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St Nicholas's church at Hintlesham stands beside the busy main road, set back in its pleasant churchyard and surrounded with plenty of trees to shelter it from the nearby thoroughfare. It is a grander building than one often sees in these villages west of Ipswich, its nave being flanked by aisles. Externally all has been rendered except for the west tower where the flint remains exposed.
Within the church the nave is a fairly light space whilst the chancel beyond is more gloomy and mysterious. This is where the most interesting features are to be found, with several memorials to the recusant Timperley family adorning the walls. The 19th century glass here subdues the light, and some of the patterned quarries are of an unusual design. At the west end of the nave is the handsome late medieval font, its panels surprisingly filled with foliate designs and shields rather than more specific imagery (which helped it to survive undamaged).
This is another church which happily normally welcomes the casual visitor.
St Helen's church at Ranworth has much of interest but is justly renowned for its wonderfully preserved rood screen, dating back to the 15th century and still adorned with an amazing sequence of painted saints.
The building itself is almost entirely of 15th century date, with a soaring west tower and nave and chancel both aisless but of different widths, the latter much narrower but this transition is nicely accommodated by the rood screen which extends the full width of the wider nave, the extremities serving as parclose chapels, complete with separate altars and reredoses but otherwise structurally continuous with the screen.
The interior would be somewhat spartan without the screen, a large open space with little other adornment. The display of images painted on the screen makes a matter of little consequence, it is one of the best displays of medieval art in the country, with particularly famous images of St Michael & St George on the parts that extend outwards. Despite the preservation of the imagery, there was clearly some iconoclasm as most of the faces are less well preserved (looking as if someone has tried to rub them away), but fortunately most of the features are still discernabile (the under-drawing showing through in many instances).
The chancel beyond the screen contains medieval stalls with a few simple misericords and a few old poppyheads can be enjoyed on the bench ends in the nave.
The church is generally kept open and welcoming for visitors to enjoy (don't come too early though, it was locked when I arrived so I went of to see somewhere else, only to return and find it still shut but fortunately a lady appeared before long to unlock, after the vicar had assured me by phone the church would be opened shortly).
One special treat here is the access to the tower, visitors are able to climb to the roof for some fine views over the surrounding countryside (I timed my ascent badly as a big group had just turned up purely to do the same). A spiral staircase takes visitors to belfry level, and then one completes the climb via a couple of ladders leading to a hatch in the roof. If only more churches would take a leaf out of Ranworth's book to offer this rare treat.
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.
St. John’s Church is one of the oldest medieval architectural monuments in Latvia. Church was built in the beginning of 13th century during the Christianization of Baltic’s for the purposes of the Livonian Holy Order because residence of the order was located in Cēsis; therefore Cēsis became one of the most important German power centers in the Baltic’s from 1237 up to 1561.
from:
www.latvia.travel/en/sight/cesis-st-johns-church
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Cēsu Svētā Jāņa evaņģēliski luteriskā baznīca ir luterāņu dievnams, kas atrodas Cēsīs. Tā ir viena no vecākajām gotiskajām mūra baznīcām Latvijā un lielākā viduslaiku bazilika Latvijā ārpus Rīgas. 16. gadsimtā tā kļuva par vienu no Ziemeļlatvijas reformācijas centriem. 1582. gadā baznīca kļuva par katoļu katedrāli, bet kopš 1629. gada tā ir luterāņu baznīca. Baznīcā ir apglabāti daudzi 15. un 16. gadsimta Livonijas valstsvīri — vairāki Livonijas ordeņa mestri — Johans Freitāgs fon Loringhofe (1494), Valters fon Pletenbergs (1535), Hermans fon Brigenejs (1549) un Cēsu bīskaps Andrejs Patrīcijs Nideckis (1587).
The ruins of Kirkham Priory are situated on the banks of the River Derwent, at Kirkham, North Yorkshire, England. The Augustinian priory was founded in the 1120s by Walter l'Espec, lord of nearby Helmsley, who also built Rievaulx Abbey. The priory was surrendered in 8 December 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Legend has it that Kirkham was founded in remembrance of l'Espec's only son who had died nearby as a consequence of his horse being startled by a boar. The area was later used to test the D-Day landing vehicles, and was visited by Winston Churchill. The ruins are now Grade I listed and in the care of English Heritage.
Gatehouse ruins
Kirkham Priory gatehouse ruins. The armorials of various benefactors are visible sculpted on stone escutcheons
The Gatehouse of Kirkham Priory, built c.?1290–95, is a specimen of English Gothic medieval architecture. It is a rare survival of such a gatehouse, comparable to that of Butley Priory in Suffolk. It has a wide arch of continuous mouldings with a crocketed gable running up to the windows, with sculptures of S.George and the Dragon on the left, and David and Goliath to the right. Above the arch is Christ in a pointed oval recess, plus two figures below of St. Bartholomew and St. Philip, in niches. There are also many escutcheons with the armorials of the various benefactors of the Priory, including the arms of de Ros, Scrope, de Forz, Vaux, FitzRalph & Espec (3 cart-wheels, each with 6 spokes).
St Thomas Becket's church at Skeffington lies tucked around a corner off the narrow lane leading through this quiet village. It is an attractive ironstone building of 14th-16th century date though there was significant rebuilding during the Victorian restoration in 1860 which is more apparent inside.
The interior feels more restored owing to the rebuilding of the nave aisles and chancel but the north chapel with its monuments to members of the Skeffington family remains from the Tudor period and additionally contains some important fragments of late medieval Renaissance glass.
This church is apparently normally kept locked outside of services, we visited during Heritage open day in September.
For more information see the article below:-
www.leicestershirechurches.co.uk/skeffington-st-thomas-a-...
Carved detail from the wall arcade in the late 13th century chapter house. This head has suffered mutilation, probably deliberate vandalism by Cromwellian troops.
Southwell Minster is a remarkably preserved piece of Romanesque church architecture, dating from between 1108-50. The only English church to retain its full set of three complete Norman towers, the nave and transepts retain their original 12th century appearance, whilst the eastern limb was replaced by the present early Gothic choir in c1230 after its Norman predecessor was found to be too small. The last substantial addition to the building was the fine Decorated chapter house on the north side a few decades later in 1284.
The Minster was originally built as a collegiate church but stripped of this status at the Reformation, becoming merely a parish church (albeit one of the grandest in the country) for several centuries until finally being elevated to cathedral status in 1884 as the seat of the new Nottinghamshire diocese. Though on a more modest scale than most of our great medieval cathedrals, Southwell Minster fits its cathedral status so well that it is hard to imagine it not being built as such, though Southwell itself does seem a surprisingly quiet location for so grand a church, a small rural town that has become England's smallest cathedral city.
Inside the Norman character of the church is preserved in the subdued lighting of the 12th century nave and transepts, whilst east of the crossing, beyond the fine medieval choir screen, all is Gothic in the 13th century choir and aisles, light, airy and lit by tall lancet windows.
Perhaps the most famous part of the building is the octagonal chapter house entered from the north choir aisle via a vestibule. Whilst a gem of medieval architecture in its own right, the building is most renowned for its superb foliate carvings, the finest and most delicately carved to survive from medieval England The technical skill and unusually naturalistic treatment of the carved capitals and spandrels here means the 'Leaves of Southwell' should not be missed by any visitor.
Little remains of the Minster's original furnishing or decoration, following Civil War damage and a major fire caused by lightning strike in the early 18th century (which affected the high wooden ceilings of nave and crossing and the pyramid spires of the west towers, later replaced to their original design). It has however been embellished in more recent years with some outstanding glass including the huge west window installed at the end of the 20th century.
Southwell Minster is a delight to visit, and perhaps the most peaceful of all English cathedrals. For more see the link below:-
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 Botolph's church at Ratcliffe on the Wreake sits largely enclosed amidst the trees of its pleasant churchyard, its tall west spire marking its presence from a distance. The building appears to be mostly of 14th century date (if somewhat restored) and beyond the west tower consist of an aisless nave and chancel (the nave had a north aisle until it was demolished in the 1790s, the arcades still being clearly visible within the church).
Again we arrived too early to be able to see inside on this one day of the year it is open outside of service times so alas had to give up and move on, but not before exploring the churchyard which has a few decorated headstones of some interest.
www.leicestershirechurches.co.uk/ratcliffe-on-the-wreake-...
Warmington church stands proud on high ground overlooking the main road up the north-eastern fringe of Edgehill. The church is of mainly 13th to 14th century date and is built of the local ironstone which always adds such character with it's delightful golden-brown hue.
The colouring of the stonework is also most apparent within the nave and aisles, which are separated by solid Transitional style arcades (the pillars are Norman in character, while the arches they carry are pointed, though still partially Romanesque in spirit). There is some interesting tracery in the north aisle, particularly the pentagram design in the east window. The chancel betrays later detailing from the 14th century, most notably the fine sedilia with its cusped canopies. Frustratingly I missed the chance to see inside the two-storey extension on the north side on this visit, assuming it to be just another locked vestry, but externally it seems to be a more significant structure.
The windows of the church are largely plain-glazed, though there is stained glass of the Victorian period in the chancel and west window of the tower (none of it terribly exciting).
St Michael's church is normally kept open for visitors during the day, and is well worth a look.
Heading over the Gloucestershire border Dymock church was my first port of call, and a fascinating building it is too. Tucked away in its leafy enclosure of a churchyard St Mary's is still largely a Norman building though with many later modifications. The section of blind-arcading on the south side of the chancel is the biggest initial indication of 12th century work (formerly this would have been connected to the now lost apse, replaced by the usual square termination in the following centuries). The south doorway in the porch is also Norman work with a foliate design on the tympanum. The tower with its short spire at the west end is a 15th century addition.
Upon entering the church one is first distracted by the window to the left of the Norman doorway, for this contains 15th century glass, presumably gathered here from another window inside the church (I don't think I've seen this situation before, where the church's most valuable remaining medieval glass is relegated to the porch, but at least it can be easily studied).
Inside the nave is rather dark and tunnel-like thanks to the long Norman walls (sadly scraped of their plaster in the Victorian period) that become more punctuated towards the east end by windows and arches into chancel and transept. A plaster ceiling above at least dispels some of the gloom below. It is an intriguing space that takes some time to explore, with a few memorials and older features of note, and some early windows by Kempe.
Dymock church is normally kept open and welcoming to visitors (when signing the visitors book I noticed I'd just missed out on bumping into some friends here from Stroud just the day before!).
Tostock is a name I'd seen on road signs so many times from childhood en route to visiting relatives in a neighbouring village and yet I'd never set foot in the place until now. I had heard the church was worth seeing, especially for its wood carvings, and was not disappointed.
St Andrew's at Tostock stands at the eastern edge of this peaceful village, enclosed in its delightfully rural churchyard set back from the road. It is a fairly small building and externally most features point towards a 15th century / late medieval date. It is a building of real charm on a small scale, though whilst the nave is fairly short it is exceedingly wide despite the lack of aisles, an unusual arrangement.
Inside the width of the nave is all the more apparent, it almost seems as wide as it is long, and all under its handsome original double-hammerbeam roof (sadly shorn of its original embellishments by post-Reformation iconoclasts, though the headless remains of the small carved post-figures of saints remain on the pendants. Originally there would most likely have been angels looking down from the sawn off rafters). It has to be said the interior on the whole has a surprisingly Victorian feel to it thanks to restoration and many of the fittings, and yet the greater part of the woodwork in here is medieval.
The real treasure of this church is its collection of late medieval benches, all carved with figurative (mainly animal) adornments and poppyheads as are found in several of the better known churches in this part of Suffolk. As in other such cases these have been augmented by cleverly matched Victorian work but this is mostly concentrated at the front few rows of the nave and the bulk of the rest is genuine original work. The only disappointing factor is the condition of some of them, many of the figures have suffered damage over the years (wear & tear rather than deliberate vandalism) and quite a few of the creatures lack faces or limbs; it should be remembered however that more famous sets nearby look so complete because they have seen careful restoration of their more timeworn elements, whereas at Tostock the originals have been left untouched by the carvers who only added newer figures to augment them.
Tostock church is well worth a look for anyone who enjoys the carved animal benches of East Anglia (they are the main attraction here), and happily normally seems to be kept open for visitors to admire.
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:-
All Saints church at Seagrave sits in a leafy churchyard down a quiet lane, its tower standing close to the road, beckoning to the visitor. It is a largely 14th century building with a nave flanked by aisles on both sides though has undergone much restoration in the Victorian period (when the chancel appears to have been rebuilt).
The interior is a light andpleasant space, its walls whitewashed and most of the windows clear-glazed. At the west end is the sandstone Norman font carved with a simple arcade design, a relic of the previous building indicating there was a church here back in the 12th century and probably earlier.
I assume Seagrave church is normally kept locked outside of services. We were lucky to gain entry here as the church wasn't participating in ride & stride on this occasion owing to a wedding later in the day, so we were grateful to the two gentleman who had unlocked the church ahead of this (and even luckier that we didn't coincide our arrival with the ceremony!).
St Margaret's at Stratton Strawless is a delight, hidden away amongst quiet leafy lanes giving the visitor that sense of discovery when they find it. On first impression it is one of Norfolk's more humble looking churches with its squat west tower (certainly compared with the grand edifices we'd visited earlier in the day) but good things await the visitor inside.
Immediately upon entering one is impressed by the south aisle, separated by screens from the rest of the church, thus seeming to be more of a 17th century family mausoleum to the Marsham family whose two big monuments dominate it. The monuments are impressive and one of the real treasures of this church.
The other outstanding feature is the collection of 15th century stained glass in the traceries of the north nave windows. Though they are all that remain of a once more extensive scheme they are still nonetheless a rewarding sight.
This beautiful church is kept open and welcoming to visitors with a booksale in the south aisle. It is a real gem and a delightful way to finish to our day touring some of Norfolk's finest.
www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/strattonstrawless/strattonstraw...
Toledo, Spain.
"The cathedral of Toledo is one of the three 13th-century High Gothic cathedrals in Spain. It was begun in 1226 under the rule of Ferdinand III, and the last Gothic contributions were made in the 15th century when, in 1493, the vaults of the central nave were finished during the time of the Catholic Monarchs. It was modeled after the Bourges Cathedral, although its five naves plan is a consequence of the constructors' intention to cover all of the sacred space of the former city mosque with the cathedral. The spectacular incorporation of light and the structural achievements of the ambulatory vaults are some of its more remarkable aspects. It is built with white limestone from the quarries of Olihuelas, near Toledo."
North chapel window by George Cooper Abbs of Exeter, 1960.
St John's sits at the entrance to Spon Street, that rare enclave of medieval architecture in Coventry's mostly post-war city centre. Being on the fringe of city's heart it generally gets less attention from visitors, thus one feels that in any other setting it would be far more celebrated, George Gilbert Scott, who restored the church in 1877, considered it 'one of the most beautiful churches in England'. The church luckily escaped major damage in the November 1940 Blitz that destroyed so much else in the city, beyond the loss of much (but not all) of it's Victorian stained glass.
The church was founded in 1342 by Queen Isabella, mother of Edward III, but most of what we see today is 15th century work, though evidently of different phases. The church sits on a relatively small site, but what it lacks in length and width it gains in height, and with it's tapering and unusually narrow clerestorey windows and central tower it gives the impression of a cathedral in miniature. The tower has oddly corbelled-out turrets at it's corners, an over-exaggeration of the original design by Scott; his main intervention on the exterior otherwise was the renewal of much of the stonework, since warm red sandstone is one of the least resistant to weathering.
The interior is surprisingly light for a sandstone church, the result of the large Perpendicular windows and extensive clerestorey that creates a 'glass cage' effect in the higher parts of the church. It is also rather narrow, which accentuates the proportions and sense of height further, a good example of architectural limitations and constraints turned to an advantage. There are some good medieval carvings surviving higher up, but otherwise aside from the fine Perpendicular architecture itself the impression is largely of early 20th century High Church Anglican worship, as most of the furnishings appear to date from this time, though they are nonetheless attractive and sympathetic to the building.
The lack of any relics of the Middle Ages in wood or glass or monuments of later periods is explained by the history of the church, since it actually ceased to be used for worship in the 1590s and for several centuries suffered various indignities of secular use, such as a prison for Scottish rebels captured after the Battle of Preston during the Civil War in 1648 (these rebels, loyal to the King, were shunned in the Parliamentarian held city, thus the phrase being 'Sent to Coventry' was born!). Other uses included as a stables, a market and a winding and dying house for cloth, before being eventually restored to church use in the 19th century. We should be glad that being put to other uses at least preserved the structure through it's centuries of hibernation.
The church possesses an interesting mixture of stained glass, from Victorian and Edwardian pieces that survived the bombing, to the more prominent and colourful windows installed in the 1950s. However it is interesting to note how the postwar glass here predates the nearby Cathedral's windows by only a few years, but is still highly figurative and traditional in approach, thus still a far cry from the revolutionary new works that Coventry became famous for less than a decade later.
St John's is generally open on Saturday mornings but otherwise kept locked owing to concerns over security. Sadly it has suffered attacks from stone-throwing idiots on several occasions in recent years (I have repaired minor damage to several of the windows here) but the parishoners remain welcoming and friendly in spite of a difficult environment. It is a lovely church and well worth a visit.
For more detail and images see it's entry on the Warwickshire Churches website below:-
warwickshirechurches.weebly.com/coventry---st-john-the-ba...
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...
St Mary's at Parham stands proudly in a quiet spot a short distance off the main road through the village. The first sight of it on approaching is impressive, the sturdy west tower looks a little serious with its flat-top parapet but is enlivened by a large empty niche on its west face, an unusual embellishment (presumably once home to a Crucifixion or Coronation of the Virgin group, we will never know for sure). There are some nice touchses of flint flushwork on the tower buttresses but most significantly on the north porch, obviously once the grand entracne but no longer used as such, the west door being the preferred entry nowadays.
One walks stright in through the tower to be greeted by the full lenght of the interior, a light and cheerful space with focus very much on the chancel beyond, there being no side aisles to the nave to divert the eye sideways. The whitened walls and lack of coloured glass (beyond a few medieval fragments in the east window) make the interior pleasingly bright (even as conditions were taking a turn for the overcast outside). A few touches of colour are on hand to provide some warmth amidst the whiteness, the medieval rood screen survives (all pierced openings without painted panels) and has been enthusiastically recoloured, whilst beyond the more recent reredos bears a Last Supper.
The fittings here aside from the screen (and one bench carving that I missed) are all of the 19th century restoration as is the nave roof with its character corbels. The font with traceried panels is 15th century and an intriguing group of carved shields amassed in the north east corner also appears to late medieval (relics of a lost tomb?) and a few nice 15th century angels can be seen in the tracery of the east window.
I really liked Parham church, a handsome building with a pleasing atmosphere within, found open and welcoming in normal times.
For more on this fine church see its entry on the Suffolk Churches site below:-
The last remain of a 14th Century castle, which was disassembled for building material, used in a near chateau. It was first mentioned in 1357, and served much longer than most local forts, until it was ravaged by Swedes in 1639. The owners decided to build a new chateau just under the castle, and only the tower was left standing. Writings from inside of the tower show, that it was used as a prison in the early 17th Century.
Having previously visited a few either very restored or rebuilt churches on my way over here it was refreshing to arrive at Church Broughton and find a complete medieval church, and a rather attractive one too, with its neat little stunted spire poking up above the parapet of its sturdy west tower. The church is a long, low building that was basking rather handsomely in the sun by this time (a contrast to the dull weather I'd had earlier that day) and the churchyard was looking particularly attractive, a chap was mowing part of it some distance off so we exchanged cheerful waves as I approached the door.
St Michael's is a mostly 14th century building but with much evidence of earlier work, particularly inside where some Norman work remains. The interior is light and spacious, stripped back to the bare stone but this at least is pleasantly and lightly hued. One Norman pillar with a distinctive scalloped capital remains at the end of the north arcade and the curious font with its simple carved pattern is also of this period. The fittings are mostly more recent in date and most of the glazing is clear which allows more light to flood in; the only exceptions are the eats windows of the chancel and south aisle, both fairly late works by Hardmans respectively.
This was a very pleasant church to explore and good to find it open and welcoming. Before I left the chap who was mowing outside came in and we had a long chat about the glass as he said they may need to spend some money on it. I did a quick assessment of the windows' stability and advised that there was no urgent need for such expenditure as their stained glass should be sound for some time yet, which is what I'd expect of early 20th century Hardman glass. He asked if I could send some of my photos so we exchanged details accordingly.
About a week later I got a rather terse phonecall demanding to know why I hadn't emailed these photos. The intervening days had been rather traumatic for me, first losing much of the text for the book I was writing and then learning of my father's death which hit me very hard and left me unable to think of much else. I explained this and little else was said, thus I dutifully sent the photos with a covering email but never got an acknowledgement back. A pity as that's what sticks in my mind now when I think of Church Broughton nearly six years later. I hope the photos were of use, but at least if they didn't get them they'll be here for all to see now.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Michael_and_All_Angels%27_Church...
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.
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
North chapel window by George Cooper Abbs of Exeter, 1960.
St John's sits at the entrance to Spon Street, that rare enclave of medieval architecture in Coventry's mostly post-war city centre. Being on the fringe of city's heart it generally gets less attention from visitors, thus one feels that in any other setting it would be far more celebrated, George Gilbert Scott, who restored the church in 1877, considered it 'one of the most beautiful churches in England'. The church luckily escaped major damage in the November 1940 Blitz that destroyed so much else in the city, beyond the loss of much (but not all) of it's Victorian stained glass.
The church was founded in 1342 by Queen Isabella, mother of Edward III, but most of what we see today is 15th century work, though evidently of different phases. The church sits on a relatively small site, but what it lacks in length and width it gains in height, and with it's tapering and unusually narrow clerestorey windows and central tower it gives the impression of a cathedral in miniature. The tower has oddly corbelled-out turrets at it's corners, an over-exaggeration of the original design by Scott; his main intervention on the exterior otherwise was the renewal of much of the stonework, since warm red sandstone is one of the least resistant to weathering.
The interior is surprisingly light for a sandstone church, the result of the large Perpendicular windows and extensive clerestorey that creates a 'glass cage' effect in the higher parts of the church. It is also rather narrow, which accentuates the proportions and sense of height further, a good example of architectural limitations and constraints turned to an advantage. There are some good medieval carvings surviving higher up, but otherwise aside from the fine Perpendicular architecture itself the impression is largely of early 20th century High Church Anglican worship, as most of the furnishings appear to date from this time, though they are nonetheless attractive and sympathetic to the building.
The lack of any relics of the Middle Ages in wood or glass or monuments of later periods is explained by the history of the church, since it actually ceased to be used for worship in the 1590s and for several centuries suffered various indignities of secular use, such as a prison for Scottish rebels captured after the Battle of Preston during the Civil War in 1648 (these rebels, loyal to the King, were shunned in the Parliamentarian held city, thus the phrase being 'Sent to Coventry' was born!). Other uses included as a stables, a market and a winding and dying house for cloth, before being eventually restored to church use in the 19th century. We should be glad that being put to other uses at least preserved the structure through it's centuries of hibernation.
The church possesses an interesting mixture of stained glass, from Victorian and Edwardian pieces that survived the bombing, to the more prominent and colourful windows installed in the 1950s. However it is interesting to note how the postwar glass here predates the nearby Cathedral's windows by only a few years, but is still highly figurative and traditional in approach, thus still a far cry from the revolutionary new works that Coventry became famous for less than a decade later.
St John's is generally open on Saturday mornings but otherwise kept locked owing to concerns over security. Sadly it has suffered attacks from stone-throwing idiots on several occasions in recent years (I have repaired minor damage to several of the windows here) but the parishoners remain welcoming and friendly in spite of a difficult environment. It is a lovely church and well worth a visit.
For more detail and images see it's entry on the Warwickshire Churches website below:-
warwickshirechurches.weebly.com/coventry---st-john-the-ba...
All Saints church at Claverley is a church-crawler's delight, among the finest of Shropshire's churches. Externally it is a handsome structure in red sandstone whose most prominent features appear to be 15th century or later, but the oldest parts of the building date back to the 12th century and are only revealed when one steps inside. The south tower with its pinnacled parapet is especially attractive in the warm hues of its stonework. This is a grand edifice built to impress, a role in which it succeeds.
Inside the earlier origins of the church become clear as one is faced with the Norman north nave arcade directly opposite the entrance. What is so special here however is not just its antiquity but the astonishing scheme of wall paintings that have survived here, believed to date from c1200. The main colours are red, ochre and black and the dominant element is the central frieze of knights in combat mounted on horseback, usually facing each other in pairs. It is an extremely rare survival and makes the church well worth visiting for this alone, but it does have other charms.
The interior here feels to some degree like a sequence of separate spaces, each with its own identity, owing to the more complex layout with the tower base interrupting the aisle on the south side. The south chapel is especially interesting for its monuments, particularly the impressive Broke tomb from the Tudor period with its three recumbent effigies. There is some interesting glass, only a few fragments remain from the medieval period but there is rich Victorian glass in the east window and two delightful Arts & Crafts windows at the west end.
Claverley church is the one to visit in this area, one of the most rewarding in the county. I have visited twice and on both occasions found it open and welcoming (I had to return after a problem with my camera left me with very poor low-res photos from my first trip!).
For more see the article below:-
The ruins of Kirkham Priory are situated on the banks of the River Derwent, at Kirkham, North Yorkshire, England. The Augustinian priory was founded in the 1120s by Walter l'Espec, lord of nearby Helmsley, who also built Rievaulx Abbey. The priory was surrendered in 8 December 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Legend has it that Kirkham was founded in remembrance of l'Espec's only son who had died nearby as a consequence of his horse being startled by a boar. The area was later used to test the D-Day landing vehicles, and was visited by Winston Churchill. The ruins are now Grade I listed and in the care of English Heritage.
Gatehouse ruins
Kirkham Priory gatehouse ruins. The armorials of various benefactors are visible sculpted on stone escutcheons
The Gatehouse of Kirkham Priory, built c.?1290–95, is a specimen of English Gothic medieval architecture. It is a rare survival of such a gatehouse, comparable to that of Butley Priory in Suffolk. It has a wide arch of continuous mouldings with a crocketed gable running up to the windows, with sculptures of S.George and the Dragon on the left, and David and Goliath to the right. Above the arch is Christ in a pointed oval recess, plus two figures below of St. Bartholomew and St. Philip, in niches. There are also many escutcheons with the armorials of the various benefactors of the Priory, including the arms of de Ros, Scrope, de Forz, Vaux, FitzRalph & Espec (3 cart-wheels, each with 6 spokes).
The ruins of Kirkham Priory are situated on the banks of the River Derwent, at Kirkham, North Yorkshire, England. The Augustinian priory was founded in the 1120s by Walter l'Espec, lord of nearby Helmsley, who also built Rievaulx Abbey. The priory was surrendered in 8 December 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Legend has it that Kirkham was founded in remembrance of l'Espec's only son who had died nearby as a consequence of his horse being startled by a boar. The area was later used to test the D-Day landing vehicles, and was visited by Winston Churchill. The ruins are now Grade I listed and in the care of English Heritage.
Gatehouse ruins
Kirkham Priory gatehouse ruins. The armorials of various benefactors are visible sculpted on stone escutcheons
The Gatehouse of Kirkham Priory, built c.?1290–95, is a specimen of English Gothic medieval architecture. It is a rare survival of such a gatehouse, comparable to that of Butley Priory in Suffolk. It has a wide arch of continuous mouldings with a crocketed gable running up to the windows, with sculptures of S.George and the Dragon on the left, and David and Goliath to the right. Above the arch is Christ in a pointed oval recess, plus two figures below of St. Bartholomew and St. Philip, in niches. There are also many escutcheons with the armorials of the various benefactors of the Priory, including the arms of de Ros, Scrope, de Forz, Vaux, FitzRalph & Espec (3 cart-wheels, each with 6 spokes).
Haughley church was my very first stop during my stay in Suffolk, over the next few days of intensive cycling I'd visit over 60 more, but the timing of my arrival this day only allowed an afternoon's ride so I headed up to Stowmarket to explore a few more familiar places to start with (I would have started by revisiting Stowmarket church but it was out of bounds to me once I picked up my hire bike at the station owing to the railway line being blocked for maintenance, and the bike far too heavy to lug back over the footbridge!).
I'd last been to Haughley with my aunt who lives locally and often plays the organ here (along with many other local churches), she'd given me a demonstration on the organ here on my previous flying visit here ten years ago (so I planned to pay her a surprise visit following a few stops en route). However I'd known of this place before from childhood visits to the area, and at the time this church used to weirdly pop into my head during mass (during the line 'May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his church', only I'd hear the last bit in my head as "for our good and the good of Haughley's church", so I reckoned it must be a very special place! ;-)
The church is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, an unusual dedication today but not originally so. It is a handsome edifice situated in the western part of this most attractive village and its south west tower also serves as the porch. Alarm bells went off when I realised something was going on inside the church so I imagined this might be a very short visit, but it was actually their flower festival so visitors were warmly welcomed. Everything looked very festive inside and pleasant music was playing, the only down side being the fine medieval font I remembered admiring on my previous trip was completely concealed from view by one of the displays (so I'll have to upload one of my poor quality older shots of it).
The interior has experienced significant 19th century restoration but it hasn't been spoiled by it, the 15th century carved roofs are highly attractive (however restored, the carved angels in the south aisle are Victorian replacements for the lost originals) and the Victorian glass is confined to the south aisle, otherwise the windows are plain and the interior remains quite bright. The chancel has a boarded wooden tunnel-vault which must enhance acoustics for the choir.
I've found Haughley church open on both visits, though I believe this hasn't always been the case and a keyholder should be listed for anyone who finds it locked.
The attractive church of St Nicholas at Swafield stands in rural isolation beside the main road. A chance visit, we found this a very rewarding building, with an old roof with carved bosses over the nave and the lower part of the medieval rood screen surviving complete with its painted saints.
This charming church is generally kept open and welcoming to visitors.
The attractive church of St Nicholas at Swafield stands in rural isolation beside the main road. A chance visit, we found this a very rewarding building, with an old roof with carved bosses over the nave and the lower part of the medieval rood screen surviving complete with its painted saints.
This charming church is generally kept open and welcoming to visitors.
St Catherine's at Ludham is a church I'd been keen to visit for some time. Handsome building though it is in its own right, there are a couple of specific items within it that make it especially worth of a visit.
The building is mostly of 14th and 15th century date and has an impressively proportioned nave with aisles and clerestorey that floods the interior with light. Within however a couple of particular features draw the eye, the late 15th century rood screen having some of the best preserved painted panels of saints along its base in their original rich colours, which would make the church worth travelling to for this alone. Above this is something even rarer, a painted tympanum bearing the rood, the only one from the 16th century still in position.
All medieval churches would have originally contained a carved or painted crucifixion group in this position but the iconoclasm of Edward VI's reign was so complete that not one medieval example survives. This one dates from the reign of Mary I when an attempt was made to undo the damage and restore some of what had been lost at the Reformation. Ultimately the pendulum swung back again with her passing and the Royal Arms replaced the cross in all churches making it clear once and for all who was really in charge. Happily the arms were painted on the reverse of the tympanum and it was merely turned around so that later generations could then reverse the Elizabethan Arms and restore it to prominence. The painting is somewhat rushed and poorly preserved alas, but it still gives us a glimpse of the imagery that was lost everywhere else.
Ludham is well worth a visit and a beautiful church to explore. It is happily generally kept open and welcoming for visitors.
St Helen's church at Ranworth has much of interest but is justly renowned for its wonderfully preserved rood screen, dating back to the 15th century and still adorned with an amazing sequence of painted saints.
The building itself is almost entirely of 15th century date, with a soaring west tower and nave and chancel both aisless but of different widths, the latter much narrower but this transition is nicely accommodated by the rood screen which extends the full width of the wider nave, the extremities serving as parclose chapels, complete with separate altars and reredoses but otherwise structurally continuous with the screen.
The interior would be somewhat spartan without the screen, a large open space with little other adornment. The display of images painted on the screen makes a matter of little consequence, it is one of the best displays of medieval art in the country, with particularly famous images of St Michael & St George on the parts that extend outwards. Despite the preservation of the imagery, there was clearly some iconoclasm as most of the faces are less well preserved (looking as if someone has tried to rub them away), but fortunately most of the features are still discernable (the under-drawing showing through in many instances).
The chancel beyond the screen contains medieval stalls with a few simple misericords and a few old poppyheads can be enjoyed on the bench ends in the nave.
The church is generally kept open and welcoming for visitors to enjoy (don't come too early though, it was locked when I arrived so I went of to see somewhere else, only to return and find it still shut but fortunately a lady appeared before long to unlock, after the vicar had assured me by phone the church would be opened shortly).
One special treat here is the access to the tower, visitors are able to climb to the roof for some fine views over the surrounding countryside (I timed my ascent badly as a big group had just turned up purely to do the same). A spiral staircase takes visitors to belfry level, and then one completes the climb via a couple of ladders leading to a hatch in the roof. If only more churches would take a leaf out of Ranworth's book to offer this rare treat.
St. John’s Church is one of the oldest medieval architectural monuments in Latvia. Church was built in the beginning of 13th century during the Christianization of Baltic’s for the purposes of the Livonian Holy Order because residence of the order was located in Cēsis; therefore Cēsis became one of the most important German power centers in the Baltic’s from 1237 up to 1561.
from:
www.latvia.travel/en/sight/cesis-st-johns-church
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Cēsu Svētā Jāņa evaņģēliski luteriskā baznīca ir luterāņu dievnams, kas atrodas Cēsīs. Tā ir viena no vecākajām gotiskajām mūra baznīcām Latvijā un lielākā viduslaiku bazilika Latvijā ārpus Rīgas. 16. gadsimtā tā kļuva par vienu no Ziemeļlatvijas reformācijas centriem. 1582. gadā baznīca kļuva par katoļu katedrāli, bet kopš 1629. gada tā ir luterāņu baznīca. Baznīcā ir apglabāti daudzi 15. un 16. gadsimta Livonijas valstsvīri — vairāki Livonijas ordeņa mestri — Johans Freitāgs fon Loringhofe (1494), Valters fon Pletenbergs (1535), Hermans fon Brigenejs (1549) un Cēsu bīskaps Andrejs Patrīcijs Nideckis (1587).
St. Mary's church Chipping Norton retains C13 and C14 work in its chancel and aisles, but the magnificent nave was built in 1485. The west tower was rebuilt by John Hudson in 1825. The C14 south porch is one of only three hexagonal examples in the country and has an elaborate C15 vault with carved bosses. The chancel has C13 buttresses to the east, Decorated windows and a later parapet with gargoyles. To the north of the nave a mausoleum was built by Henry Dawkins in 1800. The nave was rebuilt by John Ashfield, a wool merchant in high Perpendicular style. Three surviving niches north of the chancel arch were probably the reredos of a chapel. The east window of the south aisle is a huge Decorated window believed to have come from Bruern Abbey, glass by Clayton and Bell. The chancel and north chapel are C13. The south wall of the chapel has a C15 squint with a piscina in its sill. The chancel east window is Decorated as is the southeast window. A C15 piscina and Victorian sedilia probably by Bruton 1876. The font is C14 and has Decorated tracery on its eight sides. The monument of Richard Croft d, 1502 and his wife d, 1509, alabaster effigies on a chest tomb with angels and shields. Damaged effigies of Thomas Rickardes d. 1570 and wife, Elizabeth, a member of the Fiennes family, on a tomb chest. Tomb chest with a marble top and skulls and foliage on the sides, Edward Redrobe d. 1720. A number of medieval brasses are mounted on the north wall. Pulpit by E.G. Bruton, 1876. Chancel south window by C.E. Kempe. Medieval Mensa displayed against the north chapel wall. To the north of the church are the earthworks of a Motte and bailey castle.
The church of St Mary de Lode in Gloucester is situated close to the St Mary Gate of the Cathedral precinct and the Bishop Hooper Memorial. It remained something of an enigma to me on many visits as I'd previously never found it open until checking ahead and timing this visit more carefully.
The church is an ancient one, its central tower having a Norman base and the chancel beyond adapted to its present form in the 13th century with a vaulted ceiling inside. The entire nave however was rebuilt in 1826 in a pre-ecclesiological style with external rendering and thus at first glance from a more westerly direction at least the church doens't look terribly promising to lovers of antiquity.
Inside the newer nave is a great open space divided by a few slender cast-iron columns, all very plain and stark white in contrast to the gloomy but intriguingly mysterious space beyond the chancel arch and tower archways. This is the more ancient and interesting part of the building and the chancel with its vaulted ceiling is most attractive, if indeed it does feel rather remote from the nave (as if one has entered a separate building altogether). There is an ancient effigy of a priest on the north side lying in a recess.
When I last visited this church it was usually open for a few hours on saturdays, but otherwise normally kept locked (it took several visits to Gloucester before I finally timed it right and got inside).
For more about the church see below:-
St Mary's church in the attractive town of Hadleigh didn't look like I expected to, being one of those few Suffolk churches still crowned by its medieval spire (in lead-covered wood, the only full size one left in the county), handsome but rather atypical of the area and therefore a surprise. It is also a very grand building and quite a contrast to the more intimate buildings we had visited immediately before our arrival here. Opposite the west end of the church is the even more striking Tudor brick gatehouse of the former Hadleigh Deanery, its twin turrets forming a most pleasing ensemble with the church's leaden spire.
This is one of Suffolk's largest parish churches, all the more so as both nave and chancel are embraced by aisles on either side, adding so much more to the building's width. The effect from the south side is of two rows of windows, clerestorey above and larger apertures lighting the aisles below. More of these windows are filled with stained glass than one normally sees in this area too, though mostly with 19th century glass, only tiny remnants remain of the original glazing.
Within the immediate sense is of spaciousness and a somewhat refreshing lack of clutter, the pews have been removed and replaced by modern seating which actually works very well here. The nave arcades are wide, requiring fewer pillars than one might expect. This very much has the feel of a large town church, and a somewhat restored one with so much Victorian glass in the most prominent windows (of decent quality, the majority being the work of Ward & Hughes, but in some instances a little oppressive), There earlier pieces of glass in the north east corner but the most interesting medieval survivals are in the south chapel, some fine elements of a late medieval brass and two curious wood carvings from bench ends, one supposedly representing St Edmund's head being guarded by a wolf (a peculiarly grotesque creature here, one I'd known from a picture in a book since childhood so was intrigued to finally see it for myself).
St Mary's is happily normally a visitor friendly church, generally kept open on a daily basis.
St Mary de Crypt stands in the southern part of Gloucester city centre, a cruciform mainly 15th century building with a central tower (missing its parapet which gives it a rather 'shorn off' appearance). The unusual title does refer to an actual crypt here but I know little else of this since it wasn't accessible at the time of my visit. The church has an adjoining Tudor school building attached to its north side and continuous with the main facade to the street.
Within the church is full of interest, the interior is an intriguing space that feels a little compressed by the limitations of its site (the nave is wide but short and the transepts project only a little), but there is a great emphasis on the vertical in its proportions which increases the sense of height. The chancel is the most rewarding part with handsomely canopied sedilia and Easter sepulchre on either side and substantial remains of late medieval murals above.
St Mary de Crypt is a fine city centre church that deserves more visitors and happily is more accessible than most, being generally open several days a week.
A large ruined gothic castle in Southern Bohemia, standing in a naturally isolated location surrounded by water. The rock formation, on which it stands, is part of a very ancient settled area important for European trade as far as 3500 B.C. A large fort at the location is known by 1500 B.C., many imported objects of that time were found by archeological research (jade from Baltic sea), weapons and metalic products were produced at the settlement. Later a large Celtic oppidum of the Boii stood right beside the future castle (latest genetic research proved Czech people to be descendants of Celts, having the highest percentage of Celtic genes together with the Irish, the Welsh and the Bretons).
All Saints at Harpole is in many ways a typical Northamptonshire church, in its proportions, detailing and the beautifully warm tones of its orange/brown ironstone making it a delight to behold. Most of the present building is of early 13th century date, but with additions and modifications made throughout the following two centuries.
Inside the walls are stripped back to the stonework which renders the interior a little dark, and the nave pews are surprising in that they admit no central aisle between them. The real feature of note here however is the splendidly intricate Norman font at the west end, adorned with entwined foliage and beasts in classic Romanesque style.
The church appears to normally be kept open and welcoming for visitors.