it built a balcony. The room is lit only by four pairs of windows, the lack of natural light are fixed mirrors on the walls of the room at the lower floor, making a high narrow space created impressive hall.
In the entry parlor above the main staircase are portraits of Hungarian rulers - Charles III., his daughter Maria Theresa (in 1742 by Daniela Schmidelyho), Joseph II., Leopold II. and Francis I. - and the builder of the palace, Cardinal Joseph Batthyany.
A fresco on the ceiling of the chapel of St. Ladislaus.
Five salons piano nobile (green salon, brown salon, blue salon, red salon, golden salon), which are oriented to the north, the surviving part of the original wooden paneling, silk wallpaper, new, color-matching original. Here are mirrors used for simple optical zoom - in vista on the walls of the first and last room. All these rooms are complete with original ceramic tiled stove. In addition to a set of six tapestries themed love story Hero and Leander are located here mostly paintings from the collections of the Municipal Gallery, like furniture and other art objects.
Parallel to the state rooms stretch through narrow room, tapetované (wallpaper) gray silk with a musical motif, which builds on the west wing of the palace with a number of small rooms, velvet dark green color, which is currently exhibition of Dutch paintings from the collections of the City Gallery. These rooms were probably originally (in comparison with the state rooms relatively modest) Archbishop tabernacle.
Spaces on the top floor of the palace were originally only accessible to ordinary staircase official functions. Are addressed in plan like space on the first floor, are less spectacular.
Probably the only remnant of the original residence is on two stone pillars vaulted room in the south wing of the palace courtyard, which served as stables.
After renovations and modernizations is not preserved original cuisine. Probably was located on the ground floor below the hall of mirrors. Under the kitchen to keep massive cylindrical space lined with bricks (height 3.5 m, diameter 5 m), vaulted semicircular dome, most likely the original tank for domestic hot water .
The Hudson Commodore is an automobile that was produced by the Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan between 1941 and 1952. During its time in production, the Commodore was the largest and most luxurious Hudson model.
The Commodore Series 12 and Series 14 were the junior models to the Commodore Custom Series 15 and Series 17, and debuted in Hudson's 1941 model line. Commodore Series 12 featured a I6 engine and the Series 14 models came with a I8, with all built on a 121-inch (3,073 mm) wheelbase, while Commodore Customs utilized on the 121 in (3,073 mm) wheelbase for Series 15 coupes and a 128 in (3,251 mm) version for Series 17 sedans.
The Commodore was powered by Hudson's 202 cu in (3.3 L) I6 producing 102 bhp (76 kW), or by Hudson's 254.4 cu in (4.2 L) I8 that produced 128 bhp (95 kW). Prices listed for the Series 12 coupe started at US$1,028 ($18,939 in 2021 dollars) to the top level Custom Series 17 Sedan at US$1,537 ($28,316 in 2021 dollars).
The Commodore series was Hudson's largest model range in its debut year, consisting of sedans, coupes, and convertibles. Hudson used a forward hinged hood that opened from the rear by the windshield with the front end of the hood sliding downward over the grille. Elements of the interior and exterior were styled by Betty Thatcher, "the first woman designer to be employed by a car manufacturer".
For 1942, the cars received a facelift. This included concealed running boards, modestly enlarged front grilles, and external trim arrangements. Hudson offered an optional "Drive-Master" vacuum assisted clutch with a servo-operated transmission with three modes: "automatic" shifting and clutching, automated clutching only, or fully manual.
The firm promoted its economy over luxury during the shortened model year that ended in January 1942, as U.S. war production accelerated.
Barichara is considered to be the best example of a colonial village (at least according to one of the colombianas I met along the way…and Lonely Planet seems to speak very highly of the town as well.)
It’s a town in east-central Colombia, in the department of Santander, whose capital is Bucaramanga. To get there from where I’m living at the moment is about a 9 hour bus ride…even though it’s barely 300 km away. (Hello, winding mountain roads, and thank you for reintroducing me to nausea.) The ride over the mountain range is rather spectacular, but literally, with curves on average of every 15-30 seconds and few stops…it’s literally quite dizzying after a few hours. Also, since we didn’t make any stops along the way, there’s not a single picture in this set to represent the actual road trip.
My roommate and I struck out from Cúcuta around 3:00 on a Friday afternoon and spent one night in Bucaramanga, getting to the hotel there around 9:00 in the evening. Since I was nauseous, I didn’t make it out in Buca, unfortunately, though my roommate met one of his friends and they had a good time drinking and catching up.
Saturday morning, we left around 10:30 and had another bus ride – much shorter at about 2-3 hours and it wasn’t completely mountain road like the drive from Friday. That took us to the town of San Gil, about 100 km west of Bucaramanga.
San Gil is a good destination in its own right. It’s supposedly the adventure capital of Colombia (wholesome adventure, that is…or safe adventure). It’s the area to come if you’re interested in rafting, paragliding, etc. The town is pretty small and there’s some nice colonial architecture. We had lunch here since it looked to be an interesting enough place to spend an hour or two, then paid a taxi driver 37,000 pesos (about $12) to take us the 20 km from San Gil to Barichara. By that point, we’d had enough buses.
Finally, around 24 hours after we’d left Cúcuta, we arrived in the center of colonial Barichara. Our driver dropped us off at the northeast corner of the main square. Our guesthouse (and a rather comfortable guesthouse at that) was only a block away, half a block south from the southeast corner of the square. It was called Color de Hormiga and was at once comfortable, convenient, affordable ($30/night) and very hospitable. There’s no breakfast included in the stay – there’s no restaurant on site – but, they do provide coffee (for those who like it, which seems to be everyone in the world besides me) and the courtyard is very quiet and charming.
Saturday night’s sunset provided a very photogenic sky, though I was too tired (and, really, not thinking quickly enough) to ask about where to go to see it upon arriving after having traveled for that much time to get there. So, I saw the remains of the day from the main square and wondered what might have been.
We spent the better part of the evening just east of the northeast corner of the square; there were a few – at least three – decent bars in a row there and they were relaxing places to hang out. We had a few drinks, then wandered north of the square (uphill) for a few blocks towards one of the at least 4 chapels in this small town before cutting over a block and back down to the main cathedral on the square…before heading straight back to the bar – this time for a bite to eat. I wasn’t hungry, though, so just sat and enjoyed the music.
Sunday was the only full day we’d have here. I woke up early enough to catch the town before there were too many people wandering around. Barichara is really less than 10 blocks by 10 blocks (give or take) and it’s set on a ridge overlooking a gorgeous valley to the west.
Wandering alone in the morning, I started at the main square, including a few shots inside the main cathedral there before heading due west and slightly uphill towards the ridgeline. En route to the ridgeline, I passed another chapel (which I didn’t enter) that was attached to a cemetery (which I did enter). It was a nice cemetery with an unusually high number of fake floral arrangements. That struck me as a little odd considering Colombia is one of the highest exporters of flowers in the world. At any rate, it was a nice few minutes to reflect, especially since my mother (who also happens to be about the only one who would regularly look at any of this writing/posting that you’re reading) passed away only a few days before.
From the cemetery, I walked west the last black to Calle 1 (Calle del mirador) which is the one that crests the ridgeline overlooking the Cañón del Río Suárez (Saravita). When I got here, I realized this would’ve been a fabulous place to have seen the sunset the previous night – though I’m also certain it would have been VERY crowded, too.
At 9:00 in the morning, with the sun at my back, I just found myself overlooking a somewhat hazy valley…though not hazy enough to completely obscure the view. Walking along Viewpoint Road, I stopped at both pavilions and also at the Simón Bolivar statue which is at the head of El camino real (Royal Road) which connects Barichara to the much smaller colonial town of Guane about 5-6 km mostly downhill.
For the moment, I bypassed the trail and continued along Calle 1 to Santa Barbara Chapel and its attached art park (which left a lot to be desired). From there, it was a 6 block walk straight downhill to the guesthouse, with a stop next to the square for what I would consider an adequate (at best) breakfast.
After resting a few minutes at the guesthouse, my roommate showed up and we decided to walk to Guane via El camino real. (The heat wasn’t oppressive in the least and, since it was downhill…no big deal. Though my roommate is in much better shape than I, we still deliberated about whether or not to do this and, in the end, decided to go simply because there wasn’t much to see or do in Barichara.)
We left Color de Hormiga and made our way back to Calle 1 via San Antonio Chapel which was 2 blocks down the street and one block west on Carrera 4/Calle 5. It was the least imposing of the chapels, though still pleasant. (Like the Jesus Chapel next to the cemetery, we didn’t enter; I only entered the Church of the Immaculate Conception on the main square and the Santa Barbara Chapel at the top of the hill.)
Passing by, we just enjoyed walking the streets and eventually made our way to the trailhead next to our man Bolivar. The walk down to Guane, according to everything I read, was about “an hour walk.” It’s advertised as just under 5K, though one of the locals said it’s a little over 6. In my opinion, that’s a good walking/running pace…if you happen to be on flat ground or even pavement. This trail, however, was mostly rocks/boulders which would slow down most normal folks. The views of the valley were quite good, and we caught occasional glimpses of random lizards and birds (South American cardinals twice). We also stopped at Señor Esteban’s house on the way down for a few sodas and some fresh papaya. We hung out there for close to an hour, it seemed.
By that point, I was more interested in seeing the sunset and, as the day was getting long in the tooth, I talked my roomie into grabbing a taxi, bus, anything up the hill back to town. One of the other hikers at Esteban’s told us nothing really came by and it was easier to walk the last 40 minutes down to Guane (which was still about 3 km away) and just catch a bus there. Those 40 minutes turned out to be more than an hour.
As an aside, I’d like to mention the culinary delicacy of Barichara. They are quite proud of their hormigas culonas. (This literally translates to “fat-bottomed ants,” and yes…they eat them.) They’re considered to be an aphrodisiac. I mention this now because my roommate and I kept joking that we were stepping on someone’s dinner once in a while on the path.
When we arrived in Guane, we probably stayed less than 15 minutes. We walked to their main square, snapped a quick picture of the cathedral there, and then set to finding someone to negotiate a ride with to head back up to Barichara. We paid a guy (who seemed happier than a pig in slop) 25,000 to drive us the 9 km up the road to Barichara where he dropped us at Calle 1 and we watched what was a much cloudier and less-than-spectacular (compared with Saturday’s) sunset.
As I suspected, even with a “subpar” sunset, there were quite a few people at the pavilion. We didn’t stay until the end and just walked back down to our room for quick showers then dinner next to the main cathedral (underwhelming Italian) and a drink at the bar two doors down from where we’d been on Saturday night. (Of the three, this is the only one that was exclusively a bar; the others had limited menus.)
Monday morning brought an early start since we were doing the return trip all in one stretch. We were in a taxi by 7:30 and eventually got out at our apartment around 6:00 in the evening. For a first photo shoot in Colombia, I was pretty happy with how this turned out, though am looking forward to the next one in Cartagena in about 3 weeks.
This is Page 27 of a photographic atlas I created as a laboratory study resource for my BIOL 121 Anatomy and Physiology I students on the bones and bony landmarks of the axial skeleton.
Credits: All photography, text, and labels by Rob Swatski, Professor of Biology, Harrisburg Area Community College - York Campus, York, PA. Email: rjswatsk@hacc.edu
Studying Anatomy and Physiology? Check out my Survive and Thrive in Anatomy & Physiology series of A&P textbooks! I wrote and illustrated these books to help biology and healthcare students succeed in A&P! Available in paperback, e-book, and Kindle.
Available for purchase on my website and Amazon: robswatski.com/
Biology Core Concepts - Chemistry and Cells (Book 1): a.co/d/0ijoG8Jv
The Histology Comic Book (Book 2): a.co/d/09BADvyS
The next book in the series, focusing on the skin, skeleton, and muscles, will be available in Late Spring/Early Summer 2026!
Tokyo Skytree, Somaida, Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo’s Sky Tree is the tallest standing tower in the world and it is the second tallest (manmade) free standing structure in the world. Its main purpose is for terrestrial digital broadcasting, but it also has a few restaurants, observation towers and of course plenty of gift shops. It gets fairly crowded, and the observation deck is of course glass walled and sealed. Though the inside and outside glass walls are in general clean enough, it’s not really a great spot to take aerial photographs.
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The Cistercian Route is an expression that identifies a particular territory consists of the counties of Alt Camp, Conca de Barberà and Urgell and its 65 municipalities.
Its name comes from the artistic and cultural heritage of each of these counties has a Cistercian monastery: Santes Creus, Poblet and Vallbona de les Monges. The three Cistercian monasteries are the bait of the Cistercian Route but the brand goes beyond the monasteries, their monumentality and sobriety, as he discovered some counties with traditions, a wealth of landscapes ....
Santes Creus
Of the three Cistercian monasteries Santes Creus is the most faithfully reproduces the construction plan Bernard.
One of the largest and best preserved Cistercian monastic ensembles that we can visit today. Founded in 1168, protected by kings and nobility, became a center for spiritual studies and colonization of the territory. The monastic life is held continuously until 1835.
The church, sober and stunning architecture, has the royal tombs of Peter the Great and of James II and his wife Blanca of Anjou, as well as the great admiral Roger de Llúria. We can also admire the stained glass windows and Gothic Cistercian and a Baroque altarpiece of Joseph Tremulles.
Also highlight the chapter house, the escriptorium the great monks' dormitory and cloister Gothic (fourteenth century) attributed to the English Reinart December Fennel, with an elegant carved decoration.
Source & more info: www.larutadelcister.info
The Oodnadatta Track is an unsealed 617 km or383 mile Outback South Australian road between Marree i via Oodnadatta and on to Marla. Along the way the track passes the the Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park and the settlements of William Creek and Oodnadatta and several mound springs known such as Freeling Springs, Strangways Springs etc. The railway line from Marree was extended to Oodnadatta in 1892 and on to Alice Sprnigs between 1926 and 1929 when the Ghan Railway service began.
March is Women’s History month, and we want to highlight some of the amazing women here at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on our social media sites.
Name:
Pam Loring
Title:
Pathways Intern (Biological Sciences)
Duty station:
Division of Migratory Birds, Northeast Region
Female Conservation Hero or Mentor:
Helen Hays, Director of the Great Gull Island Project for her lifelong devotion to the conservation of terns across their migratory range
Where did you go to school?
University of Massachusetts-Amherst (BS in Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation), University of Rhode Island (MS in Biological and Environmental Sciences), University of Massachusetts, Amherst (PhD in Environmental Conservation, in progress)
What did you study?
For my MS research at URI, I used satellite telemetry to study movement patterns and habitat use of sea ducks in southern New England. For my PhD research, I am using nanotags and automated radio telemetry stations to study the movements of terns and shorebirds in southern New England and New York.
What’s your favorite thing about working for the Service?
Having the opportunity to work with so many talented biologists and managers, on many different and important projects, including bird movement studies, AMAPPS surveys, waterfowl surveys, the shorebird plan, etc.
What’s your favorite species and why?
Common and roseate terns - they are just stunning to observe in the field and their various life history strategies never cease to amaze.
Titanic Belfast is a visitor attraction and a monument to Belfast’s maritime heritage on the site of the former Harland and Wolff shipyard in the city's Titanic Quarter. It tells the stories of the ill-fated RMS Titanic, which sank on her maiden voyage in 1912, and her sister ships RMS Olympic and HMHS Britannic. The building contains more than 12,000 square metres (130,000 sq ft) of floor space, most of which is occupied by a series of galleries, plus private function rooms and community facilities.
The building is located on Queen's Island, an area of land at the entrance of Belfast Lough which was reclaimed from the water in the mid-19th century. It was used for many years by the shipbuilders Harland and Wolff, who built huge slipways and graving docks to accommodate the simultaneous construction of Olympic and Titanic. The decline of shipbuilding in Belfast left much of the area derelict. Most of the disused structures on the island were demolished. A number of heritage features were given listed status, including the Olympic and Titanic slipways and graving docks, as well as the iconic Samson and Goliath cranes.
The derelict land was renamed the "Titanic Quarter" in 2001 and was earmarked by Harland & Wolff for redevelopment over a ten-year period. An area of 100 acres was subsequently bought by Fred Olsen at a cost of £46 million, with 23 more acres set aside for a science park. A further 78 acres was sold by Harland & Wolff in 2002 to be used for a new development including houses, hotels and entertainment amenities plus a maritime heritage museum and science centre.
In 2005, plans were announced to build a museum dedicated to Titanic to attract tourists to the area, with the aim of completing it by 2011 to mark the centenary of Titanic's launch.
A number of ideas were put forward for the attraction. Among ideas considered were reconstructing the massive steel gantry in which Titanic and Olympic were constructed, or building an illuminated wire frame outline of Titanic in the dock in which she was fitted out. In June 2008, details of the £64 million scheme – known then as "Titanic Dock" – were announced.
Northern Ireland's Tourism Minister, Arlene Foster, announced that the Northern Ireland Executive would provide 50 per cent of the attraction's funding through the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, with the remaining 50 per cent coming from the private sector, in the shape of Titanic Quarter Ltd and the Belfast Harbour Commissioners. Additional funding was pledged by Belfast City Council. The task of creating the visitor attraction was taken on by the Titanic Foundation, a charity which aims to "educate people on Belfast's social, historical, industrial and maritime heritage through the story of the Titanic".
The building, now known as Titanic Belfast, is expected to attract 400,000 visitors annually, of whom between 130,000–165,000 would come from outside Northern Ireland. It is intended that it will serve a similar function to that of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, designed by Frank Gehry, as a focus for the regeneration of the city. It forms part of the Titanic Signature Project to regenerate Titanic–related heritage sites in the Titanic Quarter, including the disused headquarters and drawing offices of Harland & Wolff, the SS Nomadic – the last surviving White Star Line ship – and Hamilton Dock, Titanic's dock and pump house and the Titanic and Olympic slipways.
In front of the building is Titanica, a sculpture by Rowan Gillespie depicting a diving female figure. Made of bronze, it is mounted on a brass base, evoking the design of figureheads on ships' prows, and is meant to represent hope and positivity. The figure was dedicated by representatives of the Anglican, Catholic, Methodist and Presbyterian churches on 27 March 2012, a few days before the opening of Titanic Belfast
Hội An is a city of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam. It is located in Quảng Nam Province and is home to approximately 120,000 inhabitants. It is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Hội An Ancient Town is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and its street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site.The city possessed the largest harbour in Southeast Asia in the 1st century and was known as Lâm Ấp Phố (Champa City). Between the seventh and 10th centuries, the Cham (people of Champa) controlled the strategic spice trade and with this came tremendous wealth. The former harbour town of the Cham at the estuary of the Thu Bồn River was an important Vietnamese trading centre in the 16th and 17th centuries, where Chinese from various provinces as well as Japanese, Dutch and Indians settled. During this period of the China trade, the town was called Hai Pho (Seaside Town) in Vietnamese. Originally, Hai Pho was a divided town with the Japanese settlement across the "Japanese Bridge" (16th-17th century). The bridge (Chùa cầu) is a unique covered structure built by the Japanese, the only known covered bridge with a Buddhist temple attached to one side.
ETYMOLOGY
Hội An translates as "peaceful meeting place". In English and other European languages, the town was known historically as Faifo. This word is derived from Vietnamese Hội An phố (the town of Hội An), which was shortened to "Hoi-pho", and then to "Faifo".
HISTORY
The early history of Hội An is that of the Cham. These Austronesian-speaking Malayo-Polynesian peoples created the Champa Empire which occupied much of what is now central and lower Vietnam, from Huế to beyond Nha Trang. Various linguistic connections between Cham and the related Jarai language and the Austronesian languages of Indonesia (particularly Acehnese), Malaya, Cambodia and Hainan has been documented. In the early years, Mỹ Sơn was the spiritual capital, Trà Kiệu was the political capital and Hội An was the commercial capital of the Champa Empire - later, by the 14th century, the Cham moved further down towards Nha Trang. The river system was the transportation for goods between the highlands, inland countries of Laos and Thailand and the low lands.In 1535 Portuguese explorer and sea captain António de Faria, coming from Đà Nẵng, tried to establish a major trading center at the port village of Faifo. Hội An was founded as a trading port by the Nguyễn Lord Nguyễn Hoàng sometime around 1595. The Nguyễn lords were far more interested in commercial activity than the Trịnh lords who ruled the north. As a result, Hội An flourished as a trading port and became the most important trade port on the South China Sea. Captain William Adams, the English sailor and confidant of Tokugawa Ieyasu, is known to have made at least one trading mission to Hội An (around 1619). The early Portuguese Jesuits also had one of their two residences at Hội An.
In the 18th century, Hội An was considered by Chinese and Japanese merchants to be the best destination for trading in all of Southeast Asia, even Asia. Japanese believed the heart of all of Asia (the dragon) lay beneath the earth of Hội An. The city also rose to prominence as a powerful and exclusive trade conduit between Europe, China, India, and Japan, especially for the ceramic industry. Shipwreck discoveries have shown that Vietnamese and Asian ceramics were transported from Hội An to as far as Sinai, Egypt.Hội An's importance waned sharply at the end of the 18th century because of the collapse of Nguyễn rule (thanks to the Tây Sơn Rebellion - which was opposed to foreign trade).
Then, with the triumph of Emperor Gia Long, he repaid the French for their aid by giving them exclusive trade rights to the nearby port town of Đà Nẵng. Đà Nẵng became the new center of trade (and later French influence) in central Vietnam while Hội An was a forgotten backwater. Local historians also say that Hội An lost its status as a desirable trade port due to silting up of the river mouth. The result was that Hội An remained almost untouched by the changes to Vietnam over the next 200 years.
Today, the town is a tourist attraction because of its history, traditional architecture and crafts such as textiles and ceramics. Many bars, hotels, and resorts have been constructed both in Hội An and the surrounding area. The port mouth and boats are still used for both fishing and tourism.
WEATHER
Calm mild weather is now limited to the season of May/June - end of August when the seas are calm and wind changes direction and comes from the South. The remainder of the year the weather is intermittent between rain & cold and hot & mild. Popular activities such as visiting offshore Cù lao Chàm islands are only guaranteed to be likely during the short season of end of May to end of August, which is the high season for domestic tourism.
HERITAGE AND TOURISM
In 1999, the old town was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO as a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port of the 15th to 19th centuries, with buildings that display a unique blend of local and foreign influences. According to the UNESCO Impact Report 2008 on Hội An, tourism has bought changes to the area which are not sustainable without mitigation. Due to the increased number of tourists visiting Hoi An a variety of activities are emerging which allow guests to get out of the old quarter and explore by motorbike, bicycle, Kayak or motorboat. The Thu Bon River is still essential to the region more than 500 years after António de Faria first navigated it and it remains an essential form of food production and transport. As such kayak and motorboat rides are becoming an increasingly popular tourist activity.
MUSEUM
The city has four museums highlighting the history of the region. These museums are managed by the Hoi An Center for Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation. Entrance to the museum is permitted with a Hoi An Entrance Ticket.
The Museum of History and Culture, at 13 Nguyen Hue St, was originally a pagoda, built in the 17th century by Minh Huong villagers to worship the Quan An, and is adjacent to the Quan Cong temple. It contains original relics from the Sa Huynh, Champa, Dai Viet and Dai Nam periods, tracing the history of Hoi An's inhabitants from its earliest settlers through to French colonial times.
The Hoi An Folklore Museum, at 33 Nguyen Thai Hoc St, was opened in 2005, and is the largest two-storey wooden building in the old town, at 57m long and 9m wide, with fronts at Nguyen Thai Hoc St and Bach Dang St. On the second floor, there are 490 artifacts, organised into four areas: plastic folk arts, performing folk arts, traditional occupations and artefacts related to the daily life of Hoi An residents.
The Museum of Trade Ceramics is located at 80 Tran Phu St, and was established in 1995, in a restored wooden building, originally built around 1858. The items originating from Persia, China, Thailand, India and other countries are proof of the importance of Hội An as a major trading port in South East Asia.
The Museum of Sa Huỳnh Culture, is located at 149 Tran Phu St. Established in 1994, this museum displays a collection of over 200 artifacts from the Sa Huỳnh culture - considered to be the original settlers on the Hội An site - dating to over 2000 years ago. This museum is considered to be the most unique collection of Sa Huỳnh artefacts in Vietnam.
WIKIPEDIA
Spa hotel in Wiesbaden at night. View large on black
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+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some backgorund:
The Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti was formed in 1943 with some aircraft from the United States. Its main task was transport and communication. Headquarters were at Bowen Field, Port-au-Prince, a former U.S. Marine Corps airfield, which was the main air base of the Haïtian Air Force until 1994. During the 1940s Haiti received small quantities of training aircraft. The first combat aircraft, six F-51D Mustang and four F-47D-40, arrived in country in 1950 - just in time when things turned rough.
Haiti elected a legislature in May 1946, and after two rounds of voting, Dumarsais Estimé, a black cabinet minister, was elected president. He operated under a new constitution which expanded schools, established rural farming cooperatives, and raised salaries of civil servants. These early successes, however, were undermined by his personal ambition, and his alienation of the military and elite led to a coup in 1950, which reinstalled the military junta.
This was just the moment when the ex USAF aircraft arrived. The Mustangs were reserved for the fighter role, ground attack being just a secondary option. The Thunderbolts were primarily intended against ground and sea targets, and they were equipped to carry HVARs under the wings.
The Republic F-47 Thunderbolt (P-47 until 1948) was one of the largest and heaviest fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single piston engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to eight tons, and in the fighter-bomber ground-attack roles could carry up to ten five-inch rockets or a significant bomb load, for a total of up to 2.500 pounds of external ordnance.
After WWII the USAAF Strategic Air Command had P-47 Thunderbolts in service from 1946 through 1947, as escort fighter for heavy bombers, but they were quickly retired until 1953. The four Haïtian aircraft were taken from this overstock, and unlike the Mustangs, which had to be modernized and made airworthy by Cavalier in the USA, the F-47s could be put into service immediately.
When Haiti announced that its first direct elections (all men twenty-one or over were allowed to vote) would be held on October 8, 1950, Paul Magloire resigned from the junta and declared himself a candidate for president. In contrast to the chaotic political climate of 1946, the campaign of 1950 proceeded under the implicit understanding that only a strong candidate backed by both the army and the elite would be able to take power. During that uncertain phase, all the Haïtian Air Force aircraft were kept in store and were disarmed, for fear that they’d be abused in another coup d’état.
Facing only token opposition, Magloire won the election and assumed office on December 6th 1950. Magloire restored the elite to prominence, and the Haïtian Air Force resumed its duties. The business community and the government benefited from favorable economic conditions until Hurricane Hazel hit the island in 1954. Hazel devastated the nation's freshly renovated infrastructure and economy. Hurricane relief was inadequately distributed and misspent, and Magloire jailed opponents and shut down newspapers.
After refusing to step down after his term ended, a general strike shut down Port-au-Prince's economy, and Magloire fled, leaving the government in a state of chaos. When elections were finally organized, François Duvalier, a rural doctor, was elected, on a platform of activism on behalf of Haiti's poor.
Both Mustang and Thunderbolts were superseded in October 1973 with T-28D Trojan from France, which were replace by O-2A Skymaster in 1975. It was also in 1973 that Haiti got its first helicopters from the United States.
Eventually, the Haitian Air Force was disbanded in 1994, after United Nation sponsored forces came to Haiti to reinstall president Aristide.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 36 ft 1 in (11.00 m)
Wingspan: 40 ft 9 in (12.42 m)
Height: 14 ft 8 in (4.47 m)
Wing area: 300 ft² (27.87 m²)
Empty weight: 10,000 lb (4,535 kg)
Loaded weight: 13,300 lb (6,032 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 17,500 lb (7,938 kg)
Powerplant:
1× Pratt & Whitney R-2800-59 twin-row radial engine, 2,535 hp (1,890 kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 433 mph at 30,000 ft (697 km/h at 9,145 m)
Range: 800 mi combat, 1,800 mi ferry (1,290 km / 2,900 km)
Service ceiling: 43,000 ft (13,100 m)
Rate of climb: 3,120 ft/min (15.9 m/s)
Wing loading: 44.33 lb/ft² ()
Power/mass: 0.19 hp/lb (238 W/kg)
Armament:
8× 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns (w. 3.400 rounds total)
Up to 2,500 lb (1,134 kg) of bombs or10× 5 in (127 mm) unguided rockets/HVARs
The kit and its assembly:
An exotic topic, since I suppose that hardly anyone could imagine what a Haïtian Air Force aircraft (much like a Nepalese one) is or would look like? I found a profile of a Haïtian F-51 in a book and was… inspired. Building a model of the real aircraft could have been an option, but doing a whiffy alternative appeared more entertaining.
My choice finally fell on the P-47 Thunderbolt. The kit is the Hobby Boss P-47D (bubble canopy version), but the ordnance was replaced – instead of WWII drop tanks or iron bombs I settled for a rather anachronistic load of two LAU-68 launchers for 2.75” FFARs on the wing hardpoints.
Otherwise the kit was only marginally modified: I added a dashboard and a respective cover with a gun sight inside of the cockpit, the canopy was cut in two parts so that it could be presented in an open position, and I added a scratched antenna fairing on the P-47's back – similar to an installment that Haïtian F-51s carried in their late career.
Painting an markings:
The Haïtian P-51s were originally delivered in bare metal finish, but during their modifications at Cavalier painted all-gray, with some red trim on spinner, fin and wing tips. Except for the roundels only a three digit tactical code on the fin was carried – all very basic, but with potential.
I just transplanted this concept on the P-47. The red spinner became a red ring around the engine opening, and in order to make the aircraft not look too uniform I layered the paint, with an aluminum basis coat (Revell Acrylics) over which a thin and cloudy coat of light gray (IJN Gray from Modelmaster) was brushed. This was, after a light black ink wash, wet sanded in order to achieve an uneven, worn and even bleached look, esp. on the upper surfaces.
The anti glare panel in front of the cockpit was painted with matt olive drab (Humbrol 66 & 155), also inspired by the real Haïtian P-51s, and some small panels and trim tabs were painted in shades of gray.
The roundels were completely scratched with separate white circles and bars, plus RAF Type B roundels – the circles are actually blank start numbers for slot cars and the RAF roundels belong to a British F-4 Phantom! The tactical code actually belongs to an IAI Kfir in Israeli service.
After having dried, the roundels also received a light sanding treatment, as well as some dry painting to blend them into the overall look of the aircraft.
There actually is an aftermarket decal sheet for Haïtian P-51s in 1:72, but its sports the later roundel which shows a circle in a red and a blue half – but I wanted the earlier variant.
Some more wear was done with dry-brushed Polished Aluminum and silver, as well as grinded graphite for soot and exhaust stains. The aircraft was supposed to look used and worn.
Finally, everything was sealed under coat of matt varnish.
A rather simple project, concerning both the build and the livery (expect for the special weathering effects, maybe), but the result looks convincing and has a certain exotic charm. Nothing you'll often come across.
This is only the second Ponton I've ever got to see since I visited Mercedes-Benz's excellent museum at its home in Stuttgart, Germany. And the first presentable one - the previous one was a mere shell.
The Ponton ("pontoon") was a line of simple, rugged, reliable sedans for postwar West Germany and beyond, and helped rebuild Mercedes-Benz. The Ponton, the first unibody design from Mercedes-Benz, is the ancestor of all current Mercedes-Benz sedans, including the C, E, and S classes.
The 219 (chassis code W105) was an interesting model, built from 1956 to 1959. From the dashboard rearward, the car is identical to the 180/190 (W120), the original four-cylinder Ponton from 1953, complete with single-pane rear windows and the simpler instrumentation. But to the front is the longer nose of the 220, to house a bigger engine, a 2.2-liter single-carburetor 85-horsepower 6-cylinder. 27,845 were built. (Source: Wikipedia)
Grille detail, complete with Mercedes-Benz Stuttgart plaque.
Haveli is generic term used for a traditional townhouse and mansions in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh usually one with historical and architectural significance. The word haveli is derived from Arabic haveli, meaning "an enclosed place" or "private space" popularised under Mughal Empire and was devoid of any architectural affiliations. Later, the word haveli came to be used as generic term for various styles of regional mansions, townhouse and temples found in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangaldesh.
HISTORY
The traditional courtyard homes in South Asia is built on the ancient principles of Vastu Shastra. which state that all spaces emerge from a single point, that is the centre of the house. Courtyards are common feature in south asian architecture. The earliest archaeological evidence of courtyard homes in the region dates back to 2600–2450 BCE. Traditional homes in South Asia are built around courtyard and all family activities revolved around chowk or courtyard. Additionally, the courtyard serves as a light well and an effective ventilation strategy for hot and dry climates of South Asia. During medieval period, the term Haveli was first applied in Rajputana by the Vaishnava sect to refer to their temples in Gujarat under the Mughal Empire and Rajputana kingdoms. Later, the generic term haveli eventually came to be identified with townhouse and mansions of the merchant class.
CHARACTERISTIC
Socio-Cultural Aspects: The chowk or courtyard served as the centre for various ceremonies and the rituals. The sacred tulsi plant was placed here and worshipped daily to bring prosperity to the house.
Security and Privacy: The chowk, at times, separated areas for men and women, and provided them with privacy.
Climate: Treating open space in building design to respond to the local climate. Air movement caused by temperature differences is utilized in the natural ventilation of building.
Different Activities At Different Times: The use of the court in the day time, mostly by women to carry out their work, interact with other women in private open space. Mansions of merchant class had more than one courtyard.
Articulation Of Space: In Mor chowk, City Palace, Udaipur, there is the concept of courtyard as a dancing hall. Similarly, in havelis, a courtyard has several functions, commonly used for weddings and festive occasions.
Materials : Fired bricks, sandstone, marble, wood, plaster and granite are commonly used materials. Decorative aspects are influenced by local culture and traditions.
All these elements join to form an enclosure and give the chowk a composed secured feel. The architectural built form of havelis has evolved in response to the climate, lifestyle and availability of material. In hot climates where cooling is a necessity, buildings with internal courtyards were considered the most appropriate. It acted as a perfect shading technique, while also allowing light inside. The arcade along the court, or the high wall around it, kept the interiors cool.
Many of the havelis of India and Pakistan were influenced by Rajasthani architecture. They usually contain a courtyard often with a fountain in the centre. The old cities of Agra, Lucknow and Delhi in India and Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, Hyderabad in Pakistan have many fine examples of Rajasthani-style havelis.
FAMOUS HAVELIS IN INDIA
The term Haveli was first applied in Rajputana by the Vaishnava sect to refer to their temples in Gujarat. In the northern part of India. havelis for Lord Krishna are prevalent with huge mansion like constructions. The havelis are noted for their frescoes depicting images of gods, goddesses, animals, scenes from the British colonization, and the life stories of Lords Rama and Krishna. The music here was known as Haveli Sangeet.
Later on these temple architectures and frescoes were imitated while building huge individual mansions and now the word is popularly recognized with the mansions themselves. Between 1830 and 1930, Marwari's erected buildings in their homeland, Shekhawati and Marwar. These buildings were called havelis. The Marwaris commissioned artists to paint those buildings which were heavily influenced by the Mughal architecture.
The havelis were status symbols for the Marwaris as well as homes for their extended families, providing security and comfort in seclusion from the outside world. The havelis were to be closed from all sides with one large main gate.
The typical havelis in Shekhawati consisted of two courtyards - an outer one for the men which serves as an extended threshold, and the inner one, the domain of the women. The largest havelis could have up to three or four courtyards and were two to three stories high. Most of the havelis are empty nowadays or are maintained by a watchman (typically an old man). While many others have been converted into hotels and places of tourist attraction.
FAMOUS HAVELIS IN MAWAR AREA (SIKAR DISTRICT)
"Nadine Le Prince Haveli"
FAMOUS HAVELIS IN MAWAR AREA (JODHPUR DIVISION)
The towns and villages of Shekhawati are famous for the embellished frescoes on the walls of their grandiose havelis, to the point of becoming popular tourist attractions.
The havelis in and around Jaisalmer Fort(also known as the Golden Fort), situated in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, of which the three most impressive are Patwon Ki Haveli, Salim Singh Ki Haveli, and Nathmal-Ki Haveli, deserve special mention. These were the elaborate homes of Jaisalmer's rich merchants. The ostentatious carvings etched out in sandstone with infinite detail and then painstakingly pieced together in different patterns each more lavish than the next were commissioned to put on show the owner's status and wealth. Around Jaisalmer, they are typically carved from yellow sandstone.They are often characterized by wall paintings, frescoes, jharokhas (balconies) and archways.
The Patwon Ji ki Haveli is the most important and the largest haveli, as it was the first erected in Jaisalmer. It is not a single haveli but a cluster of 5 small havelis. The first in the row is also the most popular, and is also known as Kothari's Patwa Haveli. The first among these was commissioned and constructed in the year 1805 by Guman Chand Patwa, then a rich trader of jewellery and fine brocades, and is the biggest and the most ostentatious. Patwa was a rich man and a renowned trader of his time and he could afford and thus order the construction of separate stories for each of his 5 sons. These were completed in the span of 50 years. All five houses were constructed in the first 60 years of the 19th century. Patwon Ji Ki is renowned for its ornate wall paintings, intricate yellow sandstone-carved jharokhas (balconies), gateways and archways. Although the building itself is made from yellow sandstone, the main gateway is brown.
FAMOUS HAVELIS OF PAKISTAN
There are a number of historically and architecturally significant havelis in Pakistan, most of which are situated in the Punjab province and constructed during the Mughal period.
Below is a list of some of the historically and architecturally significant havelis in Pakistan:
Kapoor Haveli in Peshawar
Fakir Khana Haveli and Museum, in Lahore
Mubarak Haveli in Lahore
Haveli Asif Jah in Lahore
Haveli Wajid Ali Shah in Lahore
Choona Mandi Haveli in Lahore
Haveli Nau Nihal Singh in Lahore
Haveli Barood Khana in Lahore
Lal Haveli or Chandu Di Haveli in Lahore
Haveli Man Singh in Jhelum
Lal Haveli in Rawalpindi
Saad Manzil in Kamalia
Khan Club in Peshawar
Waziristan Haveli in Abbottabad, home of Osama bin laden
Janjua Haveli in Malowal, Gujrat, Pakistan
Haveli Mubashar Ali Janjua, in Matore, Kahuta, Rawalpindi
HAVELIS IN POPULAR CULTURE
Haveli is an also a novel by Suzanne Fisher Staples and is a sequel to her Newbery Award-winning novel Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind. The story takes place in an old-fashioned haveli in Lahore, Pakistan.
WIKIPEDIA
The Forbidden City (Chinese: 紫禁城; pinyin: Zǐjìnchéng) is the imperial palace complex in the center of the Imperial City in Beijing, China. It was the residence of 24 Ming and Qing dynasty Emperors, and the center of political power in China for over 500 years from 1420 to 1924. The palace is now administered by the Palace Museum and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.[2] The Forbidden City is one of the most famous palaces in all of Chinese history, and is the largest preserved royal palace complex still standing in the world.
The Forbidden City was constructed from 1406 to 1420, and was the imperial palace and winter residence of the Emperor of China from the Ming dynasty (since the Yongle Emperor) to the end of the Qing dynasty, between 1420 and 1924. The Forbidden City served as the home of Chinese emperors and their households and was the ceremonial and political center of the Chinese government for over 500 years. Since 1925, the Forbidden City has been under the charge of the Palace Museum, whose extensive collection of artwork and artifacts was built upon the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The complex claims to consist of 9,999 rooms in total, although experts have shown in recent years that the number amounts to 8,886,[3] covering 72 ha (720,000 m2) (178 acres).[4][5] The palace exemplifies the opulence of the residences of the Chinese emperor and the traditional Chinese palatial architecture,[2] and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. Since 2012, the Forbidden City has seen an average of 14 million visitors annually, and received more than 19 million visitors in 2019.[6]
It was included in the first list of national priority protected sites that China produced in 1961,[2] and UNESCO recognizes it as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. The palace is extremely important to the Chinese public and nation, who often view it as a cultural and heavenly link to their ancestors.
Etymology
The palace gained its name from its enormous scale and severely restricted access to all but the emperor, the imperial family, and their eunuch servants; hence the Chinese term "Forbidden City" emerged. [7]The punishment for unauthorised entry to the palace was immediate execution. The common English name "Forbidden City" is a translation of the Chinese name Zijincheng (紫禁城; lit. 'Purple Forbidden City'), which first formally appeared in 1576.[8] Another English name of similar origin is "Forbidden Palace", though "city" is much closer to the original Chinese meaning.[9]
The name "Zijincheng" has significance on many levels. Zi, or "purple", refers to the North Star, which in ancient China was called the Ziwei Star, and in traditional Chinese astrology was the heavenly abode of the Jade Emperor. The surrounding celestial region, the Ziwei Enclosure (紫微垣; Zǐwēiyuán), was the realm of the Jade Emperor and his family. The Forbidden City, as the residence of the terrestrial emperor, was its earthly counterpart. Jin refers to a prohibition or taboo. Cheng originally meant a castle, fortress, or fortification, but in modern Chinese, the character means city.
Today, the site is most commonly known in Chinese as Gugong (故宮), which means the "Former Palace".[a] The museum which is based in these buildings is known as the "Palace Museum" (故宮博物院; Gùgōng Bówùyùan).
In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Forbidden City was also known as Danei (大内) or "Palace City" (宮城; Gōngchéng). Wikipedia
Durga puja is the most favorite festival of the people of eastern India, especially the people of West Bengal. This festival is celebrated all over India, though with differing rituals, for nine days. It is also called Navratri in some parts of the country.
The last day coincides with Dussehra. Idols are taken away in large processions for immersion in water. "Sindur Khela" (Vermillion game) is a major event of Dashami. First, the married women greet the Mahadevi for one last time, accompanied by rituals. They do aarati, but ready-to-chew paan-leaves in the hands of the goddess, put sweets on the lips of the idol, wipe out eyes as one does to wipe off the tears when leaving a loving place. This event is called "Durga Baran". They apply vermilion to the Goddess's head and to each other and greet each other with sweets.
Before "Idol immersion" , married women of all age take part in an emotional ritual where vermilion (sindhoor khela), is applied to the parting of each other's hair. The loha (the metal and gold bracelet given to the bride by the mother-in-law) and pala/sannbha (the red and white bangles worn by many married Bengali women) are also touched up.
Sindhoor is applied by the women and the priest on the forehead of the goddess. A mother-in-law gives an iron bangle interlaced with gold or silver to a new bride as the first gift, a token of suhag (Marriage Bliss), which the daughter-in-law wears all her life. During Durga puja, when idols are being taken away for immersion, sindoor is taken from in front of the idols and applied to the parting in the hair by married women. What is left on the fingers is applied to this iron and gold (silver) bangle, and is known as touching the loha. The ritual of applying sindoor can also take place at home when Bijoya Dashami is celebrated with family members.
Durga puja (Bengali:দূর্গা পূজা,),‘Worship of Durga’), also referred to as Durgotsava.
Durga Puja festival marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the evil buffalo demon Mahishasura.Durga Puja is widely celebrated in the Indian states of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Tripura and West Bengal.
Somewhere inside these complex edifices is a stage on which Durga reigns, standing on her lion mount, wielding ten weapons in her ten hands. This is the religious center of the festivities
The word pandal means a temporary structure, made of bamboo and cloth, which is used as a temporary temple for the purpose of the puja.
Creation of the idols
The entire process of creation of the idols (murti) from the collection of clay to the ornamentation is a holy process,
supervised by rites and other rituals.
On the Hindu date of Akshaya Tritiya when the Ratha Yatra is held,
clay for the idols is collected from the banks of a river, preferably the Ganges (Hooghly in Calcutta/Kolkata).
There is age-old custom of collecting a handful of soil (punya mati) from the nishiddho pallis of Calcutta,
literally ‘forbidden territories’, where sex workers live, and adding it to the clay mixture which goes into the making
of the Durga idol.After the required rites, the clay is transported from which the idols are fashioned.
An important event is 'Chakkhu Daan', literally donation of the eyes.
Starting with Devi Durga, the eyes of the idols are painted on Mahalaya or the first day of the Pujas.
Before painting on the eyes, the artisans fast for a day and eat only vegetarian food.
Goddess Durga Rides a Lion and vengeance to kill a demon residing in city of Mysore ,named after Mahishasur,
the very demon which was slain by the Goddess.The original Indian name was Mahishur. Along with these central statues, Idols are also made of other Gods and Goddesses.
As it also includes the worship of Shiva, who is Durga's consort (Durga is an aspect of Goddess Parvati),
in addition to Lakshmi, Saraswati with Ganesha and Kartikeya, who are considered to be Durga's children are crafted.
Worship of mother nature is also done, through nine types of plant (called "Kala Bou"),
including a plantain (banana) tree, which represent nine divine forms of Goddess Durga.
saish746.blogspot.in/2012/10/making-of-idols-durga-puja-2...
This is a small unedited version if you are interested in a higher resolution edited version drop me a line and I'll put it at the top of my to do list! I'd be happy to get it to you! (yellow watermarks = unedited)
Check here for past comic conventions I've shot! Thanks for stopping by! You can find me on FB "Vic Threepio Photography" or on IG @vthreepio where I post some of my other photography as well!
Sacred Harp singing is a form of church music started in the early 19th century in the northeast, which went on to be popular in the south. It's an art form that came close to dying out, but has had a resurgence in popularity due in part to the Internet. The locals who enjoy this singing have formed the Harpeth Valley Sacred Harp Singers and you can find out more about them here: sacredharpnashville.org/
Here's what's going on in the picture: Chairs are arranged to form a square. That song's leader stands in the middle and faces the largest group who sings the melody. On one side are the basses, who are opposite from the trebles, with the altos in the back. The book they use is a modern reprint of a book dating back to 1844 called The Sacred Harp. The music is sung a cappella, which means they don't use instruments, but with everyone singing they can belt out the notes really loud. The leader and some of the singers wave their hand in a pattern to help keep the rhythm. This meetup was at the 2011 Wilson County Fair in Lebanon, TN
Balakot is the gateway to Kaghan valley. Balakot itself is 72 km from Abbottabad. This beautiful small town is located on the banks of Kunhar river. Journey from Abbottabad to Balakot is a charming experience. The road passes through beautiful green hills and thick forests. The views are spectacular especially between Attarshisha and Garhi Habibullah. A famous battle was fought here between the Sikh Army and Mujahideen in 1831. The Mujahideen leaders, Hazrat Syed Ahmed Shaheed and Hazrat Shah Ismail Shaheed lie buried here along with other martyrs.
Cécile Brünner, the rose, is just about done for this season. Two days of high winds are forecast and they'll probably finish her off. Maybe then she'll get pruned. There's always something going on with Cécile. She's housed the wren's nest, is part of the cottage's windbreak, and climbs up and over the shade house where, despite the "monster who ate everything" frost, she kept the houseplants safe. While she was at it, three ginkgo seedlings arrived in the mail the other day and are in there too, recovering, getting used to their new home ahead of them heading off into the "wild wood" next year.
I picked the last few buds of Cécile on their skinny little stems. They don't make the best cut flowers. But they are pretty enough for a dressing table or vanity for a day or two; then this…
Fortuitously, this little vase and it's posey are roughly the size of the wren's nest, so I know the formula: 42 turns of the focussing rail, front to back. toddkeith533 favoured the notion of a small aperture for close-up photography over stacking. So, taking his advice to enhance my inherent "efficiency", or laziness, I've stopped down to f/11 and reduced the process to just seven exposures — hybridisation, if you like. While I was at it, I turned off the overhead lighting and swapped out the flash I used on the wren's nest for the less powerful 430 EXII. The results? No exposure compensation numbers were harmed, and computer time was far, far less than for however many photos I used at f/4.
What it all amounts to is a pretty little pink thing to insert among the green doom and gloom of a frozen landscape. Even wilted and drying roses are better than that!
Seaira is one of my favorite models; awesome young lady, extremely photogenic, curvy, and fun. She's also about 7.5 months pregnant so we decided to get her some maternity photos. It was a fun shoot with her best friend/cousin Trish (also a budding model). I took these photos in September 2018 in Star, Idaho.
The Zombie Walk here in Toronto is coming up on October 26th. Can't wait! And I know Joann can't wait for me to send some of the revellers to Montreal for her. ;)
I actually wanted to take another shot for my little thing yesterday but my little pink point and shoot camera has started acting up occasionally. Yesterday partway through the day it decided it wasn't even going to focus at all and shut itself off repeatedly. I'm going to try with buying some new rechargeable batteries for it and see if that helps but otherwise it may be dead Jim. Le sigh! :(
It's the Little Things 2.0 #136
Angkor Wat or "Capital Temple" is a temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world. It was first a Hindu and later a Buddhist temple. It was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yaśodharapura, present-day Angkor, the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum.
Breaking from the Shiva tradition of previous kings, Angkor Wat was instead dedicated to Vishnu. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious center since its foundation. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors. Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple-mountain and the later galleried temple, based on early Dravidian architecture, with key features such as the Jagati. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology: within a moat and an outer wall 3.6 kilometres long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands a quincunx of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; scholars are divided as to the significance of this. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive bas-reliefs, and for the numerous devatas adorning its walls.
The modern name, Angkor Wat, means "Temple City" or "City of Temples" in Khmer; Angkor, meaning "city" or "capital city", is a vernacular form of the word nokor (នគរ), which comes from the Sanskrit word nagara (नगर). Wat is the Khmer word for "temple grounds" (Sanskrit: वाट vāṭa ""enclosure").
HISTORY
Angkor Wat lies 5.5 kilometres north of the modern town of Siem Reap, and a short distance south and slightly east of the previous capital, which was centred at Baphuon. It is in an area of Cambodia where there is an important group of ancient structures. It is the southernmost of Angkor's main sites.
According to one legend, the construction of Angkor Wat was ordered by Indra to act as a palace for his son Precha Ket Mealea.
According to the 13th century Chinese traveler Daguan Zhou, it was believed by some that the temple was constructed in a single night by a divine architect. The initial design and construction of the temple took place in the first half of the 12th century, during the reign of Suryavarman II (ruled 1113-C. 1150). Dedicated to Vishnu, it was built as the king's state temple and capital city. As neither the foundation stela nor any contemporary inscriptions referring to the temple have been found, its original name is unknown, but it may have been known as "Varah Vishnu-lok" after the presiding deity. Work seems to have ended shortly after the king's death, leaving some of the bas-relief decoration unfinished.
In 1177, approximately 27 years after the death of Suryavarman II, Angkor was sacked by the Chams, the traditional enemies of the Khmer. Thereafter the empire was restored by a new king, Jayavarman VII, who established a new capital and state temple (Angkor Thom and the Bayon respectively) a few kilometers to the north.
In the late 13th century, Angkor Wat gradually moved from Hindu to Theravada Buddhist use, which continues to the present day. Angkor Wat is unusual among the Angkor temples in that although it was somewhat neglected after the 16th century it was never completely abandoned, its preservation being due in part to the fact that its moat also provided some protection from encroachment by the jungle.
One of the first Western visitors to the temple was António da Madalena, a Portuguese monk who visited in 1586 and said that it "is of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world. It has towers and decoration and all the refinements which the human genius can conceive of."
In the mid-19th century, the temple was visited by the French naturalist and explorer, Henri Mouhot, who popularised the site in the West through the publication of travel notes, in which he wrote:
"One of these temples - a rival to that of Solomon, and erected by some ancient Michelangelo - might take an honorable place beside our most beautiful buildings. It is grander than anything left to us by Greece or Rome, and presents a sad contrast to the state of barbarism in which the nation is now plunged."
Mouhot, like other early Western visitors, found it difficult to believe that the Khmers could have built the temple, and mistakenly dated it to around the same era as Rome. The true history of Angkor Wat was pieced together only from stylistic and epigraphic evidence accumulated during the subsequent clearing and restoration work carried out across the whole Angkor site. There were no ordinary dwellings or houses or other signs of settlement including cooking utensils, weapons, or items of clothing usually found at ancient sites. Instead there is the evidence of the monuments themselves.
Angkor Wat required considerable restoration in the 20th century, mainly the removal of accumulated earth and vegetation. Work was interrupted by the civil war and Khmer Rouge control of the country during the 1970s and 1980s, but relatively little damage was done during this period other than the theft and destruction of mostly post-Angkorian statues.The temple is a powerful symbol of Cambodia, and is a source of great national pride that has factored into Cambodia's diplomatic relations with France, the United States and its neighbor Thailand. A depiction of Angkor Wat has been a part of Cambodian national flags since the introduction of the first version circa 1863. From a larger historical and even transcultural perspective, however, the temple of Angkor Wat did not become a symbol of national pride sui generis but had been inscribed into a larger politico-cultural process of French-colonial heritage production in which the original temple site was presented in French colonial and universal exhibitions in Paris and Marseille between 1889 and 1937. Angkor Wat's aesthetics were also on display in the plaster cast museum of Louis Delaporte called musée Indo-chinois which existed in the Parisian Trocadero Palace from C. 1880 to the mid-1920s. The splendid artistic legacy of Angkor Wat and other Khmer monuments in the Angkor region led directly to France adopting Cambodia as a protectorate on 11 August 1863 and invading Siam to take control of the ruins. This quickly led to Cambodia reclaiming lands in the northwestern corner of the country that had been under Siamese (Thai) control since 1351 AD (Manich Jumsai 2001), or by some accounts, 1431 AD. Cambodia gained independence from France on 9 November 1953 and has controlled Angkor Wat since that time.
ARCHITECTURE
SITE AND PLAN
Angkor Wat, located at 13°24′45″N 103°52′0″E, is a unique combination of the temple mountain, the standard design for the empire's state temples and the later plan of concentric galleries. The temple is a representation of Mount Meru, the home of the gods: the central quincunx of towers symbolises the five peaks of the mountain, and the walls and moat the surrounding mountain ranges and ocean. Access to the upper areas of the temple was progressively more exclusive, with the laity being admitted only to the lowest level. Unlike most Khmer temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west rather than the east. This has led many (including Maurice Glaize and George Coedès) to conclude that Suryavarman intended it to serve as his funerary temple.Further evidence for this view is provided by the bas-reliefs, which proceed in a counter-clockwise direction - prasavya in Hindu terminology - as this is the reverse of the normal order. Rituals take place in reverse order during Brahminic funeral services. The archaeologist Charles Higham also describes a container which may have been a funerary jar which was recovered from the central tower. It has been nominated by some as the greatest expenditure of energy on the disposal of a corpse. Freeman and Jacques, however, note that several other temples of Angkor depart from the typical eastern orientation, and suggest that Angkor Wat's alignment was due to its dedication to Vishnu, who was associated with the west.
A further interpretation of Angkor Wat has been proposed by Eleanor Mannikka. Drawing on the temple's alignment and dimensions, and on the content and arrangement of the bas-reliefs, she argues that the structure represents a claimed new era of peace under King Suryavarman II: "as the measurements of solar and lunar time cycles were built into the sacred space of Angkor Wat, this divine mandate to rule was anchored to consecrated chambers and corridors meant to perpetuate the king's power and to honor and placate the deities manifest in the heavens above." Mannikka's suggestions have been received with a mixture of interest and scepticism in academic circles. She distances herself from the speculations of others, such as Graham Hancock, that Angkor Wat is part of a representation of the constellation Draco.
STYLE
Angkor Wat is the prime example of the classical style of Khmer architecture - the Angkor Wat style - to which it has given its name. By the 12th century Khmer architects had become skilled and confident in the use of sandstone (rather than brick or laterite) as the main building material. Most of the visible areas are of sandstone blocks, while laterite was used for the outer wall and for hidden structural parts. The binding agent used to join the blocks is yet to be identified, although natural resins or slaked lime has been suggested. The temple has drawn praise above all for the harmony of its design. According to Maurice Glaize, a mid-20th-century conservator of Angkor, the temple "attains a classic perfection by the restrained monumentality of its finely balanced elements and the precise arrangement of its proportions. It is a work of power, unity and style." Architecturally, the elements characteristic of the style include: the ogival, redented towers shaped like lotus buds; half-galleries to broaden passageways; axial galleries connecting enclosures; and the cruciform terraces which appear along the main axis of the temple. Typical decorative elements are devatas (or apsaras), bas-reliefs, and on pediments extensive garlands and narrative scenes. The statuary of Angkor Wat is considered conservative, being more static and less graceful than earlier work. Other elements of the design have been destroyed by looting and the passage of time, including gilded stucco on the towers, gilding on some figures on the bas-reliefs, and wooden ceiling panels and doors.
FEATURES
OUTER ENCLOSURE
The outer wall, 1024 by 802 m and 4.5 m high, is surrounded by a 30 m apron of open ground and a moat 190 m wide. Access to the temple is by an earth bank to the east and a sandstone causeway to the west; the latter, the main entrance, is a later addition, possibly replacing a wooden bridge. There are gopuras at each of the cardinal points; the western is by far the largest and has three ruined towers. Glaize notes that this gopura both hides and echoes the form of the temple proper. Under the southern tower is a statue of Vishnu, known as Ta Reach, which may originally have occupied the temple's central shrine.Galleries run between the towers and as far as two further entrances on either side of the gopura often referred to as "elephant gates", as they are large enough to admit those animals. These galleries have square pillars on the outer (west) side and a closed wall on the inner (east) side. The ceiling between the pillars is decorated with lotus rosettes; the west face of the wall with dancing figures; and the east face of the wall with balustered windows, dancing male figures on prancing animals, and devatas, including (south of the entrance) the only one in the temple to be showing her teeth. The outer wall encloses a space of 820,000 square metres, which besides the temple proper was originally occupied by the city and, to the north of the temple, the royal palace. Like all secular buildings of Angkor, these were built of perishable materials rather than of stone, so nothing remains of them except the outlines of some of the streets. Most of the area is now covered by forest. A 350 m causeway connects the western gopura to the temple proper, with naga balustrades and six sets of steps leading down to the city on either side. Each side also features a library with entrances at each cardinal point, in front of the third set of stairs from the entrance, and a pond between the library and the temple itself. The ponds are later additions to the design, as is the cruciform terrace guarded by lions connecting the causeway to the central structure.
CENTRAL STRUCTURE
The temple stands on a terrace raised higher than the city. It is made of three rectangular galleries rising to a central tower, each level higher than the last. Mannikka interprets these galleries as being dedicated to the king, Brahma, the moon, and Vishnu.
Each gallery has a gopura at each of the points, and the two inner galleries each have towers at their corners, forming a quincunx with the central tower. Because the temple faces west, the features are all set back towards the east, leaving more space to be filled in each enclosure and gallery on the west side; for the same reason the west-facing steps are shallower than those on the other sides.
The outer gallery measures 187 by 215 m, with pavilions rather than towers at the corners. The gallery is open to the outside of the temple, with columned half-galleries extending and buttressing the structure. Connecting the outer gallery to the second enclosure on the west side is a cruciform cloister called Preah Poan (the "Hall of a Thousand Gods"). Buddha images were left in the cloister by pilgrims over the centuries, although most have now been removed. This area has many inscriptions relating the good deeds of pilgrims, most written in Khmer but others in Burmese and Japanese. The four small courtyards marked out by the cloister may originally have been filled with water.
North and south of the cloister are libraries.
Beyond, the second and inner galleries are connected to each other and to two flanking libraries by another cruciform terrace, again a later addition. From the second level upwards, devatas abound on the walls, singly or in groups of up to four. The second-level enclosure is 100 by 115 m, and may originally have been flooded to represent the ocean around Mount Meru.
Three sets of steps on each side lead up to the corner towers and gopuras of the inner gallery. The very steep stairways represent the difficulty of ascending to the kingdom of the gods. This inner gallery, called the Bakan, is a 60 m square with axial galleries connecting each gopura with the central shrine, and subsidiary shrines located below the corner towers. The roofings of the galleries are decorated with the motif of the body of a snake ending in the heads of lions or garudas. Carved lintels and pediments decorate the entrances to the galleries and to the shrines. The tower above the central shrine rises 43 m to a height of 65 m above the ground; unlike those of previous temple mountains, the central tower is raised above the surrounding four. The shrine itself, originally occupied by a statue of Vishnu and open on each side, was walled in when the temple was converted to Theravada Buddhism, the new walls featuring standing Buddhas. In 1934, the conservator George Trouvé excavated the pit beneath the central shrine: filled with sand and water it had already been robbed of its treasure, but he did find a sacred foundation deposit of gold leaf two metres above ground level.
DECORATION
Integrated with the architecture of the building, and one of the causes for its fame is Angkor Wat's extensive decoration, which predominantly takes the form of bas-relief friezes. The inner walls of the outer gallery bear a series of large-scale scenes mainly depicting episodes from the Hindu epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Higham has called these, "the greatest known linear arrangement of stone carving".
From the north-west corner anti-clockwise, the western gallery shows the Battle of Lanka (from the Ramayana, in which Rama defeats Ravana) and the Battle of Kurukshetra (from the Mahabharata, showing the mutual annihilation of the Kaurava and Pandava clans). On the southern gallery follow the only historical scene, a procession of Suryavarman II, then the 32 hells and 37 heavens of Hindu mythology.
On the eastern gallery is one of the most celebrated scenes, the Churning of the Sea of Milk, showing 92 asuras and 88 devas using the serpent Vasuki to churn the sea under Vishnu's direction (Mannikka counts only 91 asuras, and explains the asymmetrical numbers as representing the number of days from the winter solstice to the spring equinox, and from the equinox to the summer solstice). It is followed by Vishnu defeating asuras (a 16th-century addition). The northern gallery shows Krishna's victory over Bana (where according to Glaize, "The workmanship is at its worst"). and a battle between the Hindu gods and asuras. The north-west and south-west corner pavilions both feature much smaller-scale scenes, some unidentified but most from the Ramayana or the life of Krishna. Angkor Wat is decorated with depictions of apsaras and devata; there are more than 1,796 depictions of devata in the present research inventory. Angkor Wat architects employed small apsara images (30–40 cm) as decorative motifs on pillars and walls. They incorporated larger devata images (all full-body portraits measuring approximately 95–110 cm) more prominently at every level of the temple from the entry pavilion to the tops of the high towers. In 1927, Sappho Marchal published a study cataloging the remarkable diversity of their hair, headdresses, garments, stance, jewelry and decorative flowers, which Marchal concluded were based on actual practices of the Angkor period.
CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES
The stones, as smooth as polished marble, were laid without mortar with very tight joints that are sometimes hard to find. The blocks were held together by mortise and tenon joints in some cases, while in others they used dovetails and gravity. The blocks were presumably put in place by a combination of elephants, coir ropes, pulleys and bamboo scaffolding. Henri Mouhot noted that most of the blocks had holes 2.5 cm in diameter and 3 cm deep, with more holes on the larger blocks. Some scholars have suggested that these were used to join them together with iron rods, but others claim they were used to hold temporary pegs to help manoeuvre them into place. The monument was made out of millions of tonnes of sandstone and it has a greater volume as well as mass than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. The Angkor Wat Temple consumes about 6 million to 10 million blocks of sandstone with an average weight of 1.5 tons each. In fact, the entire city of Angkor used up far greater amounts of stone than all the Egyptian pyramids combined, and occupied an area significantly greater than modern-day Paris. Moreover, unlike the Egyptian pyramids which use limestone quarried barely half a km away all the time, the entire city of Angkor was built with sandstone quarried 40 km (or more) away. This sandstone had to be transported from Mount Kulen, a quarry approximately 40 km to the northeast. The route has been suggested to span 35 kilometres along a canal towards Tonlé Sap lake, another 35 kilometres crossing the lake, and finally 15 kilometres upstream and against the current along Siem Reap River, making a total journey of 90 kilometres. However, Etsuo Uchida and Ichita Shimoda of Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan have discovered in 2012 a shorter 35-kilometre canal connecting Mount Kulen and Angkor Wat using satellite imagery. The two believe that the Khmer used this route instead.
Virtually all of its surfaces, columns, lintels even roofs are carved. There are miles of reliefs illustrating scenes from Indian literature including unicorns, griffins, winged dragons pulling chariots as well as warriors following an elephant-mounted leader and celestial dancing girls with elaborate hair styles. The gallery wall alone is decorated with almost 1000 square metres of bas reliefs. Holes on some of the Angkor walls indicate that they may have been decorated with bronze sheets. These were highly prized in ancient times and were a prime target for robbers. While excavating Khajuraho, Alex Evans, a stonemason and sculptor, recreated a stone sculpture under 1.2 m, this took about 60 days to carve. Roger Hopkins and Mark Lehner also conducted experiments to quarry limestone which took 12 quarrymen 22 days to quarry about 400 tons of stone. The labor force to quarry, transport, carve and install so much sandstone must have run into the thousands including many highly skilled artisans. The skills required to carve these sculptures were developed hundreds of years earlier, as demonstrated by some artifacts that have been dated to the seventh century, before the Khmer came to power.
ANGKOR WAT TODAY
The Archaeological Survey of India carried out restoration work on the temple between 1986 and 1992. Since the 1990s, Angkor Wat has seen continued conservation efforts and a massive increase in tourism. The temple is part of the Angkor World Heritage Site, established in 1992, which has provided some funding and has encouraged the Cambodian government to protect the site. The German Apsara Conservation Project (GACP) is working to protect the devatas and other bas-reliefs which decorate the temple from damage. The organisation's survey found that around 20% of the devatas were in very poor condition, mainly because of natural erosion and deterioration of the stone but in part also due to earlier restoration efforts. Other work involves the repair of collapsed sections of the structure, and prevention of further collapse: the west facade of the upper level, for example, has been buttressed by scaffolding since 2002, while a Japanese team completed restoration of the north library of the outer enclosure in 2005. World Monuments Fund began conservation work on the Churning of the Sea of Milk Gallery in 2008 after several years of conditions studies. The project restored the traditional Khmer roofing system and removed cement used in earlier restoration attempts that had resulted in salts entering the structure behind the bas-relief, discoloring and damaging the sculpted surfaces. The main phase of work ended in 2012, and the final component will be the installation of finials on the roof of the gallery in 2013. Microbial biofilms have been found degrading sandstone at Angkor Wat, Preah Khan, and the Bayon and West Prasat in Angkor. The dehydration and radiation resistant filamentous cyanobacteria can produce organic acids that degrade the stone. A dark filamentous fungus was found in internal and external Preah Khan samples, while the alga Trentepohlia was found only in samples taken from external, pink-stained stone at Preah Khan. Angkor Wat has become a major tourist destination. In 2004 and 2005, government figures suggest that, respectively, 561.000 and 677.000 foreign visitors arrived in Siem Reap province, approximately 50% of all foreign tourists in Cambodia for both years. The site has been managed by the private SOKIMEX group since 1990, which rented it from the Cambodian government. The influx of tourists has so far caused relatively little damage, other than some graffiti; ropes and wooden steps have been introduced to protect the bas-reliefs and floors, respectively. Tourism has also provided some additional funds for maintenance - as of 2000 approximately 28% of ticket revenues across the whole Angkor site was spent on the temples - although most work is carried out by foreign government-sponsored teams rather than by the Cambodian authorities. Since Angkor Wat has seen significant growth in tourism throughout the years UNESCO and its International Co-ordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor (ICC), in association with representatives from the Royal Government and APSARA, organized seminars to discuss the concept of "cultural tourism". Wanting to avoid commercial and mass tourism, the seminars emphasized the importance of providing high quality accommodation and services in order for the Cambodian government to benefit economically, while also incorporating the richness of Cambodian culture. In 2001, this incentive resulted in the concept of the "Angkor Tourist City" which would be developed with regard to traditional Khmer architecture, contain leisure and tourist facilities, and provide luxurious hotels capable of accommodating large amounts of tourists. The prospect of developing such large tourist accommodations has encountered concerns from both APSARA and the ICC, claiming that previous tourism developments in the area have neglected construction regulations and more of these projects have the potential to damage landscape features. Also, the large scale of these projects have begun to threaten the quality of the nearby town's water, sewage, and electricity systems. It has been noted that such high frequency of tourism and growing demand for quality accommodations in the area, such as the development of a large highway, has had a direct effect on the underground water table, subsequently straining the structural stability of the temples at Angkor Wat. Locals of Siem Reap have also voiced concern over the charming nature and atmosphere of their town being compromised in order to entertain tourism. Since this charming local atmosphere is the key component to projects like Angkor Tourist City, local officials continue to discuss how to successfully incorporate future tourism without sacrificing local values and culture. At the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2012, both parties have agreed Borobudur and Angkor Wat to become sister sites and the provinces will become sister provinces. Two Indonesian airlines are considering the opportunity to open a direct flight from Yogyakarta, Indonesia to Siem Reap.
WIKIPEDIA
Goodnestone is like an old friend; I can remember visiting here in 2009 or 2010, following an annotated map, looking for East Kent churches before I ventured back into the world of work.
Back then, Holy Cross was undergoing renovations, so I returned the next year and snapped it's interior, but missed loads out.
There are two parishes and churches going by the name of Goodnestone, this is the one near to Wingham, an estate church, but done very well indeed, situated in the heart of the village by the pub. Always a good location.
I am going to have to go back to so many of those early churches to see what else I missed.
Holy Cross is mostly an early 19th century church, but the tower is ancient, as are other parts. But what I remember was the neat knapped flint bricks facing the nave and chanel, but on this visit I also saw the cobblestones. The quality of the knapping is very high indeed, and shows the skill in this mostly forgotten art.
Inside it is early Gothic Revival, I guess, but with ancient fittings, including some great brasses.
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A large and eminently satisfying village church. The old part - north aisle of fourteenth-century date and tower of the fifteenth century - was enlarged in 1839 by a rebuilt nave and chancel. The architects were Rickman and Hussey, pioneers of the nineteenth-century Gothic Revival. The exterior is of knapped flints with stone dressings. Inside all is light and of a piece with an elaborate and dignified chancel. In the north aisle is the monument by Scheemakers to Sir Brook Bridges (d. 1717) who built Goodnestone Park, the gardens of which abut the churchyard. There are small pieces of medieval glass, but by far the most impressive window is at the east end of the north aisle, dated and signed E.S. 1899, showing the story of St Gregory and the Slave Boys.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Goodnestone+2
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GOODNESTON,
GENERALLY called, and known by the name of GUNSTON, lies the next parish south-eastward from Wingham. It is usually written in antient records, Godwineston, which name it took from earl Godwine, once owner of it.
GUNSTON is situated exceedingly healthy and pleasant, in a fine dry and open champaign country, of upland hill and dale. The soil is fertile, though in general inclined to chalk; the lands are mostly arable, open and uninclosed, having a few small inclosures scattered among them, especially about Gunston house, and the village, where it is well cloathed with elms. The village, which contains about thirty houses, stands, with the church, in the southern part of it, having Gunston-house and park adjoining to it, which, though small in extent, and commanding but little, if any prospect beyond the bounds of it, is a beautiful and elegant situation. At the northern boundary of the parish is the hamlet of Twitham, part only of which is in it; beyond which, at Brook, (the parish of Wingham intervening) is a small district of land within this parish. At the eastern boundary of it is the hamlet and street of Rolling, in which is a small seat, belonging to Sir Brook William Bridges, which a few years ago was in the occupation of Thomas Knight, esq. of Godmersham, and afterwards of Edward Austen, esq. It is now the residence of George Dering, esq. At some distance still further eastward from which there is another small district of land in it, entirely surrounded by the parish of Norborne.
A fair is held here for cattle and pedlary, on the 25th of September, yearly.
The MANOR OF WINGHAM claims paramount over this parish, in which there is one borough, viz. of Rolling, which claims over it.
The MANOR OF GOODNESTON, which before the Norman conquest, was part of the possessions of Godwine, earl of Kent, at whose death it probably came to his son king Harold, and after the battle of Hastings, to the Conqueror; after which it appears to have been held by a family who took their surname from it, one of whom, Thomas de Goodwyneston, held it of the archbishop in king Henry III.'s reign, and in this family, (who bore for their arms, Sable, three martlets, between seven cross-croslets, argent; as they were formerly painted in the windows of this church) it continued down to William de Goodneston, who did homage for it to archbishop Warham at the beginning of king Henry VIII.'s reign. After which it seems to have been divided, and the manor itself, with part of the demesne lands, to have passed into the name of Henecre; and the mansion, with the rest of the demesne lands, by Edith, daughter and heir of William Goodneston, in marriage to Vincent Engeham, who afterwards resided here. The antient residence of this family of Edingham, called Engeham by contraction, was at Engeham, in Woodchurch. They divided into three branches, settled at Woodchurch, Great Chart, and Goodneston. They bore for their arms, Argent, a chevron, sable, between three pellets, on a chief, gules, a lion passant-guardant, or. (fn. 1) John Henecre, of Good neston, as appears by his will, died possessed of this manor in 1559, and gave it to William, son of his brother Nicholas, who sold it to Sir Thomas Engeham, grandson of Vincent before-mentioned, and possessor of the mansion, and other part of the lands of it, so that he then became possessed of the whole of it, (fn. 2) held in capite, and it continued in his descendants down to Sir Thomas Engeham, of Goodneston, who about the reign of queen Anne, alienated it, with the appropriation, to Brook Bridges, esq. descended from John Bridges, who was of Worcestershire, at the latter end of queen Elizabeth's reign, whose great-grandson Col. John Bridges, of Warwickshire, left two sons, John, and Brook, the former of whom was of Barton Seagrave, in Northamptonshire, esq. the eldest of whose sons, John Bridges, esq. of that place, wrote the history of that county; Brook Bridges, esq. the second son of Col. John Bridges, was of Grove, in Middlesex, auditor of the imprest in king Charles II.'s reign, and purchaser of Goodnestone, which seat he rebuilt, and dying in 1717, was buried in the chancel of this church, bearing for his arms, Azure, three water bougets, or, within a bordure, ermine. Brook Bridges, esq. his eldest son, succeeded him at Goodneston, and was created a baronet on April 19, 1718, anno 4 George I. and was for many years one of the auditors of the imprest of the treasury, and was twice married, first to Margaret, daughter of Robert, lord Romney, by whom he had no issue; but by his second wife Mary, second daughter of Sir Thomas Hales, bart. of Bekesborne, he left a son Brook, and a daughter Margaret, married to John Plumptree, esq. He died in 1728, and was succeeded by his only son Sir Brook Bridges, bart of Goodneston, sheriff in 1733, in which year he died, having married Elizabeth, eldest surviving daughter and coheir of Sir Thomas Palmer, bart. of Wingham, (who afterwards remarried Charles Fielding, esq. brother to the earl of Denbigh, by whom she had a son Charles). At the death of Sir Brook she was pregnant, and was some months afterwards delivered of a son, the late Sir Brook Bridges, bart. who represented this county in two successive parliaments. He rebuilt this seat, and new laid out the park in the improved modern taste, having married Fanny, only daughter and heir of Edmund Fowler, esq. of Danbury, in Essex, by whom he had five sons and six daughters, of whom, Brook the eldest son, died at Eton school in 1781; William, the second son, after his brother's death, by the archbishop's licence, took the Christian name of Brook likewise, and Brook Henry, the third son, is rector of Danbury, in Essex; of the daughters, Fanny, the eldest, married Lewis Cage, esq. Sophia, the second, married William Deedes, esq. and Elizabeth, the third, married Edward Austen, esq. of Godmersham. Sir Brook Bridges died in 1791, and was succeeded by his eldest surviving son the present Sir Brook Wm. Bridges, bart. who is the possessor of this manor, with the seat, park, and appropriation of the church of Goodneston. A court baron is held for this manor.
ROLLING, usually called Rowling, is a manor and hamlet, in the eastern part of this parish, which takes its name from the borough in which it is situated. The manor, now obselete, was antiently the residence of a family who took their name from it. In an old leiger book of Davington priory, beginning at king Henry III.'s reign, there is mention of several of this family among its principal benefactors. How it passed after they were become extinct here, which was not till after king Henry IV.'s reign, I have not found; but in the latter end of king Henry VIII.'s reign, John Adams was become possessed of it, and he sold it to John Idley, gent. who resided here, and dying in 1568, was buried in this church. He left it to John his se cond son, who alienated it to Thomas Butler, a younger son of Richard, of Heronden, in Eastry, esq. and he soon afterwards sold it to Sir Roger Manwood, chief baron, whose son Sir Peter Manwood, K. B. alienated it to Dickenson, who parted with it to John Richards, gent. afterwards of Rowling, and in whose descendants, who bore for their arms, Sable, a chevron, between three fleurs de lis, argent, and lie buried in this church, it continued down to John Richards, gent. who died in 1661, (fn. 3) and by will gave it to William Hammond, esq. of St. Albans, and his son, of the same name, in 1696, an act having passed for that purpose, sold it to Sir John Narborough, bart. whose only sister and heir Elizabeth entitled her husband Sir Thomas D' Aeth, bart. of Knolton, to the possession of it, and his grandson Sir Narborough D'Aeth, bart. now of Knolton, is the present owner of this manor, called Rowling-court, for which there has not been any court held for many years past.
The HOSPITALS OF HARBLEDOWN, and of ST. JOHN, near Canterbury, are jointly possessed of a farm and lands at Rowling, which is demised by them to Sir Narborough D'Aeth, bart.
BONNINGTON, in the south-east part of this parish, was in early times the property and residence of a family of the same name, who appear to have been possessed of it so late as the latter end of the reign of king Edward I. but it became of much more eminent note afterwards, from being the antient seat from whence the numerous and knightly family of Bois branched out, as from their original stock, and spread with distinguished reputation through the eastern parts of this county, deriving their descent from R. de Boys, or de Bosco, who is mentioned in the Battle abbey roil of those who accompanied the Conqueror into England, and were amply rewarded by him with the possessions of the conquered Saxons. From R. de Boys, or de Bosco, before-mentioned, descended John Boys, who was of Bonnington in the 30th year of king Edward III. but his descendant William Boys having purchased Fredville, in the adjoining parish of Nonington, removed thither, though some time before his death he returned to Bonnington, where he died in 1507, and was buried in this church. He left five sons and three daughters. To his eldest son John, he gave Fredville; and to the second, Thomas, he gave Bonnington; giving, as Philipott says, the fairest estate to the former, and the antient family seat to the latter; and from the descendants of John Boys, the eldest son, of Fredville, sprang those of Fredville, Hode, Holt-street, Betshanger, Challock, Deal, Sandwich, St. Gregory's, in Canterbury, Denton, and of Surry; and from the descendants of Thomas Boys, esq. of Bonnington, sprang those of Bonnington, Hith, Mersham, Wilsborough, Sevington, and Uffington, all which are now extinct in the male line, excepting those of Sandwich and Wilsborough, a more particular account of all which may be seen under those several places. In the descendants of Thomas Boys, esq. the second son above-mentioned, of Bonnington, resident here, it continued down to Sir John Boys, to whose coat armour king Charles I. gave the augmentation of a crown imperial, or, on a canton, azure; for his loyalty and valour at Donington castle, in Berkshire, of which he was governor, where being summoned by the parliament forces, to surrender the place under peril of being put to the sword, he stoutly answered, that he would never quit the castle without the king's order, nor take nor give quarter. He died in 1664, and was buried at Goodneston, leaving three daughters his coheirs, and they, in 1666, joined in the sale of it to Thomas Brome, esq. sergeant at-law, whose son William Brome, esq. of Farnborough, alienated it in 1710 to Brook Bridges, esq. Whose descendant Sir Brook William Bridges, bart. of Goodneston, is the present owner of it.
ARCHBISHOP PECKHAM, on the foundation of the college of Wingham in 1286, endowed the second prebend of it with the tithes of the lands of Thomas de Bonyngton and others, in the hamlet of Bonnyngton, in this parish. (fn. 4)
UFFINGTION, in the south-west part of this parish, was another seat of the family of Boys, being purchased by William Boys, esq. (son of Vincent Boys, esq. of Bonnington) for his residence, and he died possessed of it in 1629, in whose descendants it continued till it was at length sold to Oxenden, in which family it has remained ever since, being now the property of Sir Henry Oxenden, bart. of Brome.
Charities.
THOMAS APPLETON, yeoman, of Eastry, by his will in 1593, gave to the poor of this parish, 5l. yearly, to be distributed to the poor people, inhabitants here, fourteen days before Christmas-day; to be paid out of lands belonging to him, called Hardiles, in Woodnesborough.
GABRIEL RICHARDS, gent. by will in 1671, gave a house, barn, stable, and twenty-six acres of land, in this parish, for the support and maintenance of four aged, decayed gentlemen or gentlewomen, single men or single women, born in Kent; with four lodging-rooms for them, with preference to such persons as should be his relations, now vested in feoffees, and worth about 20l. per annum.
The poor constantly relieved are about eighteen, casually thirteen.
GOODNESTON, or Gunston, is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Bridge.
The church, which is dedicated to the Holy Cross, consists of two isles and two chancels, having a beacon tower at the west end, in which are four bells. This church seems to have been erected in great measure by the assistance of the family of Boys, of Bonnington, about the time of king Edward III. for on one side of the west door, under the steeple, is carved in the stone work, Orate p T. boye adjutor isti op. On each side a shield of arms, one a cross, the other a saltier; and at top three more shields, the first of which is that of Langley, and the third of Oxenden; and over a window of the south isle (now stopped up) the centre stone has carved on it, Willyam boyes, and at each corner are carved the singular emblematical figures of a sow with a litter of pigs, and of a sow sitting upright, a chain about its neck, fastened to a rock behind, and an infant child in swaddling clothes in its lap. In the south isle is a stone, with figures in brass, and inscription for William Boys and Isabell his wife. He died anno 1507. In the north isle are monuments for the Richards's, of Rowling, in this parish. In the north window, at the east end, is the figure of a saint, holding in his left hand a shield of arms, Argent, a cross, gules; in his right, a staff, with a cross at top, the lower end in a dragon's mouth, which lies on its back under his feet; and in the same window, the figure of an archbishop, mitre, and pall, his left hand lifted up, as blessing; in his right hand, a staff, with a cross pomelle at top. The pillars between the isles are remarkably large and clumsy, and by their capitals appear antient. In the north chancel, belonging to the estate of Bonnington, are interred the family of Boys, of that seat, though the brasses of most of their stones are lost. A stone, with brasses, and inscription for William Goodneston, gent. obt. 1423; arms, Three martlets, between seven cross-croslets. A stone, with figures in brass, and inscription for Thomas Engeham, esq. and Elizabeth his wife, obt. 1558, both the same year. A monument, with the figures kneeling, for Sir Edward Engeham and his lady; he died in 1636. Another for W. Wood, A. M. minister here, and rector of St. Mary Bredman and St. Andrew, Canterbury, obt. 1735. In the south or high chancel, is a monument for Sir Thomas Engeham, descended from those of Woodchurch; he married Priscilla Honywood, daughter of Mrs. Anne Honywood, who hardly escaping martyrdom in queen Mary's reign, lived to see about four hundred descended from her, obt. 1621. A neat monument for Brook Bridges, esq. (second son of John, of Harcourt-hall, in Worcestershire, esq.) auditor of imprests. He repaired and adorned the church, and built a mansion here on the estate which he had purchased, obt. 1717. In the church-yard is a stone, on which were once figures in brass, long since gone, for Thomas Boys, of Bonnington, and Edith his wife. He died in 1479.
¶The church of Goodneston was antiently a chapel of ease to that of Wingham, and was at the time of the foundation of the college there by archbishop Peckham, in 1286, separated from it, and made a distinct parish of itself, (fn. 5) and then given to the college; and becoming thus appropriated to the college, continued with it till its suppression in king Edward VI.'s reign, when this parsonage appropriate, with the advowson or patronage of the vicarage or curacy of it, came into the hands of the crown, where, though in the intermediate time it had been granted in lease for a term of years, yet the fee of it remained in the crown till the 43d year of queen Elizabeth, who granted it that year to Nicholas Fortescue, esq. and John Shelbury, in fee, to hold in socage, by a yearly rent, and a payment to the vicar yearly of 13l. 6s. 8d. and they passed away their interest in it to Sir Edward Engeham, of Canterbury, who in the beginning of king James I.'s reign, alienated this rectory, and the vicarage-house of Goodneston, with the vicarage, tithes, and profits belonging to it, and the donation of the curacy, to Henry Vanner, alderman of Canterbury, who by will in 1630, augmented the curate's salary, to be paid out of this parsonage, with the further yearly sum of 6l. 13s. 4d. His heirs quickly afterwards passed it away to William Prude, alias Proude, jun. esq. of Canterbury, who died in 1632, in whose descendants it remained till it was sold to one of the family of Engeham, owners of the manor of Goodneston, and continued so till Sir Thomas Engeham alienated it, with that manor, to Brook Bridges, esq. in whose descendants, baronets, of this place, it has continued down to Sir Brook William Bridges, bart. of Goodnestone, the present impropriator and patron of the curacy of this church.
This church is now esteemed as a donative, the value of which has not been certified. In 1640 here were communicants one hundred and seventy.
Gabriel Richards, gent. of Rowling, by his will in 1672, gave to the use of the minister of this parish, a house and orchard, valued at 6l. IOS. per annum.
Angkor Wat or "Capital Temple" is a temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world. It was first a Hindu and later a Buddhist temple. It was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yaśodharapura, present-day Angkor, the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum.
Breaking from the Shiva tradition of previous kings, Angkor Wat was instead dedicated to Vishnu. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious center since its foundation. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors. Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple-mountain and the later galleried temple, based on early Dravidian architecture, with key features such as the Jagati. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology: within a moat and an outer wall 3.6 kilometres long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands a quincunx of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; scholars are divided as to the significance of this. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive bas-reliefs, and for the numerous devatas adorning its walls.
The modern name, Angkor Wat, means "Temple City" or "City of Temples" in Khmer; Angkor, meaning "city" or "capital city", is a vernacular form of the word nokor (នគរ), which comes from the Sanskrit word nagara (नगर). Wat is the Khmer word for "temple grounds" (Sanskrit: वाट vāṭa ""enclosure").
HISTORY
Angkor Wat lies 5.5 kilometres north of the modern town of Siem Reap, and a short distance south and slightly east of the previous capital, which was centred at Baphuon. It is in an area of Cambodia where there is an important group of ancient structures. It is the southernmost of Angkor's main sites.
According to one legend, the construction of Angkor Wat was ordered by Indra to act as a palace for his son Precha Ket Mealea.
According to the 13th century Chinese traveler Daguan Zhou, it was believed by some that the temple was constructed in a single night by a divine architect. The initial design and construction of the temple took place in the first half of the 12th century, during the reign of Suryavarman II (ruled 1113-C. 1150). Dedicated to Vishnu, it was built as the king's state temple and capital city. As neither the foundation stela nor any contemporary inscriptions referring to the temple have been found, its original name is unknown, but it may have been known as "Varah Vishnu-lok" after the presiding deity. Work seems to have ended shortly after the king's death, leaving some of the bas-relief decoration unfinished.
In 1177, approximately 27 years after the death of Suryavarman II, Angkor was sacked by the Chams, the traditional enemies of the Khmer. Thereafter the empire was restored by a new king, Jayavarman VII, who established a new capital and state temple (Angkor Thom and the Bayon respectively) a few kilometers to the north.
In the late 13th century, Angkor Wat gradually moved from Hindu to Theravada Buddhist use, which continues to the present day. Angkor Wat is unusual among the Angkor temples in that although it was somewhat neglected after the 16th century it was never completely abandoned, its preservation being due in part to the fact that its moat also provided some protection from encroachment by the jungle.
One of the first Western visitors to the temple was António da Madalena, a Portuguese monk who visited in 1586 and said that it "is of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world. It has towers and decoration and all the refinements which the human genius can conceive of."
In the mid-19th century, the temple was visited by the French naturalist and explorer, Henri Mouhot, who popularised the site in the West through the publication of travel notes, in which he wrote:
"One of these temples - a rival to that of Solomon, and erected by some ancient Michelangelo - might take an honorable place beside our most beautiful buildings. It is grander than anything left to us by Greece or Rome, and presents a sad contrast to the state of barbarism in which the nation is now plunged."
Mouhot, like other early Western visitors, found it difficult to believe that the Khmers could have built the temple, and mistakenly dated it to around the same era as Rome. The true history of Angkor Wat was pieced together only from stylistic and epigraphic evidence accumulated during the subsequent clearing and restoration work carried out across the whole Angkor site. There were no ordinary dwellings or houses or other signs of settlement including cooking utensils, weapons, or items of clothing usually found at ancient sites. Instead there is the evidence of the monuments themselves.
Angkor Wat required considerable restoration in the 20th century, mainly the removal of accumulated earth and vegetation. Work was interrupted by the civil war and Khmer Rouge control of the country during the 1970s and 1980s, but relatively little damage was done during this period other than the theft and destruction of mostly post-Angkorian statues.The temple is a powerful symbol of Cambodia, and is a source of great national pride that has factored into Cambodia's diplomatic relations with France, the United States and its neighbor Thailand. A depiction of Angkor Wat has been a part of Cambodian national flags since the introduction of the first version circa 1863. From a larger historical and even transcultural perspective, however, the temple of Angkor Wat did not become a symbol of national pride sui generis but had been inscribed into a larger politico-cultural process of French-colonial heritage production in which the original temple site was presented in French colonial and universal exhibitions in Paris and Marseille between 1889 and 1937. Angkor Wat's aesthetics were also on display in the plaster cast museum of Louis Delaporte called musée Indo-chinois which existed in the Parisian Trocadero Palace from C. 1880 to the mid-1920s. The splendid artistic legacy of Angkor Wat and other Khmer monuments in the Angkor region led directly to France adopting Cambodia as a protectorate on 11 August 1863 and invading Siam to take control of the ruins. This quickly led to Cambodia reclaiming lands in the northwestern corner of the country that had been under Siamese (Thai) control since 1351 AD (Manich Jumsai 2001), or by some accounts, 1431 AD. Cambodia gained independence from France on 9 November 1953 and has controlled Angkor Wat since that time.
ARCHITECTURE
SITE AND PLAN
Angkor Wat, located at 13°24′45″N 103°52′0″E, is a unique combination of the temple mountain, the standard design for the empire's state temples and the later plan of concentric galleries. The temple is a representation of Mount Meru, the home of the gods: the central quincunx of towers symbolises the five peaks of the mountain, and the walls and moat the surrounding mountain ranges and ocean. Access to the upper areas of the temple was progressively more exclusive, with the laity being admitted only to the lowest level. Unlike most Khmer temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west rather than the east. This has led many (including Maurice Glaize and George Coedès) to conclude that Suryavarman intended it to serve as his funerary temple.Further evidence for this view is provided by the bas-reliefs, which proceed in a counter-clockwise direction - prasavya in Hindu terminology - as this is the reverse of the normal order. Rituals take place in reverse order during Brahminic funeral services. The archaeologist Charles Higham also describes a container which may have been a funerary jar which was recovered from the central tower. It has been nominated by some as the greatest expenditure of energy on the disposal of a corpse. Freeman and Jacques, however, note that several other temples of Angkor depart from the typical eastern orientation, and suggest that Angkor Wat's alignment was due to its dedication to Vishnu, who was associated with the west.
A further interpretation of Angkor Wat has been proposed by Eleanor Mannikka. Drawing on the temple's alignment and dimensions, and on the content and arrangement of the bas-reliefs, she argues that the structure represents a claimed new era of peace under King Suryavarman II: "as the measurements of solar and lunar time cycles were built into the sacred space of Angkor Wat, this divine mandate to rule was anchored to consecrated chambers and corridors meant to perpetuate the king's power and to honor and placate the deities manifest in the heavens above." Mannikka's suggestions have been received with a mixture of interest and scepticism in academic circles. She distances herself from the speculations of others, such as Graham Hancock, that Angkor Wat is part of a representation of the constellation Draco.
STYLE
Angkor Wat is the prime example of the classical style of Khmer architecture - the Angkor Wat style - to which it has given its name. By the 12th century Khmer architects had become skilled and confident in the use of sandstone (rather than brick or laterite) as the main building material. Most of the visible areas are of sandstone blocks, while laterite was used for the outer wall and for hidden structural parts. The binding agent used to join the blocks is yet to be identified, although natural resins or slaked lime has been suggested. The temple has drawn praise above all for the harmony of its design. According to Maurice Glaize, a mid-20th-century conservator of Angkor, the temple "attains a classic perfection by the restrained monumentality of its finely balanced elements and the precise arrangement of its proportions. It is a work of power, unity and style." Architecturally, the elements characteristic of the style include: the ogival, redented towers shaped like lotus buds; half-galleries to broaden passageways; axial galleries connecting enclosures; and the cruciform terraces which appear along the main axis of the temple. Typical decorative elements are devatas (or apsaras), bas-reliefs, and on pediments extensive garlands and narrative scenes. The statuary of Angkor Wat is considered conservative, being more static and less graceful than earlier work. Other elements of the design have been destroyed by looting and the passage of time, including gilded stucco on the towers, gilding on some figures on the bas-reliefs, and wooden ceiling panels and doors.
FEATURES
OUTER ENCLOSURE
The outer wall, 1024 by 802 m and 4.5 m high, is surrounded by a 30 m apron of open ground and a moat 190 m wide. Access to the temple is by an earth bank to the east and a sandstone causeway to the west; the latter, the main entrance, is a later addition, possibly replacing a wooden bridge. There are gopuras at each of the cardinal points; the western is by far the largest and has three ruined towers. Glaize notes that this gopura both hides and echoes the form of the temple proper. Under the southern tower is a statue of Vishnu, known as Ta Reach, which may originally have occupied the temple's central shrine.Galleries run between the towers and as far as two further entrances on either side of the gopura often referred to as "elephant gates", as they are large enough to admit those animals. These galleries have square pillars on the outer (west) side and a closed wall on the inner (east) side. The ceiling between the pillars is decorated with lotus rosettes; the west face of the wall with dancing figures; and the east face of the wall with balustered windows, dancing male figures on prancing animals, and devatas, including (south of the entrance) the only one in the temple to be showing her teeth. The outer wall encloses a space of 820,000 square metres, which besides the temple proper was originally occupied by the city and, to the north of the temple, the royal palace. Like all secular buildings of Angkor, these were built of perishable materials rather than of stone, so nothing remains of them except the outlines of some of the streets. Most of the area is now covered by forest. A 350 m causeway connects the western gopura to the temple proper, with naga balustrades and six sets of steps leading down to the city on either side. Each side also features a library with entrances at each cardinal point, in front of the third set of stairs from the entrance, and a pond between the library and the temple itself. The ponds are later additions to the design, as is the cruciform terrace guarded by lions connecting the causeway to the central structure.
CENTRAL STRUCTURE
The temple stands on a terrace raised higher than the city. It is made of three rectangular galleries rising to a central tower, each level higher than the last. Mannikka interprets these galleries as being dedicated to the king, Brahma, the moon, and Vishnu.
Each gallery has a gopura at each of the points, and the two inner galleries each have towers at their corners, forming a quincunx with the central tower. Because the temple faces west, the features are all set back towards the east, leaving more space to be filled in each enclosure and gallery on the west side; for the same reason the west-facing steps are shallower than those on the other sides.
The outer gallery measures 187 by 215 m, with pavilions rather than towers at the corners. The gallery is open to the outside of the temple, with columned half-galleries extending and buttressing the structure. Connecting the outer gallery to the second enclosure on the west side is a cruciform cloister called Preah Poan (the "Hall of a Thousand Gods"). Buddha images were left in the cloister by pilgrims over the centuries, although most have now been removed. This area has many inscriptions relating the good deeds of pilgrims, most written in Khmer but others in Burmese and Japanese. The four small courtyards marked out by the cloister may originally have been filled with water.
North and south of the cloister are libraries.
Beyond, the second and inner galleries are connected to each other and to two flanking libraries by another cruciform terrace, again a later addition. From the second level upwards, devatas abound on the walls, singly or in groups of up to four. The second-level enclosure is 100 by 115 m, and may originally have been flooded to represent the ocean around Mount Meru.
Three sets of steps on each side lead up to the corner towers and gopuras of the inner gallery. The very steep stairways represent the difficulty of ascending to the kingdom of the gods. This inner gallery, called the Bakan, is a 60 m square with axial galleries connecting each gopura with the central shrine, and subsidiary shrines located below the corner towers. The roofings of the galleries are decorated with the motif of the body of a snake ending in the heads of lions or garudas. Carved lintels and pediments decorate the entrances to the galleries and to the shrines. The tower above the central shrine rises 43 m to a height of 65 m above the ground; unlike those of previous temple mountains, the central tower is raised above the surrounding four. The shrine itself, originally occupied by a statue of Vishnu and open on each side, was walled in when the temple was converted to Theravada Buddhism, the new walls featuring standing Buddhas. In 1934, the conservator George Trouvé excavated the pit beneath the central shrine: filled with sand and water it had already been robbed of its treasure, but he did find a sacred foundation deposit of gold leaf two metres above ground level.
DECORATION
Integrated with the architecture of the building, and one of the causes for its fame is Angkor Wat's extensive decoration, which predominantly takes the form of bas-relief friezes. The inner walls of the outer gallery bear a series of large-scale scenes mainly depicting episodes from the Hindu epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Higham has called these, "the greatest known linear arrangement of stone carving".
From the north-west corner anti-clockwise, the western gallery shows the Battle of Lanka (from the Ramayana, in which Rama defeats Ravana) and the Battle of Kurukshetra (from the Mahabharata, showing the mutual annihilation of the Kaurava and Pandava clans). On the southern gallery follow the only historical scene, a procession of Suryavarman II, then the 32 hells and 37 heavens of Hindu mythology.
On the eastern gallery is one of the most celebrated scenes, the Churning of the Sea of Milk, showing 92 asuras and 88 devas using the serpent Vasuki to churn the sea under Vishnu's direction (Mannikka counts only 91 asuras, and explains the asymmetrical numbers as representing the number of days from the winter solstice to the spring equinox, and from the equinox to the summer solstice). It is followed by Vishnu defeating asuras (a 16th-century addition). The northern gallery shows Krishna's victory over Bana (where according to Glaize, "The workmanship is at its worst"). and a battle between the Hindu gods and asuras. The north-west and south-west corner pavilions both feature much smaller-scale scenes, some unidentified but most from the Ramayana or the life of Krishna. Angkor Wat is decorated with depictions of apsaras and devata; there are more than 1,796 depictions of devata in the present research inventory. Angkor Wat architects employed small apsara images (30–40 cm) as decorative motifs on pillars and walls. They incorporated larger devata images (all full-body portraits measuring approximately 95–110 cm) more prominently at every level of the temple from the entry pavilion to the tops of the high towers. In 1927, Sappho Marchal published a study cataloging the remarkable diversity of their hair, headdresses, garments, stance, jewelry and decorative flowers, which Marchal concluded were based on actual practices of the Angkor period.
CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES
The stones, as smooth as polished marble, were laid without mortar with very tight joints that are sometimes hard to find. The blocks were held together by mortise and tenon joints in some cases, while in others they used dovetails and gravity. The blocks were presumably put in place by a combination of elephants, coir ropes, pulleys and bamboo scaffolding. Henri Mouhot noted that most of the blocks had holes 2.5 cm in diameter and 3 cm deep, with more holes on the larger blocks. Some scholars have suggested that these were used to join them together with iron rods, but others claim they were used to hold temporary pegs to help manoeuvre them into place. The monument was made out of millions of tonnes of sandstone and it has a greater volume as well as mass than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. The Angkor Wat Temple consumes about 6 million to 10 million blocks of sandstone with an average weight of 1.5 tons each. In fact, the entire city of Angkor used up far greater amounts of stone than all the Egyptian pyramids combined, and occupied an area significantly greater than modern-day Paris. Moreover, unlike the Egyptian pyramids which use limestone quarried barely half a km away all the time, the entire city of Angkor was built with sandstone quarried 40 km (or more) away. This sandstone had to be transported from Mount Kulen, a quarry approximately 40 km to the northeast. The route has been suggested to span 35 kilometres along a canal towards Tonlé Sap lake, another 35 kilometres crossing the lake, and finally 15 kilometres upstream and against the current along Siem Reap River, making a total journey of 90 kilometres. However, Etsuo Uchida and Ichita Shimoda of Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan have discovered in 2012 a shorter 35-kilometre canal connecting Mount Kulen and Angkor Wat using satellite imagery. The two believe that the Khmer used this route instead.
Virtually all of its surfaces, columns, lintels even roofs are carved. There are miles of reliefs illustrating scenes from Indian literature including unicorns, griffins, winged dragons pulling chariots as well as warriors following an elephant-mounted leader and celestial dancing girls with elaborate hair styles. The gallery wall alone is decorated with almost 1000 square metres of bas reliefs. Holes on some of the Angkor walls indicate that they may have been decorated with bronze sheets. These were highly prized in ancient times and were a prime target for robbers. While excavating Khajuraho, Alex Evans, a stonemason and sculptor, recreated a stone sculpture under 1.2 m, this took about 60 days to carve. Roger Hopkins and Mark Lehner also conducted experiments to quarry limestone which took 12 quarrymen 22 days to quarry about 400 tons of stone. The labor force to quarry, transport, carve and install so much sandstone must have run into the thousands including many highly skilled artisans. The skills required to carve these sculptures were developed hundreds of years earlier, as demonstrated by some artifacts that have been dated to the seventh century, before the Khmer came to power.
ANGKOR WAT TODAY
The Archaeological Survey of India carried out restoration work on the temple between 1986 and 1992. Since the 1990s, Angkor Wat has seen continued conservation efforts and a massive increase in tourism. The temple is part of the Angkor World Heritage Site, established in 1992, which has provided some funding and has encouraged the Cambodian government to protect the site. The German Apsara Conservation Project (GACP) is working to protect the devatas and other bas-reliefs which decorate the temple from damage. The organisation's survey found that around 20% of the devatas were in very poor condition, mainly because of natural erosion and deterioration of the stone but in part also due to earlier restoration efforts. Other work involves the repair of collapsed sections of the structure, and prevention of further collapse: the west facade of the upper level, for example, has been buttressed by scaffolding since 2002, while a Japanese team completed restoration of the north library of the outer enclosure in 2005. World Monuments Fund began conservation work on the Churning of the Sea of Milk Gallery in 2008 after several years of conditions studies. The project restored the traditional Khmer roofing system and removed cement used in earlier restoration attempts that had resulted in salts entering the structure behind the bas-relief, discoloring and damaging the sculpted surfaces. The main phase of work ended in 2012, and the final component will be the installation of finials on the roof of the gallery in 2013. Microbial biofilms have been found degrading sandstone at Angkor Wat, Preah Khan, and the Bayon and West Prasat in Angkor. The dehydration and radiation resistant filamentous cyanobacteria can produce organic acids that degrade the stone. A dark filamentous fungus was found in internal and external Preah Khan samples, while the alga Trentepohlia was found only in samples taken from external, pink-stained stone at Preah Khan. Angkor Wat has become a major tourist destination. In 2004 and 2005, government figures suggest that, respectively, 561.000 and 677.000 foreign visitors arrived in Siem Reap province, approximately 50% of all foreign tourists in Cambodia for both years. The site has been managed by the private SOKIMEX group since 1990, which rented it from the Cambodian government. The influx of tourists has so far caused relatively little damage, other than some graffiti; ropes and wooden steps have been introduced to protect the bas-reliefs and floors, respectively. Tourism has also provided some additional funds for maintenance - as of 2000 approximately 28% of ticket revenues across the whole Angkor site was spent on the temples - although most work is carried out by foreign government-sponsored teams rather than by the Cambodian authorities. Since Angkor Wat has seen significant growth in tourism throughout the years UNESCO and its International Co-ordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor (ICC), in association with representatives from the Royal Government and APSARA, organized seminars to discuss the concept of "cultural tourism". Wanting to avoid commercial and mass tourism, the seminars emphasized the importance of providing high quality accommodation and services in order for the Cambodian government to benefit economically, while also incorporating the richness of Cambodian culture. In 2001, this incentive resulted in the concept of the "Angkor Tourist City" which would be developed with regard to traditional Khmer architecture, contain leisure and tourist facilities, and provide luxurious hotels capable of accommodating large amounts of tourists. The prospect of developing such large tourist accommodations has encountered concerns from both APSARA and the ICC, claiming that previous tourism developments in the area have neglected construction regulations and more of these projects have the potential to damage landscape features. Also, the large scale of these projects have begun to threaten the quality of the nearby town's water, sewage, and electricity systems. It has been noted that such high frequency of tourism and growing demand for quality accommodations in the area, such as the development of a large highway, has had a direct effect on the underground water table, subsequently straining the structural stability of the temples at Angkor Wat. Locals of Siem Reap have also voiced concern over the charming nature and atmosphere of their town being compromised in order to entertain tourism. Since this charming local atmosphere is the key component to projects like Angkor Tourist City, local officials continue to discuss how to successfully incorporate future tourism without sacrificing local values and culture. At the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2012, both parties have agreed Borobudur and Angkor Wat to become sister sites and the provinces will become sister provinces. Two Indonesian airlines are considering the opportunity to open a direct flight from Yogyakarta, Indonesia to Siem Reap.
WIKIPEDIA
Kathmandu is the capital and largest municipality of Nepal. It is the only city of Nepal with the administrative status of Mahanagar (Metropolitan City), as compared to Upa-Mahanagar (Sub-Metropolitan City) or Nagar (City). Kathmandu is the core of Nepal's largest urban agglomeration located in the Kathmandu Valley consisting of Lalitpur, Kirtipur, Madhyapur Thimi, Bhaktapur and a number of smaller communities. Kathmandu is also known informally as "KTM" or the "tri-city". According to the 2011 census, Kathmandu Metropolitan City has a population of 975.453 and measures 49,45 square kilometres.
The city stands at an elevation of approximately 1.400 metres in the bowl-shaped Kathmandu Valley of central Nepal. It is surrounded by four major hills: Shivapuri, Phulchoki, Nagarjun, and Chandragiri. Kathmandu Valley is part of three districts (Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur), has the highest population density in the country, and is home to about a twelfth of Nepal's population.
Historically, the Kathmandu Valley and adjoining areas were known as Nepal Mandala. Until the 15th century, Bhaktapur was its capital when two other capitals, Kathmandu and Lalitpur, were established. During the Rana and Shah eras, British historians called the valley itself "Nepal Proper". Today, Kathmandu is not only the capital of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, but also the headquarters of the Bagmati Zone and the Central Development Region of Nepal.
Kathmandu is the gateway to tourism in Nepal. It is also the hub of the country's economy. It has the most advanced infrastructure of any urban area in Nepal, and its economy is focused on tourism, which accounted for 3.8% of Nepal's GDP in 1995–96. Tourism in Kathmandu declined thereafter during a period of political unrest, but since then has improved. In 2013, Kathmandu was ranked third among the top 10 travel destinations on the rise in the world by TripAdvisor, and ranked first in Asia.
The city has a rich history, spanning nearly 2000 years, as inferred from inscriptions found in the valley. Religious and cultural festivities form a major part of the lives of people residing in Kathmandu. Most of Kathmandu's people follow Hinduism and many others follow Buddhism. There are people of other religious beliefs as well, giving Kathmandu a cosmopolitan culture. Nepali is the most commonly spoken language in the city. English is understood by Kathmandu's educated residents. Kathmandu was devastated by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on April 25, 2015.
ETYMOLOGY
The city of Kathmandu is named after Kasthamandap temple, that stood in Durbar Square. In Sanskrit, Kastha (काष्ठ) means "wood" and Mandap (/मण्डप) means "covered shelter". This temple, also known as Maru Satal (in ″Newar language″), was built in 1596 by King Laxmi Narsingh Malla. The two-storey structure was made entirely of wood, and used no iron nails nor supports. According to legend, all the timber used to build the pagoda was obtained from a single tree. The structure unfortunately collapsed during the major earthquake in April 2015.
The colophons of ancient manuscripts, dated as late as the 20th century, refer to Kathmandu as Kasthamandap Mahanagar in Nepal Mandala. Mahanagar means "great city". The city is called "Kasthamandap" in a vow that Buddhist priests still recite to this day. Thus, Kathmandu is also known as Kasthamandap. During medieval times, the city was sometimes called Kantipur (कान्तिपुर). This name is derived from two Sanskrit words - Kanti and pur. "Kanti" is one of the names of the Goddess Lakshmi, and "pur" means place.
Among the indigenous Newar people, Kathmandu is known as Yen Desa (येँ देश), and Patan and Bhaktapur are known as Yala Desa (यल देश) and Khwopa Desa (ख्वप देश). "Yen" is the shorter form of Yambu (यम्बु), which originally referred to the northern half of Kathmandu.
HISTORY
Archaeological excavations in parts of Kathmandu have found evidence of ancient civilizations. The oldest of these findings is a statue, found in Maligaon, that was dated at 185 AD. The excavation of Dhando Chaitya uncovered a brick with an inscription in Brahmi script. Archaeologists believe it is two thousand years old. Stone inscriptions are an ubiquitous element at heritage sites and are key sources for the history of Nepal
The earliest Western reference to Kathmandu appears in an account of Jesuit Fathers Johann Grueber and Albert d'Orville. In 1661, they passed through Nepal on their way from Tibet to India, and reported that they reached "Cadmendu, the capital of the Kingdom of Necbal".
ANCIENT HISTORY
The ancient history of Kathmandu is described in its traditional myths and legends. According to Swayambhu Purana, the present day Kathmandu was once a lake called Nagdaha. The lake was drained by Manjusri, who established a city called Manjupattan and made Dharmakar the ruler of the land.
Kotirudra Samhita of Shiva Purana, Chapter 11, shloka 18 refers to the place as Nayapala city famous for its Pashupati Shivalinga. The name Nepal probably originates from this city Nayapala.
Very few historical records exist of the period before the medieval Licchavis rulers. According to Gopalraj Vansawali, a genealogy of Nepali monarchs, the rulers of Kathmandu Valley before the Licchavis were Gopalas, Mahispalas, Aabhirs, Kirants, and Somavanshi. The Kirata dynasty was established by Yalamber. During the Kirata era, a settlement called Yambu existed in the northern half of old Kathmandu. In some of the Sino-Tibetan languages, Kathmandu is still called Yambu. Another smaller settlement called Yengal was present in the southern half of old Kathmandu, near Manjupattan. During the reign of the seventh Kirata ruler, Jitedasti, Buddhist monks entered Kathmandu valley and established a forest monastery at Sankhu.
MEDIEVAL HISTORY
LICCHAVI ERA
The Licchavis from the Indo-Gangetic plain migrated north and defeated the Kiratas, establishing the Licchavi dynasty. During this era, following the genocide of Shakyas in Lumbini by Virudhaka, the survivors migrated north and entered the forest monastery in Sankhu masquerading as Koliyas. From Sankhu, they migrated to Yambu and Yengal (Lanjagwal and Manjupattan) and established the first permanent Buddhist monasteries of Kathmandu. This created the basis of Newar Buddhism, which is the only surviving Sanskrit-based Buddhist tradition in the world. With their migration, Yambu was called Koligram and Yengal was called Dakshin Koligram during most of the Licchavi era.Eventually, the Licchavi ruler Gunakamadeva merged Koligram and Dakshin Koligram, founding the city of Kathmandu. The city was designed in the shape of Chandrahrasa, the sword of Manjushri. The city was surrounded by eight barracks guarded by Ajimas. One of these barracks is still in use at Bhadrakali (in front of Singha Durbar). The city served as an important transit point in the trade between India and Tibet, leading to tremendous growth in architecture. Descriptions of buildings such as Managriha, Kailaskut Bhawan, and Bhadradiwas Bhawan have been found in the surviving journals of travelers and monks who lived during this era. For example, the famous 7th-century Chinese traveller Xuanzang described Kailaskut Bhawan, the palace of the Licchavi king Amshuverma. The trade route also led to cultural exchange as well. The artistry of the Newar people - the indigenous inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley - became highly sought after during this era, both within the Valley and throughout the greater Himalayas. Newar artists travelled extensively throughout Asia, creating religious art for their neighbors. For example, Araniko led a group of his compatriot artists through Tibet and China. Bhrikuti, the princess of Nepal who married Tibetan monarch Songtsän Gampo, was instrumental in introducing Buddhism to Tibet.
MALLA ERA
The Licchavi era was followed by the Malla era. Rulers from Tirhut, upon being attacked by Muslims, fled north to the Kathmandu valley. They intermarried with Nepali royalty, and this led to the Malla era. The early years of the Malla era were turbulent, with raids and attacks from Khas and Turk Muslims. There was also a devastating earthquake which claimed the lives of a third of Kathmandu's population, including the king Abhaya Malla. These disasters led to the destruction of most of the architecture of the Licchavi era (such as Mangriha and Kailashkut Bhawan), and the loss of literature collected in various monasteries within the city. Despite the initial hardships, Kathmandu rose to prominence again and, during most of the Malla era, dominated the trade between India and Tibet. Nepali currency became the standard currency in trans-Himalayan trade.
During the later part of the Malla era, Kathmandu Valley comprised four fortified cities: Kantipur, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, and Kirtipur. These served as the capitals of the Malla confederation of Nepal. These states competed with each other in the arts, architecture, aesthetics, and trade, resulting in tremendous development. The kings of this period directly influenced or involved themselves in the construction of public buildings, squares, and temples, as well as the development of water spouts, the institutionalization of trusts (called guthis), the codification of laws, the writing of dramas, and the performance of plays in city squares. Evidence of an influx of ideas from India, Tibet, China, Persia, and Europe among other places can be found in a stone inscription from the time of king Pratap Malla. Books have been found from this era that describe their tantric tradition (e.g. Tantrakhyan), medicine (e.g. Haramekhala), religion (e.g. Mooldevshashidev), law, morals, and history. Amarkosh, a Sanskrit-Nepal Bhasa dictionary from 1381 AD, was also found. Architecturally notable buildings from this era include Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the former durbar of Kirtipur, Nyatapola, Kumbheshwar, the Krishna temple, and others.
MODERN ERA
EARLY SHAH RULE
The Gorkha Kingdom ended the Malla confederation after the Battle of Kathmandu in 1768. This marked the beginning of the modern era in Kathmandu. The Battle of Kirtipur was the start of the Gorkha conquest of the Kathmandu Valley. Kathmandu was adopted as the capital of the Gorkha empire, and the empire itself was dubbed Nepal. During the early part of this era, Kathmandu maintained its distinctive culture. Buildings with characteristic Nepali architecture, such as the nine-story tower of Basantapur, were built during this era. However, trade declined because of continual war with neighboring nations. Bhimsen Thapa supported France against Great Britain; this led to the development of modern military structures, such as modern barracks in Kathmandu. The nine-storey tower Dharahara was originally built during this era.
RANA RULE
Rana rule over Nepal started with the Kot Massacre, which occurred near Hanuman Dhoka Durbar. During this massacre, most of Nepal's high-ranking officials were massacred by Jang Bahadur Rana and his supporters. Another massacre, the Bhandarkhal Massacre, was also conducted by Kunwar and his supporters in Kathmandu. During the Rana regime, Kathmandu's alliance shifted from anti-British to pro-British; this led to the construction of the first buildings in the style of Western European architecture. The most well-known of these buildings include Singha Durbar, Garden of Dreams, Shital Niwas, and the old Narayanhiti palace. The first modern commercial road in the Kathmandu Valley, the New Road, was also built during this era. Trichandra College (the first college of Nepal), Durbar School (the first modern school of Nepal), and Bir Hospital (the first hospital of Nepal) were built in Kathmandu during this era. Rana rule was marked by tyranny, debauchery, economic exploitation and religious persecution.
GEOGRAPHY
Kathmandu is located in the northwestern part of Kathmandu Valley to the north of the Bagmati River and covers an area of 50,67 square kilometres. The average elevation is 1.400 metres above sea level. The city is directly bounded by several other municipalities of the Kathmandu valley: south of the Bagmati by Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City (Patan) with which it today forms one urban area surrounded by a ring road, to the southwest by Kirtipur Municipality and to the east by Madyapur Thimi Municipality. To the north the urban area extends into several Village Development Committees. However, the urban agglomeration extends well beyond the neighboring municipalities, e. g. to Bhaktapur and just about covers the entire Kathmandu valley.
Kathmandu is dissected by eight rivers, the main river of the valley, the Bagmati and its tributaries, of which the Bishnumati, Dhobi Khola, Manohara Khola, Hanumant Khola, and Tukucha Khola are predominant. The mountains from where these rivers originate are in the elevation range of 1.500–3.000 metres, and have passes which provide access to and from Kathmandu and its valley. An ancient canal once flowed from Nagarjuna hill through Balaju to Kathmandu; this canal is now extinct.
Kathmandu and its valley are in the Deciduous Monsoon Forest Zone (altitude range of 1.200–2.100 metres), one of five vegetation zones defined for Nepal. The dominant tree species in this zone are oak, elm, beech, maple and others, with coniferous trees at higher altitude.
TOURISM
Tourism is considered another important industry in Nepal. This industry started around 1950, as the country's political makeup changed and ended the country's isolation from the rest of the world. In 1956, air transportation was established and the Tribhuvan Highway, between Kathmandu and Raxaul (at India's border), was started. Separate organizations were created in Kathmandu to promote this activity; some of these include the Tourism Development Board, the Department of Tourism and the Civil Aviation Department. Furthermore, Nepal became a member of several international tourist associations. Establishing diplomatic relations with other nations further accentuated this activity. The hotel industry, travel agencies, training of tourist guides, and targeted publicity campaigns are the chief reasons for the remarkable growth of this industry in Nepal, and in Kathmandu in particular.
Since then, tourism in Nepal has thrived; it is sometimes called the "third religion" of Nepal. It is the country's most important industry. Tourism is a major source of income for most of the people in the city, with several hundred thousand visitors annually. Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world visit Kathmandu's religious sites such as Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath, Boudhanath and Budhanilkantha. From a mere 6179 tourists in 1961–62, the number jumped to 491504 in 1999-2000. With the end of Maoist insuregency period in 2009 there was a significant rise of 509,956 tourist arrivals. Since then, tourism has improved as the country turned into a Democratic Republic. In economic terms, the foreign exchange registered 3.8% of the GDP in 1995–96 but then started declining. The high level of tourism is attributed to the natural grandeur of the Himalayas and the rich cultural heritage of the country.
The neighborhood of Thamel is Kathmandu's primary "traveler's ghetto", packed with guest houses, restaurants, shops, and bookstores, catering to tourists. Another neighborhood of growing popularity is Jhamel, a name for Jhamsikhel coined to rhyme with Thamel. Jhochhen Tol, also known as Freak Street, is Kathmandu's original traveler's haunt, made popular by the hippies of the 1960s and 1970s; it remains a popular alternative to Thamel. Asan is a bazaar and ceremonial square on the old trade route to Tibet, and provides a fine example of a traditional neighborhood.
With the opening of the tourist industry after the change in the political scenario of Nepal in 1950, the hotel industry drastically improved. Now Kathmandu boasts several five-star hotels like Hyatt Regency, Hotel Yak & Yeti, The Everest Hotel, Hotel Radisson, Hotel De L'Annapurna, The Malla Hotel, Shangri-La Hotel (which is not operated by the Shangri-La Hotel Group) and The Shanker Hotel. There are several four-star hotels such as Hotel Vaishali, Hotel Narayani, The Blue Star and Grand Hotel. The Garden Hotel, Hotel Ambassador, and Aloha Inn are among the three-star hotels in Kathmandu. Hotels like Hyatt Regency, De L'Annapurna and Hotel Yak & Yeti are among the five-star hotels providing casinos as well.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Kathmandu's urban cosmopolitan character has made it the most populous city in Nepal, recording a population of 671846 residents living in 235387 households in the metropolitan area, according to the 2001 census. According to the National Population Census of 2011, the total population of Kathmandu city was 975543 with an annual growth rate of 6,12% with respect to the population figure of 2001. 70% of the total population residing in Kathmandu are aged between 15 and 59.
Over the years the city has been home to people of various ethnicities, resulting in a range of different traditions and cultural practices. In one decade, the population increased from 427045 in 1991 to 671805 in 2001. The population was projected to reach 915071 in 2011 and 1.319.597 by 2021. To keep up this population growth, the KMC-controlled area of 5,076.6 hectares has expanded to 8.214 hectares in 2001. With this new area, the population density which was 85 in 1991 is still 85 in 2001; it is likely to jump to 111 in 2011 and 161 in 2021.
ETHNIC GROUPS
The largest ethnic groups are Newar (29.6%), Matwali (25.1% Sunuwar, Gurung, Magars, Tamang etc.), Khas Brahmins (20.51%) and Chettris (18.5%) . Tamangs originating from surrounding hill districts can be seen in Kathmandu. More recently, other hill ethnic groups and Caste groups from Terai have become present as well in vast majority. The major languages are Nepali, Nepal Bhasa and English is understood by about 30% of the people. The major religions are Hinduism and Buddhism.
The linguistic profile of Kathmandu underwent drastic changes during the Shah dynasty's rule because of its strong bias towards the Brahminic culture. Sanskrit language therefore was preferred and people were encouraged to learn it even by attending Sanskrit learning centers in Terai. Sanskrit schools were specially set up in Kathmandu and in the Terai region to inculcate traditional Hindu culture and practices originated from Nepal.
ARCHITECTURE AND CITYSCAPE
The ancient trade route between India and Tibet that passed through Kathmandu enabled a fusion of artistic and architectural traditions from other cultures to be amalgamated with local art and architecture. The monuments of Kathmandu City have been influenced over the centuries by Hindu and Buddhist religious practices. The architectural treasure of the Kathmandu valley has been categorized under the well-known seven groups of heritage monuments and buildings. In 2006 UNESCO declared these seven groups of monuments as a World Heritage Site (WHS). The seven monuments zones cover an area of 188,95 hectares, with the buffer zone extending to 239,34 hectares. The Seven Monument Zones (Mzs) inscribed originally in 1979 and with a minor modification in 2006 are Durbar squares of Hanuman Dhoka, Patan and Bhaktapur, Hindu temples of Pashupatinath and Changunarayan, the Buddhist stupas of Swayambhu and Boudhanath.
DURBAR SQUARES
The literal meaning of Durbar Square is a "place of palaces". There are three preserved Durbar Squares in Kathmandu valley and one unpreserved in Kirtipur. The Durbar Square of Kathmandu is located in the old city and has heritage buildings representing four kingdoms (Kantipur, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kirtipur); the earliest is the Licchavi dynasty. The complex has 50 temples and is distributed in two quadrangles of the Durbar Square. The outer quadrangle has the Kasthamandap, Kumari Ghar, and Shiva-Parvati Temple; the inner quadrangle has the Hanuman Dhoka palace. The squares were severely damaged in the April 2015 Nepal earthquake.
Hanuman Dhoka is a complex of structures with the Royal Palace of the Malla kings and of the Shah dynasty. It is spread over five acres. The eastern wing, with ten courtyards, is the oldest part, dating to the mid-16th century. It was expanded by King Pratap Malla in the 17th century with many temples. The royal family lived in this palace until 1886 when they moved to Narayanhiti Palace. The stone inscription outside is in fifteen languages.
Kumari Ghar is a palace in the center of the Kathmandu city, next to the Durbar square where a Royal Kumari selected from several Kumaris resides. Kumari, or Kumari Devi, is the tradition of worshipping young pre-pubescent girls as manifestations of the divine female energy or devi in South Asian countries. In Nepal the selection process is very rigorous. Kumari is believed to be the bodily incarnation of the goddess Taleju (the Nepali name for Durga) until she menstruates, after which it is believed that the goddess vacates her body. Serious illness or a major loss of blood from an injury are also causes for her to revert to common status. The current Royal Kumari, Matina Shakya, age four, was installed in October 2008 by the Maoist government that replaced the monarchy.
Kasthamandap is a three-storeyed temple enshrining an image of Gorakhnath. It was built in the 16th century in pagoda style. The name of Kathmandu is a derivative of the word Kasthamandap. It was built under the reign of King Laxmi Narsingha Malla. Kasthamandap stands at the intersection of two ancient trade routes linking India and Tibet at Maru square. It was originally built as a rest house for travelers.
PASHUPATINATH TEMPLE
The Pashupatinath Temple is a famous 5th century Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva (Pashupati). Located on the banks of the Bagmati River in the eastern part of Kathmandu, Pashupatinath Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu. It served as the seat of national deity, Lord Pashupatinath, until Nepal was secularized. However, a significant part of the temple was destroyed by Mughal invaders in the 14th century and little or nothing remains of the original 5th-century temple exterior. The temple as it stands today was built in the 19th century, although the image of the bull and the black four-headed image of Pashupati are at least 300 years old. The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Shivaratri, or the night of Lord Shiva, is the most important festival that takes place here, attracting thousands of devotees and sadhus.
Believers in Pashupatinath (mainly Hindus) are allowed to enter the temple premises, but non-Hindu visitors are allowed to view the temple only from the across the Bagmati River. The priests who perform the services at this temple have been Brahmins from Karnataka, South India since the time of Malla king Yaksha Malla. This tradition is believed to have been started at the request of Adi Shankaracharya who sought to unify the states of Bharatam (Unified India) by encouraging cultural exchange. This procedure is followed in other temples around India, which were sanctified by Adi Shankaracharya.
The temple is built in the pagoda style of architecture, with cubic constructions, carved wooden rafters (tundal) on which they rest, and two-level roofs made of copper and gold.
BOUDHANATH
The Boudhanath, (also written Bouddhanath, Bodhnath, Baudhanath or the Khāsa Chaitya), is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal, along with Swayambhu. It is a very popular tourist site. Boudhanath is known as Khāsti by Newars and as Bauddha or Bodhnāth by speakers of Nepali. Located about 11 km from the center and northeastern outskirts of Kathmandu, the stupa's massive mandala makes it one of the largest spherical stupas in Nepal. Boudhanath became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.The base of the stupa has 108 small depictions of the Dhyani Buddha Amitabha. It is surrounded with a brick wall with 147 niches, each with four or five prayer wheels engraved with the mantra, om mani padme hum. At the northern entrance where visitors must pass is a shrine dedicated to Ajima, the goddess of smallpox. Every year the stupa attracts many Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims who perform full body prostrations in the inner lower enclosure, walk around the stupa with prayer wheels, chant, and pray. Thousands of prayer flags are hoisted up from the top of the stupa downwards and dot the perimeter of the complex. The influx of many Tibetan refugees from China has seen the construction of over 50 Tibetan gompas (monasteries) around Boudhanath.
SWAYAMBHU
Swayambhu is a Buddhist stupa atop a hillock at the northwestern part of the city. This is among the oldest religious sites in Nepal. Although the site is considered Buddhist, it is revered by both Buddhists and Hindus. The stupa consists of a dome at the base; above the dome, there is a cubic structure with the eyes of Buddha looking in all four directions.[clarification needed] There are pentagonal Toran above each of the four sides, with statues engraved on them. Behind and above the torana there are thirteen tiers. Above all the tiers, there is a small space above which lies a gajur.
CULTURE
ARTS
Kathmandu valley is described as "an enormous treasure house of art and sculptures", which are made of wood, stone, metal, and terracotta, and found in profusion in temples, shrines, stupas, gompas, chaityasm and palaces. The art objects are also seen in street corners, lanes, private courtyards, and in open ground. Most art is in the form of icons of gods and goddesses. Kathmandu valley has had this art treasure very long, but received worldwide recognition only after the country opened its doors to the outside world in 1950.
The religious art of Nepal and Kathmandu in particular consists of an iconic symbolism of the Mother Goddesses such as: Bhavani, Durga, Gaja-Lakshmi, Hariti-Sitala, Mahsishamardini, Saptamatrika (seven mother goddesses), and Sri-Lakshmi(wealth-goddess). From the 3rd century BC, apart from the Hindu gods and goddesses, Buddhist monuments from the Ashokan period (it is said that Ashoka visited Nepal in 250 BC) have embellished Nepal in general and the valley in particular. These art and architectural edifices encompass three major periods of evolution: the Licchavi or classical period (500 to 900 AD), the post-classical period (1000 to 1400 AD), with strong influence of the Palla art form; the Malla period (1400 onwards) that exhibited explicitly tantric influences coupled with the art of Tibetan Demonology.
A broad typology has been ascribed to the decorative designs and carvings created by the people of Nepal. These artists have maintained a blend of Hinduism and Buddhism. The typology, based on the type of material used are: Stone Art, Metal Art, Wood Art, Terracotta Art, and Painting.
MUSEUMS
Kathmandu is home to a number of museums and art galleries, including the National Museum of Nepal and the Natural History Museum of Nepal. Nepal's art and architecture is an amalgamation of two ancient religions, Hinduism and Buddhhism. These are amply reflected in the many temples, shrines, stupas, monasteries, and palaces in the seven well-defined Monument Zones of the Kathmandu valley recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This amalgamation is also reflected in the planning and exhibitions in museums and art galleries throughout Kathmandu and its sister cities of Patan and Bhaktapur. The museums display unique artifacts and paintings from the 5th century CE to the present day, including archeological exportation.
KATHMANDU MUSEUMS ABD ART GALLERIES INCLUDE:
The National Museum
The Natural History Museum
Hanumandhoka Palace Complex
The Kaiser Library
The National Art Gallery
The NEF-ART (Nepal Fine Art) Gallery
The Nepal Art Council Gallery
Narayanhity Palace Museum
The Taragaon Museum
The National Museum is located in the western part of Kathmandu, near the Swayambhunath stupa in an historical building. This building was constructed in the early 19th century by General Bhimsen Thapa. It is the most important museum in the country, housing an extensive collection of weapons, art and antiquities of historic and cultural importance. The museum was established in 1928 as a collection house of war trophies and weapons, and the initial name of this museum was Chhauni Silkhana, meaning "the stone house of arms and ammunition". Given its focus, the museum contains an extensive quantity of weapons, including locally made firearms used in wars, leather cannons from the 18th–19th century, and medieval and modern works in wood, bronze, stone and paintings.
The Natural History Museum is located in the southern foothills of Swayambhunath hill and has a sizeable collection of different species of animals, butterflies, and plants. The museum is noted for its display of species, from prehistoric shells to stuffed animals.
The Tribhuvan Museum contains artifacts related to the King Tribhuvan (1906–1955). It has a variety of pieces including his personal belongings, letters and papers, memorabilia related to events he was involved in and a rare collection of photos and paintings of Royal family members. The Mahendra Museum is dedicated to king Mahendra of Nepal (1920–1972). Like the Tribhuvan Museum, it includes his personal belongings such as decorations, stamps, coins and personal notes and manuscripts, but it also has structural reconstructions of his cabinet room and office chamber. The Hanumandhoka Palace, a lavish medieval palace complex in the Durbar, contains three separate museums of historic importance. These museums include the Birendra museum, which contains items related to the second-last monarch, Birendra of Nepal.
The enclosed compound of the Narayanhity Palace Museum is in the north-central part of Kathmandu. "Narayanhity" comes from Narayana, a form of the Hindu god Lord Vishnu, and Hiti, meaning "water spout" (Vishnu's temple is located opposite the palace, and the water spout is located east of the main entrance to the precinct). Narayanhity was a new palace, in front of the old palace built in 1915, and was built in 1970 in the form of a contemporary Pagoda. It was built on the occasion of the marriage of King Birenda Bir Bikram Shah, then heir apparent to the throne. The southern gate of the palace is at the crossing of Prithvipath and Darbar Marg roads. The palace area covers 30 hectares and is fully secured with gates on all sides. This palace was the scene of the Nepali royal massacre. After the fall of the monarchy, it was converted to a museum.The Taragaon Museum presents the modern history of the Kathmandu Valley. It seeks to document 50 years of research and cultural heritage conservation of the Kathmandu Valley, documenting what artists photographers architects anthropologists from abroad had contributed in the second half of the 20th century. The actual structure of the Museum showcases restoration and rehabilitation efforts to preserve the built heritage of Kathmandu. It was designed by Carl Pruscha (master-planner of the Kathmandy Valley) in 1970 and constructed in 1971. Restoration works began in 2010 to rehabilitate the Taragaon hostel into the Taragaon Museum. The design uses local brick along with modern architectural design elements, as well as the use of circle, triangles and squares. The Museum is within a short walk from the Boudhnath stupa, which itself can be seen from the Museum tower.
ART GALLERIES
Kathmandu is a center for art in Nepal, displaying the work of contemporary artists in the country and also collections of historical artists. Patan in particular is an ancient city noted for its fine arts and crafts. Art in Kathmandu is vibrant, demonstrating a fusion of traditionalism and modern art, derived from a great number of national, Asian, and global influences. Nepali art is commonly divided into two areas: the idealistic traditional painting known as Paubhas in Nepal and perhaps more commonly known as Thangkas in Tibet, closely linked to the country's religious history and on the other hand the contemporary western-style painting, including nature-based compositions or abstract artwork based on Tantric elements and social themes of which painters in Nepal are well noted for. Internationally, the British-based charity, the Kathmandu Contemporary Art Centre is involved with promoting arts in Kathmandu.
Kathmandu contains many notable art galleries. The NAFA Gallery, operated by the Arts and crafts Department of the Nepal Academy is housed in Sita Bhavan, a neo-classical old Rana palace.
The Srijana Contemporary Art Gallery, located inside the Bhrikutimandap Exhibition grounds, hosts the work of contemporary painters and sculptors, and regularly organizes exhibitions. It also runs morning and evening classes in the schools of art. Also of note is the Moti Azima Gallery, located in a three storied building in Bhimsenthan which contains an impressive collection of traditional utensils and handmade dolls and items typical of a medieval Newar house, giving an important insight into Nepali history. The J Art Gallery is also located in Kathmandu, near the Royal Palace in Durbarmarg, Kathmandu and displays the artwork of eminent, established Nepali painters. The Nepal Art Council Gallery, located in the Babar Mahal, on the way to Tribhuvan International Airport contains artwork of both national and international artists and extensive halls regularly used for art exhibitions.
CUISINE
The staple food of most of Kathmanduites is dal bhat. It consists of rice and lentil soup, generally served with vegetable curries, achar and sometimes Chutney. Momo, a type of Nepali version of Tibetan dumpling, has become prominent in Nepal with many street vendors selling it. It is one of the most popular fast foods in Kathmandu. Various Nepali variants of momo including buff (i.e. buffalo) momo, chicken momo, and vegetarian momo are famous in Kathmandu. Dal Bhaat is the local cuisine of Kathmandu.
Most of the cuisines found in Kathmandu are non-vegetarian. However, the practice of vegetarianism is not uncommon, and vegetarian cuisines can be found throughout the city. Consumption of beef is very uncommon and considered taboo in many places. Buff (meat of water buffalo) is very common. There is a strong tradition of buff consumption in Kathmandu, especially among Newars, which is not found in other parts of Nepal. Consumption of pork was considered taboo until a few decades ago. Due to the intermixing with Kirat cuisine from eastern Nepal, pork has found a place in Kathmandu dishes. A fringe population of devout Hindus and Muslims consider it taboo. The Muslims forbid eating buff as from Quran while Hindus eat all varieties except Cow's meat as the consider Cow to be a goddess and symbol of purity. The chief breakfast for locals and visitors is mostly Momo or Chowmein.
Kathmandu had only one restaurant in 1955. A large number of restaurants in Kathmandu have since opened, catering Nepali cuisine, Tibetan cuisine, Chinese cuisine and Indian cuisine in particular. Many other restaurants have opened to accommodate locals, expatriates, and tourists. The growth of tourism in Kathmandu has led to culinary creativity and the development of hybrid foods to accommodate for tourists such as American chop suey, which is a sweet-and-sour sauce with crispy noodles with a fried egg commonly added on top and other westernized adaptations of traditional cuisine. Continental cuisine can be found in selected places. International chain restaurants are rare, but some outlets of Pizza Hut and KFC have recently opened there. It also has several outlets of the international ice-cream chain Baskin-Robbins
Kathmandu has a larger proportion of tea drinkers than coffee drinkers. Tea is widely served but is extremely weak by western standards. It is richer and contains tea leaves boiled with milk, sugar and spices. Alcohol is widely drunk, and there are numerous local variants of alcoholic beverages. But its use has been now reduced.refnational survey. Drinking and driving is illegal, and authorities have a zero tolerance policy. Ailaa and thwon (alcohol made from rice) are the alcoholic beverages of Kathmandu, found in all the local bhattis (alcohol serving eateries). Chhyaang, tongba (fermented millet or barley) and rakshi are alcohols from other parts of Nepal which are found in Kathmandu. However, shops and bars in Kathmandu widely sell western and Nepali beers. Shops are forbidden to sell alcohol on the first two days and last two days of the Nepali month (Nepal Sambat).
FESTIVALS
Most of the fairs and festivals in Kathmandu originated in the Malla period or earlier. Traditionally, these festivals were celebrated by Newars. In recent years, these festivals have found wider participation from other Kathmanduites as well. As the capital of the Republic of Nepal, various national festivals are celebrated in Kathmandu. With mass migration to the city, the cultures of Khas from the west, Kirats from the east, Bon/Tibetan from the north, and Mithila from the south meet in the capital and mingle harmoniously. The festivities such as the Ghode (horse) Jatra, Indra Jatra, Dashain Durga Puja festivals, Shivratri and many more are observed by all Hindu and Buddhist communities of Kathmandu with devotional fervor and enthusiasm. Social regulation in the codes enacted incorporate Hindu traditions and ethics. These were followed by the Shah kings and previous kings, as devout Hindus and protectors of Buddhist religion.
Cultural continuity has been maintained for centuries in the exclusive worship of goddesses and deities in Kathmandu and the rest of the country. These deities include the Ajima, Taleju (or Tulja Bhavani), Digu taleju, and Kumari (the living goddess).[citation needed] The artistic edifices have now become places of worship in the everyday life of the people, therefore a roster is maintained to observe annual festivals. There are 133 festivals held in the year.
Some of the traditional festivals observed in Kathmandu, apart from those previously mentioned, are Bada Dashain, Tihar, Chhath, Maghe Sankranti, Naga Panchami, Janai Poornima, Pancha Dan, Teej/Rishi Panchami, Pahan Charhe, Jana Baha Dyah Jatra (White Machchhendranath Jatra), and Matatirtha Aunsi.
HINDUISM
Assumedly, together with the kingdom of Licchhavi (c. 400 to 750), Hinduism and the endogam social stratification of the Caste was established in Kathmandu Valley. The Pashupatinath Temple, Changu Narayan temple (the oldest), and the Kasthamandap are of particular importance to Hindus. Other notable Hindu temples in Kathmandu and the surrounding valley include Bajrayogini Temple, Dakshinkali Temple, Guhyeshwari Temple, and the Sobha Bhagwati shrine.
The Bagmati River which flows through Kathmandu is considered a holy river both by Hindus and Buddhists, and many Hindu temples are located on the banks of this river. The importance of the Bagmati also lies in the fact that Hindus are cremated on its banks, and Kirants are buried in the hills by its side. According to the Nepali Hindu tradition, the dead body must be dipped three times into the Bagmati before cremation. The chief mourner (usually the first son) who lights the funeral pyre must take a holy riverwater bath immediately after cremation. Many relatives who join the funeral procession also take bath in the Bagmati River or sprinkle the holy water on their bodies at the end of cremation as the Bagmati is believed to purify people spiritually.
BUDDHISM
Buddhism started in Kathmandu with the arrival of Buddhist monks during the time of Buddha (c. 563 - 483 BC). They started a forest monastery in Sankhu. This monastery was renovated by Shakyas after they fled genocide from Virudhaka (rule: 491-461 BC).
During the Hindu Lichchavi era (c. 400 to 750), various monasteries and orders were created which successively led to the formation of Newar Buddhism, which is still practiced in the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Sanskrit.
WIKIPEDIA
There is a shadow everyone has heard / At night he turns into a mucking bird / If I whistle in the dark you will do that do / I have met him on the road / A silhouette on a black highway / I said "You can have this world / This world is not my own" / Then he said " You can keep this world / This world is not my home" (M. Ward)
see the original photograph on www.hobokollektiv.net
© Shape of things, Berlin 2014, Florian Fritsch
Anglesey Abbey is a country house, formerly a priory, in the village of Lode, 5 ½ miles (8.8 km) northeast of Cambridge, England. The house and its grounds are owned by the National Trust and are open to the public as part of the Anglesey Abbey, Garden & Lode Mill property, although some parts remain the private home of the Fairhaven family.
The 98 acres (400,000 m²) of landscaped grounds are divided into a number of walks and gardens, with classical statuary, topiary and flowerbeds. The grounds were laid out in an 18th-century style by the estate's last private owner, the 1st Baron Fairhaven, in the 1930s. A large pool, the Quarry Pool, is believed to be the site of a prehistoric coprolite mine. Lode Water Mill, dating from the 18th century was restored to working condition in 1982 and now sells flour to visitors.
The 1st Lord Fairhaven also improved the house and decorated its interior with a valuable collection of furniture, pictures and objets d'art.
The extensive landscaped gardens are popular with visitors throughout the year. The most visited areas include the rose garden and the dahlia garden, which contain many dozens of varieties. Out of season the spring garden and winter dell are famed nationally, particularly in February when the snowdrops first appear. The lawns of the South Park are mown less frequently and this allows the many wildflowers to flower and set seed. Over 50 species of wildflower have been recorded, including Bee Orchid, Twayblade, Pyramidal Orchid and Common spotted orchid. In mid-summer, there are large numbers of butterflies such as Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Small Skippers and Marbled Whites.
Rebkong is located in the Golden Valley of the Rongwu Guchu River in Malho prefecture southeast of Qinghai province, The valley is at about 2600m above sea-level, extends from the north to south, and is surrounded by several mountains. Rebkong is also famous for itâs Tibetan traditional arts and cultural preservation. The there are several large monasteries and villages scattering around the Rongwu town which is home to hundreds of artist. The most well known villages and monasteries are Sanggeshung Yago and Sanggeshung Mago(upper and lower Wutun), Gomar Gompa, Nyamtok village.etc. If you are interested in learning Tibetan culture and Tibetan traditional arts, Rebkong will be one of most recommend region.
Shown here is a photograph from the "Unlocking the Diary" exhibit ,on display from December 3, 2010-March 31, 2011 in the third floor rotunda gallery inside Swem Library at the College of William and Mary.
The diaries in our exhibit span the 19th and 20th centuries, and our discussion of the diary brings us into the present day. Our first case, “What Counts?,” introduces you to the range of forms and styles of the diary. “Life in Transition,” our second case, demonstrates how the diary has been used throughout the life cycle by both women and men. “Through Their Eyes: Diarists in Virginia” looks specifically at diaries written by 19th-century Virginia women and our final case, “DiaTribe,” features diaries written by William & Mary students, from the first years of female enrollment at the College to the present day.
This exhibit was curated by students in Prof. Jennifer Putzi’s “Gender and the American Diary” class (WMST 490/ENGL 475) and the Special Collections Research Center staff. All of the diaries and artifacts featured in the exhibit are from the SCRC collections. Student Curators: Kaitlyn Adkins, Greg Benson, Kimberly Clark, Caitlin Finchum, Greg Glazier, Katelin Hill, Shaunna Jardines, Katherine Perkins, Cassie Adair, Ryan Morris, Kali Murphy, Taysha Pye, Sta’sean Ridley, Casey Sears, and Errin Tom; Exhibit design and installation: Chandi Singer, Burger Archives Assistant.
"What Counts" Case
This case seeks to challenge some of the stereotypes and conventions associated with diaries and diary-keeping, forcing a re-evaluation of ‘what counts’ as a diary. Pre-printed books provide more conventional examples of diaries, with which we might be more comfortable, while a scrapbook, printed texts, an audio recording and the internet as a diary medium comprise some of the less traditional examples of diaries. These alternate forms of diary keeping are just as legitimate as paper diaries, and they challenge the more conservative views of the diary.
Sometimes the seemingly traditional diary is more complicated than it initially appears. The diarist chooses how to use the page. What does it say when there are entries layered on top of one another? Or materials tucked away inside the pages?
This is only a small glimpse into the diversity of what can be considered a diary.
Elizabeth Chaplin Diary, 1862.
Elizabeth Chaplin was an abolitionist and Union supporter from Massachusetts who utilized a predated diary to track everything from weather conditions to the state of the war in 1862.
Elizabeth C. Chaplin Diary Transcription
Sunday, Feb 16, 1862. Ther. 7 above- about 2 in. Friday, February 15, 1861 of light snow fell last night- wind N. Westerly this morning and light- 10 o’clock wind rising clear. P.M. clear and fine but cold- wind moderating.
Monday, Feb 17- Ther. About 1° below- the coldest for the winter as yet. Some cloudy- wind light from W.- Noon- clouds thickening and hazy. Read letter from S.R. Niles- Boston. P.M. by the papers Saturday 16 we have news of the Surrender of the Rebel Fort Donnellsonon Sunday morning with Gen. Johnson and Gen. Buckner and 1500 troops- the Bells here and in So. Reading and Stoneham were rung and much rejoicing was manifested on the occasion. Evg- weather thick with appearance of snow.
Bette Movern Diary, 1947-1948.
Bette Movern’s diary is a typed account of a U.S. Army major’s wife’s travels in post-World War II Europe. It was never published, but her effort to type, format and edit as well as including a larger commentary on political and social issues suggests that she intended for it to be.
Barbara Gabowitz Scrapbook Diary, 1953-1958.
The scrapbook of Barbara Gabowitz documents her time as a teenager in a Jewish summer camp, Camp Tel Hai, in Jamison, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, from 1953-1958. Many of the pages include photos of fellow campers and love letters to and from boyfriends.
Esther Zak Diary, 1977.
Esther Zak lived and wrote in Valparaiso, Indiana from 1973-1994. Her diaries begin when she was 59 years old and end when she was 80. As Zak chronicles her health and wellness, we might look to this diary for insight into how diarists understand and write about age and the aging body.
Esther Zak Diary Transcription
Sunday 9 January10°
1977 9th day – 357 days follow
Leonard went to church this morning. This was the Sunday when our names were among the seven members the Congregation prayed for. Each Sunday they pray for seven families and it takes over three years to include everyone. I’m feeling a little better each day and today I was up for several hours. I washed two loads of our three weeks washing. Ed and Ann visited us in the afternoon. We were glad to see them. It’s pretty lonesome when you’re housebound for three weeks.
From the Special Collections Research Center, Earl Gregg Swem Library at the College of William and Mary. See swem.wm.edu/scrc/ for further information and assistance.
Small ladybug taken with a Canon SX30 IS using a Raynox DCR-250 microscopic lens attached by a Lensmate SX30, SX20, SX10 58mm filter-adapter.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, a type of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).[6] The disease was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, the capital of China's Hubei province, and has since spread globally, resulting in the ongoing 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic.[7][8] Common symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath.[9] Other symptoms may include muscle pain, sputum production, diarrhea, sore throat, loss of smell, and abdominal pain.[4][10][11] While the majority of cases result in mild symptoms, some progress to viral pneumonia and multi-organ failure.[7][12] As of 2 April 2020, more than 998,000[5] cases of COVID-19 have been reported in more than two hundred countries and territories[13], resulting in over 51,300 deaths.[5] More than 208,000 people have recovered.[5]
The virus is spread mainly through close contact and via respiratory droplets produced when people cough or sneeze.[14][15] Respiratory droplets may be produced during breathing but the virus is not generally airborne.[14][16] People may also contract COVID-19 by touching a contaminated surface and then their face.[14][15] It is most contagious when people are symptomatic, although spread may be possible before symptoms appear.[15] The virus can survive on surfaces up to 72 hours.[17] Time from exposure to onset of symptoms is generally between two and fourteen days, with an average of five days.[9][18] The standard method of diagnosis is by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) from a nasopharyngeal swab.[19] The infection can also be diagnosed from a combination of symptoms, risk factors and a chest CT scan showing features of pneumonia.[20][21]
Recommended measures to prevent infection include frequent hand washing, social distancing (maintaining physical distance from others, especially from those with symptoms), covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or inner elbow, and keeping unwashed hands away from the face.[22][23] The use of masks is recommended for those who suspect they have the virus and their caregivers.[24] Recommendations for mask use by the general public vary, with some authorities recommending against their use, some recommending their use, and others requiring their use.[25][26][27] Currently, there is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for COVID-19. Management involves treatment of symptoms, supportive care, isolation, and experimental measures.[28]
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)[29][30] on 30 January 2020, and a pandemic on 11 March 2020.[8] Local transmission of the disease has been recorded in many countries across all six WHO regions.[31]