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ELABORATE RITUAL DISPLAYS,, being performed in early springtime at Stodmarsh N.R in Kent. This Grebe is so elegant and graceful, love its long slender neck and dagger-like bill, It was pure joy seeing these, and made my trip worthwhile.

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THANK YOU for your visit, friendship, and comments. will look forward to seeing and commenting on your latest posting. Hope your weekend is Special, Enjoy, God, bless...

........................Tomx

 

The great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) is a member of the grebe family of water birds noted for its elaborate mating display.

of common columbines / Gewöhnliche Akelei (Aquilegia vulgaris)

in our garden - Frankfurt-Nordend

for a HBW!

"I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree." -- excerpt from Trees by Joyce Kilmer

 

An elaborately branched tree in Kyoto, Japan

With their elaborate headdresses, the crowned pigeons are probably the most beautiful pigeons. They look majestic and impressive - but can also be different as we see in this photo. Deep down inside, they're looking just as sweet as sugar!

  

Please respect my copyright.

Absolutely No use, no reposting at social media ore somewhere else of any of my photos without my expressly permission!

 

And: I don't like Comment-Codes, "awards", or such groups. Because of that, Comment codes, "Awards" and invitations in such groups will be deleted. There is an Explanation at my profile.

So, if you want to say something about my photo, it will be really appreciated, no matter if it's about liking or some constructive criticism. Your own thoughts and words will mean much more to me than a universal-text.

Also please don't post pictures in the commenting-area. You could post them much better in your own photo stream. ;-D

 

Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk. Built by the Bedingfield's in 1482 and their family home until 1952. The Medieval core remains.

 

The hall has 27 elaborate and impressive chimneys, each of an individual design. They are actually Victorian additions to the building.

 

They bacame unsafe and since this image was taken they were all been taken down and extensively rebuilt to their original appearance using 12000 specially hand-made bricks and bonded together with hot lime mortar.

Elaborate stone masonry is a characteristic of the landscape in Hinohara and Okutama municipalities. It is needed to build houses, Shinto(u) shrines, play ground for children, car parking space etc. as the flat land is scarce.

 

This photo was taken at a settlement on the riverside of the Akigawa, a tributary of the Tamagawa.

*** Centro Habana, Cuba ***

 

--- Chevrolet Impala 1959 ---

..."what if everything around you isn't quite what it seems?

what if all the world you think you know is an elaborate dream?

and if you look at your reflection, is that all you want to be?"...

 

Right Where It Belongs

-NIN

 

The elaborate ornate gateway entrance to the small wooden platform. Providing the space to sunbathe and swim from the lakeside of Lake Garda The owner clearly out to make an impression and keep the casual visitor away.

New York City

 

The Vessel is a structure and landmark which was built as part of the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project in Manhattan, New York City, New York. Construction began in April 2017; it opened on March 15, 2019.

Designed by the British architect Thomas Heatherwick, the elaborate honeycomb-like structure rises 16 stories and consists of 154 flights of stairs, 2,500 steps, and 80 landings for visitors to climb. Vessel is the main feature of the 5-acre (2.0 ha) Hudson Yards Public Square.

Elaborate frost shines in the first light of the morning, with delicate branches and elaborate platelets, especially in the lower right. I find photographing frost difficult, as it often has an overwhelming amount of intricate detail. In the right light with some magnification it begins to be manageable, as long as you don't bump into or breathe on your subject.

Created in DDG Text 2 AI filters:

deepdreamgenerator.com/u/isteeves/account

 

Prompt: Flower arrangement, by Jacek Yerka, Naoto Hattori, Catherine Abel, high definition, crisp quality.

 

All art works on this website are fully protected by Canadian and international copyright laws, all rights reserved. The images may not be copied, reproduced, manipulated or used in any way, without written permission from the artist. Link to copyright registration:

www.canada.ca > Intellectual property and copyright

Elaborately carved Zanzibar doors manifest the cultural roots of the Swahili coast in Eastern Africa. The clash of Swahili, Arab, and Indian traditions is most notable in the design of Zanzibar doors. These giant teak masterpieces tell stories of the residents’ social status, religion, and profession.

My Grandfather's initials on his pocket watch.

These elaborate eroded pockets in the Navajo Sandstone wall of the San Rafael River canyon are called tafoni. Their origin is debated among geomorphologists. Possible explanations include the leaching of minerals that cement some parts of the rock making it more resistant to erosion, variation in the velocity of wind currents blowing across the rock, or differential patterns of rock breakdown (weathering) due to temperature variations. This is yet another clear failing of science, despite squandering tens of dollars of taxpayer money on research to study geomorphological processes.

 

Using intuition and creative thinking as guides, I have an alternate explanation which works just as well as “science” to explain these formations. I believe that tafoni are constructed by a species of small humanoid creatures, who etched these pockets into the stone as places to escape the elements. They were contemporaries of the ancient Greeks, and were impressed with the architecture and stonework at Petra, thus producing aesthetically appealing arches such as the ones shown here. Although no remnants of these microhumans remain (they were probably consumed by packrats around 2000 years ago), their excavations (tafoni) can be found throughout the world, a testament to their diligence and perseverance.

are more elaborate than others!

These Victorian windows date from around 1890 and, showing careful maintenance/restoration, are still working in Berkeley/CA.

HWW!

 

See how close it is to a neighbor house! These city lots are so tight!

The elaborate auditorium of the theatre is designed according to the atmospheric style which was popular in movie houses built in the 1920s. This style simulates an outdoor theater-going experience. The Coronado's auditorium walls are decorated with the facades of gilded Spanish and Italian-style buildings, and the ceiling looks like a deep blue sky filled with twinkling stars and floating clouds. The auditorium is full of gilded detail.

WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre.

 

What3Words

///trailers.ripen.grownup

 

The Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata) is a medium-sized perching duck famous for being widely regarded as the world's most beautiful duck.

Vibrant Appearance

Mandarin ducks display striking sexual dimorphism, meaning the males and females look completely different:

The Male (Drake):

Highly elaborate and colourful. It features distinctive orange feathers that stick up like "sails" on its back, a purple chest with white bars, orange cheek plumes, and a bright red-pink beak. After the spring breeding season, the male sheds these feathers (moults) into a dull "eclipse" plumage that looks like the female, though he keeps his bright beak.

The Female (Hen):

Intentionally dull and grey-brown to blend into surroundings. She has a grey head, a prominent white ring around her eye with a stripe trailing behind it, and a mottled underside.

Habitat and Global Distribution

Native Range:

Densely wooded wetlands, shallow lakes, and marshes across East Asia, including China, Japan, Korea, and parts of Russia.

Introduced Populations:

They were brought to the UK as decorative birds for private collections in the 18th century. Escaped birds formed a thriving, naturalised wild population across Great Britain.

Behavior:

Despite their loud colours, mandarins are shy, timid birds that prefer hiding under overhanging willows and tree cover. They have long claws that allow them to perch on tree branches and fly through dense forests with incredible agility.

Diet

Mandarins are omnivorous foragers. They eat a varied diet consisting of:

Aquatic plants and seeds

Acorns and grains

Insects, land snails, and small fish

Tree Nesting and "Leaping" Chicks

Mandarin ducks have a unique and dramatic nesting ritual:

High Nesting:

Females lay a clutch of 9–12 eggs during the spring in natural tree cavities or holes, sometimes up to 9 metres off the ground.

The Leap of Faith:

Shortly after hatching, the mother flies down to the ground and calls to her ducklings.

Safe Landing:

The tiny, uninjured ducklings leap from the high tree cavity. Their light weight and fluffy down feathers cushion the impact, allowing them to bounce unharmed and follow their mother straight to the nearest water.

Cultural Symbolism

In traditional East Asian cultures—particularly in China and Japan—mandarin ducks are revered as a symbol of lifelong fidelity, love, and wedded bliss. Pairs are frequently depicted in oriental art and given as wedding gifts, even though wild ducks generally only pair up for a single breeding season.

  

At the international exhibition "ceramic art London 2022" (Central Saint Martins, Granary Square). Sculpture by Chris Turrell. Chris is based in Liverpool and what interests me in particular is that he moved from figurative and anthropomorphic sculpture to a minimalist and radically abstract approach. Those of us knowing one or two things about prehistoric art will immediately discover that this is the way art developed in ancient times from the palaeolithic to the mesolithic - from elaborate cave wall frescoes showing animals to geometric patterns and dot paintings.

Hello my amazing Flickr friends !!

 

Today is a red day at Color My World Daily and the theme at Macro Monday is anachronism. It is a prefect theme to photograph an old fountain pen, I had for several years. I have no idea where did it come from and I’m pretty much sure no one, in my house, used it for writing… It was used once for pocking holes in eggs shells for a school project my older son forgot to tell me about it and then I had to do it for him, when he was sleeping (he was 7 years old at the time and a very forgetful boy). I hope you will like my picture and lets all acknowledge every parent who had to do a very elaborate last minute (usually due for the next morning) school project for his or hers kid, while the kid in question was sleeping.

 

Mucho, mucho amor for you my friends !! Have a beautiful day !!!

 

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments / favs/ general support / happy thoughts!! Stay safe and well!! And see you soon on Flickr !

Sanatorium Medea / Tskaltubo / Imereti / Georgia

 

The Medea Sanatorium in Tskaltubo, Georgia, is one of the most famous abandoned sites in the former Soviet Union and a striking testament to the Soviet era. The sanatorium was built in the late 1940s or early 1950s in the Stalinist style – characterised by neoclassical façades, columns and elaborate ornamentation, intended to symbolise the wealth and power of the Soviet Union. At that time, Tskaltubo was one of the most renowned health resorts in the USSR, known for its healing springs and the treatment of chronic illnesses. The Medea Sanatorium, with around 330 beds, was reserved exclusively for select guests, mostly Russian visitors, and was considered one of the most magnificent places in the country. Economic difficulties and political upheavals in the early 1990s led to the decline and closure of many sanatoriums in Tskaltubo, including the Medea. Today, the building stands largely empty, but as a ‘lost place’ it attracts visitors interested in history, architecture and its unique atmosphere. The Georgian government is currently planning to sell the sanatoriums to private investors in order to convert them into luxury hotels and re-establish Tskaltubo as a health resort. However, this process is proving complex, and many buildings remain at the mercy of decay for the time being.

 

The descriptive text is generated by AI (Mistral/Le Chat, various sources).

  

Das Sanatorium Medea in Tskaltubo, Georgien, ist einer der bekanntesten Lost Places der ehemaligen Sowjetunion und ein beeindruckendes Zeugnis der sowjetischen Ära. Das Sanatorium wurde in den späten 1940er oder frühen 1950er Jahren im Stil des Stalinismus erbaut – geprägt von neoklassizistischen Fassaden, Säulen und aufwendigen Verzierungen, die den Reichtum und die Macht der Sowjetunion symbolisieren sollten. Tskaltubo war zu dieser Zeit einer der renommiertesten Kurorte der UdSSR, bekannt für seine Heilquellen und die Behandlung von chronischen Krankheiten. Das Medea-Sanatorium, mit rund 330 Betten, war exklusiv ausgewählten Gästen vorbehalten, meist russischen Besuchern, und galt als einer der prächtigsten Orte des Landes. Wirtschaftliche Schwierigkeiten und politische Umbrüche Anfang der 1990er Jahre führten zum Niedergang und zur Aufgabe vieler Sanatorien in Tskaltubo, darunter auch das Medea. Heute steht das Gebäude größtenteils leer, zieht aber als Lost Place Besucher an, die sich für Geschichte, Architektur und die einzigartige Atmosphäre interessieren. Die georgische Regierung plant derzeit, die Sanatorien an private Investoren zu verkaufen, um sie in Luxushotels umzuwandeln und Tskaltubo wieder als Spa-Destination zu etablieren. Allerdings gestaltet sich dieser Prozess als komplex, und viele Gebäude bleiben vorerst dem Verfall preisgegeben.

 

Der beschreibende Text ist KI generiert (Mistral/Le Chat, verschiedene Quellen).

  

Please have a look at my albums:

www.flickr.com/photos/tabliniumcarlson/albums

I met a professor who used elaborate gear to take gigapixel composites of flat concrete surfaces, with texture but without perspective. Intentional wordplay on “concrete” and “abstract”. A how-to book from a local library said the essential challenge in abstraction was division of the plane. This guy I just googled,

thevirtualinstructor.com/blog/abstract-non-objective-art

distinguishes Representational (realistic), Abstract (distorting reality), and Non-Objective (devoid of reality). Maybe Hilla Rebay would agree.

Oxalis triangularis, ten-image focus stack, cropped 16:9.

26 Oct 2021; 11:15 CDT; Velvia +

western spinebill (Acanthorhynchus superciliosus), male

The spinebill feeds on the nectar of tube-like flowers. Yellow pollens can be seen on the base of its bill. It intermittently sticks out its tongue as if it has to practise its art of gathering nectar.

Church windows, also known as stained-glass windows or leaded glass windows, are windows in churches that are often made of colored glass and often depict elaborate motifs or depictions. These windows play an important role in church architecture and have a long tradition dating back to the Middle Ages.

The production of church windows is a complex process that requires both craftsmanship and artistic skill. Stained-glass painting involves various techniques such as cutting and painting the glass, setting it in lead rods, and firing it in a kiln.

 

Church / Window of Bonn Minster, a Catholic church with approximately 1,000-year-old foundations.

 

Thanks for your Visit Views Faves and Comments, have all a Nice Week. 🌞 ✌

  

UNESCO World Heritage Site

 

The elaborately developed roof line. It should be noted that the keep's façade is asymmetrical, with the exception of the Northwest façade, latterly revised, when the two wings were added to the château.

 

www.fluidr.com/photos/8404101/interesting

If you know anything about the spider species here please let me know.

Her work consists of metal boats and an elaborate web of red yarn. Shiota uses boats as a metaphor for the journey between the certainty and uncertainty of existence.

The tangled threads reflect her mental state and human relationships.

 

Haar werk bestaat uit metalen boten en een uitgebreid web van rode wol. Shiota gebruikt boten als een metafoor voor de reis tussen zekerheid en onzekerheid van het bestaan.

De verstrengelde draden weerspiegelen haar mentale toestand en menselijke relaties.

  

Ihr Werk besteht aus Metallbooten und einem kunstvollen Netz aus rotem Garn. Shiota verwendet Boote als Metapher für die Reise zwischen Gewissheit und Ungewissheit des Daseins. Die verschlungenen Fäden spiegeln ihren Seelenzustand und ihre zwischenmenschlichen Beziehungen wider.

 

La sua opera è composta da barche di metallo e da un'elaborata rete di filo rosso. Shiota usa le barche come metafora del viaggio tra la certezza e l'incertezza dell'esistenza.

I fili aggrovigliati riflettono il suo stato mentale e le relazioni umane.

  

IMAG0734

 

Soulis: Elaborate Feelings 1.

of Sala dell'Immacolata in the Vatican, Rome. By Francesco Podesti. Image: Italy 2025_0891

K’hall paused, his gaze steady, waiting for Kayla to elaborate. Adrienne, already anticipating the answer, tensed.

 

“The only way there could be another VDD signal,” Kayla said, locking eyes with K’hall, “is if the person activating the signal is me.”

 

K’hall tilted his head slightly. “My understanding of your kind is limited. Explain how this is possible.”

 

Kayla nodded. “It involves time travel. The reptilians surprised us. I jumped away but Adrienne wasn’t able to jump. I had to go back—back in time to rescue Adrienne from the reptilians. That act triggered a timeline convergence. There was no alternative.”

 

She continued, her voice measured. “When I jumped back, I was already here… there were two of me. I grabbed Adrienne and we leapt into an alternate timeline… then later returned to this one.” She paused, watching K’hall for a reaction. He gave none.

 

“It’s impossible to know where my duplicate went. There was no time to coordinate. The reptilians were closing in. But because of that split, I now exist in two places. That’s the only explanation for the signal you received.”

 

K’hall ran a hand through his hair, absorbing her words in silence.

 

“This travel through time,” he said at last, “is only theoretical to us. We can compress time, but not move through it as you describe.”

 

Kayla offered a faint smile. “It’s more than theory. It’s how I got here—despite originating many ages ago.”

 

K’hall nodded slowly. “Then tell me—how did you detect your companion’s device when she activated it, yet not detect your duplicate’s device?”

 

Kayla replied, “I wouldn’t be able to detect her unless she was in the same timeline—and the same dimension. And I don’t know where she went. There are infinite possibilities.”

 

“Then how do you know your double escaped capture? Did you see her jump?”

 

“No, I didn’t see her jump. There was time and I believe she did. I did so she did too.”

 

“Can I assume she would continue the mission to find the lizard’s nest?” K’hall asked.

 

“Yes. That’s what I would do,” Kayla said. “We’ve been focused on the search. Now that I think about it, I’m very concerned I haven’t picked up her signal. If she’s still pursuing the mission, she should be in this timeline.”

 

K’hall’s expression darkened. “This is deeply concerning if true. We have no proof she has not been captured. It is imperative that we locate her.”

 

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You can view Quantum Fold episodes in order from the beginning in her album titled, Quantum Fold:

 

www.flickr.com/photos/199076397@N02/albums/72177720326169...

 

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This is an A.I. image generated using my SL avi.

 

I hope my pictures make you smile ♥

 

If you like what you see, please toss me a fav and follow me. I love seeing your comments. They make my day and keep me motivated!

 

I love my followers. You guys totally ROCK! ♥♥

 

And if you're taking time to read this you are SO awesome!!! Thank you!!!! ♥♥♥

 

Here's a link to my other Flickr photos/ images:

 

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A beautiful, elaborately carved treasure, housed in the British Museum, London, UK

Koke'e State Park, Kauai, Hawaii

 

You are aware of chickens on Kauai from 3:30 a.m. until darkness falls, every day. Especially the roosters.

© 2015 Daniela Duncan, All Rights Reserved.

This rather elaborately carved and painted bench has sat outside an antique store in Bernalillo for as long as I can

remember. Perhaps some day someone will buy and restore it just a little and make it a feature in their home or garden.

 

One of the old cottages in the open-air-museum in Radom :)

 

The Museum of the Radom Village was established in the 1970s and is located about 8 km. south-west of the center of Radom. Currently, the open-air museum covers an area of 32.5 hectares, on which 80 objects of former rural construction (cottages, mansions, churches, farm buildings, blacksmiths, windmills and water mills) are put together. In the museum we have several zones (complexes of objects). Among them, there is a rural complex, which includes, among others farms, barn, pottery kiln or fire station. There is also the manor complex with several mansions, a chapel, a forge and a chicken coop. You can also visit the church complex and the windmill. The Museum of the Radom Village collects, scientifically elaborates and preserves the objects of folk architecture and everyday objects characteristic of the region. The museum prepares permanent and temporary exhibitions for visitors. Permanent exhibitions present the interiors of rural buildings equipped with items used by the inhabitants of the village. One of exhibitions concerns agricultural machinery and presents a variety of agricultural equipment and a huge number of different tractors and other exhibition is devoted to beekeeping. There you will find a variety of hives and tools used in apiaries. The interior design and surroundings of historic buildings change with the rhythm of church holidays, field works and the seasons of the year.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Jedna z chat w skansenie w Radomiu :)

 

Muzeum Wsi Radomskiej powstało w latach 70-tych XX wieku i zlokalizowane jest ok. 8 km. na południowy-zachód od centrum Radomia. Obecnie skansen zajmuje obszar o powierzchni 32,5 ha, na którym zestawiono 80 obiektów dawnego budownictwa wiejskiego (chałupy, dwory, kościół, budynki gospodarcze, kuźnie, wiatraki i młyny wodne). W muzeum jest kilka stref (zespołów obiektów). Wśród nich znajduje się zespół wiejski, w którego skład wchodzą m.in. zagrody, stodoła, piec garncarski czy remiza. Jest też zespół dworski, w którym znajduje się kilka dworów, kaplica, kuźnia oraz kurnik, jak również zespół sakralny oraz wiatrakowy. Muzeum Wsi Radomskiej gromadzi, opracowuje naukowo i konserwuje charakterystyczne dla regionu obiekty architektury ludowej oraz przedmioty codziennego użytku. Muzeum przygotowuje dla zwiedzających wystawy stałe i czasowe. Ekspozycje stałe prezentują wnętrza wiejskich budynków wyposażone w przedmioty używane przez mieszkańców wsi. Jedna z wystaw dotyczy maszyn rolniczych i prezentowane są na niej różnorodne urządzenia do pracy na roli i ogromna ilość różnych traktorów, zaś inna wystawa poświęcona jest pszczelarstwu. Znajdują się tam różnorodne ule i narzędzia używane w pasiekach. Wystrój wnętrz i otoczenie zabytkowych budynków zmienia się wraz z rytmem świąt kościelnych, prac polowych oraz pór roku.

Beautiful Manderin Duck who has not yet got his full elaborate plumage . Yorkshire. England.

I have to elaborate a bit on the story behind this picture, but the situation I experienced on location was just too bizarre to not mention it here:

 

After an unsuccessful morning shoot at Lake Gerold, I was already on my way back when I received a message from Richard (a local photographer friend): I should take a look at the little village of Wamberg on the way, which offers a great photo motif with the village church in front of the Zugspitze.

 

Coming from the B2 (E533), the quite narrow road leads directly to the village (as seen here), which seemed completely quiet, almost deserted, when I arrived.

For lack of a better alternative, I parked my car somewhat unorthodoxly on a steep dirt road. If, contrary to expectations, someone had had to pass by there, I would have been in the immediate vicinity and could have moved the car - but apparently such a scenario was not to be expected.

But if you don't reckon with Bavarian beasts, you reckon wrong!

 

I was not yet 50 steps away from the car when a tractor coming from the village approached, honking loudly. It was obvious that this cacophony was dedicated to me and my awkwardly parked car, so I instantly came back to move the car.

Surprisingly, the farmer did not honour my return in any way, but stopped - continuing to make noise - at full speed towards me, capping his wild ride with an official full stop right at my feet. In the face of this dangerous kamikaze action, I abruptly lost my composure and in a split second turned from a peaceful photographer into a battle-ready hulk.

However, an elderly, quite small farmer jumped red-headed from the tractor, approached me with raised fists and started to insult me with a heavy Bavarian dialect (including „“SAKRAKRUZIFIX!“, „“SCHLEICH DI!“, “WIE SIAHST ÜBERHOAPT OAS MIT DEI HAARE?“) of which I, as a Westphalian, only understood the fragments reproduced here.

My anger quickly dissipated at the sight of Rumpelstiltskin foaming with rage, swearing in Bavarian and swinging his fists - and unpleasantly gave way to a kind of amusement.

The fact that I was so unimpressed by his behaviour apparently irritated the farmer so much that short breaks came up in his hate speech, and at some point I was able to mention I would gladly clear the way - if only he would let me.

Accompanied by wild imprecations, I moved the car and the farmer roared past with his tractor.

 

While I photographed Wamberg afterwards, Rumpelstiltskin went about his day's work, passing my car several times, which was parked on a slope in the meantime. Each time I squinted anxiously, expecting the farmer to push the car with his tractor into the ravine - but it remained peaceful.

 

In the afternoon I met with Richard and told him about the incident. Apparently, the farmer's frustration was caused by the big problems with the many tourists who spent their 2020 holidays in Bavaria due to the Corona pandemic. Moreover, Wamberg is probably no longer an insider tip, but has long been discovered by the Instagram community - with all the accompanying problems of over-tourism.

So in retrospect, the farmer's anger seems quite understandable to me. In the end, nothing happened, except that I came home that day with a nice picture and a - hopefully entertaining - story.

 

Kind regards,

Marcus

 

By the way: This is image number 500 I have uploaded to Flickr, but since I like my photostream small and tidy, most of my images go to the non-public area after some time …

  

—————————————————

Copyright: bilderschmied.com

Website: bilderschmied.com

Shop: shop.bilderschmied.com

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The elaborate entrance to the British Colonial Building at No 49 Yonge St in Toronto Canada.

 

The first branch of The Bank of British North America in Toronto was built in 1845 at the northeast corner of Yonge and Wellington Sts. The current building, designed by architect Henry Langley, replaced the original in 1875. The main entrance to the building was initially on Wellington Street, but in the early 1900's as Yonge Street emerged as the city’s main thoroughfare, the doorway was relocated to it's present location in 1903.

 

Original photography using a Canon EOS T1i body with a Canon EF-S 17-85mm f4-5.6 IS USM lens and Silver EFEX Pro as a Lightroom plugin for the Black and White conversion.

  

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We found this tiny little church by chance while travelling in Herefordshire. I think it can add a certain magic when coming across somewhere you didn’t plan on visiting. This was certainly one of those occasions, a very lucky find indeed.

 

I’m going to use a full description taken from Great English Churches (see link below.)

 

Dedication : St Mary & St David

Described by Simon Jenkins. Principal Features : Extraordinarily complete and decorative Norman church.

 

Amongst students of church architecture few churches are as well-known as Kilpeck. To the public, few places could be more obscure!

 

If any church deserves the word “extraordinary” it is Kilpeck. Once adjacent to a Benedictine monastery, it dates from about 1140AD and is little changed since. Kilpeck was gifted to the splendidly-named William fitz Norman after the Conquest and the church as we know it was commissioned by his son, Hugh. It dates from comparatively late in the Norman period and yet it is awash with the most elaborate carvings, many of a distinctly un-christian nature. Celtic, Scandinavian, Anglo-Saxon and pagan imagery vies with Christian iconography in a riot of dragons, warriors, monsters and animals. What Hugh intended the parishioners to learn from these images we can only speculate, but we can detect everywhere imagery of life, death and re-birth.

 

Kilpeck was built by the “Herefordshire School” of masons and we know that they were influenced by the churches of South-West France and the pilgrimage destination of The Cathedral of St James at Santiago de Compostella in Northern Spain; but none of this accounts for the imagery of Kilpeck. The excellent church booklet speculates that Hugh may have returned from the First Crusade in 1096 with holy relics that needed a suitable church to house them.

 

The church is a three-cell affair of nave, chancel and apse. The apse ceiling is an early example of stone vaulting with decorated ribs and a stone roof boss.

 

The doorway arch has three orders of decoration : a chevron moulding, followed by Norman beakheads and a third order that includes some astrological symbols. This third order is not supported by the door pillars so it is was probably added a little later.

 

The incredible left door jamb. The two warrior figures are known as the “Welsh Warriors” but their origin is in fact unknown. We see a lance in the hands of the upper warrior and a double-handed sword in the one below. These serpents slither up the pillar, and tumble down on the right hand pillar.

 

The right hand door jamb has less dramatic carvings on the inner side, although there are two birds near the floor. The outer order, however, seems to be a similar riot of entwined serpents to its left hand counterpart.

 

There is more info. See below.

  

www.greatenglishchurches.co.uk/html/kilpeck.html free

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