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Crossing the old bridge, we reached the castle itself.

A timeless arrival, the fairytale no longer a vision but reality.

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Über die alte Brücke erreichten wir die Burg.

Eine zeitlose Ankunft – das Märchen nicht mehr Vision, sondern Wirklichkeit.

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Crowland Abbey, Lincolnshire — founded in the 8th century on land associated with St Guthlac, a hermit who settled in the Fens around 700 AD. The monastery grew into one of England’s great Benedictine houses, gaining wealth and influence through the Middle Ages. Rebuilt in grand style after fires and Viking raids, the abbey was a centre of pilgrimage, scholarship, and agricultural innovation. Following its dissolution in 1539 under Henry VIII, much of the complex fell into ruin, but the magnificent nave and west front survived and now form the parish church of St Mary and St Bartholomew.

 

Visible here are the soaring Perpendicular windows, the remnants of the south aisle, and the surrounding graveyard — reminders of nearly 1,300 years of continuous Christian worship on the site. The abbey’s stones bear traces of its turbulent history, from medieval prosperity to Reformation upheaval.

Cite' de l'architecture et patrimoine, Paris (reproduction)

St John's Church in the Wiltshire town of Devizes, dates from 1130 when it was constructed as a chapel to the recently completed castle. It is rumoured that the altar relic at its foundation was a feather from the wing of the Angel Gabriel. The feather has yet to be discovered!

 

Simon Jenkins points out the strong contrast between the - unexceptional - English Perpendicular style of the nave and the decidedly French Norman style of the east end of the church. The north and south chapels that flank the Norman chancel make up a third focus of interest.

The chapels of St Margaret and St Edmund in the north-east corner of Tewkesbury Abbey. Perfect for maximising the amount of chantry masses that could be said back in the day.

 

The Abbey Church of St Mary the Virgin, Tewkesbury – commonly known as Tewkesbury Abbey – is located in the English county of Gloucestershire. A former Benedictine monastery, it is now a parish church. Considered one of the finest examples of Norman architecture in Britain, it has the largest Romanesque crossing tower in Europe. Tewkesbury had been a centre for worship since the 7th Century. A priory was established there in the 10th Century. The present building was started in the early 12th Century. It was unsuccessfully used as a sanctuary in the Wars of the Roses. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, it became the parish church for the town. George Gilbert Scott led the Restoration of the building in the late 19th Century.

 

The churchmanship of the Abbey is strongly Anglo-Catholic.

 

This description incorporates text from the English Wikipedia.

A more medieval glimpse of the historical center.

Brescia, IT

  

St Andrew’s Church in the Somerset village of Blagdon (pop. 1,116), was built in the 15th century. It is a Grade II* listed building.

 

The church has a 35-metre-high tower, one of the tallest in Somerset. Apart from the tower, rest of the church was rebuilt in 1907–09 by Lord Winterstoke (of the Wills tobacco family). A piscina with a 12th Century frieze of the four Evangelists has somehow survived multiple re-buildings and attests to a Norman church on the same site.

 

Augustus Toplady was serving as curate of St Andrew's in the 1760s when he wrote the hymn Rock of Ages. It is believed that he was inspired to write the lyrics while sheltering under a rock in nearby Burrington Combe.

 

This description incorporates text from the English Wikipedia.

photo rights reserved by Ben

 

The David Gareja Monastery complex lies in a remote and isolated part of the rugged, semi-desert landscape of eastern Georgia, near the border with Azerbaijan. The surroundings are marked by dry hills, barren plains, and steep rock formations — far removed from any village or town. This very secluded location enhances the spiritual atmosphere of the site, which has served for centuries as a retreat for monks seeking to withdraw from the world. The monastery was founded in the 6th century by the Syrian monk David Garejeli and is partially carved into the soft sandstone cliffs. On the left side of the photo, you can see the dramatic, sloping rock wall with carved cells, chapels, and caves that once served as living and prayer quarters for the monks. Some of them are still adorned with delicate, centuries-old frescoes. On the right, the fortified walls and round watchtowers can be seen — silent witnesses to the monastery’s defensive function throughout history. In the center, a green, open courtyard connects nature and architecture in a harmonious way. Beyond its historical and architectural value, David Gareja is still a living religious site. Today, it is home to Georgian Orthodox monks who lead a modest, secluded life devoted to prayer, study, and the maintenance of the monastery. Their presence reminds us that David Gareja is not merely a ruin, but an active spiritual community. Their daily routines continue almost undisturbed — in silence, in stone, and in harmony with the land. During our visit, we were the only visitors, allowing us to explore the entire site in complete peace. From the monastery, there is a breathtaking view over the silent, endless semi-desert plains — a place of stillness, reflection, and mysticism.

 

Hidden in Georgia’s remote semi-desert near the Azerbaijani border, the David Gareja Monastery is a centuries-old complex carved into sandstone cliffs. Still home to Orthodox monks, it blends ancient history with quiet spiritual life. Surrounded by stark, rugged landscapes, the site offers solitude, breathtaking views, and a deep sense of timelessness.

 

Het David Gareja-kloostercomplex ligt afgelegen en geïsoleerd in het ruige, halfwoestijnachtige landschap van Oost-Georgië, vlak bij de grens met Azerbeidzjan. De omgeving wordt gekenmerkt door droge heuvels, kale vlaktes en steile rotspartijen — ver verwijderd van dorpen of steden. Juist deze verlaten ligging versterkt de spirituele sfeer van de plek, die eeuwenlang een toevluchtsoord is geweest voor monniken die zich wilden terugtrekken uit de wereld. Het klooster werd in de 6e eeuw gesticht door de Syrische monnik David Garejeli en is deels uitgehouwen in de zachte zandsteenrotsen. Links op de foto zie je de spectaculaire, schuin oplopende rotswand, vol uitgehouwen cellen, kapellen en grotten die ooit dienden als woon- en gebedsruimten voor monniken. Sommige zijn nog versierd met verfijnde, eeuwenoude fresco’s. Rechts zijn de versterkte muren en ronde wachttorens zichtbaar — stille getuigen van de verdedigingsfunctie die het complex door de eeuwen heen ook heeft vervuld. In het midden ligt een groen, open binnenplein dat op harmonieuze wijze natuur en architectuur met elkaar verbindt. Naast zijn historische en architectonische waarde is David Gareja nog altijd een levendige religieuze plek. Er wonen vandaag de dag nog steeds Georgisch-Orthodoxe monniken, die er een teruggetrokken en sober leven leiden, toegewijd aan gebed, studie en het onderhoud van het klooster. Hun aanwezigheid onderstreept dat David Gareja geen verlaten ruïne is, maar een actieve spirituele gemeenschap. Hun dagelijkse rituelen gaan haast ongestoord verder — in stilte, in steen, en in verbondenheid met de natuur. Tijdens ons bezoek waren we de enige bezoekers, wat het mogelijk maakte het hele terrein in volledige rust te verkennen. Vanaf het klooster strekt zich een adembenemend uitzicht uit over de stille, eindeloze semi-woestijnvlakten — een plek van verstilling, bezinning en mystiek.

The arch that separates Tartuca and Chiocciola contrade (urban wards) whose representatives race on horseback in the Palio di Siena

Holy Cross is the parish church in the Wiltshire village of Seend (pop. 1,132), just outside Devizes. It is part of the Church of England Diocese of Salisbury. The west tower dates to the 14th Century (with a 15th Century bell stage), most of the church dates slightly later, to around 1450, with the North Aisle rebuilt in 1498, and the chancel much more modern, being largely the product of an 1876 ‘restoration’ by A.J. Style.

 

The church has a rich collection of Georgian and Victorian memorials, and some pleasant Victorian and Edwardian glass. The organ console, dizzyingly located, offers a fine vantage for photographing the clerestory and indeed the interior of the church as a whole.

 

I took this shot before-and-after I celebrated Mass and preached here on a Sunday morning.

San Gimignano a small town in the Tuscano hillside, southwest of Florence. It's encircled by 13th-century walls, and lined with medieval houses, and towers.

St Cyriac's Church is a 14th-century Church of England church in the village of Lacock, Wiltshire.

Until the early 14th century the interior of Wells Cathedral in Somerset was in a unified style, but it was to undergo two significant changes to the tower and to the eastern end. Between 1315 and 1322 the central tower was heightened and topped by a spire which caused the piers that supported it to show signs of stress. In 1338 the mason William Joy employed an unorthodox solution by inserting low arches topped by inverted arches of similar dimensions, forming scissors-like structures. One of these can be seen at the rear of the picture. These arches brace the piers of the crossing on three sides. So far as I know, these are quite unique.

 

The cathedral dates from 1175 to 1490, an earlier church having been built on the site in 705. The arcade, which takes the same form in the nave, choir and transepts, is distinguished by the richness of both mouldings and carvings. Each pier of the arcade has a surface enrichment of twenty-four slender shafts in eight groups of three, rising beyond the capitals to form the deeply undulating mouldings of the arches. The vault of the nave rises steeply in a simple quadripartite form, in harmony with the nave arcade. The eastern end of the choir was extended and the whole upper part elaborated in the second quarter of the 14th century by William Joy. The vault has a multiplicity of ribs in a net-like form, which is very different from that of the nave, and is perhaps a recreation in stone of a local type of compartmented wooden roof of which examples remain from the 15th century.

 

Source: Wikipedia

  

Looking across the fields to the Church of England parish church of All Saints (St Anne until c.1928), in the village of All Cannings (pop. 590) in Wiltshire’s picturesque Vale of Pewsey, viewed at sunset from the south. It took its present form in the 14th and 15th centuries on the site of a 12th Century church on the same site. The three-stage central tower is mid-15th century and probably replaced an earlier one, and has a square stair-tower at its northeast corner.

 

The chancel was rebuilt in 1678 and again in 1868–9, this time in Bath stone on a slightly narrower plan, to designs of Henry Weaver of Devizes, then restored in Victorian times.

 

This description incorporates text from the English Wikipedia.

This is one of the two churches in the parish where I am one of the clergy. As we are not having regular services in church at the moment because of the lockdown, I am producing a pre-recorded video service using different locations and with different members of the congregation doing different sections of the service. I nearly always do a few timelapse sequences for opening credits, and as it was an unusually clear evening here yesterday, I thought a 20 minute timelapse of the skies darkening after sunset might work well if switched on all the lights inside the church.

 

It did work well, and I took a still shot before and after the timelapse. To my surprise, it was the shot after was at least as interesting as the earlier one, at least once I'd had time to process it, and fortuitously included Orion rising among the trees.

 

It was REALLY cold when I took these, at least by our standards; several degrees below freezing with a strong wind. Putting the bare metal of the tripod away, after half an hour of both the tripod and I being wind chilled, was agonising.

 

St Mary’s Church in the Wiltshire market town of Devizes (pop. 15,500) was built in the 12th century to serve the new borough of Devizes, outside the castle area, which was served by nearby St John's. All that remains of the early church is the chancel, there being nothing dateable in the rest of the church earlier than the 13th or 14th century. There were radical alterations to the church structure in the 15th century when the walls were heightened, the south porch increased to two storeys with a stair turret and windows, buttresses and roofs replaced and renewed. The west tower was built against the nave. There were changes here during the Reformation including the removal of the rood screen in 1561. The church remained largely unchanged then until the 1850s when there was a restoration, the church was repewed and a vestry built.

 

By the 1890s cracks were beginning to appear in the walls of the tower and these were repaired in 1897-8. The church is of dressed stone with a chancel, an aisled and clerestoried nave with a south porch and west tower. In the chancel there is a dole table, probably of the 15th century. During the Civil War lead was taken from the roof to manufacture bullets. The church, sharing a common incumbent with St John’s since its 12th Century origins, has not held regular Sunday services since 2006 although at least one weekly midweek service takes place there.

This photograph shows part of the inner courtyard at Ightham Mote in Kent. The property is a medieval manor house dating from the mid 14th century although the date on the rainwater hopper shows this has been added during Victorian times!

photo rights reserved by Ben

 

The hike from Stepantsminda to Gergeti Trinity Church is one of the most beautiful and iconic hikes in Georgia. This route offers breathtaking views of the Caucasus, with the imposing Mount Kazbek (5,054 meters) as a spectacular backdrop. Stepantsminda is a small mountain village that serves as a base for adventurers and hikers. The village is located at an altitude of approximately 1,740 meters. From here the hike starts towards the Gergeti Tower, a viewpoint halfway along the route. From the tower you already have a beautiful view of the valley and Stepantsminda. The tower is part of a network of historical fortifications, typical for the mountainous region of Georgia. In the past, these towers were often owned by local clans and served to protect the community and the surrounding land. After the tower, the trail climbs further through a variety of grasslands and rocky terrain. The climb is fairly steep, but easily doable for hikers with average fitness. After about two hours of walking (approx. 3-4 km) you will reach the iconic Gergeti Trinity Church, located at an altitude of 2,170 meters. The church, built in the 14th century, is not only an architectural highlight but also an important spiritual and cultural symbol of Georgia. From here you have a panoramic view of the Caucasus and the impressive Kazbek Glacier. In clear weather it is an ideal place to enjoy the peace and overwhelming nature. Do you want to skip the climb? Then it is possible to drive to the church from Stepantsminda with an 4x4. In the summer months, horse riding tours to the top are also offered. The best time for this hike is from spring to early autumn (May – October), when temperatures are pleasant and nature is in full bloom. In winter the route can be snowy, which makes the hike more challenging but also adds extra beauty to the landscape. The walk to Gergeti Trinity Church is an unforgettable experience that you should not miss when visiting Georgia.

 

The photo shows the Gergeti Tower, located in an impressive mountain landscape in the Stepantsminda region of Georgia. The tower is located on a ridge and has a strategic position overlooking the valley. In the background is the imposing Mount Kuro, a rugged and impressive mountain in the Caucasus. The mountain shows a mix of rocky terrain and snow-capped peaks. The height of Mount Kuro is approximately 3,180 meters. The Gergeti Tower is part of a network of historical fortifications typical of this region. The tower, also known as the Tsromi Tower in Georgia, is more than 700 years old. Once these towers were used to protect the villages and roads from raids and served as lookouts. Today, the tower is a symbol of the rich history and culture of the area and attracts many hikers and adventurers.

 

De wandeling van Stepantsminda naar de Gergeti Trinity Church is een van de mooiste en meest iconische tochten in Georgië. Deze route biedt adembenemende uitzichten op de Kaukasus, met de imposante Mount Kazbek (5.054 meter) als spectaculair decor. Stepantsminda is een klein bergdorpje dat fungeert als uitvalsbasis voor avonturiers en wandelaars. Het dorp ligt op ongeveer 1.740 meter hoogte. Vanuit hier start de wandeling richting de Gergeti Tower, een uitkijkpunt halverwege de route. Vanaf de toren heb je al een prachtig uitzicht over het dal en Stepantsminda. De toren is onderdeel van een netwerk van historische verdedigingswerken, typerend voor de bergachtige regio van Georgië. Ooit waren deze torens vaak in handen van lokale clans en dienden ze ter bescherming van de gemeenschap en het omliggende land. Na de toren klimt het pad verder omhoog door een afwisseling van graslanden en rotsachtig terrein. De klim is redelijk steil, maar goed haalbaar voor wandelaars met een gemiddelde conditie. Na ongeveer twee uur wandelen (ca. 3-4 km) bereik je de iconische Gergeti Trinity Church, gelegen op 2.170 meter hoogte. De kerk, gebouwd in de 14e eeuw, is niet alleen een architectonisch hoogtepunt maar ook een belangrijk spiritueel en cultureel symbool van Georgië. Vanaf dit punt heb je een panoramisch uitzicht op de Kaukasus en de indrukwekkende Kazbek-gletsjer. Bij helder weer is het een ideale plek om te genieten van de rust en de overweldigende natuur. Op de foto is de Gergeti Tower te zien, gelegen in een indrukwekkend berglandschap in de regio Stepantsminda, Georgië. De toren staat op een heuvelrug en heeft een strategische positie met uitzicht over de vallei. Op de achtergrond prijkt de imposante Mount Kuro, een ruige en indrukwekkende berg in de Kaukasus. De berg vertoont een mix van rotsachtig terrein en besneeuwde toppen. De hoogte van de berg Mount Kuro is ongeveer 3.180 meter. De Gergeti Tower maakt deel uit van een netwerk van historische verdedigingswerken die typerend zijn voor deze regio. De toren ook wel bekend als de Tsromi-toren in Georgië is meer dan 700 jaar oud. Ooit werden deze torens gebruikt om de dorpen en wegen te beschermen tegen invallen en dienden ze als uitkijkposten. Vandaag de dag staat de toren symbool voor de rijke geschiedenis en cultuur van het gebied en trekt het veel wandelaars en avonturiers aan. De wandeling naar de Gergeti Trinity Church is een onvergetelijke ervaring die je niet mag missen bij een bezoek aan Georgië.

Just inland from the Atlantic coast lies Gallarus Oratory, a stone chapel believed to have been built between the 7th and 9th centuries, making it over 1,200 years old. It is thought to have been built by early Christian communities on the Dingle Peninsula, though its exact purpose is debated — some say it was a simple church for worship, others a funerary chapel.

 

Constructed without mortar, its dry-stone walls have withstood centuries of wind and rain. The setting is simple: green fields, stone walls, and hills rolling into the sky. I felt that color would not add much to this scene, so I chose to render it in black and white, giving it a more timeless feel. Yet the structure remains monumental — a lasting symbol of faith and endurance on the edge of Ireland.

Aerial view of The Minster Church of St Nicholas, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

 

Founded by Herbert de Losinga, the first Bishop of Norwich, in 1101 and completed in 1119, St Nicholas is England’s largest parish church. Built to serve the growing medieval town and its herring industry, the church originally stood within a walled graveyard, part of which remains visible in the image.

 

Severely damaged during bombing raids in the Second World War, the Minster was almost completely rebuilt in the 1950s under architect Stephen Dykes Bower. Its copper-clad roof—now a defining feature of the Great Yarmouth skyline—was added during the post-war restoration. The church was granted Minster status in 2011.

 

Visible in the image are the surviving sections of the medieval town wall in the foreground and the compact urban grid of central Great Yarmouth beyond.

Northamptonshire is one of England's less well known counties, and sits between the northern Home Counties, the East Midlands (or which it is technically a part) and the East of England. It is a rural county with only a handful of large towns, but it has many beautiful stone-built villages and numerous ancient churches including this one at Scaldwell which dates from the 12th century when the three-stage Norman west tower was constructed.

 

Full details of the the beautiful Grade II*-listed Church of St Peter & St Paul are at: britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101343570-church-of-st-peter....

 

The pretty little village, which is just over a mile to the north-east of Brixworth, has no pubs or shops and a population of only around 300. From 1912 until 1963 iron ore was quarried near Scaldwell and other local villages. It is the iron that gives the brown stone in Northamptonshire, known as ironstone, its colour.

  

Angel on a Victorian tombstone in the churchyard of St Johnˆs Church in the Wiltshire town of Devizes. It is tucked into one corner of the churchyard and facing a high hedge, so not the most prominent of sights in the town, but it is very beautiful. It was framed beautifully by the church and a magnificent sunset yesterday.

 

This was the Vernal Equinox and also the feast day of St Matthew. A late summer day that was turning into an early autumn night.

 

St John's Church in the Wiltshire town of Devizes, dates from 1130 when it was constructed as a chapel to the recently completed castle. It is rumoured that the altar relic at its foundation was a feather from the wing of the Angel Gabriel. The feather has yet to be discovered!

 

Simon Jenkins points out the strong contrast between the - unexceptional - English Perpendicular style of the nave and the decidedly French Norman style of the east end of the church. The north and south chapels that flank the Norman chancel make up a third focus of interest.

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With a commanding view over the west coast of the island from its hilltop site, the parish church of St Ouen in Jersey is dedicated to the 7th Century Frankis hagiographer, Audoin, Bishop of Rouen, whose name has over time been corrupted to St Ouen. Unlike most of Jersey’s ancient parish churches, it is located away from any centre of population.

 

Once under the patronage of the famous was given to the abbey of Mont St Michel in Normandy, the church's origins date back to before 1066. The church's oldest parts, however date from the 12th or 13th Century and are its nave, tower and chancel. A major restoration was instigated by Canon George Clement in 1865.

 

This description incorporates text from the English Wikipedia.

The UNESCO World Heritage city of Ani in northeast Turkey overlooks a river ravine that forms a border with Armenia and it controlled one branch of the Silk Road. It is a fascinating place to visit with its old city walls and its many church ruins. According to UNESCO, the site presents a "comprehensive overview of the evolution of medieval architecture through examples of almost all the different architectural innovations of the region between the 7th and 13th centuries CE". On the tower wall, in darker stone, note the ancient European symbol of eternity, related to the swastica and often found on medieval Armenian buildings.

22/04/2025 www.allenfotowild.com

Chichester Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Chichester. It is located in Chichester, in West Sussex, United Kingdom. It was founded as a cathedral in 1075. The Bishops Gardens are beautiful

A church in the village of Stanton St Bernard, which became the parish church of All Saints, was first mentioned in 1267, when it belonged to Wilton Abbey. However, a Norman font indicates it may be somewhat older.

 

The tower was added in the 15th century, then in 1832 all except the tower was rebuilt in Gothic style; a further rebuilding of the chancel became necessary in 1859. The church lost its resident vicar as early as 1929 and is now part of the Vale of Pewsey team.

 

This description incorporates text from the English Wikipedia.

Florence, Italy. Picture taken in october 2012

Gothic and Renaissance Townhall facade. Gothic and Renaissance architecture front facade of the former townhall (Est. 1450) of Gouda. In perfect condition all the way to the top with lots of nice details. Parts of the front facade like the entrance terrace were added in 1603.

 

Photo January 2015, City Hall (1450) after 565 years in time.

 

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Details

Gouda - Town Hall

Town Hall of Gouda (Est. 1450, monument) - constructed in Gothic architecture, with a Renaissance entrance terrace at the front and a scaffold for sentencing prisoners at the back facing located at the centre of the town market square of Gouda.

 

Richly decorated with various statues, a puppet show with chimes and various other interesting elements. With shutters and coats of arms in symbolic white and red, the colors of the patron saint of Gouda John the Baptist. These colors are part of the city coat of arms. It's the former town hall and only the wedding room with historical tapestries is still being used.

 

Info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gouda,_South_Holland.

  

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Photo January 17, 2015 - Richard Poppelaars.

© About Pixels Photography: #AboutPixels / #medieval #facade #TownHall #architecture in #Gouda #Netherlands

Cheltenham Minster, St Mary’s is the only surviving medieval building in Cheltenham, in continuous use for 850 years. It is believed to have replaced a Saxon church erected on this site in the 8th century. In the Domesday Book the church and its land (the rectory) were recorded as belonging to William the Conqueror's Chancellor, Regenbald also known as Reinbald, who then bequeathed it to Cirencester Abbey. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII it became crown property during the English Reformation. The crown property was sold by James I & VI and went through a succession of different owners (lay rectors) until 1863 when Edward Walker took possession of the chancel and the title of rector.

 

Parts of the church represent the Early English style of architecture, but thanks to later extensions it is the decorated style which predominates. The upper part of the tower dates from around 1200 and the broach spire was added early in the 14th Century. The tracery of the windows is reflects architectural developments between 1250 and 1350, while the stained glass (not well displayed in these shots) is late Victorian and regarded as of particularly high quality.

[The south porch, visible here, is a late Victorian addition.]

 

The bell tower currently contains a peal of twelve bells which were cast by John Taylor & Co in 2018 as part of a major restoration project.

 

Its most famous incumbent was Francis Close, a keen Evangelical, who was a follower of Charles Simeon. Close was perpetual curate of the church for thirty years and a founder of two teacher training colleges which later became the University of Gloucestershire. He moved on to become Dean of Carlisle in 1856.

 

For most of its history St Mary's Church served a population of less than 1,500 and was a prominent feature of the landscape. But extensive building occurred during the Regency period in the early 19th Century and as a result the church is now hidden behind shops and offices. In Victorian times a number of new churches were built to cope with Cheltenham's rapidly expanding population.

 

The church is, unsurprisingly, a Grade I listed building.

 

This description incorporates text from the English Wikipedia.

The late Victorian rood on the choir screen of Tewkesbury Abbey. Interesting that the centrepiece is not a crucifix but a Lamb of God on an otherwise plain cross.

 

The Abbey Church of St Mary the Virgin, Tewkesbury – commonly known as Tewkesbury Abbey – is located in the English county of Gloucestershire. A former Benedictine monastery, it is now a parish church. Considered one of the finest examples of Norman architecture in Britain, it has the largest Romanesque crossing tower in Europe. Tewkesbury had been a centre for worship since the 7th Century. A priory was established there in the 10th Century. The present building was started in the early 12th Century. It was unsuccessfully used as a sanctuary in the Wars of the Roses. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, it became the parish church for the town. George Gilbert Scott led the Restoration of the building in the late 19th Century.

 

The churchmanship of the Abbey is strongly Anglo-Catholic.

 

This description incorporates text from the English Wikipedia.

St Thomas of Canterbury Church in the Wiltshire village of Coulston (population 133, 4 miles/6½ km east of Westbury) dates back to the 12th Century. Originally dedicated to Saint Andrew, by the early 19th Century, it was rededicated to Saint Thomas of Canterbury, possibly linked to Thomas Becket or in deference the local Beckett family, who owned land after the Reformation.

 

The church’s architecture reflects its Norman roots. Built from stone, it features a simple rectangular plan with a nave and chancel. The Norman doorway and thick walls are key elements from the 12th century, showing typical construction of the period with rounded arches and minimal decoration. Later additions include a small bellcote at the west end, likely from the medieval era, and a 19th-century porch. The interior is plain, with a stone font possibly from the original build and wooden pews added later; this was substantially ‘restored’ in 1868 by Richard Gane of Trowbridge.

 

Serving a village of fewer than 150, the church holds two services a month with around 25 attendees each. It lacks major modern alterations, preserving its historical form. Now part of a larger benefice with nearby parishes including Edington Prioryu, St Thomas of Canterbury stands as a functional relic of Norman design, its architecture offering a clear view of 12th-century rural church building adapted through modest later updates.

Wells Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Wells, Somerset, England, dedicated to St Andrew the Apostle and seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, whose cathedral it holds as mother church of the Diocese of Bath and Wells. Built in 1176–1450 to replace an earlier church on the site since 705, it is moderately sized for an English cathedral. Its broad west front and large central tower are dominant features. It has been called "unquestionably one of the most beautiful" and "most poetic" of English cathedrals.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wells_Cathedral

The Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn is an exceptionally complete and well-preserved medieval northern European trading city on the coast of the Baltic Sea.

 

The city developed as a significant centre of the Hanseatic League during the major period of activity of this great trading organization in the 13th-16th centuries.

 

whc.unesco.org/en/list/822

The Church of St Pancras at Widecombe-in-the-Moor is known as the 'Cathedral of the Moors' in recognition of its 120 foot tower. The church dates from the fourteenth century, and is built in the Perpendicular style, using locally quarried granite. It was enlarged over the following two centuries, partly on the proceeds of the local tin mining trade. The church tower itself dates from around 1540.

 

The church was badly damaged in the Great Thunderstorm of 1638, apparently struck by ball lightning during a severe thunderstorm. An afternoon service was taking place at the time, and the building was packed with approximately 300 worshippers. Four of them were killed, and around 60 injured. According to local legend, the Great Thunderstorm was caused by the village being visited by the Devil. Two large boards at the west end of the church tell the story.

 

Well known from the traditional folk song about Uncle Tom Cobleigh going to Widecombe Fair, Widecombe-in-the-Moor lies on the south side of Dartmoor. The fair itself is still held every September.

 

Simon Jenkins considers this to be one of England's thousand best churches. It is a Grade I-listed building.

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