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Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland.
"St Magnus Cathedral is the most northerly cathedral in the United Kingdom, a fine example of Romanesque architecture built for the bishops of Orkney when the islands were ruled by the Norse Earls of Orkney. It is owned not by the church, but by the burgh of Kirkwall as a result of an act of King James III of Scotland following Orkney's annexation by the Scottish Crown in 1468. It has its own dungeon.
Construction began in 1137, and it was added to over the next 300 years. The first bishop was William the Old, and the diocese was under the authority of the Archbishop of Nidaros in Norway. It was for Bishop William that the nearby Bishop's Palace was built."
Formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery dedicated to St Werburgh, since 1541 it has been the seat of the Bishop of Chester and now dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The building dates from between 1093 and the early 1500s, although the site may have been used for Christian worship since Roman times.
All the major styles of English medieval architecture, from Norman to Perpendicular, are present in the building.
Chester Cathedral is a Grade I listed building.
Monument to Elizabeth Williams (a daughter of Bishop Miles) and her stillborn infant, erected in the early 17th century on the north side of the Lady Chapel at Gloucester Cathedral.
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.
Thorpe Langton was our last planned stop and hopes of getting inside one more church were fading fast. Sure enough I arrived at the north porch to find it firmly padlocked so that was that.
The church is a handsome 14th century building with a short west spire and some fine flowing tracery in the east window. the interior will have to await an earlier arrival on another Heritage day as the church is normally kept locked outside of service times.
For a fully impression of this church (inside and out) see its entry on the Leicestershire Churches site below:-
Arriving at Little Stretton and seeing the yellow Ride & Stride arrow signs pointing out where to find its elusive church it felt like my luck might finally change, and sure enough it did as upon arriving I could clearly espy my first open door of the day! :-D
St John the Baptist's church is a somewhat small building, but one of great rustic charm nonetheless, an extremely picturesque 14th century building in richly hued ironstone. The small west tower is followed by an aisleless nave and chancel in one, a long rectangular vessel pierced by an assortment of pointed and straight-headed windows. The north wall by contrast is totally windowless and leans quite noticeably, being propped up by later brick buttresses. Entry is via a delightfully humble Norman doorway in the south porch.
The interior is bright and monochrome after the golden-brown of the exterior, all whitewashed walls, dark wooden furnishings and plain-glazed windows, a place of pre-Victorian Protestant worship that seems untouched by the 19th century's usual interventions. It is a bright space, if a slightly chilly one, and attractively simple. The main furnishing of note is the 13th century font at the west end.
I believe that pre-Covid this church was normally kept open and welcoming for visitors, but I am unsure to what extent that happpens currently.
A section of the city walls of Trogir, Croatia.
Trogir, is a small town of about 10,000 located twenty miles from the larger city of Split. Situated on a small island in the Adriatic sea just off the Croatian coast, the town's history dates back to the Greeks in the 3rd century B.C. Over the centuries the island has been ruled by The Romans, Hungarians and Croats the Venetian Empire, the Austrian Empire, and the French. After World War I, Trogir was part of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (which became Yugoslavia), although was occupied by Italy during World War II. In 1991, the town was part of Croatia when it declared its independence.
Gloucester Cathedral is one of England's finest churches, a masterpiece of medieval architecture consisting of a uniquely beautiful fusion of Norman Romanesque and Perpendicular Gothic from the mid 14th century onwards. Until the Reformation this was merely Gloucester's Abbey of St Peter, under Henry VIII it became one of six former monastic churches to be promoted to cathedral status, thus saving the great church from the ravages of the Dissolution.
The most obviously Norman part is the nave, immediately apparent on entering the building with it's round arches and thick columns (the exterior is the result of Gothic remodelling). Much of the remainder of the building is substantially the Norman structure also, but almost entirely modified in the later Middle Ages inside and out, the result of the great revenue brought to the abbey by pilgrims to the tomb of the murdered King Edward II in the choir. It was this transformation of the Norman church that is credited with launching the late gothic Perpendicular style in England.
The gothic choir is a unique and spectacular work, the walls so heavily panelled as to suggest a huge stone cage (disguising the Norman arches behind) crowned by a glorious net-like vault adorned with numerous bosses (those over the Altar with superb figures of Christ and angels) whilst the east wall is entirely glazing in delicate stone tracery, and still preserving most of it's original 14th century stained glass. The soaring central tower, also richly panelled with delicate pinnacles, is another testament to the abbey's increasing wealth at this time.
The latest medieval additions to the church are equally glorious, the Lady Chapel is entered through the enormous east window and is itself a largely glazed structure, though the original glass has been reduced to a few fragments in the east window, the remainder now contains beautiful Arts & Crafts stained glass by Christopher and Veronica Whall.
The early 16th century cloisters to the north of the nave are some of the most beautiful anywhere, being completely covered by exquisite fan vaulting, with a seperate lavatorium (washing room) attached to the north walk as a miniature version of the main passages.
There is much more of interest, from 14th century choir stalls with misericords to the comprehensive collection of tombs and monuments of various dates, including the elaborate tomb of Edward II and that of Robert Duke of Normandy, eldest son of William the Conqueror. The stained glass also represents all ages, from the 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...
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.
Tucked away from one of the main thoroughfares of Bristol, St Stephen's church could be easily missed were it not for its splendid late medieval tower which asserts itself on the skyline of the city above the neighbouring rooftops. It is a most handsome example of the sort of extravagantly decorated church towers more commonly found in nearby Somerset and dates to the latter part of the 15th century. The exterior of the church is otherwise a little difficult to appreciate being so hemmed in by surrounding buildings.
Within the church is very light, thanks to the generously proportioned clerestorey, and stylistically is all of a piece, having been rebuilt in the 1470s. Due to the limitations of the site there is no structurally defined chancel, instead the nave appears to continue unbroken to the east wall, where the sanctuary is defined more by its furnishings.
There are several items of note here, a multitude of memorials line the walls but the most interesting are the medieval tombs with effigies in the north aisle and a large Jacobean tomb to the south. The eagle lectern is a fine example of medieval metalwork and was brought here from St Nicholas's church after it suffered wartime damage.
I didn't have a lot of time left to explore this church so my shots are handheld and not the best, but happily it will be easy to revisit as it is normally kept open and welcoming to visitors.
Westminster Abbey is perhaps the most significant church in English History, site of the coronation of monarchs since it was founded by Edward the Confessor, and burial place of the majority of them, along with many other historical figures of note. It is first and foremost a superlative work of medieval architecture, from its soaring 13th-14th century nave, transepts and choir (all in a curiously French inspired version of Decorated Gothic) to the masterpiece of English Perpendicular, the incredibly lacy fan-vaulted Henry VII's chapel at the east end.
The Abbey is also a treasure house of ecclesiastical art, most of it monumental sculpture on the numerous tombs and effigies of almost every date ranging from the entire medieval period through to the 20th century; a somewhat cluttered interior, crammed full of interest, there is simply nothing else quite like it, no other church contains so many monuments.
The Abbey's monastic ranges partially survive, most notably the cloisters and superb chapter house; a short summary of the Abbey's riches is simply impossible. The monastery itself was shut down during the Dissolution, after which the Abbey briefly became a cathedral until its diocesan rank was revoked merely a decade later. Today it is designated a 'Royal Peculiar' owing to its unique status.
The Abbey is a textbook in stone of British history, and thus a hugely popular tourist attraction. It currently has more limited opening hours in the post-Covid recovery period and entry is not cheap, but happily after decades of a strict prohibition against photographers the rules have now been relaxed at last and visitors are now welcome to fully enjoy this marvellous building with their cameras!
For further details (and restrictions) see below:-
Large ruins of a 13th Century guard castle, originally named Furchtenberg (fear mountain). It was first mentioned in 1374, and was originally either small, but with a massive round tower with 5 meter thick walls. It soon grew into one of the largest Czech castles, with many layers of fortifications and additional towers. As the strongest castle in Northern Moravia it was owned by the wealthiest lords of the county, who opressed the locals and reigned with an iron hand. Being loyal servants of the king of Bohemia, and first to be attacked from the east, they were the first to stand against the Hungarian invasion, which resulted into the long Bohemian-Hungarian war. The castle, being the strongest, was the first to be attacked in 1470. Because the owners had to cover all their castles with manpower, they failed to provide a full garrison, which would make the massive fortress inpenetrable. A legend talks about an attack from two sides, and the brave fight of the defenders, which ended in the massive main tower, which the last men blew up. The castle was damaged, but it would be easily repairable. When new owners purchased the whole county in 1480, it soon became clear that they just want the castle to become unusable as a strongpoint in the future. Still standing walls have been destabilized, to heisten the natural decay, but suprisingly many buildings still survive after more than 500 years. Today it´s a fantastic maze of ruins and relics, massive shards of the main tower still laying where they fell after it was blown up.
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.
Formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery dedicated to St Werburgh, since 1541 it has been the seat of the Bishop of Chester and now dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The building dates from between 1093 and the early 1500s, although the site may have been used for Christian worship since Roman times.
All the major styles of English medieval architecture, from Norman to Perpendicular, are present in the building.
Chester Cathedral is a Grade I listed building.
Cotton Probert
Stoneleigh church is one of the most ancient and interesting in the county, St Mary’s is still largely a 12th century Norman building with later additions, most apparent on the north side of the nave where a blocked Norman doorway with a worn tympanum carved with beasts can be found between windows enlarged in the 14th century. The sturdy tower too is Norman in its lower stages, with an oddly narrow top-storey added in the 15th century. The nave has a single side-aisle on the south side added in the 14th century, with a chapel to its east (now the vestry) built in 1665 with a bizarrely raised roof. Finally a much larger chapel was added to the north side in 1823 to serve as a mausoleum for the Leigh family.
The interior still feels much as it did in the 1800s thanks to the box-pews in the nave and gallery at the west end. The focal point is the richly decorated Norman chancel arch with chevron moldings (surprisingly re-cut in places with small griffin and serpent motifs). The chancel beyond is dark and mysterious with pilasters either side suggesting a vault was originally intended. Here are gathered the best monuments in the church, although the Dudley monument to the left of the altar is rather overpowering. The single most important furnishing is the fine Norman font in the south aisle, said to have come from Maxstoke Priory and carved with the figures of apostles in niches.
Of the aforementioned monuments that to Alice Duchess of Dudley (d.1688) and her daughter is the most notable although it is a rather inelegant thing, a huge box-like mass of black and white marble dominating the sanctuary. The marble effigies of the mother and daughter lying separately in their shrouds are however beautifully carved. The 1850 Chandos Leigh memorial opposite takes the form of an alabaster tomb-chest within a vaulted recess. Of the two medieval effigies the 14th century priest lying in the chancel is the far better preserved, the 14th century lady lying in the porch beneath the tower is so badly worn as to have lost all its detail.
Stoneleigh church is happily generally open to visitors during the day (though I have found it locked on two previous occasions over the years). As one of Warwickshire's oldest and most rewarding churches it is well worth a visit.
www.greatenglishchurches.co.uk/html/stoneleigh-in-arden.html
The first church of the day with a non-Marian dedication, St Peter's stands a short distance out of the village of Elmsett itself and thus shares the tranquil setting of so many village churches in this area. It appears to be mostly of 13th/14th century date and follows the familiar pattern of west tower, nave without aisles and chancel along with an ancient timber-framed south porch.
The interior is calm and bright, clear glazing in all windows adds to the brightness, though the greenish tone of the glass used in the chancel warms the light with a touch of colour at the east end, drawing the eye. There is a simplicity to this space that is more charming than austere. There are several post-Reformation furnishings and fittings of note including an especially handsome Jacobean pulpit (brought here more recently).
This attractive space is happily normally kept open and welcoming to strangers who may wish to enjoy it or seek a place of solace.
St Andrew's church at Westhall wasn't one I was familiar with on my previous visit to the area, if I had realised what I was missing on that occasion I may have changed my itinerary to include it. Subsequently learning of it along with the recommendations of those who know it convinced me that my next trip to Suffolk had to somehow include it, thus my plans for this excursion were largely built around making sure I didn't miss it again.
One can see why this church isn't as well known as it should be, it isn't the easiest one to find and stands some distance from the small village of Westhall itself, hidden away down a leafy lane. It is still somewhat elusive once one has even entered the churchyard, being beset by so much foliate cover that I could only get a full view of the building from the north side. It already promises good things, a fairly large 14th century building of chancel, nave and south aisle with the tower at the west end of this beside a fine Norman doorway. The tower was actually built in front of the original Norman facade and its main doorway which is still preserved within, thus one shouldn't neglect the small room at the west end of the south aisle when exploring inside.
One enters however via the north porch and finds within a spacious interior with that delightful sense of antiquity that churches spared by over-zealous Victorians posses. Above is a fine old roof which springs from carved angels, still with their original colour though alas iconoclasts have sadly deprived us of their wings and heads (why is it iconoclastic zealots so embrace beheading?!). Ahead the east window retains some non-figurative 14th century glass in its reticulated traceries, while on both sides of the church significant sections of medieval wall-painting survive.
The best features here however are the medieval fittings that remain, most notably the Seven Sacrament font, one of the very best survivors; sadly it too has suffered from a frenzy of iconoclasm, though it may be the case here that the projecting details of the figures were hacked away to allow them to be more easily plastered over, which might also account for how well preserved the original colouring is (extremely rare on any font) and the remarkable small figure reliefs applied in gesso inbetween each panel (possibly a unique survival). The base of the rood screen also survives with its painted iconography, which includes yet another rarity in the depiction of Christ's transfiguration amongst the figures of saints.
Westhall church is a real treat and certainly deserves to be better known, a place of much charm and great interest that was happily normally open and welcoming to visitors in pre-Covid days. For more on the church see Simon's entry on his Suffolk Churches site below (it is mainly thanks to his recommendation that I came here, and much appreciated it was too).
So many of our great monastic churches have faded into oblivion as a result of their suppression and plunder for the greed of Henry VIII and his henchmen, perhaps the biggest single blow to our heritage of all time. How fortunate then that a few slipped through the net and remain with us in some form today, incomplete but still glorious fragments.
Wymondham Abbey is just such a place, one of those cathedral-sized churches that survived because it was partially in parochial use, and thus withstood the dismantling of the monastic complex after it was dissolved. Here the great church was more physically divided than most, the nave being under the control of the townsfolk, the eastern parts for the exclusive use of the monks. The nave with its enormous west tower thus remains as Wymondham's parish church, one of the grandest in the country, whilst the monks choir of course fell victim to to the Dissolution and was quarried away soon afterwards leaving only the soaring octagonal central tower, a hollow shell with a great arch open on its eastern side (where formerly it connected to the choir). The church thus has a unique profile, the great main vessel with a mighty tower at either end, a sight that had tantalised me from a distance on several journeys in the area over the years, but never got to experience from close quarters until now.
The sight of the two great late medieval towers dominating their surroundings is an unforgettable sight, and is all the more dramatic when approaching from the east as the ruined central tower appears to be of almost equal size from this direction, but in reality is significantly smaller than the great bulk that literally towers over the west end. The ruinous sections adjoining the east end of the nave have recently been imaginatively incorporated into modern extensions that increase the church's working space quite effectively. Entry to the great nave that links the towers is by a handsome vaulted porch on the north side.
Externally most of the building implies a 15th century or later date, but within the impression is quite different, as most of what we see is still the original 12th century Norman structure with its solid piers and round arches. The clerestorey above and the aisle walls were clearly rebuilt and enlarged in the 15th century (hence the Norman work fails to register from outside), at which stage the astonishing angel roof was added (retaining its carved enrichments in the form of stellar bosses and large wooden angel carvings, happily far out of the reach of iconoclasts). The north aisle is also adorned with a fine richly carved late medieval roof and is substantially wider than its counterpart to the south.
The most notable furnishings are of rather more recent date, the great 1920s reredos and tester by Sir Ninian Comper that adorns the east wall (which was blocked before the Dissolution to divide the people's church from that of the monks). It is a glorious splash of gilding and coloured sculpture and forms a fitting climax and focal point to the interior in place of what would otherwise have been a featureless wall.
There is much to enjoy here but above all it is the architecture and its embellishments that make a visit here so memorable. I had waited many years to finally experience this building for myself and it did not disappoint! The church is normally open to visitors most days and I was made very welcome here. I loved it and urge others to come and see this remarkable place for themselves!
For more history and detail of the Wymondham Abbey see its entry on the Norfolk Churches site below:-
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...
Where does one start with Stowlangtoft? It was another name I'd seen for years on road-signs while visiting relatives in the area, a name that always stood out and yet we never came here. I had for some time known there were good things in the church here, but the opportunity to explore them failed to materialise, until now.
St George's church sits on high ground overlooking the main road through the village, a commanding presence rising from the surrounding trees, the tower with its squared off parapet looking a little dour compared to some of the more delicately designed Suffolk towers, but this is a handsome edifice nonetheless, built on a grand scale and all of a piece 15th century Perpendicular, though the windows are strangely narrow for the period, more concerned with height than width, much like the building itself which lacks side aisles, (which never seem to have been intended, this impressive mass was considered complete as it is).
As the church is little used now and generally kept locked it is necessary to seek out the key nearby and then enter by the priest's door on the south side of the chancel. This reveals the tall and narrow space within from the altar end, and transports one immediately into the midst of the finest carved woodwork in the church. The glass in the windows gives the interior a rather Victorian atmosphere, but this is soon forgotten when one focuses on the extensive late medieval furnishings which are the glory of this church; the nave pews are richly carved with all sorts of fantastical creatures on the bench ends, whilst in the chancel are the stalls with their reading desks and a set of six of the finest quality misericords to be seen anywhere in the country. Most of this appears to date from the last decades of the 15th century but some of the carvings seem to betray an origin in the early decades of the following century. This is a fascinating collection of carvings which kept me occupied for some time.
In the chancel is another late medieval treasure but not an indigenous one, a set of exquisite Flemish carvings depicting scenes from Christ's Passion that were given to the church in more recent years and incorporated into the paneling around the high altar (flanking the rather stodgy Victorian reredos). At the west end of the nave is the churches oldest feature, the 14th century font, the last relic of the previous church here.
Stowlangtoft church is usually kept locked so keyholder details are given, but fear not for they are friendly and live just over the road. Anyone planning to visit here should allow plenty of time (especially if like me they enjoy the carved wooden beasties of East Anglian bench ends as this church is full of them!). I had a more ambitious itinerary planned for this day, but having spent so long here I didn't get around to seeing some of my later targets (or they too were locked by the time I did). It was time well spent though, as this was easily the biggest highlight of the day.
St Peter's is crowned by the second steeple on Hereford's skyline and the only other medieval parish church to survive the Civil War (the rest were either demolished or replaced by newer buildings).
The building is mostly of late 13th/early 14th century date with a thorough restoration in the 1880s. It consists of a fairly spacious nave and aisles leading to a much narrower chancel and small south chapel (whose dimensions accommodate the tower and spire situated on the south side).
The most important furnishings are the complete 15th century choir stalls (with panelling and coving rather than canopies with mostly plain misericords). These were originally made for the now vanished priory of St Guthlac. The other historic item of interest is the fine carved Royal Arms of William III in the north aisle. The stained glass in chancel and south aisle is of late 19th century date.
I'd found this church kept locked on all my previous visits to Hereford but it seems this situation is now changing following a recent restoration and reordering of the interior, and visitors were being made welcome when last I called.
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...
Withcote Chapel is a place I'd wanted to visit for many years and finally getting to see it for myself was no disappointment!
This small Tudor building was originally built in the 1530s as the private chapel of the adjoining manor, but later served as the parish church of Withcote, though with so few living in the parish it has long ceased in this role and is now cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust.
It is a simple late medieval single-chambered structure, battlemented and pinnacled ironstone without, light and plastered within, in fact the interior feels as though it belongs to an entirely different era altogether, having been remodelled in 1744 in Georgian fashion, whitewashed under a flat plaster ceiling with wooden panelling and reredos.
However, it is the glass for which Withcote is justly famed, of the four windows on each side three retain the bulk of their original Renaissance stained glass, six windows in all making this one of the last and most complete surviving schemes of 16th century church glass in the country (so late in fact its manufacture and execution probably coincided with the Reformation rather than predated it).
The glass is believed to have been made in 1536-7 under the direction of king's glazier Galyon Hone, one of a group of artists of Flemish origin whose advanced Renaissance style brought them royal patronage and were based in Southwark (to avoid conflict with indigenous glaziers in the City). Hone is better known for his work on the great windows of King's College Chapel, Cambridge.
Originally the scheme depicted twelve prophets on the south side balanced by the twelve Apostles to the north; eighteen of the original twenty-four figures remain in varying degrees of preservation but many are more or less complete (only the two westernmost windows are devoid of figurative glass). At the top of each light is a display of Tudor heraldry surrounded by rich Renaissance ornament.
Withcote Chapel is a delight, a little gem of a building hidden away in the Leicestershire countryside filled with splendid 16th century glass. It isn't an easy place to find but will greatly reward the effort to do so and is normally open to visitors daily.
Formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery dedicated to St Werburgh, since 1541 it has been the seat of the Bishop of Chester and now dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The building dates from between 1093 and the early 1500s, although the site may have been used for Christian worship since Roman times.
All the major styles of English medieval architecture, from Norman to Perpendicular, are present in the building.
Chester Cathedral is a Grade I listed building.
Family tragedy
St Michael's at Stanton Harcourt is one of Oxfordshire's most rewarding churches, a real gem full of interest. The building is of largely 13th century dates (with alterations / additions in the following centuries) and retains its original cruciform plan. The latest addition is the Harcourt Chapel on the south side in 15th century Perpendicular, and one of the outstanding features of the church with its fine collection of tombs and monuments of the Harcourt family. The adjoining manor is visible from the churchyard, it's most noticeable feature being the detached 15th century tower situated opposite the west end of the church and thus almost appearing as if it belongs to it.
The church has several important medieval features within, from elements of ancient glass, a substantial part of the former shrine of St Eadburgha, further fine monuments and likley the earliest complete medieval rood screen. There is much to enjoy here and a visit is highly recommended.
The church is normally kept open and welcoming for visitors but the Harcourt Chapel is usually kept locked and visitors will have to be content with peering through the gates to see the tombs. I am extremely grateful to Martin Beek for organising this day and arranging for the chapel to be opened for us, with thanks also to the churchwarden who kindly gave her time for us to explore and photograph the monuments inside.
St Michael's & All Saints church sits above a sloping field some distance to the south of the quiet village of Loddington, one of the more remote and rural of churches reached by walking some distance across the field and along a tree-lined track before the ironstone building is revealed in its beautifully enclosed and leafy churchyard. It would be easy to miss from the road, hidden away behind the dense foliage, and there is little opportunity to park nearby. Regardless the church continues to hold worship despite its isolated setting.
The building is largely of 14th-15th century date and after the warm tones of its caramel-brown exterior the light whitewashed interior comes as a bit of a surprise. The building has been restored though retains some features of antiquarian interest such as the fragments of old glass in the chancel.
Loddington church used to be kept locked outside of services but appears to be open more regularly these days. We met a local gentleman here on arrival who was doing a great job of keeping the churchyard in good order.
www.leicestershirechurches.co.uk/loddington-church-st-mic...
Temple Balsall's early fourteenth century church is quite unlike any other in the county, having been built originally to serve a community of the Knight's Hospitallers, who resided here until the 1470s.
After that time it is unclear whether it was then taken over for parish use; what is known is that it was sold off by the Crown at the Reformation and left ruinous until restored as a parish church by Lady Anne Holbourne in the 1662.
The church was heavily restored by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1849, though it is generally accepted that he followed the original design as closely as possible (the spirelet and most of the rich external carvings are of this time).
That the church was the chapel of a former complex is clear from the south entrance which shows the remains of a vaulted chamber around it, and the corbels jutting out above the off-centre west door, once sheltered by a corridor or cloister which, along with most of the rest of the buildings, has long since disappeared.
The interior is an impressively proportioned space, a single chamber with nave and chancel in one as one would expect in a chapel. There is glass by Powell's in the east window and earlier work at the west end and the roof is supported by a series of striking corbels carved with the busts of bearded Knights (they look convincingly medieval from a distance but all date from the Victorian restoration).
The church is happily normally open and welcoming to visitors.
The Chapel of St Saviour and St Boniface at Exeter Cathedral. This is one of three chantries in Exeter Cathedral which survived the Reformation out of an original total of about 19. It contains the tomb of Hugh Oldham, who was Bishop of Exeter 1504-19, founder of Manchester Grammar School and co-founder of Corpus Christi College, Oxford.
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...
Views of the typical towers of the Town of San Gimignano
San Gimignano is a small walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, north-central Italy. Known as the Town of Fine Towers, San Gimignano is famous for its medieval architecture, unique in the preservation of about a dozen of its tower houses, which, with its hilltop setting and encircling walls form "an unforgettable skyline". Within the walls, the well-preserved buildings include notable examples of both Romanesque and Gothic architecture, with outstanding examples of secular buildings as well as churches. The Palazzo Comunale, the Collegiate Church and Church of Sant' Agostino contain frescos, including cycles dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. The "Historic Centre of San Gimignano", is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.The town also is known for the white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, produced from the ancient variety of Vernaccia grape which is grown on the sandstone hillsides of the area.
Situated at Warwickshire's south-eastern fringe on the slopes of Edgehill, Shotteswell is an idyllic and secluded place, set away from the main road with a sense that the present era has left it largely untouched. Most of its buildings are constructed from the delightful honey-coloured local ironstone and the ancient church shows this off well. St Laurence's dates back to the 12th century and Norman work is still visible within, although the exterior has been much altered since. The sturdy tower bears a short spire and has belfry windows clearly renewed in the Victorian period, though happily the remainder of the church shows far less evidence of such interventions.
The interior betrays the church's antiquity, with the north arcade of the nave retaining its low Norman columns and arches (the south side is Gothic of a century or two later). There is a real sense of history in this church, a rustic charm which has been left unmodified by later restorers. Much of the woodwork here is ancient and quite special, including the screen and pulpit on the north side, and the astonishing sequence of Flemish Renaissance carvings now serving as a reredos in the chancel. The windows are entirely clear glazed, which at least admits plenty of light.
My introduction to Shotteswell church was more unusual, arriving for the first time only to find to my surprise two former colleagues working on the roof, so naturally moments later I was up there with them. There church was having much work done at the time and Norgrove Studios releaded almost the entire glazing in due course. (I even helped out latterly on one or two occasions). The spire was restored too (I got to ascend the tower and have a chat with the masons too) and on a few occasions a charming couple connected with the church treated we three glaziers to lunch in their lovely garden nearby. Good times, good place.
St Laurence's is normally open to visitors during daylight hours, as happily are most of the churches in the Edgehill area.
Formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery dedicated to St Werburgh, since 1541 it has been the seat of the Bishop of Chester and now dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The building dates from between 1093 and the early 1500s, although the site may have been used for Christian worship since Roman times.
All the major styles of English medieval architecture, from Norman to Perpendicular, are present in the building.
Chester Cathedral is a Grade I listed building.
North aisle
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!
St Michael's at Hallaton is a handsome church whose west steeple is a fine example of 13th century Early English Gothic. Alas it was too late to find the church open by the time we arrived here so it'll have to wait until another time.
I understand it is normally open during the day (before 6pm at least!).
www.leicestershirechurches.co.uk/hallaton-church-st-micha...
Manchester Cathedral still looks to all intents and purposes like an especially grand town parish church, exuding civic pride. This is historically speaking the truth, for the diocese of Manchester was only created in 1847 and before being raised to cathedral rank this was the parish and collegiate church of St Mary, St Denys and St George. It is nonetheless an imposing edifice, with reputedly the widest nave of any medieval church in England, owing to the former presence of a multitude of chantry chapels whose internal subdivisions have long since disappeared.
Though a parish church had existed here previously the bulk of the present building is the result of rebuilding in the 15th century when it was promoted to collegiate status. Stylistically the church is uniformly late Perpendicular, and though the upper half of the west tower is a Victorian addition it blends well with the remainder of the cathedral. Unfortunately the original sandstone did not age well, necessitating not only the complete renewal of the external stonework but also much of the internal surface too (which was in poor condition following an ill advised attempt to lighten the interior by applying 'roman cement' and hacking into the stonework to key the new layer, an unrestored section of original stonework at the west end of the nave illustrates the state it was reduced to). The work inside and out respected the original design faithfully, though the cathedral has lost most of its patina of age in the process, and thus despite being a medieval building it now appears as if it is a Victorian one.
Further restoration was necessary following bomb damage in World War II when a high-explosive demolished the lady chapel and much of the north east corner. The rebuilding didn't entirely follow the original form, a new (largely windowless) design was used for the lady chapel, the new north east window was reduced in size and a small chantry that formerly projected from the north wall was not rebuilt.
Another consequence of the bombing was the loss of all the pre-war stained glass. This was almost entirely Victorian and had made the interior rather gloomy so its loss is generally not mourned. Today the cathedral is adorned instead by some very vibrant examples of contemporary stained glass, most notably the sequence of five windows at the west end by Anthony Holloway providing bold splashes of colour in their abstract expressionism.
Despite all the restoration and renewal the cathedral still has much to offer, and whilst the stonework was largely replace there is much medieval woodwork remaining in the roofs and furnishings. The outstanding feature here are the early 16th century choir stalls, some of the very finest in the country with enjoyable misericord seats set beneath wonderfully rich canopies, some of the best late medieval wood carving to have survived.
Manchester is one of the most successful of the 'parish church cathedral' upgrades where new dioceses were formed, and whilst its form still betrays its origins as a collegiate church it possesses the scale, interest and dignity of a cathedral.
The cathedral is normally open to visitors daily.
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.
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.
Situated at Warwickshire's south-eastern fringe on the slopes of Edgehill, Shotteswell is an idyllic and secluded place, set away from the main road with a sense that the present era has left it largely untouched. Most of its buildings are constructed from the delightful honey-coloured local ironstone and the ancient church shows this off well. St Laurence's dates back to the 12th century and Norman work is still visible within, although the exterior has been much altered since. The sturdy tower bears a short spire and has belfry windows clearly renewed in the Victorian period, though happily the remainder of the church shows far less evidence of such interventions.
The interior betrays the church's antiquity, with the north arcade of the nave retaining its low Norman columns and arches (the south side is Gothic of a century or two later). There is a real sense of history in this church, a rustic charm which has been left unmodified by later restorers. Much of the woodwork here is ancient and quite special, including the screen and pulpit on the north side, and the astonishing sequence of Flemish Renaissance carvings now serving as a reredos in the chancel. The windows are entirely clear glazed, which at least admits plenty of light.
My introduction to Shotteswell church was more unusual, arriving for the first time only to find to my surprise two former colleagues working on the roof, so naturally moments later I was up there with them. There church was having much work done at the time and Norgrove Studios releaded almost the entire glazing in due course. (I even helped out latterly on one or two occasions). The spire was restored too (I got to ascend the tower and have a chat with the masons too) and on a few occasions a charming couple connected with the church treated we three glaziers to lunch in their lovely garden nearby. Good times, good place.
St Laurence's is normally open to visitors during daylight hours, as happily are most of the churches in the Edgehill area.
The GUM department store on Red Square in Moscow. / A GUM áruház a Vörös téren Moszkvában.
Pictures from Moscow, Russia in May 2011. I stopped here for one day before continuing my flights to a conference in StPetersburg. In spite of the rain, I managed to visit the Red Square and most of the Kremlin sites in the morning.
Képek Moszkva belvárosában 2011. májusában. Egy napot töltöttem itt, mielőtt továbbrepültem Szentpétervárra egy konferenciára. Az esős idő ellenére sikerült a Vörös teret és a Kreml jelentős részét megnéznem a délelőtti órákban.
GUM (abbreviation of state universal store in Russian) is the main department store in the Kitai-gorod part of Moscow facing Red Square. Called the 'Upper Trading Rows' originally, it was built between 1890 and 1893 by Alexander Pomerantsev (architecture) and Vladimir Shukhov (engineering). By the time of the Russian Revolution of 1917, the building contained some 1,200 stores. After the Revolution, the GUM was nationalised. During the NEP period (1921–28), GUM's stores were used to further Bolshevik goals of rebuilding private enterprise along socialist lines and 'democratizing consumption for workers and peasants nationwide'. GUM continued to be used as a department store until Joseph Stalin converted it into office space in 1928 for the committee in charge of his first Five Year Plan. After reopening as a department store in 1953, the GUM became one of the few stores in the Soviet Union that did not have shortages of consumer goods, and the queues of shoppers were long, often extending entirely across Red Square. At the end of the Soviet era, GUM was privatized, currently owned by the supermarket company Perekryostok and Bosco di Ciliegi, a Russian luxury-goods distributor and boutique operator. It was renamed to keep its old abbreviation, the first word Gosudarstvennyi ('state') has been replaced with Glavnyi ('main'), so that GUM is now an abbreviation for "Main Universal Store". It is about the size of a large North American shopping mall.
With the façade extending for 794 ft (242 m) along the eastern side of Red Square, . The trapezoidal building features an interesting combination of elements of Russian medieval architecture and a steel framework and glass roof, a similar style to the great 19th-century railway stations of London. The glass-roofed design made the building unique at the time of construction. The roof, the diameter of which is 14 meters, looks light, but it was made of more than 50,000 metal pods (weighing about 743 tons, capable of supporting snowfall accumulation), containing over 20,000 panes of glass. The facade is divided into several horizontal tiers, lined with red Finnish granite, Tarusa marble, and limestone. Each arcade is on three levels, linked by walkways of reinforced concrete.
So many of our great monastic churches have faded into oblivion as a result of their suppression and plunder for the greed of Henry VIII and his henchmen, perhaps the biggest single blow to our heritage of all time. How fortunate then that a few slipped through the net and remain with us in some form today, incomplete but still glorious fragments.
Wymondham Abbey is just such a place, one of those cathedral-sized churches that survived because it was partially in parochial use, and thus withstood the dismantling of the monastic complex after it was dissolved. Here the great church was more physically divided than most, the nave being under the control of the townsfolk, the eastern parts for the exclusive use of the monks. The nave with its enormous west tower thus remains as Wymondham's parish church, one of the grandest in the country, whilst the monks choir of course fell victim to to the Dissolution and was quarried away soon afterwards leaving only the soaring octagonal central tower, a hollow shell with a great arch open on its eastern side (where formerly it connected to the choir). The church thus has a unique profile, the great main vessel with a mighty tower at either end, a sight that had tantalised me from a distance on several journeys in the area over the years, but never got to experience from close quarters until now.
The sight of the two great late medieval towers dominating their surroundings is an unforgettable sight, and is all the more dramatic when approaching from the east as the ruined central tower appears to be of almost equal size from this direction, but in reality is significantly smaller than the great bulk that literally towers over the west end. The ruinous sections adjoining the east end of the nave have recently been imaginatively incorporated into modern extensions that increase the church's working space quite effectively. Entry to the great nave that links the towers is by a handsome vaulted porch on the north side.
Externally most of the building implies a 15th century or later date, but within the impression is quite different, as most of what we see is still the original 12th century Norman structure with its solid piers and round arches. The clerestorey above and the aisle walls were clearly rebuilt and enlarged in the 15th century (hence the Norman work fails to register from outside), at which stage the astonishing angel roof was added (retaining its carved enrichments in the form of stellar bosses and large wooden angel carvings, happily far out of the reach of iconoclasts). The north aisle is also adorned with a fine richly carved late medieval roof and is substantially wider than its counterpart to the south.
The most notable furnishings are of rather more recent date, the great 1920s reredos and tester by Sir Ninian Comper that adorns the east wall (which was blocked before the Dissolution to divide the people's church from that of the monks). It is a glorious splash of gilding and coloured sculpture and forms a fitting climax and focal point to the interior in place of what would otherwise have been a featureless wall.
There is much to enjoy here but above all it is the architecture and its embellishments that make a visit here so memorable. I had waited many years to finally experience this building for myself and it did not disappoint! The church is normally open to visitors most days and I was made very welcome here. I loved it and urge others to come and see this remarkable place for themselves!
For more history and detail of the Wymondham Abbey see its entry on the Norfolk Churches site below:-
Eltham Palace in south east London is the place where high medieval architecture and the art deco styling of the 1930s collide.
www.flickr.com/photos/barryslemmings/sets/72157594230012929/ for the full set.
The site had belonged to Bishop Odo, half brother of William the Conqueror in 1086. Anthony Bek, Bishop of Durham, certainly built a defensive wall around the site in the 1290s. Edward I, Edward II and Edward III all visited or lived here, Bek having given the site to young Edward II. Edward III spent most of his youth here.
The Order of the Garter, Europe's oldest surviving order of chivalry may have been founded here by Edward III in 1348. Later kings added to the site but it was Edward IV who built the magnificent Great Hall in 1470s which can still be seen. It has the third largest hammer beam ceiling in England.
Tudor kings Henry VII and Henry VIII favoured the site for many years as it was one of only six palaces which could house the entire royal court of 800 people. However Eltham was largely replaced by the now lost Greenwich Palace which was nearer the river but still had access to the good hunting around Eltham.
It later became a farm and the Great Hall narrowly avoided demolition in the 19th century.
In the 1930s the lease was acquired by the wealthy Courtauld family who proposed a radical rebuild of the site, which was still owned by the Crown. After some controversy architects John Seely and Paul Paget go the go-ahead in 1933 and work started.
The interior is furnished in the art-deco style and modern features of the new house included a centralised vacuum cleaner system in the basement with outlets in every room, heated towel rails and radios in the staff bedrooms.
The Courtaulds lived in the house from 1936 until 1944. Conservative minister Rab Butler lived at Eltham with the Courtaulds and much of the 1944 Education Act is thought to have been written here.
Although the family still had 88 years left on the lease the Second World War prompted the Courtaulds to leave and the building became the headquarters for the Army Educational Corps from 1945 until 1992. English Heritage had already cared for the Great Hall but took over the whole site in 1995 and began a restoration of the main house which, fortunately, had retained many of its art deco features and interiors.
More fittings and furniture have since been returned to the house - including a table and chairs which were found in the board room and the props department of Pinewood film studios. Stephen Courtauld had been on the board of Ealing Film Studios for 20 years.
The Avison Ensemble has performed many times at Nicholas Parish Church, Guisborough where we've enjoyed the beautiful medieval architecture and the wonderful acoustic.
We're celebrating our first anniversary of joining Flickr and want to show you the amazing venues we've played and recorded in during the year, most of them in the North East region and some in London. Thanks to all of you who've joined us for concerts in these beautiful venues and for looking at our photos. Here's to another great year coming up of concerts, images and films. Hope to see you soon and look forward to sharing more inspiring images with you ... Our next concert is in Bamburgh Castle and we've included some images of this stunning castle too!
The Avison Ensemble is the outstanding period instrument orchestra based in Newcastle upon Tyne, which plays and popularises the music of Charles Avison (1709-1770) and other English classical composers of the Baroque period, such as Garth, Arne and Herschel. The Ensemble also performs Purcell, Handel, Vivaldi, Corelli, Geminiani, Pergolesi, Teleman, Rameau, Bach, Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven.