View allAll Photos Tagged medieval_architecture

Arc Shopping Centre

 

Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk is a unique and dazzling historic gem. An important market town with a richly fascinating heritage, the striking combination of medieval architecture, elegant Georgian squares and glorious Cathedral and Abbey Gardens provide a distinctive visual charm. With prestigious shopping, an award-winning market, plus variety of attractions and places to stay, Bury St Edmunds is under two hours from London.

 

Enjoy a colourful day in historic Bury St Edmunds with its marketplace full of bustling bright stalls right at the heart of this thriving town (Wednesday and Saturday), complete with its brand new shopping experience, the Arc. Browse for a bargain or wander the small streets packed with independent shops. Take a stroll through the picturesque Abbey Gardens to admire the cathedral’s new tower or hear the stories of the town’s rich history on a guided walk. There are plenty of inviting coffee shops and restaurants along the way for that light-bite or special shopper’s treat, then again, if you have a taste for a bit of local flavour and a pint of real ale, why not pop in for a tasty tour of the Greene King Brewery?

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.

 

Killed at the Battle of Waterloo [detail]

 

The Erpingham Gate is a splendid piece of medieval architecture, still adorned with it's original sculptures, that forms one of the two main entrances to the Cathedral Close in Norwich (an earlier and equally fine gateway, the St Ethelbert gate, is further to the south forms the other). Within the mouldings of the archway are two columns of figures of various saints which have survived almost intact.

 

It was built in 1420 by Sir Thomas Erpingham who lead the English Archers at Agincourt, and whose kneeling donor figure can be seen in the niche immediately above the arch.

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

 

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

 

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

 

www.avisonensemble.com

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

 

Our first church of a day cycling out into the countryside to the west of Ipswich with Simon who had planned a most enjoyable itinerary and was an excellent guide (and was very patient whenever I started flagging, which is usually at the merest sight of a hill, not something I was expecting too many of in this part of the world, so this trip taught me not to trust the stereotype that East Anglia is flat terrain!).

 

St Mary's at Bramford is designed to impress, its northern face greets the visitor and includes and array of carved ornament in the carved bestial figures standing proud upon the parapet (the less prominent southern side eschews the carved embellishments) It is a most handsome church, complete with the fine late lantern-like medieval clerestorey that always seems to be such a hallmark of larger East Anglian churches, thought the lead-covered needle-spire is a less typical feature, there being rather few churches with spires in this region (with the main building material being flint and therefore unsuitable for such structures, spires were either constructed of lead-covered wood, or avoided altogether. Many other timber spires have long since been removed).

 

Within the church is light and airy with the eye drawn immediately to an even more unusual feature, a stone rood screen formed by three arches spanning the chancel, a delicate 14th century structure with pierced quatrefoils (apparently inserted more recently during the Victorian restoration). The chancel beyond was furnished by W.D.Caroe at the turn of the last century and Kempe glass inserted in the east window. The most notable furnishing however is at the west end under the tower, a late medieval font surmounted by a beautiful 16th century wooden canopy (Gothic in form but with Renaissance detailing) which hinges open to give access to the holy water rather than require lifting or raising as so many others do. Another remarkable feature is the late 16th century poor box gouged into the side of a pillar on the south side of the nave, complete with carved inscription to serve as a reminder.

 

This is a great church to visit though it has usually been kept locked outside of services; fortunately Simon had made prior arrangements so the vicar met us at the church and opened up to show us around. She was also very good company and her welcome and time spent with us was hugely appreciated (there was talk of possibly opening the church more often in future though I think she may have since moved to another parish).

 

For a more complete impression of the church I couldn't recommend anyone more than my own travelling companion below:-

www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/bramford.htm

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

History

The central Duomo Square

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

The city flourished until 1348, when it was struck by the Black Death that affected all of Europe, and about half the townsfolk died.[8] The town submitted to the rule of Florence. Initially, some Gothic palazzi were built in the Florentine style, and many of the towers were reduced to the height of the houses. There was little subsequent development, and San Gimignano remained preserved in its medieval state until the 19th century, when its status as a touristic and artistic resort began to be recognised.

Detail of a wooden carving of St John the Baptist on the outside door. St. John the Baptist Church, Corner of Corporation Street and Spon Street, Coventry. 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...

We ended up at Cropwell Bishop quite late in the day and thus initially found the church locked, however as luck would have it a lady with the key was only just leaving and kindly offered to re-open the church for us to have a look around.

 

St Giles's church is a handsome building of 14th to 15th century date with a stately Perpendicular west tower whose parapet is adorned with bands of quatrefoil ornamentation. It is a building that hasn't lost its sense of antiquity as the restorer's hand has been relatively light here.

 

Inside the church is lightened by its cream-washed walls and mostly plain windows. There is old woodwork here, primarily the nave roof (which is supported by some amusing grotesque corbels) but also a few old benches at the west end with carved poppyheads that are worthy of note. A few parts of the chancel screen too are original.

 

Cropwell Bishop's church is worth a look and may be more visitor friendly than some in these parts though I couldn't say for sure what normal opening arrangements are. It's cheese is rather nice too (though of course you don't have to come here to buy it ;-)

 

southwellchurches.nottingham.ac.uk/cropwell-bishop/hintro...

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/

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.

 

Nave altar

 

The church of St Mary the Virgin at Pembridge is best known for one outstanding feature which is immediately apparent on approaching the church,, it's unique detached belfry. This 14th century wooden structure rises from an octagonal masonry base and forms three distinct storeys with sloping roofs, like a cross between a pyramid and a wedding-cake! It is a striking design and remarkable medieval structure. The door in it's base is usually open to reveal the forest of timbers within.

 

The large cruciform church next to it is also of mostly 14th century date and quite spacious within. The best features here are the medieval tombs with effigies in the chancel, but there are other noteworthy elements from later generations, such as the 17th century wood-carving in the nave.

 

St Mary's and its detached bell-tower are normally open and welcoming to visitors on a daily basis.

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.

 

Corfu, Greece.

"The Old Fortress of Corfu is a Venetian fortress in the city of Corfu. The fortress covers the promontory which initially contained the old town of Corfu that had emerged during Byzantine times.

 

Before the Venetian era the promontory, which lies between the Gulf of Kerkyra to the North and Garitsa Bay to the south (the body of water seen here), was defended by Byzantine fortifications which the Venetians largely replaced with fortifications of their own design. As part of their defensive plans the Venetians separated the promontory from the rest of the city of Corfu by creating the Contrafossa, a moat which is a sea channel connecting the Gulf of Kerkyra to the North with the Bay of Garitsa to the South, converting the citadel into an artificial island. The fort successfully repulsed all three major Ottoman sieges: the great siege of 1537, the siege of 1571 and the second great siege of Corfu in 1716.

 

Sustainably built, still inhabited after centuries.

 

Photo: Richard Poppelaars © #AboutPixels #Photography (Nikon D7200) / #facade #sustainability - #urban #medieval / #Architecture at #VillageCentre in #PaysdeBelves, #Dordogne - #France

 

The stones in the wall show that it is a very old house. The door, windows and shutters are in a good state of maintenance. It's strange to realize that most modern buildings will certainly not become that old, apartment buildings, office colossus and other modern buildings will be demolished after a relatively short period of time. This while we pretend to know all about sustainability.

  

---

Pays de Belves - The village Pays-de-Belvès used to be called Belvès, it's fortified in the Middle Ages because of its strategic position and came to be known as the "Pope’s city" as it was under Clement V protection. Belvès still bears witness to a tormented past with fortified walls, a castrum (fortified camp), an 11th century auditeur’s tower, 14th-15th century castle and belfry, city hall tower, covered market, hotel with a Renaissance façade and even some ancient troglodyte dwellings. It has been designated as one of the most beautiful towns in France with impressive panoramic views on top of a hill, enough reason to be member of the "Plus Beaux Villages de France".

 

Published at - Flickr - Instagram - Twitter

Donington barely registers as a village in its own right since it is so close to the northern edge of Albrighton as to be part of it, and their churches are very close together. However unlike its near neighbour St Cuthbert's maintains the feel of a rural church owing to its setting, very much typical Shropshire with its richly hued red sandstone that seems to exude warmth when it basks in the sun. It is also a very rewarding place to visit, if one can get inside.

 

The interior shows much Victorian restoration in the nave arcade and chancel arch, but beyond are some fine elements of medieval glass surviving in the north chancel windows which are the most noteworthy features within. There is also good glass by Hardmans and others.

 

My photos here are not good alas being from my only visit over a decade ago, handheld and rather hurried. I was however lucky, having arrived and found the church locked without a keyholder notice I was about to give up when a lady approached with a key; she was unlocking ahead of a service (a baptism I think) and kindly let me in for a quick look around before the attendees started to turn up. I would like to return here sometime for some better photos of the glass, but I think it might be wise to check ahead if so to see if the church can be opened.

www.albrightonparishchurch.org.uk/stcuthberts.htm

Our first church of a day cycling out into the countryside to the west of Ipswich with Simon who had planned a most enjoyable itinerary and was an excellent guide (and was very patient whenever I started flagging, which is usually at the merest sight of a hill, not something I was expecting too many of in this part of the world, so this trip taught me not to trust the stereotype that East Anglia is flat terrain!).

 

St Mary's at Bramford is designed to impress, its northern face greets the visitor and includes and array of carved ornament in the carved bestial figures standing proud upon the parapet (the less prominent southern side eschews the carved embellishments) It is a most handsome church, complete with the fine late lantern-like medieval clerestorey that always seems to be such a hallmark of larger East Anglian churches, thought the lead-covered needle-spire is a less typical feature, there being rather few churches with spires in this region (with the main building material being flint and therefore unsuitable for such structures, spires were either constructed of lead-covered wood, or avoided altogether. Many other timber spires have long since been removed).

 

Within the church is light and airy with the eye drawn immediately to an even more unusual feature, a stone rood screen formed by three arches spanning the chancel, a delicate 14th century structure with pierced quatrefoils (apparently inserted more recently during the Victorian restoration). The chancel beyond was furnished by W.D.Caroe at the turn of the last century and Kempe glass inserted in the east window. The most notable furnishing however is at the west end under the tower, a late medieval font surmounted by a beautiful 16th century wooden canopy (Gothic in form but with Renaissance detailing) which hinges open to give access to the holy water rather than require lifting or raising as so many others do. Another remarkable feature is the late 16th century poor box gouged into the side of a pillar on the south side of the nave, complete with carved inscription to serve as a reminder.

 

This is a great church to visit though it has usually been kept locked outside of services; fortunately Simon had made prior arrangements so the vicar met us at the church and opened up to show us around. She was also very good company and her welcome and time spent with us was hugely appreciated (there was talk of possibly opening the church more often in future though I think she may have since moved to another parish).

 

For a more complete impression of the church I couldn't recommend anyone more than my own travelling companion below:-

www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/bramford.htm

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

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

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

Chester Cathedral is a Grade I listed building.

 

Nave, looking west

 

Burford is a popular destination on the tourist trail through the Cotswolds and its high street is always a bustling place, busy with traffic. The magnificent church of St John the Baptist is less conspicuously placed, being set back down a quiet side street on the edge of this small town, but beckons the visitor onwards with its elegant spire atop its handsome central tower. What rewards the visitor who comes this way is one of the most rewarding of parish churches, a delightful building full of interest.

 

The church dates back to Norman times but has been mostly remodeled and extended beyond recognition throughout the later Middle Ages so that it appears mostly to be a fine Perpendicular wool church, however the lower half of the tower is still the original 12th century Norman structure (the upper half with its fine ogee-arched windows is 15th century) and the ornately carved west doorway of the nave also remains. The church was made cruciform by the addition of transepts in the 13th century and further aisles and chapels were added later and give the church a rather unusual (one might say confusing) form and layout, culminating in the handsome south porch being flush with the outer walls (rather than projecting) and a large Lady Chapel occupying the southwest corner (originally a separate building but connected during 15th century alterations).

 

Entering by the delightful south porch with its impressively ornate facade the first feature we notice is the exquisite fan vault of the porch, a wonderfully luxurious addition, unusual in a parish church. The first sight inside the church proper can be a little bewildering due to the profusion of pillars and chapels, but the main impression is that of a 15th century church with a Norman crossing, and standing beneath the tower reveals its arcaded interior, the most ancient part of the church. The Lady Chapel at the west end is a vast space, the largest of the side chapels whilst the smallest is diagonally opposite, a free-standing chantry chapel within the nave that survived through conversion to a family pew after the Reformation, and has been richly decorated since its Victorian restoration.

 

The 14th century font is carved with sadly damaged figures in niches, including a defaced Crucifixion. Fragments of medieval glass survive in places but most dates from the Victorian period with a few windows in the nave by Kempe. The best glass however is the Arts & Crafts window on the south side by Christopher Whall. The church is packed full of monuments, though surprisingly few bear much in the way of effigies or sculpture aside from the enormous Tanfield monument from the early 17th century that fills the north east chapel with recumbent effigies beneath an imposing canopy.

 

Burford church is one that shouldn't be missed, both for its handsome exterior and its wealth of interesting features within. My photo coverage alas does not do it justice since they are from my last visit in 2011 with my previous camera which was much more limited in scope. The church is happily kept open and welcoming to visitors on a daily basis.

 

For a fuller account with photos see below:-

www.greatenglishchurches.co.uk/html/burford.html

 

St Lawrence's in Ludlow could easily claim to be the grandest parish church in Shropshire but also one of the very finest and most rewarding medieval churches in the country. The tower may also be ascended for some fine views over the town of Ludlow and beyond.

14th Century Volterra, Italy, untouched by time

The former abbey gatehouse (known generally as the 'Great Gatehouse') survives opposite the west end of Bristol cathedral and is one of the oldest surviving elements of the former monastic complex. The lowest storey remains a fine example of Romanesque architecture and carving with its round Norman arch decorated with fine moldings.

 

The upper half of the gatehouse is from the latter half of the 15th century and retains its original late medieval statuary on its eastern side (the upper figures are more weathered).

 

The structure now adjoins the city's main library building which was built on the site of the former deanery.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Gatehouse,_Bristol

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.

 

Nave altar, looking east: the quire screen was designed by George Gilbert Scott

 

Beauvais cathedral represents medieval arBeauvais 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!chitecture 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 getting inside at the start of the trip were scuppered by our being burdened with luggage (having just arrived from Beauvais airport) and there being no left luggage facility at the local station!

It was starting to rain by the time I got to Great Ashfield (as a few tell-tale spots from water droplets on my lens may reveal in a few shots) so I was all the more pleased to find All Saints church open to escape the weather, I didn't loiter outside for long!

 

Great Ashfield church is more humble than many of its better known neighbours but is an interesting place nonetheless. The first thing one notices stepping inside is how much ancient woodwork remains here, with medieval nave pews and a handsome Jacobean pulpit with canopy. The pews have poppyheads but alas the animal carvings here are in poor condition, many broken away altogether and those that remain usually lacking their faces or heads altogether. They do not appear to have been as of high quality as the better known (and preserved) sets in the area but it is still regrettable a few did not survive the centuries in better shape.

 

What excited me more here was the glass. As a visitor from the Midlands I am often struck by how little stained glass many East Anglian churches have compared to those on my home patch, but here are two interesting pieces from either end of the 20th century. The east window is a handsome piece by Archibald K.Nicholson and one of the finest works I've seen by this artist (not one renowned as a colourist but here he gets it just right with a bold use of blue, white and yellow). In the north aisle is a simpler work executed purely in coloured glass and lead by local artist Surinder Warboys, installed as part of the memorial in the north aisle to the 385 Bombardment Group.

 

All Saints church appears to be normally normally open to visitors (and is especially appreciated by those caught in rain showers!).

www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/greatashfield.html

St Barbara's church at Ashton under Hill is sits on high ground set back from the main road through the village and thus doesn't immediately show itself to the casual visitor. To find it one has to look out for the lychgate set between houses and ascend the steep pathway beyond it where the building is picturesquely revealed in its lovely setting behind trees.

 

The building appears at first sight to be of mostly 15th century date stylistically, but this is misleading as some parts are considerably older and others surprisingly younger, for example the entire chancel appears to have been rebuilt in 1624 (marked by an inscription on the south side) and sits well with the medieval nave and tower, being a good example of rare Gothic Survival architecture (some of the stonework of the side windows may be reused medieval work). The east window tracery incorporates curious carvings of fish.

 

The church is entered via the south porch which shelters a Norman doorway, betraying the church's earlier 12th century origins. Within the nave and north aisle are spacious and light (thanks to clear glass and rendered walls) whilst the chancel beyond has late glass be the studio of Frank Holt and its floor level is unusually a step down from the nave (the reverse of the norm and a symptom of the hillside site). There is a handsome late medieval font in the north aisle with a fine window by Florence Camm behind it.

 

St Barbara's church is kept open and welcoming under normal circumstances, however like many has spent much of the Covid lockdown inaccessible. My visit was the exception, being part of the team repairing (fortunately minor) vandal damage to the east window.

www.worcesteranddudleyhistoricchurches.org.uk/index.php?p...

Photos from a follow up visit to Stanford on Avon to get some better details of the 14th century glass.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

  

St Barbara's church at Ashton under Hill is sits on high ground set back from the main road through the village and thus doesn't immediately show itself to the casual visitor. To find it one has to look out for the lychgate set between houses and ascend the steep pathway beyond it where the building is picturesquely revealed in its lovely setting behind trees.

 

The building appears at first sight to be of mostly 15th century date stylistically, but this is misleading as some parts are considerably older and others surprisingly younger, for example the entire chancel appears to have been rebuilt in 1624 (marked by an inscription on the south side) and sits well with the medieval nave and tower, being a good example of rare Gothic Survival architecture (some of the stonework of the side windows may be reused medieval work). The east window tracery incorporates curious carvings of fish.

 

The church is entered via the south porch which shelters a Norman doorway, betraying the church's earlier 12th century origins. Within the nave and north aisle are spacious and light (thanks to clear glass and rendered walls) whilst the chancel beyond has late glass be the studio of Frank Holt and its floor level is unusually a step down from the nave (the reverse of the norm and a symptom of the hillside site). There is a handsome late medieval font in the north aisle with a fine window by Florence Camm behind it.

 

St Barbara's church is kept open and welcoming under normal circumstances, however like many has spent much of the Covid lockdown inaccessible. My visit was the exception, being part of the team repairing (fortunately minor) vandal damage to the east window.

www.worcesteranddudleyhistoricchurches.org.uk/index.php?p...

A large, early gothical castle founded around 1059. This is just the southern part, the whole castle can´t be captured in whole. It´s rich history contains many sieges and reconstructions, but the worst damage came in the communist era with damaging unsensitive restoration work, but in the modern time it´s being restored to historically true state.

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...

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).

 

Frustratingly this visit was cut rather short by an impending service so I had to leave before making a full circuit of the building (it wasn't my first visit fortunately but my first opportunity to use a decent camera here) so much will have to wait until I find myself in Bristol again. I got around the bulk of the church but had to leave before I could get any shots of the north choir aisle and lady chapels (and had to miss the superb chapter house altogether). Unfinished business, an excuse to return.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Cathedral

 

Much fuller photographic coverage here:-

paulscottinfo.ipage.com/england/cathedrals/bristol/

St Peter's church in the pretty Wiltshire village of Milton Lilbourne.

 

Most of the present building dates from the 14th and 15th centuries with a partial rebuilding of the chancel taking place during the Victorian restoration It is a modestly proportioned church with a handsomely battlemented west tower and a single side aisle on the north side of the nave.

 

Within it is light and pleasing with a few old features, some fragments of medieval glass in the side window of the chancel and a few medieval tiles in the north aisle.

 

I visited twice earlier this year, firstly while joining a colleague doing a survey of the glass, and secondly as part of the team who cleaned the windows.

 

It is happily a well looked after church generally kept open and welcoming to visitors.

Standlake church is architecturally intriguing, its remarkable slender octagonal tower and short spire delightfully quirky. The present building has its origin in the Norman period but most of what we see today is the result of rebuilding in the 13th century with much modification in the following centuries. The church is cruciform with an ample nave flanked by aisles, and the pleasingly odd west tower seems a little shy compared with the usual assertive structures one is accustomed to seeing in this position.

 

The interior impresses with its sense of space, though the lighting is somewhat subdued, largely due to the interior having been scraped back to the stonework during the thorough Victorian restoration and the chancel (glimpsed beyond a modestly proportioned chancel arch) is full of glass by Burlison & Grylls which makes it darker still. There are features to enjoy, particularly a series of angel corbels that support the roof structures throughout the church, many Victorian but some more rustic medieval figures remain with slight traces of their original colour. Also remarkable are two torso fragments of medieval statues displayed in the south transept, both of which also retain traces of their original polychrome.

 

Standlake church is refreshingly unusual and worth exploring, and happily seems to be visitor friendly in being normaly kept open and welcoming.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Giles%27_Church,_Standlake

St Michael's church forms the centrepiece of the delightful Wiltshire village of Aldbourne, seen to best advantage across the open space of the village green.

 

The building is mostly of 15th century date with a handsome west tower (whose parapet has a shorn-off look owing to the missing or unfinished corner pinnacles). It is made cruciform by the addition of transepts on each side at the end of the nave.

 

Within the church has a warm feel owing to the coloured limewash finish. It is an interior that invites exploration and has several features of interest in the chancel chapels and transept, with a late medieval tomb bearing an incised figure of a priest and two much more flamboyant family monuments from the post-Reformation period.

 

Of course many fans of classic Doctor Who will know this church primarily as the one that featured in the story 'The Daemons' when the entire village of Aldbourne was used as the location of the fictional 'Devil's End' (many key scenes were set in the church's crypt, though in reality there is no crypt here. The story ends with the church exploding, so it is reassuring to see it still in such good condition regardless, or else pieced back together extraordinarily well ;-)

 

Aldbourne church is open and welcoming in normal times and the entire village is worth exploring for its picturesque setting.

 

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.

SUNDOWN AT WYMONDHAM ABBEY RUINS | NORFOLK |

 

Title: Monestry Ruins.

In: 3:4 High Angle.

Cat: Landscape | Aerialscape.

Sub cat: Medieval Architecture.

Location: Wymondham Abbey, Church Street, Norfolk, England of the United Kingdom.

 

RAW. 3:4. FC220. 4.73mmfl. f/2.2. 1/50. ISO122. 26.3mm FC220 camera lens. No filters. No Photoshop. No SFX. Litchi app used. 52°34'14" N 1°6'27" E. 3992x2992.

Registered with the Civil Aviation Authority to fly UAV. LAPL holder.

 

Wymondham Abbey rises high out of the middle of the busy market town of Wymondham. Dating back to 1107, it has two huge towers, one still in use today the other a ruin. When it was built, it was much larger than it is today, and you can still walk around the ancient ruins.

 

The interior is still very much in use. It has an incredibly ornate altar screen which is definitely worthy of a visit. You can see the abbey ruins when you walk around the outside and you’re presented with a rather mighty arch still standing today. However, if you look from the air you can see the ruins in more detail. The arch to the back of the abbey you can see, but look to the left and there are the ruins, nestled beneath the earth. That's what those lumps and bumps are in the earth where the sheep are grazing.

 

As it dates back to 1107 it is of course steeped in history. It began its life being dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and then St Thomas Becket and has also been rebuilt a few times over this vast timescale.

 

I do find many people assume the only remnants of the original ruins is that of the arch, hence why I shot this picture at high altitude on a low angle. On my last visit to the abbey, I did take time to view and research the original build which dates back to the Saxon period. Unfortunately, I cannot seem to find any pictures or drawings of the original monastery. Once the Normans invaded England they decided to build their own monastery, which is what you see in the picture today. Which is a shame really because when viewing the archives in the abbey the original abbey dated back to the 600's AD.

 

The Anglo-Saxon period lasted for 600 years, from 410 to 1066, and in that time Britain's political landscape underwent many changes. The Anglo-Saxon period stretched over 600 years, from 410 to 1066. The early settlers kept to small tribal groups, forming kingdoms and sub-kingdoms. This, however, wasn't to the Normans liking. The Normans practically destroyed everything in the East of England of which they built their own churches, cathedral, castle, etc,. That said the Saxon period is still very much alive, you've just got to view it from different angles, high and very low elevations.

 

This is what I love about my work, it opens my eyes up to history I was never really taught about at school. To think that back in the 400s there were Saxon settlements here, an outstanding monastery, markets etc,. is astonishing.

 

For more information about my work please contact me. Thank you.

 

Photographer:

J.J.Williamson.

Freelance | Private.

Member of The Guild of Photographers - UK.

Merton College is one of the very oldest in Oxford, being founded by Bishop Walter de Merton in 1264, and whilst there are other claimants in the city for the title of the most ancient Merton remains the most structurally complete of these earliest foundations (by virtue of its medieval architecture remaining largely intact whereas the rival claimants have been largely rebuilt over the following centuries).

 

The most impressive part of the complex is the chapel, a remarkable 14th century church with a handsome central tower finished a century later. The chapel is on an ambitious scale and was clearly originally intended to be cruciform but never received its nave (a roof-line is marked out on the west wall but work never proceeded beyond this point). Most of the building is in uniform 13th century Decorated Gothic style aside from the Perpendicular tower and the larger windows in the transepts.

 

Inside the chapel is a vast open space, the transepts and crossing forming an ante-chapel and the chancel the main working part of the chapel. It is here that the extensive original late 13th century glazing can be admired, an exceptionally almost complete scheme that allows a glimpse of lost medieval England. The side windows of the chancel all appear to have retained their original glass whilst the huge east window has lost its main lights but retains all its tracery glass (elements of late 14th and 15th century glass from the transepts is now displayed in the lower part of the window). The glass follows the form of a medieval 'band window' whereby much of the window space is filled by grisalle and decorative borders with the fully coloured figurative glass mostly concentrated in a singly band across the centre of the window (an economical way to glaze large areas with an expensive material, and retain a balance of light!). The glass was donated by Henry de Mamesfield (d.1328), a former fellow of the college and later Chancellor of the University. This is almost the most notorious known example of the depiction of a donor in stained glass, as he appears in each window twice, kneeling in prayer and flanking the single image of a saint (meaning he outnumbers them two to one!).

 

Merton College has more quadrangles and courtyards to enjoy beyond the chapel, and is perhaps my favourite of the Oxford colleges. An entry fee is required here nowadays but you are then free to explore on your own once through the door.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merton_College,_Oxford

  

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

 

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

 

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

 

www.avisonensemble.com

A massive romanesque castle, founded in early 13th Century as a Czech counterweight to a nearby Austrian Markl Castle. The area, today known as Czech Canada, was fought over in the first half of the 13th Century, and became Czech territory after the Czech king married a Austrian countess. Markl was soon abandoned, and Landštejn became the center of power of the county. The lords of Landštejn counted to the highest Czech nobility, and periodically came into conflict with kings and other powerful lords. Landštejn also did not lost it´s importance in 15th Century like many other castles, and was continually extended and strenghtened. It withtstood a massive siege in the Hussite wars, and again in 1618. The castle was incinerated in 1771 after a lightning hit, and was not restored, people from surrounding villages began to disassemble it for building materials. Conservation work began in 1960ies, the castle was open to public in 1990 and is a popular attraction, restoration work still continues.

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/

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

Marden church sits close to the River Lugg some distance to the south west of the main part of the village. The site chosen was apparently where King / St Ethelbert was murdered by King Offa and originally buried (his remains were later transferred to a shrine in nearby Hereford). Such thoughts of a violent moment in history are far from one's mind at this pleasant and peaceful spot today (my only encounter here was with a very friendly local cat!).

 

Most of the present building is of 13th and 14th century date, the most noticeable feature is the tapering spire at the north west corner which is almost detached (though it touches the north aisle there is no direct access to it from within the church, it is entered instead by an external door on the east side and is often open to visitors). The proportions of the church seem a little odd at first glance with the nave roof being unusually high, but the rarest feature of all is the polygonal apse to the 14th century chancel, a common form on the Continent but quite unusual in England.

 

Inside the nave impresses with its sense of space height in particular, a very much vertical emphasis, whilst by contrast the chancel arch is low, revealing only a glimpse of the apsed chancel beyond. Most of the windows are clear glazed so the interior is fairly light. There are a few minor memorials of interest in the chancel, including a brass of an Elizabethan lady wearing a spiky tiara.

 

Marden church is normally kept open and welcoming to visitors and is well worth a look, particularly if one finds the tower open and is intrepid enough to climb it.

www.mardenvillage.co.uk/around-village/marden-parish-church/

Our first church of a day cycling out into the countryside to the west of Ipswich with Simon who had planned a most enjoyable itinerary and was an excellent guide (and was very patient whenever I started flagging, which is usually at the merest sight of a hill, not something I was expecting too many of in this part of the world, so this trip taught me not to trust the stereotype that East Anglia is flat terrain!).

 

St Mary's at Bramford is designed to impress, its northern face greets the visitor and includes and array of carved ornament in the carved bestial figures standing proud upon the parapet (the less prominent southern side eschews the carved embellishments) It is a most handsome church, complete with the fine late lantern-like medieval clerestorey that always seems to be such a hallmark of larger East Anglian churches, thought the lead-covered needle-spire is a less typical feature, there being rather few churches with spires in this region (with the main building material being flint and therefore unsuitable for such structures, spires were either constructed of lead-covered wood, or avoided altogether. Many other timber spires have long since been removed).

 

Within the church is light and airy with the eye drawn immediately to an even more unusual feature, a stone rood screen formed by three arches spanning the chancel, a delicate 14th century structure with pierced quatrefoils (apparently inserted more recently during the Victorian restoration). The chancel beyond was furnished by W.D.Caroe at the turn of the last century and Kempe glass inserted in the east window. The most notable furnishing however is at the west end under the tower, a late medieval font surmounted by a beautiful 16th century wooden canopy (Gothic in form but with Renaissance detailing) which hinges open to give access to the holy water rather than require lifting or raising as so many others do. Another remarkable feature is the late 16th century poor box gouged into the side of a pillar on the south side of the nave, complete with carved inscription to serve as a reminder.

 

This is a great church to visit though it has usually been kept locked outside of services; fortunately Simon had made prior arrangements so the vicar met us at the church and opened up to show us around. She was also very good company and her welcome and time spent with us was hugely appreciated (there was talk of possibly opening the church more often in future though I think she may have since moved to another parish).

 

For a more complete impression of the church I couldn't recommend anyone more than my own travelling companion below:-

www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/bramford.htm

View from the tower roof at GloucesterCathedral.

 

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.

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!

Duston today is incorporated into the western suburbs of Northampton, but the parish church of St Luke in its enclosed and leafy churchyard retains the oasis of calm feel of a village church. It dates mostly to the 13th and 14th centuries and was originally cruciform, as witnessed by the central tower (somewhat oblong on form). The local ironstone has a rich patina and a warm orange-brown hue which looks most attractive on a sunny day.

 

Within the narrow crossing beneath the tower splits the church into separate spaces and the nave has been re-orientated with an altar at the west end to make better use of the building's layout, thus the nave is now the main focus for worship with the chancel retained as a chapel. There are several amusing medieval corbel carvings throughout the church, those in the chancel depicting musicians being particularly notable.

 

St Luke's is not usually open outside of service times though does open on Sunday afternoons for cream-teas in summer. I arrived at midday shortly after the morning service and was made very welcome.

www.crsbi.ac.uk/site/721/

dustonanduptonparish.webs.com/

View from the tower roof at GloucesterCathedral.

 

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.

1 2 ••• 74 75 77 79 80