St Margaret, Stoven, Suffolk

Here's a good storyline for The X-Files. In the second half of the 19th century, a group of aliens decides to take over the Earth. Sensing the authority of the Church of England, they decide to use this institution to disguise themselves. They will build apparently medieval churches to use as cover for their headquarters on the planet they hope to conquer. One alien finds a book of medieval architectural styles. Norman looks nice. They decide to build Norman parish churches so that the populace will think they are Vicars and choirboys, not aliens.

Of course, it all goes hopelessly wrong. By choosing the Norman style they have blown their cover wide open. They can just about get away with the doorways. But the collonaded windows begin to raise suspicion, and once you get inside the churches it is all pretty hopeless - the Norman stone pulpits, Norman stone lecterns, Norman pews, they are all sad and laughable. The aliens are exposed, and sent packing.

19th century restorations in the Norman style are almost uniformly horrible. By the early years of that century, many of Suffolk's churches were in a poor state, but to rebuild some of them in the Norman style was a dreadful mistake, and nowhere in Suffolk was the mid-century rebuilding as comprehensive as here at Stoven. Nothing looks less organic than a mock-Norman building. Here, the fine Norman south door has been used as an inspiration for the rest of the building, as if a new body had been cloned from a single cell.

At first sight, it isn't so bad. The graveyard on the north side is delightful, full of mature trees and 18th century headstones. The shape of the building is good, especially with the sun behind. It is only on approaching that the details make themselves known, and there seems to be no relationship between the styling and the proportions. And where did that tower come from? But there is a heart-warming story here that is worth telling.

In April 1987, this tiny parish was presented with a horrific £200,000 bill for repairs. The Diocesan architect, aware that this was an impossible demand, recommended that the church be partially demolished, enabling the parish to continue using a smaller, fitter building. Funding bodies and charities like English Heritage were unable to help, since the building was only listed at Grade II, and wasn't considered important enough for injections of cash.

Not surprisingly, the Parish Council decided instead to opt for making the building redundant. That way, they could move in with neighbouring Brampton, while the Redundant Churches Fund took over the headache of paying for repairs. The building would be lost to CofE liturgical use, but would be retained as a village landmark, and could also be used for community purposes.

The church was declared redundant in January 1989. However, there was bad news ahead. The Redundant Churches Fund decided that the 1854 rebuilding had been so drastic that they could not justify taking St Margaret on. Simply, there was just not enough medieval structure left to justify the expense. The Parish Council asked the Fund to think again. They did, and came to the same conclusion. So St Margaret was put up for sale by the Diocese, pending planning permission for residential or commercial use.

Unfortunately, nobody wanted to buy it. This should really come as no surprise, since few people would be prepared to splash out a six figure sum just to make a structure sound, before even thinking of converting it. The majority of churches sold off during the great wave of redundancies ten years earlier had mostly been in good condition. And now things got desperate, because included in the legislation that governs church redundancies is the clause that, if no no use has been found for a Grade II building within three years, it must be demolished.

Those three years went by, probably rather quickly in the eyes of the former Parish Council, and in May 1992 the Church Commissioners prepared the draft order for the demolition of St Margaret, Stoven.

This must have been a depressing time for villagers. They were presented with something of a fait accompli, but in any event a public meeting was held to discuss it, and representatives of national bodies like English Heritage and the Redundant Churches Fund attended. It was agreed that if there was any way forward it was through a thorough architectural examination of the church building.

Well, you may be able to guess what happened. It didn't take long to discover that to all intents and purposes this was a medieval building - rather than being demolished, the former church had been covered with a Norman skin. You can see this for yourself; the plaster has been removed in places on the south side, exposing the outline of the medieval window splays beneath.

As a consequence of this, the listed building status was raised by the Department of the Environment to Grade II*, and suddenly things looked a little brighter. In the short term, the new status qualified the building for English Heritage grant aid, and in the longer term the parish decided to refer matters back to the Redundant Churches Fund, which in the meantime had morphed into the Churches Conservation Trust.

And then something extraordinary happened. The survey for the newly-funded repair work showed that the total cost would be about £60,000, less than a third of the figure quoted six years earlier! You have to wonder quite how such a disparity occured, and if events would have been so traumatic if the revised figure had been quoted to the parish at the time. Suddenly, it seemed as if Stoven parish might be able to cope after all. At Easter 1996 the church opened for business again. The Redundancy order was rescinded, and a new Parish Council convened.

Since that time, work has continued on restoring St Margaret to former glories. And as an act of faith the door is open to visitors every day.

So you step in to an interior that is more pleasing than you have been led to expect, and not wholly mock-Norman in style at all. The chancel arch is more restrained than some 19th century confections, the east end of the chancel is elegant, the tiling polite and the benches plain and fitting. A bit of redecoration is needed, but there's the makings of a building seemly and fitting for Anglican worship here. Indeed, those aliens might have got away with it. They leafed through the book to the Early English section for the font and the pulpit, both of which are more imaginative than many in the style, and most people nowadays would find the intimacy of this narrow building more attractive than the usual wide-open spaces so beloved of the Victorians.

The people of Stoven must feel a sense of relief that they still have a parish church in the village, but the real irony is that it isn't how original the building is that matters at all. The Victorians restored in medieval styles to create a false sense of continuity, but the continuity is always there anyway. It lies not in the bricks and mortar but in the people of the parish who have used St Margaret as their touchstone down the long generations, both as Catholics before the Reformation and as Anglicans afterwards. Outside St Margaret, some of those people still lie in the ground.

Cardinal Newman defined tradition as the unending, slow process of development, and buildings like churches should always be changing to suit the communities that use them. Our understanding of God, the Universe and everything changes and develops from one generation to the next, and this will inevitably be reflected in the buildings in which we worship. If that sometimes involves razing them to the ground and then starting again, then so be it.

Italien / Toskana - San Gimignano

Porta San Matteo

San Gimignano (Italian pronunciation: [san dʒimiɲˈɲaːno]) is a small walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, north-central Italy. Known as the Town of Fine Towers, San Gimignano is famous for its medieval architecture, unique in the preservation of about a dozen of its tower houses, which, with its hilltop setting and encircling walls, form "an unforgettable skyline". Within the walls, the well-preserved buildings include notable examples of both Romanesque and Gothic architecture, with outstanding examples of secular buildings as well as churches. The Palazzo Comunale, the Collegiate Church and Church of Sant' Agostino contain frescos, including cycles dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. The "Historic Centre of San Gimignano" is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town also is known for saffron, the Golden Ham, pecorino cheese and its white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, produced from the ancient variety of Vernaccia grape which is grown on the sandstone hillsides of the area.

Territory

The municipality of San Gimignano extends for 138 km² and is located on a hill in Val d'Elsa. The altitude difference is between a minimum of 64 meters a.s.l. in the plain of the river Elsa near Certaldo at a maximum of 631 meters in the area of Cornocchio.

History

In the 3rd century BC a small Etruscan village stood on the site of San Gimignano. Chroniclers Lupi, Coppi and Pecori relate that during the Catiline conspiracy against the Roman Republic in the 1st century, two patrician brothers, Muzio and Silvio, fled Rome for Valdelsa and built two castles, Mucchio and Silvia (now San Gimignano). The name of Silvia was changed to San Gimignano in 450 AD after Bishop Geminianus, the Saint of Modena, intervened to spare the castle from destruction by the followers of Attila the Hun. As a result, a church was dedicated to the saint, and in the 6th and 7th centuries a walled village grew up around it, subsequently called the "Castle of San Gimignano" or Castle of the Forest because of the extensive woodland surrounding it. From 929 the town was ruled by the bishops of Volterra.

In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance era, it was a stopping point for Catholic pilgrims on their way to Rome and the Vatican, as it sits on the medieval Via Francigena. The city's development was also improved by the trade of agricultural products from the fertile neighbouring hills, in particular saffron, used in both cooking and dyeing cloth and Vernaccia wine, said to inspire popes and poets.

In 1199, the city made itself independent of the bishops of Volterra and established a podestà, and set about enriching the commune with churches and public buildings. However, the peace of the town was disturbed for the next two centuries by conflict between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines, and family rivalries within San Gimignano. This resulted in competing families building tower houses of increasingly greater heights. Towards the end of the Medieval period, there were 72 tower houses in number, up to 70 metres (230 feet) tall. The rivalry was finally restrained when the local council ordained that no tower was to be taller than that adjacent to the Palazzo Comunale.

While the official patron is Saint Geminianus, the town also honours Saint Fina, known also as Seraphina and Serafina, who was born in San Gimignano 1238 and whose feast day is 12 March. The Chapel of Santa Fina in the Collegiate Church houses her shrine and frescos by Ghirlandaio. The house said to be her home still stands in the town.

On 8 May 1300, San Gimignano hosted Dante Alighieri in his role as ambassador of the Guelph League in Tuscany.

The city flourished until 1348, when it was struck by the Black Death that affected all of Europe, and about half the townsfolk died. The town submitted to the rule of Florence. Initially, some Gothic palazzi were built in the Florentine style, and many of the towers were reduced to the height of the houses. There was little subsequent development, and San Gimignano remained preserved in its medieval state until the 19th century, when its status as a touristic and artistic resort began to be recognised.

Description

The city is on the ridge of a hill with its main axis being north/south. It is encircled by three walls and has at its highest point, to the west, the ruins of a fortress dismantled in the 16th century. There are eight entrances into the city, set into the second wall, which dates from the 12th and 13th centuries. The main gates are Porta San Giovanni on the ridge extending south, Porta San Matteo to the north west and Porta S. Jacopo to the north east. The main streets are Via San Matteo and Via San Giovanni, which cross the city from north to south. At the heart of the town are four squares: the Piazza Duomo, on which stands the Collegiate Church; the Piazza della Cisterna, the Piazza Pecori and the Piazza delle Erbe. To the north of the town is another significant square, Piazza Agostino, on which stands the Church of Sant' Agostino. The locations of the Collegiate Church and Sant' Agostino's and their piazzas effectively divide the town into two regions.

Main sights

The town of San Gimignano has many examples of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. As well as churches and medieval fortifications, there are examples of Romanesque secular and domestic architecture which may be distinguished from each other by their round and pointed arches, respectively. A particular feature which is typical of the region of Siena is that the arches of openings are depressed, with doorways often having a second low arch set beneath a semi-circular or pointed arch. Both Romanesque and Gothic windows sometimes have a bifurcate form, with two openings divided by a stone mullion under a single arch.

Culture

San Gimignano is the birthplace of the poet Folgore da San Gimignano (1270–1332).

A fictionalised version of San Gimignano is featured in E. M. Forster's 1905 novel, Where Angels Fear to Tread as Monteriano.

M. C. Escher's 1923 woodcut San Gimignano depicts the celebrated towers.

Franco Zeffirelli used San Gimignano as a stand-in for the town of Assisi in his 1972 Saint Francis of Assisi biopic Brother Sun, Sister Moon. Most of the "Assisi" scenes were filmed here

Tea with Mussolini, a 1999 drama about the plight of English and American expatriate women in Italy during World War II, was filmed in part in San Gimignano. The frescoes that the women save from being destroyed during the German Army's withdrawal are inside the Duomo, the town's main church. The account of this episode is, to a large extent, fictional, because, although there are reports of intended retribution against the town, there is no evidence of a plan to destroy the churches. However, the reference to risk of cultural destruction is historic, as the Allies bombed the area for ten days.

In the 2005 novel The Broker by John Grisham, Joel Backman takes his second of three wives on vacation in Italy to keep her from divorcing him. They rent a 14th-century monastery near San Gimignano for a month.

A 15th-century version of the town is featured in the 2009 video game Assassin's Creed II.

(Wikpedia)

Piazza della Cisterna is a piazza in San Gimignano, Italy. It has a triangular shape with a slight natural slope and is connected to the nearby Piazza del Duomo by an open passage. The pavement is brick and the piazza is surrounded by houses and medieval towers. There are presently 5 towers onto the square or very near it and the bases of other five are visible on the facade of the various palaces, plus one, the Ridolfi tower, which is no longer in existence having collapsed in 1646 onto the family palace, thus making this relatively small area a concentrate of medieval architecture. In the south-west corner, the piazza meets the Arc of Becci, (l'arco dei Becci), an ancient city gate. The arc is flanked by the massive rectangular towers of Becci (torri dei Becci) on the left and Cugnanesi (torri dei Cugnanesi) on the right.

Past the access to via di Castello, which led down to the original Bishop’s castle, the northern side is characterized by the renaissance Cortesi Palace, which includes la torre del Diavolo, and extends along the north side of the square including the old houses of the Cattani family. There remains of two pre-existing towers are clearly visible onto the facade of the Cortesi Palace.

The west side is adorned with various towers, like the twin towers of Ardinghelli and the tower of palazzo Pellari visible over the roofs.

History

The piazza is located at the intersection of two main streets of the village of San Gimignano: la via Francigena that run north to south and la via Pisa - [[Siena]that runs east to west]. The piazza was used as a market and a stage for festivals and tournaments. Originally the area was divided in two squares by the palace and tall tower of the Ridolfi family, the Piazza dell’ Olmo in the inferior and western part and the Piazza delle Taverne in the eastern side and with the cisterna in the middle. In 1646 the tall Ridolfi tower suddenly collapsed, destroying the palace and thus the two squares were merged into one, the Piazza della Cisterna.

The piazza is named after the underground cistern (Cisterna) built in 1287. The cistern is capped by a travertine octagonal pedestal, which was built in 1346 under the mayor Guccio Malavolti whose coat of arms with the ladder is carved onto the stones, and is close to the center of the square.

(Wikipedia)

San Gimignano ist eine italienische Kleinstadt in der Toskana mit einem mittelalterlichen Stadtkern. San Gimignano wird auch „Mittelalterliches Manhattan“ oder die „Stadt der Türme“ genannt. Die Stadt liegt in der Provinz Siena und hat 7717 Einwohner (Stand 31. Dezember 2019). Sie gehört neben Florenz, Siena und Pisa zu den von Touristen meistbesuchten Zielen in der Toskana.

Allgemeines

Der historische Stadtkern ist seit dem Jahr 1990 Teil des Weltkulturerbes der UNESCO. San Gimignano besitzt noch einige der mittelalterlichen Geschlechtertürme, die in anderen Städten nur als Stümpfe erhalten blieben. Im Mittelalter versuchten die Patrizierfamilien, sich in der Höhe ihres Geschlechterturmes zu übertreffen, obwohl ein luxuriöses Leben darin nicht möglich war. Von den einst 72 Geschlechtertürmen existieren in San Gimignano heute noch 15. Die beiden höchsten, der Torre Grossa aus dem Jahr 1311 und der Torre della Rognosa, weisen eine Höhe von 54 bzw. 51 Metern auf. Die Zisterne auf der Piazza della Cisterna entstand 1287 und wurde 1346 durch den Podestà Guccio Malavolti erweitert.

Geografie

Die Stadt liegt ca. 40 km südwestlich der Regionalhauptstadt Florenz und ca. 28 km nordwestlich der Provinzhauptstadt Siena an der Via Francigena und im Elsatal. San Gimignano liegt in der klimatischen Einordnung italienischer Gemeinden in der Zone D, 2 085 GR/G.

Zu den Ortsteilen gehören Badia a Elmi (94 m, gehört teilweise zu Certaldo), Castel San Gimignano (377 m, gehört teilweise zu Colle di Val d’Elsa), Pancole (272 m), Santa Lucia (268 m) und Ulignano. Weitere wichtige Orte im Gemeindegebiet sind Montauto (277 m), Monteoliveto (275 m) Ranza und San Donato (357 m). Größter Ortsteil ist Ulignano mit ca. 690 Einwohnern.

Die wichtigsten Flüsse im Gemeindegebiet sind der Elsa (4 von 81 km im Gemeindegebiet) sowie die Torrenti Foci (4 von 15 km im Gemeindegebiet) und Riguardi (7 von 7 km im Gemeindegebiet).

Die Nachbargemeinden sind Barberino Tavarnelle (FI), Certaldo (FI), Colle di Val d’Elsa, Gambassi Terme (FI), Poggibonsi und Volterra (PI).

Geschichte

San Gimignano soll bereits um 300 bis 200 v. Chr. von den Etruskern besiedelt worden sein. Erstmals dokumentiert wurde der Ort 929. Den Namen erhielt die Stadt von dem heiligen Bischof von Modena, San Gimignano. Es heißt, er habe das Dorf vor den barbarischen Horden des Totila geschützt.

Diese Stadt verdankt ihre Existenz der Via Francigena (Frankenstraße). Auf diesem Hauptverkehrsweg des mittelalterlichen Italiens zogen Händler und Pilger vom Norden nach Rom. Der Ort bildete sich als Marktstätte zwischen dem frühmittelalterlichen Castello und der Pieve, dem Vorgängerbau der Collegiata. Ein erster Stadtmauerring wurde im 10. Jahrhundert angelegt. Dessen Verlauf markieren zwei noch erhaltene Stadttore, im Norden der Arco della Cancelleria und im Süden der Arco dei Becci.

Vom 11. Jahrhundert an dehnte sich das Stadtgebiet entlang der Frankenstraße in nördlicher und südlicher Richtung aus. An die Existenz des früheren Castello erinnern die Via di Castello, eine der ältesten Straßen, und die Kirche von San Lorenzo, die bei der Zugbrücke lag. Mindestens seit dem Jahr 929 gehörte das Kastell den Bischöfen von Volterra. Diese Bischöfe waren es auch, die die Herrschaft über die sich ausdehnende Stadt ausübten. Erst 1199 gelang es den von den Bürgern gewählten Konsuln, Verträge ohne die Zustimmung des Bischofs zu unterzeichnen. San Gimignano war nie Bischofssitz, sondern gehörte zum kirchlichen Verwaltungsbezirk (Diözese) Volterra und erlangte somit auch keine Stadtrechte. Trotzdem verlief die politische Entwicklung der Landkommune in ähnlichen Schritten wie die der großen Städte. Die Regierung der Konsuln wurde durch den Podestà (einem gewählten Administrator) abgelöst. Diesem standen ein kleiner und ein großer Rat zur Seite. Dem großen Rat gehörte eine bemerkenswert hohe Zahl von 1200 Mitgliedern an, obwohl San Gimignano nur 6000 Einwohner hatte.

Die freie Kommune stritt bis ins 14. Jahrhundert mit den Bischöfen von Volterra in langjährigen Kriegen um Besitzrechte. Sie musste gegen die Nachbarorte Castelfiorentino, gegen Colle und Poggibonsi zu Felde ziehen und nahm auf der Seite des guelfischen Florenz an den großen Machtkämpfen des 13. Jahrhunderts teil. Auch innerhalb der Stadtmauern setzten sich die Kämpfe zwischen Guelfen (Welfen) und Ghibellinen (Waiblinger) fort. Es kam zu blutigen Familienfehden zwischen den Familien der Salvucci (Ghibellinen) und der Ardinghelli (Guelfen).

Ab Mai 1300 hielt sich Dante Alighieri in diplomatischer Mission in San Gimignano auf. Vom 15. Juni bis 15. August 1300 amtierte er als eines von sechs Mitgliedern des Priorats, des höchsten Gremiums der Stadt. Im Jahre 1319 versuchte er in seiner Funktion als führender Florentiner Politiker vergeblich, die verfeindeten Parteien zu versöhnen. Eine Kommune wie San Gimignano konnte sich im 14. Jahrhundert nicht mehr neben den Großmächten behaupten. Im Jahre 1348 wurde die Stadt neben Kriegsverlusten und Familienfehden durch die Pest stark geschwächt. Vier Jahre später, im Jahre 1352, begab sich die Stadt unter den Schutz von Florenz.

Die Blütezeit der Stadt dauerte 160 Jahre an, ihr Wohlstand beruhte auf Handel und dem Anbau von Safran, mit dem man Seidenstoffe färbte. Die Frankenstraße verlor im Spätmittelalter allmählich an Bedeutung, weil der Handel die bequemeren Wege durch die weitgehend trockengelegten Sümpfe der Ebenen vorzog. Die Stadt, die einst Gesetze gegen übertriebenen Luxus erlassen hatte, verarmte.

Hochrenaissance (ca. 1500 bis 1530) und Barock (1575 bis 1770) hinterließen in San Gimignano so gut wie keine Spuren. Die Stadt war niemals ein eigenständiges Kunstzentrum. Künstler aus Siena und Florenz malten die Fresken und Altartafeln. Die Paläste und Kirchen zeigen pisanische, sienesische, lucchesische und florentinische Stilmerkmale. In San Gimignano ist die Zeit scheinbar im Jahr 1563 stehengeblieben. Der erste der toskanischen Großherzöge, Cosimo I. de’ Medici, entschied, es dürfen „auch keine geringen Summen“ mehr in diese Stadt investiert werden. Das musste akzeptiert werden, und so ist San Gimignano geblieben, wie es damals war.

(Wikipedia)

A familiar landmark in north Birmingham, Aston's parish church of SS Peter & Paul is also the most substantial piece of medieval architecture left anywhere near the city centre, or rather would have been had it not been so completely rebuilt in 1879-90 by J.A.Chatwin (whose work seems synonymous with Birmingham's older churches!), leaving just the 14th century west tower (with it's curiously designed upper stage, adorned with deeply recessed blank arcading) and spire. It is nonetheless a splendid sight in this otherwise not too glamourous area, and Chatwin's work is a solid exercise in neo-Perpendicular, adorned with much fine carved detail and an apse reminiscent of old St Michael's in Coventry.

The interior is most impressive, somewhat dark but richly decorated, with a mixed bag of Victorian glass (Hardman's in the apse, where I was shown the pink giraffe!) and very much of it's time, all under a fine hammerbeam roof, more elaborate over the chancel, as is the stonework generally with dramatic cusped ogee arches providing a setting for some of the many tombs. There are several good medieval monuments with effigies, mostly to the Holte family and the bulk concentrated in the Erdington Chapel on the south side. None are of the highest quality or best condition, but a worthy collection nevertheless. The largest monument is the 1620s Devereux tomb with it's canopy but rather difficult to see in it's somewhat blackened state in a dark corner. There are also many Baroque and later wall tablets adorned with putti etc distributed throughout the aisles.

What would have been the most important piece of stained glass is currently stored in a crate in the north aisle, it is a large single-arched composition by Francis Eginton from 1798 with a female figure ascending to Heaven. It had been originally installed in the Erdington Chapel, but relocated in the Victorian rebuilding and hidden behind the organ for years, until more recently being removed following vandal damage. The church has no funds to restore it with and no space to put it in, but it is clearly an important work that needs to be back on display somewhere, perhaps the City Museum & Art Gallery, since they have an extensive stained glass display?

I'd been intending to visit this church for some time, but had heard it was rather difficult to get inside. I'd phoned the parish office before I left home and a very helpful young lady answered and said it'd be no problem whilst she was around (till 12ish) so I broke my journey to Erdington and made the shortish walk from Aston railway station. After struggling to find which door to knock on she emerged and kindly escorted me through the offices into the church, and after a brief introduction left me to snap away by myself. I'm afraid I got a bit carried away and when nobody arrived at 12 to lock up I pushed my luck and carried on a bit longer, only to find the poor girl was waiting patiently around the corner! I apologised and should add how grateful we should be to such individuals who generously give their time for our enjoyment of the buildings in their care.

St Mary's at Wetherden is one of my favourite churches in central Suffolk, one that made a strong impression on my first childhood visit in the early 1980s. I'd been back since more recently with my aunt who often plays the organ here but it was a flying visit and the few photos I had to show for it were not worthy of the place, so arriving back here on a sunny May afternoon seemed like the perfect time to rectify this.

This church makes a good impression as one approaches from the east, it is a substantial building and handsomely decorated. At the churchyard gates the sturdy west tower greets the visitor framed by trees which makes a real visual impact, especially when basking in the sun as it was on this occasion (both my previous trips had been in more overcast conditions). The entrance is on the south side via a porch embedded in the south aisle rather than projecting from it.

My biggest memories of the interior were the astonishing late medieval roofs of the nave and south aisle. The nave roof is a particularly fine example of the double-hammerbeam variety and populated with over forty carved figures of saints who peer down from little niches carved into the posts (twice as many as one normally finds in such structures). Originally they all would have risen from carved angels, alas long since lost to puritan iconoclasts in the Post Reformation period, what an effect they must have had when the roof was complete (and likely coloured too). Only the little saints survived, and they too were systematically defaced but this damage is less obvious now thanks to their sensitive restoration by Victorian carvers who replaced lost faces and hands to restore something of their original effect. The flatter aisle roof is adorned with arched braces and is again adorned with angels (also Victorian restorations).

What will delight most visitors even more however are the series of animal carvings adorning the nave pews (around fifty altogether). Some of these are genuine medieval work (towards the rear on the north side) but the majority are spirited Victorian recreations and no less enjoyable despite their lack of antiquity, the carver having beautifully captured the medieval spirit and thus both groups of carvings form a lovely set.

The chancel beyond is rather dark with Victorian glass, somewhat gloomy after the brightness of the nave and aisle, but there are good fragments of medieval glass to be found collected in the traceries of the east window. Originally there was an extensive scheme of pictorial glazing in this church and there is an account of notorious state-sponsored puritan iconoclast William Dowsing ordering the destruction of around 160 'superstitious pictures (in glass) along with the 68 angels now absent from the nave roof. Much of the destroyed glass would have been endowed by the local Sulyard family who remained recusant following the Reformation, a late 16th century monument of theirs in the south aisle clearly also had to endure the iconoclasts's wrath.

I was here for some time snapping away. A lady was in the church doing some tidying up and we ended up chatting for a while. I mentioned how on my previous trip I'd been with my aunt who played the organ and had even had a quick go on its keyboard myself (I barely managed a few notes). Of course she knew exactly who she was and had also known my late uncle (my mother's only sibling) and stranger still she'd also spent a significant chunk of her life living in my hometown of Rugby, small world! She made me very welcome and it was nice to enthuse together, and quite bizarre to walk into a church so far from home and yet have mutual acquaintances in common with a complete stranger, certainly a good way to break the ice!

Wetherden church is normally kept open during the day and is well worth a visit. The historical accounts of what was lost here are enough to make one weep, but happily there is still plenty here to enjoy, both ancient and not so ancient.

www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/wetherden.htm

Detail from the magnificent chantry chapel of Prince Arthur at Worcester, a masterpiece of late medieval architecture and sculpture and the last resting place of Henry VIII's elder brother.

Unusually, most of the medieval statuary of the chapel has survived both Reformation and Civil War though the main reredos figures have been defaced, though it seems the primary motive here was to remove the extremeties of the sculptures, allowing a flatter surface to board or plaster over! Nonetheless enough survives to give a good indication of their quality.

Worcester Cathedral is the commanding presence on the skyline of the city, perched on high ground overlooking the River Severn. It is one of England's most rewarding cathedrals, though denied first rank status owing to the heavy handed Victorian restorations it underwent, an unavoidable consequence of being built of soft red sandstone (a problem shared with Chester and Lichfield) and thus a 19th century feel pervades inside and out in it's mostly renewed external stonework and furnishings.

The cathedral impresses with it's scale, one or our longer churches, crowned by a magnificent central tower (originally surmounted by a lead spire, lost sometime after the Refomation; subtle alterations to the tower's design were made when it was refaced in the Victorian restoration) and with a secondary pair of transepts flanking the choir (as at Salisbury, Lincoln, Rochester & Canterbury). Of the former monastic buildings the cloister and Norman chapter house have survived (along with the refectory, now part of neighbouring King's School), making this a more complex and enjoyable building to explore.

The earliest parts are of the Norman period with the superb 12th century crypt under the choir. The west end of the nave is also Norman work, though very late and unusual in design, with transitional pointed arches. However the bulk of the building we see dates from the 13th and 14th centuries, the east end in Early English gothic style (where most of the windows were restored to stepped lancets by Sir George Gilbert Scott during the Victorian restoration, having been altered over the centuries), whilst the remainder of the nave and tower largely of the Decorated period (the cathedral originally also possessed a detached octagonal bell tower with a lead spire, which stood near the north east corner but was demolished in 1647).

Of the original furnishings little remains beyond the fine set of misericords in the choir stalls. The stained glass too is nearly entirely Victorian (only some meagre, much restored medieval fragments survive in traceries of the south aisle). Much of the Victorian glass is quite impressive, particularly the great east and west windows by Hardman's of Birmingham.

Worcester is however especially rich in tombs and monuments of all periods, with medieval effigies of bishops, knights and ladies, not all in good condition but worth seeking out. There are also several large tombs from the post-Reformation period (especially in the cluttered south aisle) and some fine Baroque work in the north transept.

The most significant of the monuments here are Royal; in the centre of the choir lies the fine 13th century effigy of King John, best remembered for signing the Magna Carta. Nearby is the superb chantry chapel of Prince Arthur, elder brother of Henry VIII, whose premature death aged 15 changed England forever (one of the most pivotal moments in our history, had he survived the Reformation may never have happened). The gorgeous late Perpendicular gothic chapel stands to the south of the High Altar and is remarkable for it's rich sculpted detail.

www.worcestercathedral.co.uk/

Detail from the magnificent chantry chapel of Prince Arthur at Worcester, a masterpiece of late medieval architecture and sculpture and the last resting place of Henry VIII's elder brother.

Unusually, most of the medieval statuary of the chapel has survived both Reformation and Civil War though the main reredos figures have been defaced, though it seems the primary motive here was to remove the extremeties of the sculptures, allowing a flatter surface to board or plaster over! Nonetheless enough survives to give a good indication of their quality.

Worcester Cathedral is the commanding presence on the skyline of the city, perched on high ground overlooking the River Severn. It is one of England's most rewarding cathedrals, though denied first rank status owing to the heavy handed Victorian restorations it underwent, an unavoidable consequence of being built of soft red sandstone (a problem shared with Chester and Lichfield) and thus a 19th century feel pervades inside and out in it's mostly renewed external stonework and furnishings.

The cathedral impresses with it's scale, one or our longer churches, crowned by a magnificent central tower (originally surmounted by a lead spire, lost sometime after the Refomation; subtle alterations to the tower's design were made when it was refaced in the Victorian restoration) and with a secondary pair of transepts flanking the choir (as at Salisbury, Lincoln, Rochester & Canterbury). Of the former monastic buildings the cloister and Norman chapter house have survived (along with the refectory, now part of neighbouring King's School), making this a more complex and enjoyable building to explore.

The earliest parts are of the Norman period with the superb 12th century crypt under the choir. The west end of the nave is also Norman work, though very late and unusual in design, with transitional pointed arches. However the bulk of the building we see dates from the 13th and 14th centuries, the east end in Early English gothic style (where most of the windows were restored to stepped lancets by Sir George Gilbert Scott during the Victorian restoration, having been altered over the centuries), whilst the remainder of the nave and tower largely of the Decorated period (the cathedral originally also possessed a detached octagonal bell tower with a lead spire, which stood near the north east corner but was demolished in 1647).

Of the original furnishings little remains beyond the fine set of misericords in the choir stalls. The stained glass too is nearly entirely Victorian (only some meagre, much restored medieval fragments survive in traceries of the south aisle). Much of the Victorian glass is quite impressive, particularly the great east and west windows by Hardman's of Birmingham.

Worcester is however especially rich in tombs and monuments of all periods, with medieval effigies of bishops, knights and ladies, not all in good condition but worth seeking out. There are also several large tombs from the post-Reformation period (especially in the cluttered south aisle) and some fine Baroque work in the north transept.

The most significant of the monuments here are Royal; in the centre of the choir lies the fine 13th century effigy of King John, best remembered for signing the Magna Carta. Nearby is the superb chantry chapel of Prince Arthur, elder brother of Henry VIII, whose premature death aged 15 changed England forever (one of the most pivotal moments in our history, had he survived the Reformation may never have happened). The gorgeous late Perpendicular gothic chapel stands to the south of the High Altar and is remarkable for it's rich sculpted detail.

www.worcestercathedral.co.uk/

A wonderful old church well worth exploring but less well known on the edge of suburban Rugby, I've known the church for years having grown up in the area, it was one of the first ancient churches I ever experienced as a child and it left a lasting impression.

Despite serving what is now a large suburb of Rugby the church retains a country feel, being cut off from the town by the main line between Birmingham and London, meaning it is completely invisible from Hillmorton itself. Normal approach is thus bizarrely through a tunnel under the railway line that leads to the churchyard!

It's a mainly 13th/14th century building, the west tower is of a rich red sandstone whist the body of the building has been patched up at various dates giving it an attractive unrestored patina. Inside is equally unspoilt, retaining a late Georgian feel with it's furnishings, Royal Arms and whitewashed walls (though oddly just chancel and south aisle have been scraped). Victorian glass is confined to two south aisle windows (including one strange piecemeal affair) and a single light in the chancel; the main east window with it's intersecting tracery is left plain.

The main items of interest here are the monuments, three medieval tombs and an elegant brass of a lady. Of the effigies the best is the early 14th century lady in the south aisle with wimple and canopy over her head. The nearby knight is more damaged whilst the 13th century priest under an arch in the north aisle (almost hidden behind benches) is badly mutilated.

This church is happily more accessible than it used to be and is normally kept open for visitors during the day.

www.stjohnhillmorton.org.uk/welcome.htm

Detail from the magnificent chantry chapel of Prince Arthur at Worcester, a masterpiece of late medieval architecture and sculpture and the last resting place of Henry VIII's elder brother.

Unusually, most of the medieval statuary of the chapel has survived both Reformation and Civil War though the main reredos figures have been defaced, though it seems the primary motive here was to remove the extremeties of the sculptures, allowing a flatter surface to board or plaster over! Nonetheless enough survives to give a good indication of their quality.

Worcester Cathedral is the commanding presence on the skyline of the city, perched on high ground overlooking the River Severn. It is one of England's most rewarding cathedrals, though denied first rank status owing to the heavy handed Victorian restorations it underwent, an unavoidable consequence of being built of soft red sandstone (a problem shared with Chester and Lichfield) and thus a 19th century feel pervades inside and out in it's mostly renewed external stonework and furnishings.

The cathedral impresses with it's scale, one or our longer churches, crowned by a magnificent central tower (originally surmounted by a lead spire, lost sometime after the Refomation; subtle alterations to the tower's design were made when it was refaced in the Victorian restoration) and with a secondary pair of transepts flanking the choir (as at Salisbury, Lincoln, Rochester & Canterbury). Of the former monastic buildings the cloister and Norman chapter house have survived (along with the refectory, now part of neighbouring King's School), making this a more complex and enjoyable building to explore.

The earliest parts are of the Norman period with the superb 12th century crypt under the choir. The west end of the nave is also Norman work, though very late and unusual in design, with transitional pointed arches. However the bulk of the building we see dates from the 13th and 14th centuries, the east end in Early English gothic style (where most of the windows were restored to stepped lancets by Sir George Gilbert Scott during the Victorian restoration, having been altered over the centuries), whilst the remainder of the nave and tower largely of the Decorated period (the cathedral originally also possessed a detached octagonal bell tower with a lead spire, which stood near the north east corner but was demolished in 1647).

Of the original furnishings little remains beyond the fine set of misericords in the choir stalls. The stained glass too is nearly entirely Victorian (only some meagre, much restored medieval fragments survive in traceries of the south aisle). Much of the Victorian glass is quite impressive, particularly the great east and west windows by Hardman's of Birmingham.

Worcester is however especially rich in tombs and monuments of all periods, with medieval effigies of bishops, knights and ladies, not all in good condition but worth seeking out. There are also several large tombs from the post-Reformation period (especially in the cluttered south aisle) and some fine Baroque work in the north transept.

The most significant of the monuments here are Royal; in the centre of the choir lies the fine 13th century effigy of King John, best remembered for signing the Magna Carta. Nearby is the superb chantry chapel of Prince Arthur, elder brother of Henry VIII, whose premature death aged 15 changed England forever (one of the most pivotal moments in our history, had he survived the Reformation may never have happened). The gorgeous late Perpendicular gothic chapel stands to the south of the High Altar and is remarkable for it's rich sculpted detail.

www.worcestercathedral.co.uk/

My entry for CCCX Medieval Achitectural detail.

The Beginning of a Journey

Entrance in to the main castle on Roseberg estate.

Detail of one of the series of Victorian stained glass windows by Hardman's of Birmingham in the cloisters at Gloucester.

Gloucester Cathedral is one of England's finest churches, a masterpiece of medieval architecture consisting of a uniquely beautiful fusion of Norman Romanesque and Perpendicular Gothic from the mid 14th century onwards. Until the Reformation this was merely Gloucester's Abbey of St Peter, under Henry VIII it became one of six former monastic churches to be promoted to cathedral status, thus saving the great church from the ravages of the Dissolution.

The most obviously Norman part is the nave, immediately apparent on entering the building with it's round arches and thick columns (the exterior is the result of Gothic remodelling). Much of the remainder of the building is substantially the Norman structure also, but almost entirely modified in the later Middle Ages inside and out, the result of the great revenue brought to the abbey by pilgrims to the tomb of the murdered King Edward II in the choir. It was this transformation of the Norman church that is credited with launching the late gothic Perpendicular style in England.

The gothic choir is a unique and spectacular work, the walls so heavily panelled as to suggest a huge stone cage (disguising the Norman arches behind) crowned by a glorious net-like vault adorned with numerous bosses (those over the Altar with superb figures of Christ and angels) whilst the east wall is entirely glazing in delicate stone tracery, and still preserving most of it's original 14th century stained glass. The soaring central tower, also richly panelled with delicate pinnacles, is another testament to the abbey's increasing wealth at this time.

The latest medieval additions to the church are equally glorious, the Lady Chapel is entered through the enormous east window and is itself a largely glazed structure, though the original glass has been reduced to a few fragments in the east window, the remainder now contains beautiful Arts & Crafts stained glass by Christopher and Veronica Whall.

The early 16th century cloisters to the north of the nave are some of the most beautiful anywhere, being completely covered by exquisite fan vaulting, with a seperate lavatorium (washing room) attached to the north walk as a miniature version of the main passages.

There is much more of interest, from 14th century choir stalls with misericords to the comprehensive collection of tombs and monuments of various dates, including the elaborate tomb of Edward II and that of Robert Duke of Normandy, eldest son of William the Conqueror. The stained glass also represents all ages, from the 14th century to the striking contemporary windows by Tom Denny.

Further areas of the cathedral can be accessed at certain times, such as the Norman crypt under the choir and the triforium gallery above.

My visit coincided with the major 'Crucible' exhibition of contemporary sculpture (September-October 2010), examples of which I will upload in due course.

A section of the city walls of Trogir, Croatia.

Trogir, is a small town of about 10,000 located twenty miles from the larger city of Split. Situated on a small island in the Adriatic sea just off the Croatian coast, the town's history dates back to the Greeks in the 3rd century B.C. Over the centuries the island has been ruled by The Romans, Hungarians and Croats the Venetian Empire, the Austrian Empire, and the French. After World War I, Trogir was part of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (which became Yugoslavia), although was occupied by Italy during World War II. In 1991, the town was part of Croatia when it declared its independence.

Gloucester Cathedral is one of England's finest churches, a masterpiece of medieval architecture consisting of a uniquely beautiful fusion of Norman Romanesque and Perpendicular Gothic from the mid 14th century onwards. Until the Reformation this was merely Gloucester's Abbey of St Peter, under Henry VIII it became one of six former monastic churches to be promoted to cathedral status, thus saving the great church from the ravages of the Dissolution.

The most obviously Norman part is the nave, immediately apparent on entering the building with it's round arches and thick columns (the exterior is the result of Gothic remodelling). Much of the remainder of the building is substantially the Norman structure also, but almost entirely modified in the later Middle Ages inside and out, the result of the great revenue brought to the abbey by pilgrims to the tomb of the murdered King Edward II in the choir. It was this transformation of the Norman church that is credited with launching the late gothic Perpendicular style in England.

The gothic choir is a unique and spectacular work, the walls so heavily panelled as to suggest a huge stone cage (disguising the Norman arches behind) crowned by a glorious net-like vault adorned with numerous bosses (those over the Altar with superb figures of Christ and angels) whilst the east wall is entirely glazing in delicate stone tracery, and still preserving most of it's original 14th century stained glass. The soaring central tower, also richly panelled with delicate pinnacles, is another testament to the abbey's increasing wealth at this time.

The latest medieval additions to the church are equally glorious, the Lady Chapel is entered through the enormous east window and is itself a largely glazed structure, though the original glass has been reduced to a few fragments in the east window, the remainder now contains beautiful Arts & Crafts stained glass by Christopher and Veronica Whall.

The early 16th century cloisters to the north of the nave are some of the most beautiful anywhere, being completely covered by exquisite fan vaulting, with a seperate lavatorium (washing room) attached to the north walk as a miniature version of the main passages.

There is much more of interest, from 14th century choir stalls with misericords to the comprehensive collection of tombs and monuments of various dates, including the elaborate tomb of Edward II and that of Robert Duke of Normandy, eldest son of William the Conqueror. The stained glass also represents all ages, from the 14 th century to the striking contemporary windows by Tom Denny.

Further areas of the cathedral can be accessed at certain times, such as the Norman crypt under the choir and the triforium gallery above.

Detail from the magnificent chantry chapel of Prince Arthur at Worcester, a masterpiece of late medieval architecture and sculpture and the last resting place of Henry VIII's elder brother.

Unusually, most of the medieval statuary of the chapel has survived both Reformation and Civil War though the main reredos figures have been defaced, though it seems the primary motive here was to remove the extremeties of the sculptures, allowing a flatter surface to board or plaster over! Nonetheless enough survives to give a good indication of their quality.

Worcester Cathedral is the commanding presence on the skyline of the city, perched on high ground overlooking the River Severn. It is one of England's most rewarding cathedrals, though denied first rank status owing to the heavy handed Victorian restorations it underwent, an unavoidable consequence of being built of soft red sandstone (a problem shared with Chester and Lichfield) and thus a 19th century feel pervades inside and out in it's mostly renewed external stonework and furnishings.

The cathedral impresses with it's scale, one or our longer churches, crowned by a magnificent central tower (originally surmounted by a lead spire, lost sometime after the Refomation; subtle alterations to the tower's design were made when it was refaced in the Victorian restoration) and with a secondary pair of transepts flanking the choir (as at Salisbury, Lincoln, Rochester & Canterbury). Of the former monastic buildings the cloister and Norman chapter house have survived (along with the refectory, now part of neighbouring King's School), making this a more complex and enjoyable building to explore.

The earliest parts are of the Norman period with the superb 12th century crypt under the choir. The west end of the nave is also Norman work, though very late and unusual in design, with transitional pointed arches. However the bulk of the building we see dates from the 13th and 14th centuries, the east end in Early English gothic style (where most of the windows were restored to stepped lancets by Sir George Gilbert Scott during the Victorian restoration, having been altered over the centuries), whilst the remainder of the nave and tower largely of the Decorated period (the cathedral originally also possessed a detached octagonal bell tower with a lead spire, which stood near the north east corner but was demolished in 1647).

Of the original furnishings little remains beyond the fine set of misericords in the choir stalls. The stained glass too is nearly entirely Victorian (only some meagre, much restored medieval fragments survive in traceries of the south aisle). Much of the Victorian glass is quite impressive, particularly the great east and west windows by Hardman's of Birmingham.

Worcester is however especially rich in tombs and monuments of all periods, with medieval effigies of bishops, knights and ladies, not all in good condition but worth seeking out. There are also several large tombs from the post-Reformation period (especially in the cluttered south aisle) and some fine Baroque work in the north transept.

The most significant of the monuments here are Royal; in the centre of the choir lies the fine 13th century effigy of King John, best remembered for signing the Magna Carta. Nearby is the superb chantry chapel of Prince Arthur, elder brother of Henry VIII, whose premature death aged 15 changed England forever (one of the most pivotal moments in our history, had he survived the Reformation may never have happened). The gorgeous late Perpendicular gothic chapel stands to the south of the High Altar and is remarkable for it's rich sculpted detail.

www.worcestercathedral.co.uk/

Formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery dedicated to St Werburgh, since 1541 it has been the seat of the Bishop of Chester and now dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The building dates from between 1093 and the early 1500s, although the site may have been used for Christian worship since Roman times.

All the major styles of English medieval architecture, from Norman to Perpendicular, are present in the building.

Chester Cathedral is a Grade I listed building.

St Werburgh's Chapel

Further up the tower, stone tracery to let the sound of bells out, typical of Somerset churches.

Gloucester Cathedral is one of England's finest churches, a masterpiece of medieval architecture consisting of a uniquely beautiful fusion of Norman Romanesque and Perpendicular Gothic from the mid 14th century onwards. Until the Reformation this was merely Gloucester's Abbey of St Peter, under Henry VIII it became one of six former monastic churches to be promoted to cathedral status, thus saving the great church from the ravages of the Dissolution.

The most obviously Norman part is the nave, immediately apparent on entering the building with it's round arches and thick columns (the exterior is the result of Gothic remodelling). Much of the remainder of the building is substantially the Norman structure also, but almost entirely modified in the later Middle Ages inside and out, the result of the great revenue brought to the abbey by pilgrims to the tomb of the murdered King Edward II in the choir. It was this transformation of the Norman church that is credited with launching the late gothic Perpendicular style in England.

The gothic choir is a unique and spectacular work, the walls so heavily panelled as to suggest a huge stone cage (disguising the Norman arches behind) crowned by a glorious net-like vault adorned with numerous bosses (those over the Altar with superb figures of Christ and angels) whilst the east wall is entirely glazing in delicate stone tracery, and still preserving most of it's original 14th century stained glass. The soaring central tower, also richly panelled with delicate pinnacles, is another testament to the abbey's increasing wealth at this time.

The latest medieval additions to the church are equally glorious, the Lady Chapel is entered through the enormous east window and is itself a largely glazed structure, though the original glass has been reduced to a few fragments in the east window, the remainder now contains beautiful Arts & Crafts stained glass by Christopher and Veronica Whall.

The early 16th century cloisters to the north of the nave are some of the most beautiful anywhere, being completely covered by exquisite fan vaulting, with a seperate lavatorium (washing room) attached to the north walk as a miniature version of the main passages.

There is much more of interest, from 14th century choir stalls with misericords to the comprehensive collection of tombs and monuments of various dates, including the elaborate tomb of Edward II and that of Robert Duke of Normandy, eldest son of William the Conqueror. The stained glass also represents all ages, from the 14th century to the striking contemporary windows by Tom Denny.

Further areas of the cathedral can be accessed at certain times, such as the Norman crypt under the choir and the triforium gallery above.

My visit coincided with the major 'Crucible' exhibition of contemporary sculpture (September-October 2010), examples of which I will upload in due course.

Gloucester Cathedral is one of England's finest churches, a masterpiece of medieval architecture consisting of a uniquely beautiful fusion of Norman Romanesque and Perpendicular Gothic from the mid 14th century onwards. Until the Reformation this was merely Gloucester's Abbey of St Peter, under Henry VIII it became one of six former monastic churches to be promoted to cathedral status, thus saving the great church from the ravages of the Dissolution.

The most obviously Norman part is the nave, immediately apparent on entering the building with it's round arches and thick columns (the exterior is the result of Gothic remodelling). Much of the remainder of the building is substantially the Norman structure also, but almost entirely modified in the later Middle Ages inside and out, the result of the great revenue brought to the abbey by pilgrims to the tomb of the murdered King Edward II in the choir. It was this transformation of the Norman church that is credited with launching the late gothic Perpendicular style in England.

The gothic choir is a unique and spectacular work, the walls so heavily panelled as to suggest a huge stone cage (disguising the Norman arches behind) crowned by a glorious net-like vault adorned with numerous bosses (those over the Altar with superb figures of Christ and angels) whilst the east wall is entirely glazing in delicate stone tracery, and still preserving most of it's original 14th century stained glass. The soaring central tower, also richly panelled with delicate pinnacles, is another testament to the abbey's increasing wealth at this time.

The latest medieval additions to the church are equally glorious, the Lady Chapel is entered through the enormous east window and is itself a largely glazed structure, though the original glass has been reduced to a few fragments in the east window, the remainder now contains beautiful Arts & Crafts stained glass by Christopher and Veronica Whall.

The early 16th century cloisters to the north of the nave are some of the most beautiful anywhere, being completely covered by exquisite fan vaulting, with a seperate lavatorium (washing room) attached to the north walk as a miniature version of the main passages.

There is much more of interest, from 14th century choir stalls with misericords to the comprehensive collection of tombs and monuments of various dates, including the elaborate tomb of Edward II and that of Robert Duke of Normandy, eldest son of William the Conqueror. The stained glass also represents all ages, from the 14 th century to the striking contemporary windows by Tom Denny.

Further areas of the cathedral can be accessed at certain times, such as the Norman crypt under the choir and the triforium gallery above.

My visit coincided with the major 'Crucible' exhibition of contemporary sculpture (September-October 2010), examples of which I will upload in due course.

Window by Hardman's in the cloister lavatorium.

Gloucester Cathedral is one of England's finest churches, a masterpiece of medieval architecture consisting of a uniquely beautiful fusion of Norman Romanesque and Perpendicular Gothic from the mid 14th century onwards. Until the Reformation this was merely Gloucester's Abbey of St Peter, under Henry VIII it became one of six former monastic churches to be promoted to cathedral status, thus saving the great church from the ravages of the Dissolution.

The most obviously Norman part is the nave, immediately apparent on entering the building with it's round arches and thick columns (the exterior is the result of Gothic remodelling). Much of the remainder of the building is substantially the Norman structure also, but almost entirely modified in the later Middle Ages inside and out, the result of the great revenue brought to the abbey by pilgrims to the tomb of the murdered King Edward II in the choir. It was this transformation of the Norman church that is credited with launching the late gothic Perpendicular style in England.

The gothic choir is a unique and spectacular work, the walls so heavily panelled as to suggest a huge stone cage (disguising the Norman arches behind) crowned by a glorious net-like vault adorned with numerous bosses (those over the Altar with superb figures of Christ and angels) whilst the east wall is entirely glazing in delicate stone tracery, and still preserving most of it's original 14th century stained glass. The soaring central tower, also richly panelled with delicate pinnacles, is another testament to the abbey's increasing wealth at this time.

The latest medieval additions to the church are equally glorious, the Lady Chapel is entered through the enormous east window and is itself a largely glazed structure, though the original glass has been reduced to a few fragments in the east window, the remainder now contains beautiful Arts & Crafts stained glass by Christopher and Veronica Whall.

The early 16th century cloisters to the north of the nave are some of the most beautiful anywhere, being completely covered by exquisite fan vaulting, with a separate lavatorium (washing room) attached to the north walk as a miniature version of the main passages.

There is much more of interest, from 14th century choir stalls with misericords to the comprehensive collection of tombs and monuments of various dates, including the elaborate tomb of Edward II and that of Robert Duke of Normandy, eldest son of William the Conqueror. The stained glass also represents all ages, from the 14th century to the striking contemporary windows by Tom Denny.

Further areas of the cathedral can be accessed at certain times, such as the Norman crypt under the choir and the triforium gallery above.

www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk/plan-your-visit

One of the series of Victorian stained glass windows by Hardman's of Birmingham in the cloisters at Gloucester.

Gloucester Cathedral is one of England's finest churches, a masterpiece of medieval architecture consisting of a uniquely beautiful fusion of Norman Romanesque and Perpendicular Gothic from the mid 14th century onwards. Until the Reformation this was merely Gloucester's Abbey of St Peter, under Henry VIII it became one of six former monastic churches to be promoted to cathedral status, thus saving the great church from the ravages of the Dissolution.

The most obviously Norman part is the nave, immediately apparent on entering the building with it's round arches and thick columns (the exterior is the result of Gothic remodelling). Much of the remainder of the building is substantially the Norman structure also, but almost entirely modified in the later Middle Ages inside and out, the result of the great revenue brought to the abbey by pilgrims to the tomb of the murdered King Edward II in the choir. It was this transformation of the Norman church that is credited with launching the late gothic Perpendicular style in England.

The gothic choir is a unique and spectacular work, the walls so heavily panelled as to suggest a huge stone cage (disguising the Norman arches behind) crowned by a glorious net-like vault adorned with numerous bosses (those over the Altar with superb figures of Christ and angels) whilst the east wall is entirely glazing in delicate stone tracery, and still preserving most of it's original 14th century stained glass. The soaring central tower, also richly panelled with delicate pinnacles, is another testament to the abbey's increasing wealth at this time.

The latest medieval additions to the church are equally glorious, the Lady Chapel is entered through the enormous east window and is itself a largely glazed structure, though the original glass has been reduced to a few fragments in the east window, the remainder now contains beautiful Arts & Crafts stained glass by Christopher and Veronica Whall.

The early 16th century cloisters to the north of the nave are some of the most beautiful anywhere, being completely covered by exquisite fan vaulting, with a seperate lavatorium (washing room) attached to the north walk as a miniature version of the main passages.

There is much more of interest, from 14th century choir stalls with misericords to the comprehensive collection of tombs and monuments of various dates, including the elaborate tomb of Edward II and that of Robert Duke of Normandy, eldest son of William the Conqueror. The stained glass also represents all ages, from the 14th century to the striking contemporary windows by Tom Denny.

Further areas of the cathedral can be accessed at certain times, such as the Norman crypt under the choir and the triforium gallery above.

My visit coincided with the major 'Crucible' exhibition of contemporary sculpture (September-October 2010), examples of which I will upload in due course.

Detail of one of the series of Victorian stained glass windows by Hardman's of Birmingham in the cloisters at Gloucester.

Gloucester Cathedral is one of England's finest churches, a masterpiece of medieval architecture consisting of a uniquely beautiful fusion of Norman Romanesque and Perpendicular Gothic from the mid 14th century onwards. Until the Reformation this was merely Gloucester's Abbey of St Peter, under Henry VIII it became one of six former monastic churches to be promoted to cathedral status, thus saving the great church from the ravages of the Dissolution.

The most obviously Norman part is the nave, immediately apparent on entering the building with it's round arches and thick columns (the exterior is the result of Gothic remodelling). Much of the remainder of the building is substantially the Norman structure also, but almost entirely modified in the later Middle Ages inside and out, the result of the great revenue brought to the abbey by pilgrims to the tomb of the murdered King Edward II in the choir. It was this transformation of the Norman church that is credited with launching the late gothic Perpendicular style in England.

The gothic choir is a unique and spectacular work, the walls so heavily panelled as to suggest a huge stone cage (disguising the Norman arches behind) crowned by a glorious net-like vault adorned with numerous bosses (those over the Altar with superb figures of Christ and angels) whilst the east wall is entirely glazing in delicate stone tracery, and still preserving most of it's original 14th century stained glass. The soaring central tower, also richly panelled with delicate pinnacles, is another testament to the abbey's increasing wealth at this time.

The latest medieval additions to the church are equally glorious, the Lady Chapel is entered through the enormous east window and is itself a largely glazed structure, though the original glass has been reduced to a few fragments in the east window, the remainder now contains beautiful Arts & Crafts stained glass by Christopher and Veronica Whall.

The early 16th century cloisters to the north of the nave are some of the most beautiful anywhere, being completely covered by exquisite fan vaulting, with a seperate lavatorium (washing room) attached to the north walk as a miniature version of the main passages.

There is much more of interest, from 14th century choir stalls with misericords to the comprehensive collection of tombs and monuments of various dates, including the elaborate tomb of Edward II and that of Robert Duke of Normandy, eldest son of William the Conqueror. The stained glass also represents all ages, from the 14th century to the striking contemporary windows by Tom Denny.

Further areas of the cathedral can be accessed at certain times, such as the Norman crypt under the choir and the triforium gallery above.

My visit coincided with the major 'Crucible' exhibition of contemporary sculpture (September-October 2010), examples of which I will upload in due course.

Detail from the magnificent chantry chapel of Prince Arthur at Worcester, a masterpiece of late medieval architecture and sculpture and the last resting place of Henry VIII's elder brother.

Unusually, most of the medieval statuary of the chapel has survived both Reformation and Civil War though the main reredos figures have been defaced, though it seems the primary motive here was to remove the extremeties of the sculptures, allowing a flatter surface to board or plaster over! Nonetheless enough survives to give a good indication of their quality.

Worcester Cathedral is the commanding presence on the skyline of the city, perched on high ground overlooking the River Severn. It is one of England's most rewarding cathedrals, though denied first rank status owing to the heavy handed Victorian restorations it underwent, an unavoidable consequence of being built of soft red sandstone (a problem shared with Chester and Lichfield) and thus a 19th century feel pervades inside and out in it's mostly renewed external stonework and furnishings.

The cathedral impresses with it's scale, one or our longer churches, crowned by a magnificent central tower (originally surmounted by a lead spire, lost sometime after the Refomation; subtle alterations to the tower's design were made when it was refaced in the Victorian restoration) and with a secondary pair of transepts flanking the choir (as at Salisbury, Lincoln, Rochester & Canterbury). Of the former monastic buildings the cloister and Norman chapter house have survived (along with the refectory, now part of neighbouring King's School), making this a more complex and enjoyable building to explore.

The earliest parts are of the Norman period with the superb 12th century crypt under the choir. The west end of the nave is also Norman work, though very late and unusual in design, with transitional pointed arches. However the bulk of the building we see dates from the 13th and 14th centuries, the east end in Early English gothic style (where most of the windows were restored to stepped lancets by Sir George Gilbert Scott during the Victorian restoration, having been altered over the centuries), whilst the remainder of the nave and tower largely of the Decorated period (the cathedral originally also possessed a detached octagonal bell tower with a lead spire, which stood near the north east corner but was demolished in 1647).

Of the original furnishings little remains beyond the fine set of misericords in the choir stalls. The stained glass too is nearly entirely Victorian (only some meagre, much restored medieval fragments survive in traceries of the south aisle). Much of the Victorian glass is quite impressive, particularly the great east and west windows by Hardman's of Birmingham.

Worcester is however especially rich in tombs and monuments of all periods, with medieval effigies of bishops, knights and ladies, not all in good condition but worth seeking out. There are also several large tombs from the post-Reformation period (especially in the cluttered south aisle) and some fine Baroque work in the north transept.

The most significant of the monuments here are Royal; in the centre of the choir lies the fine 13th century effigy of King John, best remembered for signing the Magna Carta. Nearby is the superb chantry chapel of Prince Arthur, elder brother of Henry VIII, whose premature death aged 15 changed England forever (one of the most pivotal moments in our history, had he survived the Reformation may never have happened). The gorgeous late Perpendicular gothic chapel stands to the south of the High Altar and is remarkable for it's rich sculpted detail.

www.worcestercathedral.co.uk/

Detail from the magnificent chantry chapel of Prince Arthur at Worcester, a masterpiece of late medieval architecture and sculpture and the last resting place of Henry VIII's elder brother.

Unusually, most of the medieval statuary of the chapel has survived both Reformation and Civil War though the main reredos figures have been defaced, though it seems the primary motive here was to remove the extremeties of the sculptures, allowing a flatter surface to board or plaster over! Nonetheless enough survives to give a good indication of their quality.

Worcester Cathedral is the commanding presence on the skyline of the city, perched on high ground overlooking the River Severn. It is one of England's most rewarding cathedrals, though denied first rank status owing to the heavy handed Victorian restorations it underwent, an unavoidable consequence of being built of soft red sandstone (a problem shared with Chester and Lichfield) and thus a 19th century feel pervades inside and out in it's mostly renewed external stonework and furnishings.

The cathedral impresses with it's scale, one or our longer churches, crowned by a magnificent central tower (originally surmounted by a lead spire, lost sometime after the Refomation; subtle alterations to the tower's design were made when it was refaced in the Victorian restoration) and with a secondary pair of transepts flanking the choir (as at Salisbury, Lincoln, Rochester & Canterbury). Of the former monastic buildings the cloister and Norman chapter house have survived (along with the refectory, now part of neighbouring King's School), making this a more complex and enjoyable building to explore.

The earliest parts are of the Norman period with the superb 12th century crypt under the choir. The west end of the nave is also Norman work, though very late and unusual in design, with transitional pointed arches. However the bulk of the building we see dates from the 13th and 14th centuries, the east end in Early English gothic style (where most of the windows were restored to stepped lancets by Sir George Gilbert Scott during the Victorian restoration, having been altered over the centuries), whilst the remainder of the nave and tower largely of the Decorated period (the cathedral originally also possessed a detached octagonal bell tower with a lead spire, which stood near the north east corner but was demolished in 1647).

Of the original furnishings little remains beyond the fine set of misericords in the choir stalls. The stained glass too is nearly entirely Victorian (only some meagre, much restored medieval fragments survive in traceries of the south aisle). Much of the Victorian glass is quite impressive, particularly the great east and west windows by Hardman's of Birmingham.

Worcester is however especially rich in tombs and monuments of all periods, with medieval effigies of bishops, knights and ladies, not all in good condition but worth seeking out. There are also several large tombs from the post-Reformation period (especially in the cluttered south aisle) and some fine Baroque work in the north transept.

The most significant of the monuments here are Royal; in the centre of the choir lies the fine 13th century effigy of King John, best remembered for signing the Magna Carta. Nearby is the superb chantry chapel of Prince Arthur, elder brother of Henry VIII, whose premature death aged 15 changed England forever (one of the most pivotal moments in our history, had he survived the Reformation may never have happened). The gorgeous late Perpendicular gothic chapel stands to the south of the High Altar and is remarkable for it's rich sculpted detail.

www.worcestercathedral.co.uk/

Formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery dedicated to St Werburgh, since 1541 it has been the seat of the Bishop of Chester and now dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The building dates from between 1093 and the early 1500s, although the site may have been used for Christian worship since Roman times.

All the major styles of English medieval architecture, from Norman to Perpendicular, are present in the building.

Chester Cathedral is a Grade I listed building.

North chapel window by George Cooper Abbs of Exeter, 1960.

St John's sits at the entrance to Spon Street, that rare enclave of medieval architecture in Coventry's mostly post-war city centre. Being on the fringe of city's heart it generally gets less attention from visitors, thus one feels that in any other setting it would be far more celebrated, George Gilbert Scott, who restored the church in 1877, considered it 'one of the most beautiful churches in England'. The church luckily escaped major damage in the November 1940 Blitz that destroyed so much else in the city, beyond the loss of much (but not all) of it's Victorian stained glass.

The church was founded in 1342 by Queen Isabella, mother of Edward III, but most of what we see today is 15th century work, though evidently of different phases. The church sits on a relatively small site, but what it lacks in length and width it gains in height, and with it's tapering and unusually narrow clerestorey windows and central tower it gives the impression of a cathedral in miniature. The tower has oddly corbelled-out turrets at it's corners, an over-exaggeration of the original design by Scott; his main intervention on the exterior otherwise was the renewal of much of the stonework, since warm red sandstone is one of the least resistant to weathering.

The interior is surprisingly light for a sandstone church, the result of the large Perpendicular windows and extensive clerestorey that creates a 'glass cage' effect in the higher parts of the church. It is also rather narrow, which accentuates the proportions and sense of height further, a good example of architectural limitations and constraints turned to an advantage. There are some good medieval carvings surviving higher up, but otherwise aside from the fine Perpendicular architecture itself the impression is largely of early 20th century High Church Anglican worship, as most of the furnishings appear to date from this time, though they are nonetheless attractive and sympathetic to the building.

The lack of any relics of the Middle Ages in wood or glass or monuments of later periods is explained by the history of the church, since it actually ceased to be used for worship in the 1590s and for several centuries suffered various indignities of secular use, such as a prison for Scottish rebels captured after the Battle of Preston during the Civil War in 1648 (these rebels, loyal to the King, were shunned in the Parliamentarian held city, thus the phrase being 'Sent to Coventry' was born!). Other uses included as a stables, a market and a winding and dying house for cloth, before being eventually restored to church use in the 19th century. We should be glad that being put to other uses at least preserved the structure through it's centuries of hibernation.

The church possesses an interesting mixture of stained glass, from Victorian and Edwardian pieces that survived the bombing, to the more prominent and colourful windows installed in the 1950s. However it is interesting to note how the postwar glass here predates the nearby Cathedral's windows by only a few years, but is still highly figurative and traditional in approach, thus still a far cry from the revolutionary new works that Coventry became famous for less than a decade later.

St John's is generally open on Saturday mornings but otherwise kept locked owing to concerns over security. Sadly it has suffered attacks from stone-throwing idiots on several occasions in recent years (I have repaired minor damage to several of the windows here) but the parishoners remain welcoming and friendly in spite of a difficult environment. It is a lovely church and well worth a visit.

For more detail and images see it's entry on the Warwickshire Churches website below:-

warwickshirechurches.weebly.com/coventry---st-john-the-ba...

Muizz Street in Islamic Cairo, Egypt is one of the oldest streets in Cairo, approximately one kilometer long. A United Nations study found it to have the greatest concentration of medieval architectural treasures in the Islamic world.

Thankfully the weather was cheering up by the time I reached Laxfield and the soaring tower of All Saints church looked rather splendid bathed in the evening sunlight while much of the local population seemed to be enjoying themselves outside the pub next door. It was a sight to entice, but being gone 6pm by the time I got here would the church still be open? Happily yes, the door yielded!

Laxfield church is on a grander scale than most, its west tower is tall and elegant and unusually built of dressed stone instead of flint, though this is used to delightfully decorative effect in the flushwork which is especially extensive on its western face. The rest of the exterior seems somewhat plain by comparison, partially due to later modifications, with the east end of the vast aisleless nave and the entire chancel having been rebuilt in brick in the early 19th century.

Inside the sense of space and light is impressive, the nave is a great yawning barn of a space and the chancel beyond looks curiously small by comparison. The great windows are mostly plain glazed and the walls whitewashed so retained its brightness well into this summer evening. The elements that catch the eye at ground level are the rich assemblage of antique woodwork, medieval pews (quite late since some bench ends with Renaissance carving) and box-pews further down the nave with some remarkable pieces of carved woodwork recycled into them. The other main point of interest is the Seven Sacrament font at the west end, one of a group of fine 15th century examples in this area and a particularly unusual design given its setting on a series of raised steps which climb so high that there's barely any stem to the font and the carved bowl merely sits on top. Its side panels have the Seven Sacrament scenes, sadly defaced as usual by iconoclasts, but still readable.

Laxfield church is an impressive building with much of interest to reward the visitor and is happily kept open and welcoming (in normal times) even into the early evening! (I thought it would make a good one to finish on, but was pleasantly surprised to find another open even later still).

For more of its history see its entry on the Suffolk Churches site below:-

www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/laxfield.htm

St Mary's at Walsham le Willows is an impressive edifice of mainly 15th century date that would look at home in the centre of a town as much as a village, its wide nave flanked by aisles and a veritable lantern in stone, rows of windows lighting the clerestories above and larger Perpendicular openings the aisles and chancel below. The handsome pinnacled west tower calls us over from the road, and a beautiful porch on the north side adorned with chequered flushwork beckons us inside.

It was clear that I was not alone though as I entered to the sound of children running around and people talking loudly, a couple of families were standing in the middle of the nave discussing plans for a wedding. It made me feel a bit of an intruder (especially being armed with a camera) so I did my best to keep out the way and skulk about in corners until they'd gone.

Within the initial impressions are all about light and space (especially after having visited smaller or narrower churches nearby), so spacious in fact that it can feel a little empty at first, but the eye is soon drawn to the crowning glories here which are the late medieval nave roof and the rood screen. The roof would have most likely originally had a few angels adorning it but these have long since been lost to Protestant iconoclasts, but it some frills remain in the star-shaped foliate bosses and the sunbursts adorning the spandrels of the roof braces. The 15th century chancel screen retains some of its colourng but bears no figurative painting, though some of the lower panelling has some quirky carving in the spandrels and rosettes beneath.

In the chancel east window are collected some fragments of the original medieval glass, alas not much survives of note beyond a few angels (half figures in the head of the lights, which originally would have looked down on larger saintly images). Nearby however is a fine modern window designed by former parishoner and noted modern stained glass artist Rosemary Rutherford, who sadly died in 1972 before this window was completed, thus it was installed here as her memorial after being completed by others.

St Mary's is a grand building well worth seeing, and happily appears to be normally open to visitors.

www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/walsham.htm

Formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery dedicated to St Werburgh, since 1541 it has been the seat of the Bishop of Chester and now dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The building dates from between 1093 and the early 1500s, although the site may have been used for Christian worship since Roman times.

All the major styles of English medieval architecture, from Norman to Perpendicular, are present in the building.

Chester Cathedral is a Grade I listed building.

Coffin bier, St Erasmus Chapel

Formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery dedicated to St Werburgh, since 1541 it has been the seat of the Bishop of Chester and now dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The building dates from between 1093 and the early 1500s, although the site may have been used for Christian worship since Roman times.

All the major styles of English medieval architecture, from Norman to Perpendicular, are present in the building.

Chester Cathedral is a Grade I listed building.

The organ

Westminster Abbey is perhaps the most significant church in English History, site of the coronation of monarchs since it was founded by Edward the Confessor, and burial place of the majority of them, along with many other historical figures of note. It is first and foremost a superlative work of medieval architecture, from its soaring 13th-14th century nave, transepts and choir (all in a curiously French inspired version of Decorated Gothic) to the masterpiece of English Perpendicular, the incredibly lacy fan-vaulted Henry VII's chapel at the east end.

The Abbey is also a treasure house of ecclesiastical art, most of it monumental sculpture on the numerous tombs and effigies of almost every date ranging from the entire medieval period through to the 20th century; a somewhat cluttered interior, crammed full of interest, there is simply nothing else quite like it, no other church contains so many monuments.

The Abbey's monastic ranges partially survive, most notably the cloisters and superb chapter house; a short summary of the Abbey's riches is simply impossible. The monastery itself was shut down during the Dissolution, after which the Abbey briefly became a cathedral until its diocesan rank was revoked merely a decade later. Today it is designated a 'Royal Peculiar' owing to its unique status.

The Abbey is a textbook in stone of British history, and thus a hugely popular tourist attraction. It currently has more limited opening hours in the post-Covid recovery period and entry is not cheap, but happily after decades of a strict prohibition against photographers the rules have now been relaxed at last and visitors are now welcome to fully enjoy this marvellous building with their cameras!

For further details (and restrictions) see below:-

www.westminster-abbey.org/visit-us/photography-in-the-abbey

Gloucester Cathedral is one of England's finest churches, a masterpiece of medieval architecture consisting of a uniquely beautiful fusion of Norman Romanesque and Perpendicular Gothic from the mid 14th century onwards. Until the Reformation this was merely Gloucester's Abbey of St Peter, under Henry VIII it became one of six former monastic churches to be promoted to cathedral status, thus saving the great church from the ravages of the Dissolution.

The most obviously Norman part is the nave, immediately apparent on entering the building with it's round arches and thick columns (the exterior is the result of Gothic remodelling). Much of the remainder of the building is substantially the Norman structure also, but almost entirely modified in the later Middle Ages inside and out, the result of the great revenue brought to the abbey by pilgrims to the tomb of the murdered King Edward II in the choir. It was this transformation of the Norman church that is credited with launching the late gothic Perpendicular style in England.

The gothic choir is a unique and spectacular work, the walls so heavily panelled as to suggest a huge stone cage (disguising the Norman arches behind) crowned by a glorious net-like vault adorned with numerous bosses (those over the Altar with superb figures of Christ and angels) whilst the east wall is entirely glazing in delicate stone tracery, and still preserving most of it's original 14th century stained glass. The soaring central tower, also richly panelled with delicate pinnacles, is another testament to the abbey's increasing wealth at this time.

The latest medieval additions to the church are equally glorious, the Lady Chapel is entered through the enormous east window and is itself a largely glazed structure, though the original glass has been reduced to a few fragments in the east window, the remainder now contains beautiful Arts & Crafts stained glass by Christopher and Veronica Whall.

The early 16th century cloisters to the north of the nave are some of the most beautiful anywhere, being completely covered by exquisite fan vaulting, with a seperate lavatorium (washing room) attached to the north walk as a miniature version of the main passages.

There is much more of interest, from 14th century choir stalls with misericords to the comprehensive collection of tombs and monuments of various dates, including the elaborate tomb of Edward II and that of Robert Duke of Normandy, eldest son of William the Conqueror. The stained glass also represents all ages, from the 14th century to the striking contemporary windows by Tom Denny.

Further areas of the cathedral can be accessed at certain times, such as the Norman crypt under the choir and the triforium gallery above.

My visit coincided with the major 'Crucible' exhibition of contemporary sculpture (September-October 2010), examples of which I will upload in due course.

Gloucester Cathedral is one of England's finest churches, a masterpiece of medieval architecture consisting of a uniquely beautiful fusion of Norman Romanesque and Perpendicular Gothic from the mid 14th century onwards. Until the Reformation this was merely Gloucester's Abbey of St Peter, under Henry VIII it became one of six former monastic churches to be promoted to cathedral status, thus saving the great church from the ravages of the Dissolution.

The most obviously Norman part is the nave, immediately apparent on entering the building with it's round arches and thick columns (the exterior is the result of Gothic remodelling). Much of the remainder of the building is substantially the Norman structure also, but almost entirely modified in the later Middle Ages inside and out, the result of the great revenue brought to the abbey by pilgrims to the tomb of the murdered King Edward II in the choir. It was this transformation of the Norman church that is credited with launching the late gothic Perpendicular style in England.

The gothic choir is a unique and spectacular work, the walls so heavily panelled as to suggest a huge stone cage (disguising the Norman arches behind) crowned by a glorious net-like vault adorned with numerous bosses (those over the Altar with superb figures of Christ and angels) whilst the east wall is entirely glazing in delicate stone tracery, and still preserving most of it's original 14th century stained glass. The soaring central tower, also richly panelled with delicate pinnacles, is another testament to the abbey's increasing wealth at this time.

The latest medieval additions to the church are equally glorious, the Lady Chapel is entered through the enormous east window and is itself a largely glazed structure, though the original glass has been reduced to a few fragments in the east window, the remainder now contains beautiful Arts & Crafts stained glass by Christopher and Veronica Whall.

The early 16th century cloisters to the north of the nave are some of the most beautiful anywhere, being completely covered by exquisite fan vaulting, with a separate lavatorium (washing room) attached to the north walk as a miniature version of the main passages.

There is much more of interest, from 14th century choir stalls with misericords to the comprehensive collection of tombs and monuments of various dates, including the elaborate tomb of Edward II and that of Robert Duke of Normandy, eldest son of William the Conqueror. The stained glass also represents all ages, from the 14th century to the striking contemporary windows by Tom Denny.

Further areas of the cathedral can be accessed at certain times, such as the Norman crypt under the choir and the triforium gallery above.

www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk/plan-your-visit

St Nicholas's at Stanford on Avon is simply a churchcrawler's delight, one of the most rewarding village churches a visitor could hope for. There is so much to admire here, the building itself is mainly 14th century in an attractive mixture of stone types, with a sturdy west tower crowned by chunky Georgian pinnacles. From outside several blocked windows are noticeable, the result of several of the grandiose monuments within. The interior is light and spacious, thanks to the almost total lack of seating in the nave and aisles, just a few pews aligned with the nave arcades to keep clutter to a minimum. The original timber ceilings remain above, with some amusing bosses in the nave.

There is much ancient woodwork in the chancel, mostly tudor linenfold panelling (brought here from nearby Stanford Hall). There is one misericord seat, and the woodwork of the screen and pulpit are also medieval. At the west end is a post Reformation gem, the 1630 organ made for the chapel of Whitehall Palace and ejected by Oliver Cromwell. It ended up in the possession of the local Cave family of Stanford Hall and found sanctuary here.

The Cave family are the main reason for the wealth of monuments in the church, a collection representing most periods from the medieval to the early 20th century, some of very fine quality. The earliest is the 14th century priest in the south aisle, the rest are from tudor times and onwards, including fine tudor alabaster effigies in the nave, a large Elizabethan monument in the north aisle, a grand Jacobean monument in the chancel, two big early 19th century monuments at the west end (these last three all block windows), and the slightly unnerving Zulu War memorial in the north aisle, with a soldier stepping off his plinth. The walls throughout the church are adorned with large colourful hatchments that add to the building's character.

The monuments and furnishings would individually be ample reward elsewhere, but there is more still in the superb collection of medieval stained glass, one of the most extensive in any parish church. Not much of it is in situ, except for sections of the east window and the remaining chancel windows with their complete series of the 12 apostles in 14th century glass. The end windows of both aisles have much glass of the same date, with good traceries and female saints in the main lights. The bulk of the aisle windows are glazed with a collection of later donor panels,roundels and heraldry, though all are worthy of examination. (The glass was completely removed for several years during the 1990s, to be restored and re-ordered by the Barley Studio in York; I visited a couple of times to find the church looking very different, being entirely plain-glazed).

Being close to my home town of Rugby, this was one of the first medieval churches I was taken to see in childhood when I first developed an interest in them. It left a lasting impression and is one of my all time favourites.

Gloucester Cathedral is one of England's finest churches, a masterpiece of medieval architecture consisting of a uniquely beautiful fusion of Norman Romanesque and Perpendicular Gothic from the mid 14th century onwards. Until the Reformation this was merely Gloucester's Abbey of St Peter, under Henry VIII it became one of six former monastic churches to be promoted to cathedral status, thus saving the great church from the ravages of the Dissolution.

The most obviously Norman part is the nave, immediately apparent on entering the building with it's round arches and thick columns (the exterior is the result of Gothic remodelling). Much of the remainder of the building is substantially the Norman structure also, but almost entirely modified in the later Middle Ages inside and out, the result of the great revenue brought to the abbey by pilgrims to the tomb of the murdered King Edward II in the choir. It was this transformation of the Norman church that is credited with launching the late gothic Perpendicular style in England.

The gothic choir is a unique and spectacular work, the walls so heavily panelled as to suggest a huge stone cage (disguising the Norman arches behind) crowned by a glorious net-like vault adorned with numerous bosses (those over the Altar with superb figures of Christ and angels) whilst the east wall is entirely glazing in delicate stone tracery, and still preserving most of it's original 14th century stained glass. The soaring central tower, also richly panelled with delicate pinnacles, is another testament to the abbey's increasing wealth at this time.

The latest medieval additions to the church are equally glorious, the Lady Chapel is entered through the enormous east window and is itself a largely glazed structure, though the original glass has been reduced to a few fragments in the east window, the remainder now contains beautiful Arts & Crafts stained glass by Christopher and Veronica Whall.

The early 16th century cloisters to the north of the nave are some of the most beautiful anywhere, being completely covered by exquisite fan vaulting, with a seperate lavatorium (washing room) attached to the north walk as a miniature version of the main passages.

There is much more of interest, from 14th century choir stalls with misericords to the comprehensive collection of tombs and monuments of various dates, including the elaborate tomb of Edward II and that of Robert Duke of Normandy, eldest son of William the Conqueror. The stained glass also represents all ages, from the 14th century to the striking contemporary windows by Tom Denny.

Further areas of the cathedral can be accessed at certain times, such as the Norman crypt under the choir and the triforium gallery above.

www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk/plan-your-visit

A familiar landmark in north Birmingham, Aston's parish church of SS Peter & Paul is also the most substantial piece of medieval architecture left anywhere near the city centre, or rather would have been had it not been so completely rebuilt in 1879-90 by J.A.Chatwin (whose work seems synonymous with Birmingham's older churches!), leaving just the 14th century west tower (with it's curiously designed upper stage, adorned with deeply recessed blank arcading) and spire. It is nonetheless a splendid sight in this otherwise not too glamourous area, and Chatwin's work is a solid exercise in neo-Perpendicular, adorned with much fine carved detail and an apse reminiscent of old St Michael's in Coventry.

The interior is most impressive, somewhat dark but richly decorated, with a mixed bag of Victorian glass (Hardman's in the apse, where I was shown the pink giraffe!) and very much of it's time, all under a fine hammerbeam roof, more elaborate over the chancel, as is the stonework generally with dramatic cusped ogee arches providing a setting for some of the many tombs. There are several good medieval monuments with effigies, mostly to the Erdington family and the bulk concentrated in the Erdington Chapel on the south side. None are of the highest quality or best condition, but a worthy collection nevertheless. The largest monument is the 1620s Devereux tomb with it's canopy but rather difficult to see in it's somewhat blackened state in a dark corner. There are also many Baroque and later wall tablets adorned with putti etc distributed throughout the aisles.

What would have been the most important piece of stained glass is currently stored in a crate in the north aisle, it is a large single-arched composition by Francis Eginton from 1798 with a female figure ascending to Heaven. It had been originally installed in the Erdington Chapel, but relocated in the Victorian rebuilding and hidden behind the organ for years, until more recently being removed following vandal damage. The church has no funds to restore it with and no space to put it in, but it is clearly an important work that needs to be back on display somewhere, perhaps the City Museum & Art Gallery, since they have an extensive stained glass display?

I'd been intending to visit this church for some time, but had heard it was rather difficult to get inside. I'd phoned the parish office before I left home and a very helpful young lady answered and said it'd be no problem whilst she was around (till 12ish) so I broke my journey to Erdington and made the shortish walk from Aston railway station. After struggling to find wihich door to knock on she emerged and kindly escorted me through the offices into the church, and after a brief introduction left me to snap away by myself. I'm afraid I got a bit carried away and when nobody arrived at 12 to lock up I pushed my luck and carried on a bit longer, only to find the poor girl was waiting patiently around the corner! I apologised and should add how grateful we should be to such individuals who give their time for our enjoyment of the buildings in their care!

Arthingworth church stands in a commanding position at the heart of the village against a backdrop of trees, best viewed from the south from which it looks at its finest. The building has been rather heavily restored in the Victorian period but the exterior is still enjoyable, particularly the handsome late medieval west tower in Perpendicular style, with attractive twin-bell openings and ornamental detailing to the belfry stage.

Stepping inside it is clear that much of what we see in the light and pleasant interior is the result of extensive restoration and rebuilding in 1872. The nave has a single aisle on the south side and the arcade between them contains much original 12th or early 13th century material in its carved capitals and transitional arches. The chancel beyond however is an almost entirely Victorian creation, with its exuberant foliage carvings and colourful reredos. There is Victorian stained glass in just two windows here, both in the sanctuary. The south chapel however is medieval and contains a finely carved late 18th century memorial.

This was my 2nd visit to Arthingworth in 30 years and on both occasions I found it open, though as my latest coincided with September Ride & Stride I can't say for certain what the current arrangements regarding opening are.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Andrew%27s_Church,_Arthingworth

Last but not least, the final church of the day and a good one to finish on, the last of my itinerary's 'big three' which I simply had to see on this trip (all the more so having finished another excursion here only two days earlier but arriving far too late to see inside, a mistake I was keen to avoid repeating!).

St Mary's at Dennington is one of those churches you read about and see details of in books long before planning a visit so the churchcrawler general;ly approaches here with a greater degree of anticipation. It is a grand building with an impressive length and width for a village church, its west tower fairly plain but given a more muscular appearance by its slightly over-emphasised corner buttresses (with a stair turret on the north side(. It appears to be a mainly late 14th century structure but its stylistic unity and generous size are not the main reason for its fame, that becsomes clearer once one steps inside via the handsome north porch.

Within the church feels somewhat sprawling, and fairly well lit owing to mostly plain-glazed windows which also means there isn't a lot of colour in here apart from the muted pale tones of the walls above and the rich dark browns of the woodwork below, and it is this Aladdin's cave of carved wooden furnishings which gives Dennington such renown. The first features to catch the eye upon entering are the carved pews, many Suffolk churches have bench ends like these with traceried panels on their fronts and fanciful animals serving as armrests and this is a particularly rich set. Sadly some of the animals have been damaged, but plenty can still be enjoyed. The most famous character here however is carved in relief on one of the benches on the south side of the nave, the figure of a mythical Sciapod sheltering under his enormous foot.

Towards the eastern end of the nave the carved pews give way to Post-Reformation box-pews (a few of which incorporate their medieval predecessors) and then two rich parclose screens that dominate the end of both side aisles, a rare survival in any form but here all the more significant for retaining their original lofts with rich cresting at full height. Originally these would have been joined across the nave by the rood screen, but only the lowest level of this now survives (and I almost missed it altogether being concealed within the box pews). The parclose chapel on the south side contains the magnificent mid 15th century alabaster tomb of Sir William Bardolph and his wife, their effigies resplendent with much of their original colouring.

The chancel beyond looks a little more sober by comparison but is enriched by a few good elements of its original 14th century glazing in the traceries and heads of certain windows. Above the altar hangs the rare wooden pyx, a spire-like tabernacle to hold the sacrament. Frustratingly I didn't get a good shot of this, a bit of a hazard in a church with so many good features to enjoy.

Dennington church is one that needs to be experienced, especially for those with a fondness for medieval and later woodwork. In normal times it is usually kept open and welcoming to visitors and really deserves more of them. For more see its entry on the Suffolk Churches site below:-

www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/Dennington.htm

All Saints at Dickleburgh sits on the main road through the village, its east end poking out of the foliage towards the roadside to announce its presence. At first sight this church is rather lost amongst the trees of its pleasant churchyard, revealing itself in parts, but is actually rather a grand building.

Dickleburgh church is one of those impressive 15th century East Anglian churches with a fine display of windows along the clerestorey and aisles on either side below. There are playful touches of flint flushwork on the tower parapet but mainly on the south porch which makes for an enticing entrance.

Within there is a great sense of space, the aisles are of a substantial volume and separated from the nave by rows of slender columns. The overall sense it has to be said is that the Victorian restoration has left its mark in many of the furnishings and the Hardman glass in the east window, but there are several older features that are really enjoyable here. The chancel has some interesting memorials and the font at the opposite end is a handsome example of the typical local design of the 15th century , but pride of place here goes to the late medieval woodwork separating chancel and nave: only the lowest part of the former rood screen survives but it the four decorative rosette panels that comprise its two flanks are a riot of delightful (and often humorous) ornamentation with all kinds of figures, faces and animals, sensitively restored with something like their original colouring. It is a real joy and the greatest treasure of this church.

We found Dickleburgh church open and welcoming on our late morning (pre Covid) visit and thoroughly enjoyed it, though others have not always been so lucky, as Simon's entry on the Norfolk Churches site below reveals!

www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/dickleburgh/dickleburgh.htm

St Helen's at Great Oxendon stands some distance to the north of the present village on high ground overlooking the main road, surrounded by greenery. It is a neat, attractive 13th-14th century building with chancel and a nave flanked by aisles culminating in a tall tower at the west end whose stages become noticeably narrower as it rises.

The interior has a feeling of antiquity with its walls mostly stripped back to the stonework by Victorian restorers. There are some interesting head carvings and capitals on the north side of the nave adorned with ballflower decoration. The font is the most ancient thing here, its rough-hewn bowl with zig-zag decoration of the Norman period. There is Victorian glass in two windows and a slightly later piece in the south aisle.

St Helen's won't delay the visitor for long but is a very pleasing place with some interesting features. I'm not sure what normal opening arrangements are but it may be open more regularly these days.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Helen%27s_Church,_Oxendon

The first castle in Jevišovice was built in late 13th Century by the succesful Kunštát family, which really prospered and a century later held much wealth. Because they supported the Hussite movement, Albrecht of Austria seized the castle and imprisoned the actual owner, Sezema of Jevišovice. After Sezema was released, he did not renew the castle and instead built a new one on the other side of the valley just a few hundred meters away from the old one. It was finished around 1430, underwent renaissance and baroque reconstructions, and survived in full beauty until today. Although it´s still a typical castle, it´s referred to as the old chateau (because there is also a new chateau).

The Avison Ensemble has performed many times at Nicholas Parish Church, Guisborough where we've enjoyed the beautiful medieval architecture and the wonderful acoustic.

We're celebrating our first anniversary of joining Flickr and want to show you the amazing venues we've played and recorded in during the year, most of them in the North East region and some in London. Thanks to all of you who've joined us for concerts in these beautiful venues and for looking at our photos. Here's to another great year coming up of concerts, images and films. Hope to see you soon and look forward to sharing more inspiring images with you ... Our next concert is in Bamburgh Castle and we've included some images of this stunning castle too!

The Avison Ensemble is the outstanding period instrument orchestra based in Newcastle upon Tyne, which plays and popularises the music of Charles Avison (1709-1770) and other English classical composers of the Baroque period, such as Garth, Arne and Herschel. The Ensemble also performs Purcell, Handel, Vivaldi, Corelli, Geminiani, Pergolesi, Teleman, Rameau, Bach, Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven.

www.avisonensemble.com

Victorian stained glass in the south nave aisle by Clayton & Bell, a fine example of their early work, 1860.

Gloucester Cathedral is one of England's finest churches, a masterpiece of medieval architecture consisting of a uniquely beautiful fusion of Norman Romanesque and Perpendicular Gothic from the mid 14th century onwards. Until the Reformation this was merely Gloucester's Abbey of St Peter, under Henry VIII it became one of six former monastic churches to be promoted to cathedral status, thus saving the great church from the ravages of the Dissolution.

The most obviously Norman part is the nave, immediately apparent on entering the building with it's round arches and thick columns (the exterior is the result of Gothic remodelling). Much of the remainder of the building is substantially the Norman structure also, but almost entirely modified in the later Middle Ages inside and out, the result of the great revenue brought to the abbey by pilgrims to the tomb of the murdered King Edward II in the choir. It was this transformation of the Norman church that is credited with launching the late gothic Perpendicular style in England.

The gothic choir is a unique and spectacular work, the walls so heavily panelled as to suggest a huge stone cage (disguising the Norman arches behind) crowned by a glorious net-like vault adorned with numerous bosses (those over the Altar with superb figures of Christ and angels) whilst the east wall is entirely glazing in delicate stone tracery, and still preserving most of it's original 14th century stained glass. The soaring central tower, also richly panelled with delicate pinnacles, is another testament to the abbey's increasing wealth at this time.

The latest medieval additions to the church are equally glorious, the Lady Chapel is entered through the enormous east window and is itself a largely glazed structure, though the original glass has been reduced to a few fragments in the east window, the remainder now contains beautiful Arts & Crafts stained glass by Christopher and Veronica Whall.

The early 16th century cloisters to the north of the nave are some of the most beautiful anywhere, being completely covered by exquisite fan vaulting, with a separate lavatorium (washing room) attached to the north walk as a miniature version of the main passages.

There is much more of interest, from 14th century choir stalls with misericords to the comprehensive collection of tombs and monuments of various dates, including the elaborate tomb of Edward II and that of Robert Duke of Normandy, eldest son of William the Conqueror. The stained glass also represents all ages, from the 14th century to the striking contemporary windows by Tom Denny.

Further areas of the cathedral can be accessed at certain times, such as the Norman crypt under the choir and the triforium gallery above.

www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk/plan-your-visit

Detail from the magnificent chantry chapel of Prince Arthur at Worcester, a masterpiece of late medieval architecture and sculpture and the last resting place of Henry VIII's elder brother.

Unusually, most of the medieval statuary of the chapel has survived both Reformation and Civil War though the main reredos figures have been defaced, though it seems the primary motive here was to remove the extremeties of the sculptures, allowing a flatter surface to board or plaster over! Nonetheless enough survives to give a good indication of their quality.

Worcester Cathedral is the commanding presence on the skyline of the city, perched on high ground overlooking the River Severn. It is one of England's most rewarding cathedrals, though denied first rank status owing to the heavy handed Victorian restorations it underwent, an unavoidable consequence of being built of soft red sandstone (a problem shared with Chester and Lichfield) and thus a 19th century feel pervades inside and out in it's mostly renewed external stonework and furnishings.

The cathedral impresses with it's scale, one or our longer churches, crowned by a magnificent central tower (originally surmounted by a lead spire, lost sometime after the Refomation; subtle alterations to the tower's design were made when it was refaced in the Victorian restoration) and with a secondary pair of transepts flanking the choir (as at Salisbury, Lincoln, Rochester & Canterbury). Of the former monastic buildings the cloister and Norman chapter house have survived (along with the refectory, now part of neighbouring King's School), making this a more complex and enjoyable building to explore.

The earliest parts are of the Norman period with the superb 12th century crypt under the choir. The west end of the nave is also Norman work, though very late and unusual in design, with transitional pointed arches. However the bulk of the building we see dates from the 13th and 14th centuries, the east end in Early English gothic style (where most of the windows were restored to stepped lancets by Sir George Gilbert Scott during the Victorian restoration, having been altered over the centuries), whilst the remainder of the nave and tower largely of the Decorated period (the cathedral originally also possessed a detached octagonal bell tower with a lead spire, which stood near the north east corner but was demolished in 1647).

Of the original furnishings little remains beyond the fine set of misericords in the choir stalls. The stained glass too is nearly entirely Victorian (only some meagre, much restored medieval fragments survive in traceries of the south aisle). Much of the Victorian glass is quite impressive, particularly the great east and west windows by Hardman's of Birmingham.

Worcester is however especially rich in tombs and monuments of all periods, with medieval effigies of bishops, knights and ladies, not all in good condition but worth seeking out. There are also several large tombs from the post-Reformation period (especially in the cluttered south aisle) and some fine Baroque work in the north transept.

The most significant of the monuments here are Royal; in the centre of the choir lies the fine 13th century effigy of King John, best remembered for signing the Magna Carta. Nearby is the superb chantry chapel of Prince Arthur, elder brother of Henry VIII, whose premature death aged 15 changed England forever (one of the most pivotal moments in our history, had he survived the Reformation may never have happened). The gorgeous late Perpendicular gothic chapel stands to the south of the High Altar and is remarkable for it's rich sculpted detail.

www.worcestercathedral.co.uk/

Heydon is one of Norfolk's prettiest small villages, a place popular with tv crews for its charming ambience. The church of SS Peter & Paul is set back beyond the village green with its commanding west tower standing proud. It appears to be mainly of 15th century date, though there are clear signs of the building going back at least a century earlier and likely further back still.

The interior is light and pleasant, its windows mainly clear glazed and there are several features of interst, chief amongst them being the 14th century wall paintings of which significant sections remain in the aisles (though frustratingly I somehow managed to miss those on the south side).

The church is open and welcoming to visitors and its setting is one of the more attractive I've seen.

www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/heydon/heydon.htm

Gloucester Cathedral is one of England's finest churches, a masterpiece of medieval architecture consisting of a uniquely beautiful fusion of Norman Romanesque and Perpendicular Gothic from the mid 14th century onwards. Until the Reformation this was merely Gloucester's Abbey of St Peter, under Henry VIII it became one of six former monastic churches to be promoted to cathedral status, thus saving the great church from the ravages of the Dissolution.

The most obviously Norman part is the nave, immediately apparent on entering the building with it's round arches and thick columns (the exterior is the result of Gothic remodelling). Much of the remainder of the building is substantially the Norman structure also, but almost entirely modified in the later Middle Ages inside and out, the result of the great revenue brought to the abbey by pilgrims to the tomb of the murdered King Edward II in the choir. It was this transformation of the Norman church that is credited with launching the late gothic Perpendicular style in England.

The gothic choir is a unique and spectacular work, the walls so heavily panelled as to suggest a huge stone cage (disguising the Norman arches behind) crowned by a glorious net-like vault adorned with numerous bosses (those over the Altar with superb figures of Christ and angels) whilst the east wall is entirely glazing in delicate stone tracery, and still preserving most of it's original 14th century stained glass. The soaring central tower, also richly panelled with delicate pinnacles, is another testament to the abbey's increasing wealth at this time.

The latest medieval additions to the church are equally glorious, the Lady Chapel is entered through the enormous east window and is itself a largely glazed structure, though the original glass has been reduced to a few fragments in the east window, the remainder now contains beautiful Arts & Crafts stained glass by Christopher and Veronica Whall.

The early 16th century cloisters to the north of the nave are some of the most beautiful anywhere, being completely covered by exquisite fan vaulting, with a seperate lavatorium (washing room) attached to the north walk as a miniature version of the main passages.

There is much more of interest, from 14th century choir stalls with misericords to the comprehensive collection of tombs and monuments of various dates, including the elaborate tomb of Edward II and that of Robert Duke of Normandy, eldest son of William the Conqueror. The stained glass also represents all ages, from the 14th century to the striking contemporary windows by Tom Denny.

Further areas of the cathedral can be accessed at certain times, such as the Norman crypt under the choir and the triforium gallery above.

My visit coincided with the major 'Crucible' exhibition of contemporary sculpture (September-October 2010), examples of which I will upload in due course.

Detail from the magnificent chantry chapel of Prince Arthur at Worcester, a masterpiece of late medieval architecture and sculpture and the last resting place of Henry VIII's elder brother.

Unusually, most of the medieval statuary of the chapel has survived both Reformation and Civil War though the main reredos figures have been defaced, though it seems the primary motive here was to remove the extremeties of the sculptures, allowing a flatter surface to board or plaster over! Nonetheless enough survives to give a good indication of their quality.

Worcester Cathedral is the commanding presence on the skyline of the city, perched on high ground overlooking the River Severn. It is one of England's most rewarding cathedrals, though denied first rank status owing to the heavy handed Victorian restorations it underwent, an unavoidable consequence of being built of soft red sandstone (a problem shared with Chester and Lichfield) and thus a 19th century feel pervades inside and out in it's mostly renewed external stonework and furnishings.

The cathedral impresses with it's scale, one or our longer churches, crowned by a magnificent central tower (originally surmounted by a lead spire, lost sometime after the Refomation; subtle alterations to the tower's design were made when it was refaced in the Victorian restoration) and with a secondary pair of transepts flanking the choir (as at Salisbury, Lincoln, Rochester & Canterbury). Of the former monastic buildings the cloister and Norman chapter house have survived (along with the refectory, now part of neighbouring King's School), making this a more complex and enjoyable building to explore.

The earliest parts are of the Norman period with the superb 12th century crypt under the choir. The west end of the nave is also Norman work, though very late and unusual in design, with transitional pointed arches. However the bulk of the building we see dates from the 13th and 14th centuries, the east end in Early English gothic style (where most of the windows were restored to stepped lancets by Sir George Gilbert Scott during the Victorian restoration, having been altered over the centuries), whilst the remainder of the nave and tower largely of the Decorated period (the cathedral originally also possessed a detached octagonal bell tower with a lead spire, which stood near the north east corner but was demolished in 1647).

Of the original furnishings little remains beyond the fine set of misericords in the choir stalls. The stained glass too is nearly entirely Victorian (only some meagre, much restored medieval fragments survive in traceries of the south aisle). Much of the Victorian glass is quite impressive, particularly the great east and west windows by Hardman's of Birmingham.

Worcester is however especially rich in tombs and monuments of all periods, with medieval effigies of bishops, knights and ladies, not all in good condition but worth seeking out. There are also several large tombs from the post-Reformation period (especially in the cluttered south aisle) and some fine Baroque work in the north transept.

The most significant of the monuments here are Royal; in the centre of the choir lies the fine 13th century effigy of King John, best remembered for signing the Magna Carta. Nearby is the superb chantry chapel of Prince Arthur, elder brother of Henry VIII, whose premature death aged 15 changed England forever (one of the most pivotal moments in our history, had he survived the Reformation may never have happened). The gorgeous late Perpendicular gothic chapel stands to the south of the High Altar and is remarkable for it's rich sculpted detail.

www.worcestercathedral.co.uk/

medieval architecture

I took this shot to try to show the complexity of the roof and it's many angles.

Heddal Stave Church is a medieval architectural masterpiece. The church is the largest of the 28 stave churches still remaining in Norway.

Categorizing a stave church is in fact easy - it's based on the very special building construction. On a stone foundation there is a frame of ground sills, into which the large pillars, the staves, are inset. On the top of the staves there is another frame of sills, the head beams, and on those, the roof construction is placed. The wall boards rest in a groove in the ground sills, while the top fits into a groove in the head beams. The boards are tounge and grooved, and only wooden nails - no metal nails - were used when constructing this church.

The outside of the church was protected by tar. The church is now regularly tarred by hand, with tar produced in the old way. There is a project going on, mixing the tar with coal. This makes the tar attaching firmer to the tiles. With great success mountain climbers are now engaged to do the tarring.

Inside the church you can see a beautiful wooden carved chair, dated around 1200. The baptism- font and a small wooden chair are both made in 1850 from two of the original pillars from this church. The alter-piece is produced by an unknown artist in 1667. The wall-painting that you see today is dated 1668. Underneath, on the west wall, there are remains of the original painting from about 1300. The Norwegian Government hope to restore these ancient paintings in 2008-09.

A circular iron chandelier for 23 candles (now in the University Museum of National Antiquities, in Oslo) formed part of he medieval inventory. Here is also a beautiful alter-front.

Until 1850 the church bells hung in the church. They were moved to the bell-tower outside because the burden on the structure of the church became too great, as the centuries passed.

The oldest church bell is was made in Amsterdam in 1647.

You can learn more about Stave kirker in English here and Norsk her.

See where this picture was taken.

Gloucester Cathedral is one of England's finest churches, a masterpiece of medieval architecture consisting of a uniquely beautiful fusion of Norman Romanesque and Perpendicular Gothic from the mid 14th century onwards. Until the Reformation this was merely Gloucester's Abbey of St Peter, under Henry VIII it became one of six former monastic churches to be promoted to cathedral status, thus saving the great church from the ravages of the Dissolution.

The most obviously Norman part is the nave, immediately apparent on entering the building with it's round arches and thick columns (the exterior is the result of Gothic remodelling). Much of the remainder of the building is substantially the Norman structure also, but almost entirely modified in the later Middle Ages inside and out, the result of the great revenue brought to the abbey by pilgrims to the tomb of the murdered King Edward II in the choir. It was this transformation of the Norman church that is credited with launching the late gothic Perpendicular style in England.

The gothic choir is a unique and spectacular work, the walls so heavily panelled as to suggest a huge stone cage (disguising the Norman arches behind) crowned by a glorious net-like vault adorned with numerous bosses (those over the Altar with superb figures of Christ and angels) whilst the east wall is entirely glazing in delicate stone tracery, and still preserving most of it's original 14th century stained glass. The soaring central tower, also richly panelled with delicate pinnacles, is another testament to the abbey's increasing wealth at this time.

The latest medieval additions to the church are equally glorious, the Lady Chapel is entered through the enormous east window and is itself a largely glazed structure, though the original glass has been reduced to a few fragments in the east window, the remainder now contains beautiful Arts & Crafts stained glass by Christopher and Veronica Whall.

The early 16th century cloisters to the north of the nave are some of the most beautiful anywhere, being completely covered by exquisite fan vaulting, with a seperate lavatorium (washing room) attached to the north walk as a miniature version of the main passages.

There is much more of interest, from 14th century choir stalls with misericords to the comprehensive collection of tombs and monuments of various dates, including the elaborate tomb of Edward II and that of Robert Duke of Normandy, eldest son of William the Conqueror. The stained glass also represents all ages, from the 14 th century to the striking contemporary windows by Tom Denny.

Further areas of the cathedral can be accessed at certain times, such as the Norman crypt under the choir and the triforium gallery above.

My visit coincided with the major 'Crucible' exhibition of contemporary sculpture (September-October 2010), examples of which I will upload in due course.