St Mary's sits in the heart of the peaceful village of Priors Hardwick as it has done for centuries and is an attractive building of warm hued ironstone. The present church dates back to the late 13th century but was heavily restored in 1868 when the nave was completely rebuilt, leaving the handsome medieval chancel and the slender tower at the west end remaining from the original building.

The interior is light and pleasant, the rebuilt nave broad without aisles leading the eye to the late 13th century chancel with its attractive early Decorated east window, filled with a pleasing patchwork of historic plain quarry glazing. The chancel is the highlight of the church with fine period detailing in its windows and the ample sedilia and piscina.

I've visited this delightful church twice over the years and found it kept open and welcoming on both occasions. It will not delay the visitor for long but is charming place for contemplation and reflection.

Medieval architecture, Oxford, England

Conserved remains of a gothique castle, founded in early 14th Century. It stood on the rebel side in the Hussite side, but its owner switched sides in the last phase of the conflict, and the castle was unsuccesfuly besieged by Hussites in 1434. The owning lord is mentioned a few weeks later as one of the knights, who decided the battle of Lipany, in which the Hussites were definitely crushed. The castle was used together with a newly built baroque manor until 1621, when both were plundered and burned down by imperial soldiers. The manor was quickly restored, but the castle was abandoned, and parts of it were systematically demolished, after the whole county was sold to a enterpreneur. When his son, after he inherited the castle, is elevated to a noble in 1865, he sees himslef to be a successor to the knight tradition of the castle, stops its destruction and begins conservation efforts. In the communist era the ruin was statically conserved in the then-typical way, which was not the most sensitive, it was returned together with the manor to their last owners in 1990ies, and is freely accessible today, with deep cellars and tight tunnels undergrounds.

Wells Cathedral is a magical place to me, having cast a spell over me from the very first time I laid eyes on it as a seven-year old when it started to be a regular break on our journeys south west for childhood holidays. Although it wasn't the first cathedral I'd encountered it was the first I'd seen after developing a more conscious interest in church art and architecture and it seemed to me like something from another world (which in many ways it is). I never forgot the impression it made, its beauties inside and out, and having not visited for nearly three decades I decided getting reacquainted was long overdue.

Described as England's 'Queen amongst cathedrals' it is not as huge as some but it is as beautiful as any, and its setting within the enclosure of a charming cathedral close that constitutes a large part of this modestly-sized but picturesque cathedral-city just adds to its qualities. Its three towers beckon the visitor through the turreted gates that connect the close to the market place and to walk through these and behold the west facade for the first time is an unforgettable experience. The central tower is a beautiful example of Somerset's pinnacled late Gothic masterpieces, and yet it almost disappears, practically forgotten, when one encounters the rich display between the two western towers with their curiously flat parapets. These towers are also mainly 15th century work, but below them, and built two centuries earlier, the facade unfolds like a huge screen covered with niches, most of which remarkably retain their original statues, the largest display of medieval sculpture surviving in England.

Currently visitors are directed to enter via the cloisters on the south side rather than through the surprisingly small, almost apologetic doorways burrowed through the base of this astonishing facade, so it is important to spend some time absorbing it before entering the building. Once inside the effect is rather calmer than the riot of ornamentation on the west front, and the scale a little more intimate and inviting than many cathedral interiors. Most of it is early 13th century and harmonious in style, but it is a later addition that draws the eye looking down the nave, the unique 'scissor arches' installed to brace the crossing in order to stabilise the central tower following signs of movement. The transepts beyond are of the same date and design as the nave, whilst further east the more ornate choir is a little later, being completed in the early 14th century. Beyond this the retrochoir and polygonal Lady Chapel with their delicate pillars and vaults form one of the most delightful and visually satisfying of English medieval interiors.

Furnishings and features of interest are plentiful as one explores the church admiring the beauty of its architecture, with much medieval glass surviving at the east end, the east window and the adjoining clerestories having survived almost intact (more survives in the choir aisles and lady chapel though aside from the traceries most is in a fragmentary state). Many medieval bishops effigies are to be seen (many forming a posthumous 13th century commemoration of earlier Saxon bishops) along with three chantry chapels. In the north transept is the famous medieval astronomical clock with its painted dials and jousting knights marking the quarter hours.

One of the most exquisite features is the chapter house also on the north side, approached via a delightfully timeworn staircase and covered by a particularly attractive vaulted ceiling. It is one of the highlights of the building and shouldn't be missed. The cloisters on the south side are also a delight to wander through and were one of the last major additions to the cathedral.

Wells Cathedral is without a doubt one of the country's greatest treasures and in my mind one of the most beautiful churches anywhere and even its surroundings are a joy to explore. Happily it now at last appears to be reopening after the long hiatus of lockdown, it deserves to be visited and enjoyed again by all once the present crisis is over.

www.wellscathedral.org.uk/

The old church of St Mary at Ullenhall is hidden amongst the foliage up winding lanes some way out of the village centre, so well hidden in fact that one would perhaps never stumble across it without prior knowledge of it's existence.

It comprises the chancel of the medieval church, with a west wall, bellcote and Victorian porch in place of the former chancel arch (the nave has gone without trace, though the small lancet above the porch is a reused original feature)

This peaceful and idyllic spot is maintained as a chapel and, unlike the Victorian main church, is generally kept open for visitors and private prayer.

I had first visited here many years ago whilst working on refitting the glazing which was restored at Norgrove Studios.

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.

The magnificent former collegiate church of St Editha dominates the town centre of Tamworth. It is an impressively large building of mainly 14th - 15th century date with an imposing west tower (the stump of a former spire is just visible above the parapet), the lower part of which serves as a lofty main entrance and antechamber to the nave.

The spacious interior has several fine monuments (including several medieval tombs on the north side of the chancel and a splendid Baroque piece under the tower) and much fine stained glass by Pre Raphaelite artists (Burne Jones & Ford Madox Brown in the chancel, Henry Holiday in the nave aisles), one of the most rewarding displays in any Midland church.

The church is generally open to visitors most days between 10am & 4pm.

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.

The most beautiful late gothique fort in the country was first mentioned in 1295. The original residential tower was later enlarged into a small, but noble castle which was finished in 1477. The castle was only a "bureau" for local officials around 1600, and it was unsuccesfuly besieged by Swedes in 1639, who after they failed burned down the whole town. The heavily damaged castle was later disassembled, and only cellars and smaller ruins are still standing in the area, but the original fort tower survived without damage (although part of the castle, it was not integrated through inner rooms, and the fire damage did not reach it). Today the tower is in very good shape, with restored interiors, and is a rare example of original gothique architecture, unchanged by more modern styles.

The responsibility for the procurement and labour and materials, design and construction of stone bridges during medieval period fell to the master mason who fulfilled the role of both, architect and builder

Beauvais cathedral represents medieval architecture at it's most ambitious, it's vaulted ceilings are the highest ever built.

This ambition came at a price, with the choir vault collapsing soon after it was constructed, so considerable reinforcement in the form of extra columns accompanied their reconstruction.

As a result of such traumas work on the cathedral was slow, and by the late Middle Ages the transepts had only just been completed with their impressive, late Gothic facades. The nave awaited construction, but rather than focus on this an act of pure folly led to priority being given to an enormous steeple over the crossing instead, giving this already loftiest of cathedrals one of the tallest, most elaborate spires ever concieved.

It all ended in disaster after only three years; the already overburdened columns couldn't support such a load for long, especially given the absence of a nave to reinforce the west side of the crossing, and the whole steeple came crashing down in 1573, never to be rebuilt.

The damage caused by the fall of the spire was repaired but all hopes of completing the cathedral were abandoned and the west end boarded up in 'temporary' fashion as it remains to this day. Bizarrely the remaining section of the Romanesque church that preceeded the cathedral was left in place as a result, and being such a modest building is utterly dwarfed by the soaring gothic structure towering over it.

Sadly it was too late in the day to get inside the cathedral, and our hopes of doing so at the start of the trip had been scuppered by our being burdened with luggage (having just arrived from Beauvais airport) and there being no left luggage facility at the local station!

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/

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

Conserved remains of a gothique castle, founded in early 14th Century. It stood on the rebel side in the Hussite side, but its owner switched sides in the last phase of the conflict, and the castle was unsuccesfuly besieged by Hussites in 1434. The owning lord is mentioned a few weeks later as one of the knights, who decided the battle of Lipany, in which the Hussites were definitely crushed. The castle was used together with a newly built baroque manor until 1621, when both were plundered and burned down by imperial soldiers. The manor was quickly restored, but the castle was abandoned, and parts of it were systematically demolished, after the whole county was sold to a enterpreneur. When his son, after he inherited the castle, is elevated to a noble in 1865, he sees himslef to be a successor to the knight tradition of the castle, stops its destruction and begins conservation efforts. In the communist era the ruin was statically conserved in the then-typical way, which was not the most sensitive, it was returned together with the manor to their last owners in 1990ies, and is freely accessible today, with deep cellars and tight tunnels undergrounds.

St Denys's church in Evington sits in a fairly rural setting on the edge of the village (which itself nowadays sits on the outer fringe of Leicester's suburban sprawl). It is a mainly 14th century building with a simple west tower and spire and some elaborately traceried windows in the north aisle (that at the west end is unusually ornate for such an inconspicuous position). Later alterations are apparent with the chancel, which is clearly a Victorian rebuilding, whilst from the south side of the church a glazed annex leads to modern parish rooms built in the early 21st century.

Within the church is spacious and well kept and also enlivened by some interesting glass, the chancel east window having an unusual design of angels around an ornamental cross, whilst in the south aisle some rich Victorian medallions compete with a vibrant early 20th century window with St Michael at its centre. The most significant pieces here however are the surviving 14th century traceries in some of the north aisle windows which include censing angels and heraldry.

I was made welcome here by the kindly people on duty and one gentleman drew my attention to the new glass installations in the recent extension, escorting me further into the function rooms to make sure I didn't miss another piece in there. I hope I didn't cause any offence when I edged back to the door after a few minutes, such moments can get a bit awkward when time is limited (especially ride and stride day as planned itineraries get harder to fulfil with each passing hour and only one day when so many churches are open).

I particularly liked St Denys, a lovely church which isn't likely to be open outside of services, but well worth a look if one is lucky enough to find otherwise.

stdenys.org.uk/

A well-preserved example of medieval architecture

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.

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 at least be glad that being put to other uses at least preserved the structure through it's centuries of hibernation.

The church posesses 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 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...

Once a majestic castle, founded in 1276 by a lesser noble family which came to colonize the deep woods in central Bohemia. It survived the turbulent 15th Century, and the owners definitely lost it in 1575. The castle was ransacked by the Imperial army in 1618, and demolished by Swedes in 1645. The abandoned area was then used for restoration of the village, stone walls were disassembled, terrain flattened. There is a complex cellar system, which was used by the locals until the 19th Century. New houses were built on the bailey, and today only a part of a palace is still standing.

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 at least be glad that being put to other uses at least preserved the structure through it's centuries of hibernation.

The church posesses 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 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...

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 at least be glad that being put to other uses at least preserved the structure through it's centuries of hibernation.

The church posesses 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 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...

East window of the south chapel by Goddard & Gibbs to the design of Arthur Buss, c1950.

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...

The somewhat elusive St John the Baptist's church in Baginton is at first sight a deceptively simple building, the view on approach from the south-east being that of a modest two-cell structure of nave and chancel with a miniature (and rustically charming) tower and spire perched between the two. Moving around to the opposite side however reveals this building has undergone some extension with no less than two north aisles. Much of the present building is still in essence the original Norman one, albeit with alterations and additions mostly of the 14th century. Everything is built in warm red sandstone, as is the norm in the central and northern parts of Old Warwickshire.

The interior is rather different, both in terms of mostly whitened walls taking the place of the sandstone (and adding considerable lightness to what might otherwise have been a gloomy space) and being quite unlike any other ancient church in the county. From the west end the eye is drawn not to the usual single chancel arch but three of them (technically six as the openings into the chancel beyond are set much lower). The configuration is necessitated by the two central piers being required to support the tiny box-like tower above, while the alcoves on either side may have once contained altars and retain significant patches of ancient wall painting (mainly floral decoration). It is difficult to get much sense of the small chancel beyond until passing through the arches, from where it is revealed as an intimate space full of interest.

The most noteworthy features of the church are to be found adorning the walls of the chancel, with several imposing wall tablets and a very fine early 15th century brass commemorating Sir William Bagot & his wife who once lived in the nearby castle (of which little now remains). There are further patches of wall painting in other parts of the church and the nave retains most of its 18th century furnishings. The Victorian restoration here appears to have had very little impact aside from the Hardman glass in the east window.

Baginton is not the easiest of places to find, being squeezed between the outskirts of Coventry and its airport which adjoins the village. Despite being fairly local to where I grew up this church also eluded me until very recently, being normally kept locked and only open by appointment (my only prior visit ended in disappointment and the wording of the sign discouraged asking for the key without prior arrangement). Being part of a group visit finally gave me the access I wanted, but alas time was limited and the church was swiftly locked up again as we left. It's a shame they don't feel they can open it more often as it is a very rewarding building that deserves more visitors and wider appreciation.

www.baginton-village.org.uk/st-john-the-baptist-history

The church of Our Lady & St Nicholas at Wanlip is a mostly 14th century building consisting of west tower, nave and chancel, with a Victorian addition of porch and chapel on the south side.

We'd arrived a bit too early on Heritage weekend / ride & stride day so were unable to get inside, a pity as it looked interesting, but at least some of the external carvings and headstones in the churchyard rewarded our short time here.

www.birstall.org/about-us/wanlip-church-history/

Conserved remains of a gothique castle, founded in early 14th Century. It stood on the rebel side in the Hussite side, but its owner switched sides in the last phase of the conflict, and the castle was unsuccesfuly besieged by Hussites in 1434. The owning lord is mentioned a few weeks later as one of the knights, who decided the battle of Lipany, in which the Hussites were definitely crushed. The castle was used together with a newly built baroque manor until 1621, when both were plundered and burned down by imperial soldiers. The manor was quickly restored, but the castle was abandoned, and parts of it were systematically demolished, after the whole county was sold to a enterpreneur. When his son, after he inherited the castle, is elevated to a noble in 1865, he sees himslef to be a successor to the knight tradition of the castle, stops its destruction and begins conservation efforts. In the communist era the ruin was statically conserved in the then-typical way, which was not the most sensitive, it was returned together with the manor to their last owners in 1990ies, and is freely accessible today, with deep cellars and tight tunnels undergrounds.

Peterborough Cathedral is one of England's finest buildings, an almost complete Romanesque church on an impressive scale sitting behind one of the most unique and eccentric Gothic facades found anywhere in medieval Europe. The church we see today is little altered since its completion in the 13th century aside from inevitable 19th century restorations and the serious depradations of Civil War damage in the mid 17th century.

The bulk of the church is 12th century Norman, retaining even its apse (a rarity in England) and even the original flat wooden ceilings of nave and transept. The nave ceiling retains its early medieval painted decoration with an assortment of figures set within lozenge shaped panels (mostly overpainted in the 18th and 19th centuries but the overall effect is preserved). The 13th century west facade is the most dramatic and memorable feature of the building, with three vast Gothic arches forming a giant porch in front of the building, a unique design, flanked by small spires and intended to be surmounted by two pinnacled towers rising just behind the facade, though only that on the north side was finished (and originally surmounted by a wooden spire which was removed c1800). The central tower is a surprisingly squat structure of 14th century date (with a striking vaulted ceiling within) and along with its counterpart at the west end makes surprisingly little presence on the city's skyline for such an enormous building. The final addition to the church prior to the Reformation is the ambulatory around the apse, a superb example of late medieval perpendicular with a stunning fan-vaulted ceiling.

Given the vast scale of the building it is perhaps surprising to learn that it has only had cathedral status since 1541, prior to that it had been simply Peterborough Abbey, but it was one of the most well endowed monastic houses in the country, as witnessed by the architecture. It was once the burial place of two queens, Katherine of Aragon lies on the north side of the choir and Mary Queen of Scots was originally interred here before her son James I had her body moved to the more prestigious surroundings of Westminster.

Sadly the cathedral suffered miserably during the Civil War when Parliamentarian troops ransacked the church and former monastic buildings in an orgy of destruction, much of which was overseen by Cromwell himself in person (which helps explain its thoroughness). Tombs and monuments were brutally defaced, and nearly all the original furnishings and woodwork were destroyed, along with every bit of stained glass in all the vast windows (only the merest fragments remain today in the high windows of the apse). Worse still, the delightful cloisters on the south side, once famed for the beauty of their painted windows, were demolished leaving only their outer walls and some tantalising reminders of their former richness. The magnificent 13th century Lady Chapel attached to the north transept (an unusual arrangement, similar to that at Ely) was another major casualty, demolished immediately after the war so that its materials could be sold in order to raise funds for the restoration of the cathedral following the Cromwellian rampage.

In the following centuries much was done to repair the building and bring it back into order. There were major restorations during the 19th century, which included the dismantling and rebuilding of the central tower (following the same design and reusing original material) owing to impending structural failure in the crossing piers.

What we see today is thus a marvel of architecture, a church of great beauty, but a somewhat hollow one owing to the misfortunes of history. One therefore doesn't find at Peterborough the same clutter of the centuries that other cathedrals often possess (in terms of tombs and furnishings) and there are few windows of real note, but for the grandeur of its architecture it is one of the very finest churches we have.

For more history see the link below:-

www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk/history.aspx

The ruins of Kirkham Priory are situated on the banks of the River Derwent, at Kirkham, North Yorkshire, England. The Augustinian priory was founded in the 1120s by Walter l'Espec, lord of nearby Helmsley, who also built Rievaulx Abbey. The priory was surrendered in 8 December 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Legend has it that Kirkham was founded in remembrance of l'Espec's only son who had died nearby as a consequence of his horse being startled by a boar. The area was later used to test the D-Day landing vehicles, and was visited by Winston Churchill. The ruins are now Grade I listed and in the care of English Heritage.

Gatehouse ruins

Kirkham Priory gatehouse ruins. The armorials of various benefactors are visible sculpted on stone escutcheons

The Gatehouse of Kirkham Priory, built c.?1290–95, is a specimen of English Gothic medieval architecture. It is a rare survival of such a gatehouse, comparable to that of Butley Priory in Suffolk. It has a wide arch of continuous mouldings with a crocketed gable running up to the windows, with sculptures of S.George and the Dragon on the left, and David and Goliath to the right. Above the arch is Christ in a pointed oval recess, plus two figures below of St. Bartholomew and St. Philip, in niches. There are also many escutcheons with the armorials of the various benefactors of the Priory, including the arms of de Ros, Scrope, de Forz, Vaux, FitzRalph & Espec (3 cart-wheels, each with 6 spokes).

The cloisters at Gloucester are renowned for their superb early 16th century fan-vaults, making these perhaps the most beautiful in the country.

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.

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.

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.

St Michael & All Angels at Ledbury is not only one of Herefordshire's grandest parish churches but also one of its most rewarding. There is much to enjoy in this ancient building from its unusual architectural features to its interesting monuments and top quality glass.

The church is set back from the town's main street and accessed via a narrow cobbled alleyway, the view of its soaring spire beckoning the visitor onward. Upon arriving at the churchyard gates this massive building reveals itself to be full of surprises, most noticeably the tower and spire being detached from the main building and standing a short distance to the north of a beautifully detailed chapel on the north side (formerly dedicated to St Katherine) whose large windows are enriched with ballflower ornament. To the right the mass of the three-gabled west front greets the visitor, centred around the original Norman west doorway with its carved capitals.

Much of the Norman building still remains but aside from the west door the building has been modified and extended in the following centuries to the point that most of the exterior now appears to be of 13th or 14th century date. The detached tower dates back to the 13th century in its lower stages, but the topmost belfry stage and the tapering spire above are an 18th century addition by architect Nathaniel Wilkinson of Worcester. The spire is nonetheless remarkable for its sheer height, and visitors can often ascend the tower to its base during the summer months.

Inside the church initially has a vast, almost barn-like feel owing to the great space and somewhat low level of light, particularly as the eye is drawn towards the chancel which almost disappears into the gloom at first sight. The church is lit by a series of tall windows but the light they admit is more limited by the extensive collection of stained glass (though fortunately most of this is exceptionally good). The chancel is the oldest part, retaining its Norman arcades with intriguing porthole-like oculi above that would have been originally glazed as a clerestorey before the aisles were enlarged. On the north side (almost acting as a transept) is the former chapel with its large Decorated windows that is now separated by a glazed screen and is referred to presently as the chapter house. It contains some old fragments of glass and a fine effigy of a 13th century priest.

Throughout the church there are tombs and monuments of interest (not all well lit so at times the eye needs to adjust to the darkness) from the medieval period to the 19th century. Most of the windows on the south side are filled with rich late Victorian glass by Kempe, whilst in the north side is a more varied display with good examples of Pre Raphaelite, Arts & Crafts and more modern work by Burne Jones, Christopher Whall and John K.Clark respectively, in my opinion the most outstanding windows in the church.

Ledbury church is normally kept open and welcoming for visitors to this popular, tourist-friendly market town. It is well worth a visit, a well above average church!

www.britainexpress.com/attractions.htm?attraction=3908

Bury St Edmunds remarkably boasts two major churches a short distance apart, almost sharing a churchyard, with St Mary's a short walk to the south of the former St James (now the cathedral). St James is now the focus of the diocese and has been magnificently extended for its new role, but St Mary's is by far the more significant medieval building. Given its grand scale it was also considered for cathedral status upon the foundation of the new diocese but was not chosen as its historic value was too great to allow major alteration, whereas St James's was a far more flexible building already much altered and rebuilt, thus it was chosen instead.

The sight of these two great churches (and another since vanished) standing before the great and now tragically lost Abbey in the monastic precinct must have been an unforgettable sight in the Middle Ages. St Mary's is one of the grandest parish churches not only in Suffolk but the whole country, impressively proportioned and almost entirely rebuilt in the 15th century aside from the fortress-like tower on the north side that appears to date back at least to the previous century.

The interior also impresses with its great volume but most of all the wonderful original nave roof borne aloft on slender arcades. This is one of the very finest medieval hammerbeam angel roofs to have survived, and the carvings are in wonderful condition, surviving the iconoclasts unblemished unlike so many other examples, the great smiling wooden angels gazing down benevolently as they have done for centuries. The darkened woodwork makes the detail a little difficult to appreciate without a good zoom lens and requires the eye to adjust.to fully enjoy it.

The chancel beyond also possesses a fine 15th century ceiling but of a very different design and much easier see in detail owing to its rich colouring and gilding. Paintings of angels line the edges and carved bosses abound, the former have been retouched but are otherwise largely original. A further ornate medieval ceiling, uniquely adorned with mirrored glass, can be seen over the east end of the south aisle where the cadaver tomb of John Baret (benefactor of much of the rebuilding) can also be found.

The chancel contains further monuments with effigies to members of the Carewe and Drury families, both now sadly bereft of their canopies. A further burial here is that of Mary Rose Tudor, sister of Henry VIII, who was initially interred in the Abbey only to be reburied here after her brother destroyed it. The original monument is lost so her resting place here is now marked by a simple marble slab.

My time at St Mary's was limited since not long after I arrived people started gathering for a funeral so I didn't get all the shots I wanted (so many of the roof carvings thus eluded me). I quietly exited via the delightful Notyngham porch on the north side which has another gem of a medieval ceiling carved with a central pendant (which I was delighted to finally see having found this porch closed on previous visits).

St Mary's is happily normally open and welcoming daily and no visitor should miss it.

www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/burymary.htm

The north transept doorway (St Anne's Door) is adorned with the most complete surviving ensemble of medieval architectural sculpture on the cathedral's exterior (the similar south door was much altered in the 17th century and the west façade was almost totally renewed in the 19th). The voussoirs of the arch are carved with alternating bands of foliage and a multitude of small figures set in mandorla shapes, representing the heavenly host of saints and angels; although many have been badly weathered (and a few replaced) a good number of the late 13th century figures are still preserved (the central statuette of St Anne is Victorian).

Lichfield is our best known three-spired cathedral, and one I have visited many times over the years (both for business and pleasure).

The cathedral suffered more than most during the Civil War when the Close was besieged (twice) and the central spire shot down (the aftermath of which is memorably conjured in one of Kempe's windows). As a result of this (and the soft red sandstone) the cathedral has been heavily restored and nearly all the furnishings are Victorian, but there are some notable tombs and monuments, and every time I come here I seem to notice more medieval survivals of some kind in various corners.

This was my first visit since the Lady Chapel's vast swathes of Flemish glass was spirited up to York for restoration, and it'll be a couple more years before it returns. Meanwhile this normally rather dark interior has brightened up with clear glazing, suggesting the kind of atmosphere the cathedral must have had in pre-Victorian days when there was virtually no stained glass.

West window by Goddard & Gibbs, 1950s. The window is largely composed of attractive plain tinted slab glass (and has in recent years been attacked by local idiots on several occasions necessitating repair, which is difficult as slab glass is generally no longer produced).

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...

Siena, Italy

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.

The attractive town of Tewkesbury has been dominated by its superb abbey church since the beginning of the 12th century, and we can be forever grateful to its townspeople for purchasing the monastic church in 1540 for £453 for use as their parish church, saving it from the fate that befell countless similar great churches across the land during the turmoil of the Dissolution. It reminds us both how lucky we are to still marvel at it today, yet also how great a loss to our heritage the period wrought when many more such buildings were so utterly plundered as to have gone without trace (the fate of the monastic buildings here and even the lady chapel of the church whose footings are laid out in the grass at the east end).

Tewkesbury Abbey is thus rightly celebrated as one of our greatest non-cathedral churches, and remarkably much of the original Norman church remains substantially intact, most apparently in the great central tower, a fine example of Romanesque architecture adorned with rows of blind-arcading. The west front is dominated by a massive Norman-arched recess (enclosing the somewhat later west window) and the nave and transepts remain largely as originally built, though this is less clear externally owing to the changes made to the windows, nearly all of which were enlarged in the 14th century in the Decorated Gothic style. This century also saw the complete rebuilding of the eastern limb of the church, of a form less common in England with radiating chapels surrounding the eastern apse of the choir (the central lady chapel sadly missing since 1540).

The interior reveals far more of the Romanesque structure with mighty columns supporting the round Norman arches of the nave arcades giving the building a great sense of solidity. The space is further enlivened by the changes made during the 14th century by the stunning vault over the nave (adorned with a rewarding series of figurative bosses) which sits surprisingly well with the Norman work below. Beyond the apsidal choir beckons, and both this and the space below the tower are enriched with stunningly complex vaulted ceilings (replete with further bosses and gilded metal stars), all ablaze with colour and gilding.

There is much to enjoy in glass here, most remarkably a complete set of 14th century glazing in the clerestorey of the choir, seven windows filled with saints and prophets (and most memorably two groups of knights in the westernmost windows on each side). A few of the figures have fared less well over the centuries but on the whole this is a wonderfully rare and well preserved scheme. There is much glass from the 19th century too, with an extensive scheme in the nave of good quality work by Hardman's, and more recently a pair of rich windows by Tom Denny were added in one of the polygonal chapels around the east end.

Some of the most memorable features are the monuments with many medieval tombs of note, primarily the effigies and chantry chapels of members of the Despenser family around the choir (two of the chantries being miniature architectural gems in their own right with exquisite fan-vaulting). In one of the apsidal chapels is the unusual cenotaph to Abbot Wakeman with his grisly cadaver effigy, a late medieval reminder of earthly mortality.

Tewkesbury Abbey is not to be missed and is every bit as rewarding as many of our cathedrals (superior in fact to all but the best). It is normally kept open and welcoming to visitors on a daily basis. I have also had the privilege of working on this great building several times over the years (as part of the team at the studio I once worked for), and have left my mark in glass in a few discreet places.

www.tewkesburyabbey.org.uk/

Another early shot with new toy Fuji X-Pro 1 processed with fun iPad app Snapseed. Bargate in Southampton, part of the original walls constructed in Norman times, medieval architectural building

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.

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 at least be glad that being put to other uses at least preserved the structure through it's centuries of hibernation.

The church posesses 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 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...

St Lawrence's is a fine largely 13th-15th century building sitting in the heart of the picturesque village of Gotham (pronounced Goat-ham, unlike where a certain caped crusader lives!). The older parts of the building include the tower with its broach spire and the nave arcades within (with carved capitals) whilst the clerestorey of the nave is a 15th century addition that lends great dignity to the exterior. The building has benefitted in more recent years from an external rendering of its aisles and chancel to protect the stonework, which lightens up the structure considerably and should hopefully reduce the need for maintenance.

The interior is space and light with mainly plain-glazed windows and some intriguing carvings in the nave. The chancel beyond is home to some interesting wall monuments, most notably the pair on either side to members of the St Andrew family from the early 17th century.

Gotham church is worth seeing if you can get inside as it isn't normally open outside of service times (though there's more chance of that than an encounter with a certain fictional hero who makes the village worth visiting for the name alone! ;-).

Both my visits here were on open days run by the diocese who also sponsored the fine website with individual church entries and summaries below:-

southwellchurches.nottingham.ac.uk/gotham/hintro.php

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.

Originally founded as an Augustinian abbey in 1140, Bristol Cathedral has had a more chequered history than most, having only been elevated to a diocesan church in 1542 following the dissolution of the monastery. At the time it was granted cathedral status the church was also incomplete, a major rebuilding of the nave was underway but the Dissolution brought work to a halt and the unfinished parts were demolished. The new cathedral was a truncated church consisting of choir, transepts and central tower, (already on a smaller scale than many) and so it remained until the Victorian period when renewed interest in the Middle Ages reignited the desire to rebuild the nave. The work was done between 1868-77 to the designs of architect George Edmund Street (largely imitating the genuine medieval architecture of the choir) whilst the west front with its twin towers wasn't finished until 1888 (to the design of J.L.Pearson). Only then was Bristol cathedral a complete church again, after a gap of more than three centuries.

Architecturally this is also a rather unique building in England, since it follows the German pattern of a 'hall-church' where the main vessel (nave & choir) and the side aisles are all of the same height, thus there is no clerestorey and the aisle windows rise to the full height of the building. Externally this gives the building a rather more solid, muscular look, whilst within there is a greater sense of enclosed space, with the columns merging into the vaulted ceilings like trees sprouting branches. There are many striking architectural innovations here that don't seem to have been repeated elsewhere in 14th/15th century England, such as the distinctive designs of the choir aisle vaults which appear to rest on pierced bracings and the 'stellate' tomb-recesses punctuating the walls below. Further eccentric touches can be found in some of the side chapels of the eastern arm. Another unique feature is the fact the cathedral has two Lady Chapels, the major one being below the east window behind the high altar, whilst a further chapel (one of the earliest parts of the church) is attached to the north transept.

Beyond its impressive architectural features the cathedral contains much of interest, with its late medieval choir stalls surviving along with a few much restored elements of its 14th century glass (along with an interesting mixture of windows from later centuries) and several monumental tombs of note. Parts of the monastic complex remain too, with two sides of the cloister remaining and the superb Norman chapter house (one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture and carving in the country with some wonderfully rich-non-figurative decoration).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Cathedral

Today one of the most complete medieval castles in CZ, built after 1320. After it was damaged by Hussites in 1426, it´s state deteriorated in the following centuries, and it was abandoned in 1544. The ruin was purchased by an enterpreneur in 1894, and completely restored in neogothic style in 1911-1916. The castle was confiscated by the state in 1951 and became a national cultural monument, the owner´s family got it back in 2006.

So much has been said in praise of St Mary's church in the Redcliffe area of Bristol that it seems rather pointless trying to go into further detail here beyond saying that its repute is truly well deserved, this being the church that Elizabeth I called "the fairest, goodliest, and most famous parish church in England."

St Mary Redcliffe is a wonderfully complete vision of English late Decorated / early Perpendicular Gothic architecture which is broadly unified stylistically. The present building mainly dates from 1292-1370 and has a cathedral-like form and scale, fully cruciform with nave, choir and transepts flanked by aisles in each case and the church culminating in a Lady Chapel at the east end. The tower is at the north west corner and crowned by a tapering spire (truncated by a lightning strike in 1446 and only rebuilt in 1872) and a landmark for the surrounding area (visible as one arrives in Bristol by train as I did, being so close to the station). However the most dramatic architectural feature of the exterior is the unique two-storied hexagonal porch on the north side which is the main entrance to the church. This porch has much unusual ornament in its carved doorways and details and within is a joy to behold with its vaulted ceiling, a beautiful introduction to the church beyond.

Inside the nave the glory of the interior becomes clear, flooded with light from the many great aisle and clerestorey windows and crowned throughout by vaulted ceilings of a variety of beautiful designs, all studded with gilded roof bosses. It is a breathtaking interior to behold and a feast for the eyes. As one progresses further down the church through the aisles and transepts one encounters tombs and effigies to various medieval worthies of Bristol and whilst most of the medieval glass has disappeared beyond a few collected fragments (located in the chapel at the north west corner under the tower) there are some huge swathes of Victorian glass and some rather more rewarding postwar glass in the Lady Chapel adding a rich splash of colour at the far end of the building.

It is impossible to really do this architectural gem justice with words so I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking. All I can add is that this is one of the loveliest buildings in the country and a masterpiece of English medieval art and architecture. It shouldn't be missed and is happily normally open to visitors on a daily basis.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary_Redcliffe

Original taken in RAW format.

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.

Victorian stained glass in the south nave aisle by Clayton & Bell, a fine example of their early work, 1859.

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

Hexham Abbey started life as a Benedictine monastery founded by St Wilfrid in 674, building his church from recycled Roman stonework. The building would have been significantly smaller than that which we see today though a small part of it remains in the Abbey's famous Anglo Saxon crypt, a four-chambered space (one of the most ancient Christian structures still in use in Britain) concealed beneath the present nave. Most of the present church however is the result of 13th century rebuilding in the Early English style.

Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1537 the Abbey church was retained for use as the town's parish church of St Andrew, which it has remained ever since. Most of the monastic buildings and the medieval nave were abandoned and quarried away around this time, leaving just the choir and transepts in use. The Victorian period saw major restoration of the church which included the rebuilding of the eastern bay of the choir in 1858, whilst ongoing work to improve the state of the abbey culminated in the early years of the 20th century with the rebuilding of the ruined nave (reusing the original foundations and lower parts of the walls) to the designs of Temple Moore, which was consecrated in 1908.

The Abbey is a delight to explore and retains much of interest from the medieval period, including many original furnishings and a surprisingly rich collection of 15th century paintings on wood, incorporated into the choir screen and stalls, and yet further in the two chantry chapels flanking the high altar. One of the chapels, the chantry of Prior Leschman, is famous for its primitive stone carvings. The oldest item in the church however is the 'Frith Stool' in the centre of the choir, an ancient bishop's throne from St Wilfrid's time which would have been in use when the previous church was briefly designated as a cathedral.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexham_Abbey

Hexham Abbey is a church I'd wanted to see for many years and finally getting to see it was no disappointment. I was also made very welcome here by everyone I met and would happily return. The church is currently closed to the public for renovation (Jan-March 2019) but is normally open and welcoming on a daily basis.

www.hexhamabbey.org.uk/