The whole world, as we experience it visually, comes to us through the mystic realm of color.

Hans Hofmann

22/365

 

proberbly not the most visually exciting today but yet again, it was pouring down for most of it.

sooo, when i'm stuck inside and have the day to myself, i use it to learn. be it PS, photography or lighting, i tend to zone out and get very engrossed in some training or other. in fact, lili just had to turn on the light for me cause i'd been sat here in the dark for the last half an hour or so... proberbly best get something to eat.

anyway, one of the things i've been doing today, as i've been sat inside, is practicing making textures. its something i find fascinating but am not great at... yet! practice makes perfect as they say, so expect many not so great textures coming your way ;-)

 

Feel free to use this for any of your own creations.

 

Please credit me and link back to this page or my photostream if you do.

 

You can use my texture commercially but please don't redistribute it or alter it to create

 

your own stock

 

Show me what you've done with it by putting a thumbnail or link on this page it'd be great

 

to see what you've done with it!

 

ODC- inside (there is an actual shot underneath all of the processing... i promise!)

Toute reproduction sur un support imprimé ou publication sur internet devra faire l'objet d'une demande expresse auprès du service communication de la Fédération Française Handisport.

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Toute utilisation ainsi autorisée devra mentionner le crédit photo (voir nom du fichier ci-dessus : “©…” ou métadonnées de la photo dans sa taille originale).

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Contact : photos [at] handisport.org

The stone circle at Castlerigg (alternatively Keswick Carles, Carles, Carsles, Castle-rig or Druids' Circle) is situated near Keswick in Cumbria, North West England. One of around 1,300 stone circles in the British Isles and Brittany, it was constructed as a part of a megalithic tradition that lasted from 3,300 to 900 BC, during the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Ages.

 

Various archaeologists have commented positively on the beauty and romance of the Castlerigg ring and its natural environment. In his study of the stone circles of Cumbria, archaeologist John Waterhouse commented that the site was "one of the most visually impressive prehistoric monuments in Britain."

 

Every year, thousands of tourists travel to the site, making it the most visited stone circle in Cumbria. This plateau forms the raised centre of a natural amphitheatre created by the surrounding fells and from within the circle it is possible to see some of the highest peaks in Cumbria: Helvellyn, Skiddaw, Grasmoor and Blencathra.

Pinite in weathered hornfels from the Cretaceous of Japan. (~2.55 centimeters across at its widest)

 

One of the most famous & visually intriguing geologic materials collected in Japan is the cherry blossom stone. These interesting structures have a complex geologic history.

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What are they now?

Cherry blossom stones are relatively small, subhexagonal-shaped masses of fine-grained muscovite mica that show a flower-like pattern in transverse cross-section.

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What did they used to be?

The muscovite mica is not the original material making up these structures. Before the growth of muscovite mica, these were complex intergrowths of six cordierite crystals and one indialite crystal. So, cherry blossom stones represent muscovite mica replacing cordierite-indialite (muscovite pseudomorphs after cordierite-indialite). Such complex pseudomorphs have been referred to as pinite.

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What is the host rock?

Cherry blossom stones are hosted in a matrix of hornfels, a fine-grained, contact metamorphic rock. Hornfels form by intense alteration (heating & chemical alteration) of shales by nearby lava or magma.

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How did they form?

The hornfels host rocks were originally fine-grained siliciclastic sedimentary rocks (shales) of the Tamba Group (Triassic-Jurassic-lowermost Cretaceous). During the mid-Cretaceous (early Cenomanian Stage, ~98 million years ago), underground igneous activity resulted in granites and granodiorite intrusions altering the shales into hornfels by contact metamorphism. These hornfels had decent-sized masses of intergrown cordierite-indialite.

 

Indialite is a magnesium aluminosilicate mineral (Mg2Al4Si5O18). Cordierite is an iron magnesium aluminosilicate mineral ((Fe,Mg)2Al4Si5O18). The subhexagonal-shaped masses of cordierite-indialite in the hornfels consist of seven individual crystals. At the center of each mass is a dumbbell-shaped indialite crystal - very narrow at the center, and relatively wide at the ends (see the varying sizes of the center hexagon in other cherry blossom stones elsewhere in this photo album). Surrounding the indialite crystal are six prism-shaped cordierite crystals. They are widest at the center of each cherry blossom stone and narrowest at the ends.

 

A second metamorphic event altered the cordierite-indialite masses. Hydrothermal metamorphism resulted in fine-grained muscovite mica replacing the original minerals.

 

Stratigraphy: Tamba Group, Mesozoic (Triassic to lowermost Cretaceous), ~98 Ma contact metamorphic date

 

Locality: at or near Mikata, Mikata District, Fukui Prefecture, Honshu Island, southern Japan.

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Much info. from:

 

Rakovan et al. (2006) - Sakura Ishi (cherry blossom stones): mica pseudomorphs of complex cordierite-indialite intergrowths from Kameoka, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. in Minerals from Japan. Rocks & Minerals Reprint 2006: 31-39.

 

Marilyn Rushton, a well-known Burnaby citizen, is awarded with the province’s newest honour, the Medal of Good Citizenship.

 

Rushton is honoured for her for inspirational life of service to the visually impaired community, her contributions to families with blind and visually impaired children, and her energetic support for the musical community.

 

Learn more: news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2016IGR0025-001407

Manufacturer/Model: Leitz Wetzlar, Trinovid 8X32

Field of View: 8.5 deg = 150 ym/1,000 m; APFOV 68 deg

Weight: 495 gr

Exit Pupil: 4 mm

Serial #/Year of Manufacture: 767252 = 1972

Notes: In 1963 Leitz discontinued manufacture of all Porro I binoculars and introduced the revolutionary Trinovid series of roof prism binoculars. Although the non-phase coated Trinovids did not optically match the superb Porro I binoculars they replaced, they were remarkably light-weight and compact and were a pleasure to hold with a streamlined gracefulness to their appearance which made them one the most ergonomically and visually pleasing binoculars ever made and heralded the demise of Porro prism binoculars to the overwhelming popularity of roof prism models (even though Porro’s are an optically more efficient and less costly design than roofs). The 8X32 model was manufactured from 1963 until 1990 when all Uppendahl prismed Trinovids were discontinued and was probably the most successful of this type Trinovid only the 10X40 model being made just as long. The 8X32 appeared in two versions - the first with a wide-angle 8.5 field of view was made until 1975 and was replaced by the second having a narrower 7.4 field of view.

 

The early Trinovids made until 1990 had, as mentioned, an Uppendahl prism system and were internally focusing. The Uppendahl prism consisted of three prisms cemented together leaving only two air/glass light reflecting surfaces (as opposed to the four usually present on Porro I, Abbe-Konig and Schmidt-Pechan prism systems) thereby increasing light transmission. The first light reflecting slope of the objective prism is silvered (over-painted black) for total internal reflection, and the last light reflecting slope of the ocular prism is roofed for total internal reflection. See Trinovid 7X42B Views 4: www.flickr.com/photos/binocwpg/8103359604/in/photostream/ and View 5: www.flickr.com/photos/binocwpg/8103336083/in/photostream/. Trinovids made before 1990 were not phase coated although ones made in the 1980’s may have been anti-reflective multi-coated. Other binoculars which used Uppendahl prism systems are the early Bausch & Lomb Elite and Browning 7X35's, both made in Japan in the late 1980’s-early 1990’s.

 

The Trinovid has a three lens/five element ocular and internally focuses by movement of the field lens and middle lens cel while the eyelens remains stationary. See Trinovid 7X42B Views 2: www.flickr.com/photos/binocwpg/8103365896/in/photostream, 3: www.flickr.com/photos/binocwpg/8103363102/in/photostream/ and 5: www.flickr.com/photos/binocwpg/8103336083/in/photostream/. The binocular is not waterproof although all joints are gasket sealed. Although optically innovative and complex, the binocular has relatively few components and is easily disassembled for servicing. See Trinovid 7X42B View 2: www.flickr.com/photos/binocwpg/8103365896/in/photostream.

 

This well-used binocular when received needed an unusual repair. The seller accurately described the right side view as poor, and I hoped all it required was a routine cleaning of the internals (which is usually the case barring badly chipped or fungus damaged prisms). However, upon disassembly the internal optics were found to be in good condition except for the silvered prism face which was badly deteriorated i.e. the silvered prism slope was bubbled and peeling off causing an awful brown and splotchy view. I easily removed the remaining silvering with acetone but that made the view even worse. It became incredibly dark with maybe 20% light transmission. With nothing to lose, I purchased a 3”X3” 1 mm thick square of aluminized glass from Edmund Optics, cut it to the shape of the prism slope in need or mirroring and using Norland Optical Adhesive 61 glued it onto the prism slope its aluminized side directly against the prism surface. And to my amazement it worked! Afterward, I couldn't tell any difference between the view on the left side (with optics in good condition) and the one the right with the re-mirrored prism. I'd expected that even if the experiment had been successful the right side view would have a bluish tone due the aluminum coating but this did not occur. Both sides had the same warm color tones. See View 2: www.flickr.com/photos/binocwpg/8256079376/in/photostream for a picture of re-mirrored prism with the materials used to make the repair in the background.

 

There are two early Trinovids in the collection, this 8X32 plus a 7X42B, and though both are hardly in pristine optical condition (minor rub marks and dings on the lenses, small patches of light hazing on prisms, a chipped prism on the 7X42), it seems to me that even when new their views albeit extremely good would not have been quite as sharp and impressive as that of one of the best Porro I binoculars Leitz ever made, the Binuxit 8X30. See: www.flickr.com/photos/binocwpg/6329313798/in/photostream. However, there is no doubt that they are as claimed by their many aficionados exceptionally nice binoculars to carry, hold and point and superior in this regard to their Porro I predecessors.

 

Note: If you have a vintage binocular you either wish to sell or would just like some information about, I can be contacted at flagorio12@gmail.com .

  

"The visually exposed Empire house from 1818 includes older structures, the stone cellars are probably medieval.

 

A terraced one-storey house with a basement in a corner position stands on the main square in the centre of the historic centre of the city. It has a rectangular ground plan, a mansard roof with small dormers, two roof ridges run perpendicular to the facade – a hipped roof adjoins the neighbouring house. The roofs are covered with eternit on the outside, and with burnt grooved tiles on the inside. The southern facade to TG Masaryk Square has 5 window axes on the first floor, on the ground floor on the left a window, a glazed entrance to the pharmacy, a window, a passage gate and a glazed display window with an entrance to the shop. The entrance to the passage is vaulted with a compressed arch, flanked by a profiled cornice with a vault and emphasised by half-columns carrying straight entablatures. The other openings on the ground floor are rectangular, flanked by cornices. The ground floor is divided by a bossage, separated from the first floor by a cordon cornice. The floor is divided by fluted pilasters with volute capitals between each window. Under the crown cornice with dentil is a strip with plastic decor, around the windows there are profiled chambranes with ears, window and window sill cornices and plastic decor in the parapet fillings and suprafenestras (festoons, floral curtains, ribbons). The side facade to Pernštýnské Square is designed similarly to the front facade with a bossage on the ground floor and pilasters on the floor, 3 windows on the left side of the facade have a semicircular raised window cornice, 4 windows on the right are distinguished by pilasters on each side of the window (i.e. there are two pilasters between the windows). On the ground floor there is a window on the left and a rectangular entrance to the house, from it to the right there are 4 window axes, windows without chambranes. The narrow courtyard facade is smooth, on the ground floor there is a passage opening vaulted with a compressed arch and a window, on the first floor there are 2 semicircular arched windows. The passage is vaulted with Czech flats into the waists. There are vaults in both shops - mainly barrel vaults, then barrel vaults with sectors, barrel segmental vaults, barrel vaults into traverses and a Prussian vault. A straight staircase vaulted with a compressed barrel vault leads from the passage to the first floor. On the first floor there are flat-ceilinged rooms, some with fabions, the layout has been subsequently modified. The cellars are dissected, barrel vaulted, made of stone, others of brick masonry. The roof is traditional wooden, with hambálky and a standing stool, under the wooden floor of the attic there is a mezzanine that used to be used for storage.

 

The visually exposed Empire house from 1818 includes older structures, the stone cellars are probably medieval. Apart from the cellars, the most valuable parts are the facade and the vaults on the ground floor." - info from the National Heritage Institute.

 

"Prostějov (Czech pronunciation: [ˈproscɛjof]; German: Proßnitz, Yiddish: פראסטיץ‎ Prostitz) is a city in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 44,000 inhabitants. Today the city is known for its fashion industry and AČR special forces unit 601. skss based there. The centre of the town is historically significant and is protected by law as urban monument zone.

 

The first historical mention of the village Prostějovice is from 1141. By the middle of the 13th century, it had developed into an important market village. At that time, German settlers were invited here, who established a new settlement on the site of today's TG Masaryk Square, to which the rights of the original settlement were transferred. On March 27, 1390, Prostějov was granted the right of the annual market thanks to the lords of Kravaře, which in fact became a town. In the Hussite period, the promising development slowed down as the city suffered delays on both sides; the insufficiently fortified Prostějov became easy prey for the troops of Margrave Albrecht and was burned down in 1431. The prosperity of the city was brought about by the establishment of the Jewish city and especially after a year 1490 more than a century-old government of the Pernštejn families, whose property became the town. In 1495, the city began the construction of stone walls with four gates with bastions. Between 1521 and 1538, the townspeople built a Renaissance town hall.

 

At the end of the 16th century, the city became the property of the Liechtensteins, which resulted in the stagnation of the city's development. In Prostejov the year 1527 printer Kaspar Aorga printed the first book on Moravia. During the Thirty Years' War, the town was devastated and in 1697 a fire broke out, killing the town hall, the school and the church. Then the city began to acquire a Baroque character. Around the middle of the 17th century, mainly thanks to local Jews, the food, textile and clothing industries developed rapidly, and in 1858 the first Czech ready-to-wear clothing industry was founded in Prostějov - the factory of the Mandla brothers, which attracted new inhabitants. In the 1960s, Prostějov was connected by rail with Brno and Olomouc. The 19th and 20th centuries changed the face of the city in the style of historicism and Art Nouveau. Since the 20s and especially 30s, dominating the construction becoming in Prostejov functionalism.

 

Moravia (Czech: Morava [ˈmorava]; German: Mähren) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.

 

The medieval and early modern Margraviate of Moravia was a crown land of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown from 1348 to 1918, an imperial state of the Holy Roman Empire from 1004 to 1806, a crown land of the Austrian Empire from 1804 to 1867, and a part of Austria-Hungary from 1867 to 1918. Moravia was one of the five lands of Czechoslovakia founded in 1918. In 1928 it was merged with Czech Silesia, and then dissolved in 1948 during the abolition of the land system following the communist coup d'état.

 

Its area of 22,623.41 km2 is home to about 3.2 million of the Czech Republic's 10.8 million inhabitants. The people are historically named Moravians, a subgroup of Czechs, the other group being called Bohemians. The land takes its name from the Morava river, which runs from its north to south, being its principal watercourse. Moravia's largest city and historical capital is Brno. Before being sacked by the Swedish army during the Thirty Years' War, Olomouc served as the Moravian capital, and it is still the seat of the Archdiocese of Olomouc. Until the expulsions after 1945, significant parts of Moravia were German speaking." - info from Wikipedia.

 

Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.

 

Now on Instagram.

 

Become a patron to my photography on Patreon or donate.

Visually Impaired - Color Blind

Using LomoChrome film to raise awareness of the visually impaired. RZ67 - turquoise

Bangkok's most unmissable attraction is of course the Grand Palace, and most specifically the temple complex of Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), famed for it's riot of coloured and gilded ornament, paintings and sculptures; quite simply, so visually stunning there is nothing quite like it anywhere else!

 

The Palace and Temple complex were begun in 1782, the year the capital was moved to Bangkok, and parts of the palace buildings betray 18th century European influence combined with traditional Thai style, such as the breathtaking gilt spires on the roof. Most of the interiors of the Palace itself are off limits to visitors since, although no longer the main residence of the Thai monarchy, it is frequently used for state functions and ceremonies.

 

The Wat Phra Kaew complex however is the greatest draw, famed for it's stunning architecture and the famous 'Yaksha' guardian figures that flank all the main entrances to the complex. These towering figures, with their rich colours and tapering crowns, represent demonic characters from the mythological epic the 'Ramakien', and are identifiable as distinct individuals, all here serving a benign, protective role.

 

The Ramakien is also the subject for a stunning sequence of wall paintings within the cloister that encirlces the entire site, illustrating in minute detail the battles of the heroic monkey warriors, led by the monkey god Hanuman, against the demonic armies and kingdoms of Tosakan.

 

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha itself forms the largest structure and contains the venerated (though small) Buddha image. The complex contains several other iconic buildings clad in sumptuous decor, most notably the library or 'mondop' with it's gilt spire along with the great golden stupa.

 

The temple complex is technically a royal chapel rather than a working monastery like most Thai temples as it has no resident monks (the sheer volume of visitors leaves little room for anyone else anyway!).

 

We had visited previously in 2010, but on that occasion were unable to enter the Emerald Buddha Temple itself, and certain other elements were under restoration, so this time we were able to focus more on those parts of the complex we were seeing for the first time.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Phra_Kaew

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Palace

© Visually Inspiring Photography

www.visuallyinspiringphotography.com

© Visually Inspiring Photography

www.visuallyinspiringphotography.com

A visually-impared individual and his guide while waiting for a bus along EDSA during the recently concluded APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting held in Manila.

visually acquired

Visually this city owns when it's wet

 

Sydney, Australia

 

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There are three Ashfords, really. The modern newtown, Swindonesque newbuilds stretching into the countryside; the Victorian railway town, all neat rows of brick buit houses and the station, and then there is the old town, timber-framed houses along narrow lanes, with St Mary standing towering above all but the modern office blocks.

 

The west end church was given over to a Christmas Fayre, but is also used now as a concert venue, while under the tower westwards is still in use as a church, with many of its ancient features left alone by the Victorians.

 

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A stately church in a good position set away from the hustle and bustle of this cosmopolitan town. The very narrow tower of 1475 is not visually satisfactory when viewed from a distance but its odd proportions are hardly noticed when standing at its base. The church is very much the product of the families who have been associated with it over the centuries and who are commemorated by monuments within. They include the Fogges and the Smythes. The former is supposed to have wanted to create a college of priests here, but by the late fifteenth century such foundations were going out of fashion and the remodelling of the church undertaken by Sir John Fogge may have just been a philanthropic cause. Unusually, when the church was restored in 1860 the architect Ewan Christian kept the galleries (he usually swept them away), but Christ Church had yet to be built and the population of this growing town would have needed all the accommodation it could get. Even in 1851 1000 people had attended the church in a single sitting. The pulpit, designed by Pearson, was made in 1897.

 

www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Ashford+1

 

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THE TOWN AND PARISH OF ASHFORD

LIES the next adjoining to Hothfield eastward. It is called in Domesday both Estefort and Essetesford, and in other antient records, Eshetisford, taking its name from the river, which runs close to it, which, Lambarde says, ought not to be called the Stour, till it has passed this town, but Eshe or Eschet, a name which has been for a great length of time wholly forgotten; this river being known, even from its first rise at Lenham hither, by the name of the Stour only.

 

A small part only of this parish, on the east, south and west sides of it, containing the borough of Henwood, alias Hewit, lying on the eastern or further side of the river from the town, part of which extends into the parish of Wilsborough, and the whole of it within the liberty of the manor of Wye, and the borough of Rudlow, which adjoins to Kingsnoth and Great Chart, are in this hundred of Chart and Longbridge; such part of the borough of Rudlow as lies adjoining to Kingsnoth, is said to lie in in jugo de Beavor, or the yoke of Beavor, and is divided from the town and liberty by the river, near a place called Pollbay; in which yoke there is both a hamlet and a green or common, of the name of Beavor; the remainder of the parish having been long separated from it, and made a distinct liberty, or jurisdiction of itself, having a constable of its own, and distinguished by the name of the liberty of the town of Ashford.

 

ASHFORD, at the time of taking the general survey of Domesday, was part of the possessions of Hugo de Montfort, who had accompanied the Conqueror hither, and was afterwards rewarded with this estate, among many others in different counties; in which record it is thus entered, under the general title of his lands:

 

¶Maigno holds of Hugo (de Montfort) Estefort. Turgisus held it of earl Godwin, and it is taxed at one suling. The arable land is half a carucate. There is nevertheless in demesne one carucate, and two villeins having one carucate. There are two servants, and eight acres of meadow. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, it was worth twenty five shillings; when he received it, twenty shillings; now thirty shilling.

 

The same Hugo holds Essela. Three tenants held it of king Edward, and could go whither they would with their lands. It was taxed at three yokes. The arable land is one carucate and an half. There are now four villeins, with two borderers having one carucate, and six acres of meadow. The whole, in the reign of king Edward the Confessor, was worth twenty shillings, and afterwards fifteen shillings, now twenty shillings.

 

Maigno held another Essetisford of the same Hugo. Wirelm held it of king Edward. It was taxed at one suling. The arable land is four carucates. In demesne there are two, and two villeins, with fifteen borderers having three carucates. There is a church, and a priest, and three servants, and two mills of ten shillings and two pence. In the time of king Edward the Confessor it was worth seventy shillings, and afterwards sixty shillings, now one hundred shillings.

 

Robert de Montfort, grandson of Hugh abovementioned, favouring the title of Robert Curthose, in opposition to king Henry I. to avoid being called in question upon that account, obtained leave to go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, leaving his possessions to the king; by which means this manor came into the hands of the crown. Soon after which it seems to have come into the possession of a family, who took their name from it. William de Asshetesford appears by the register of Horton priory to have been lord of it, and to have been succeeded by another of the same name. After which the family of Criol became owners of it, by whom it was held by knight's service of the king, in capite, by ward to Dover castle, and the repair of a tower in that castle, called the Ashford tower. (fn. 1) Simon de Criol, in the 27th and 28th year of Henry III. obtained a charter of free warren for this manor, whose son William de Criol passed it away to Roger de Leyborne, for Stocton, in Huntingdonshire, and Rumford, in Essex. William de Leyborne his son, in the 7th year of king Edward I. claimed and was allowed the privilege of a market here, before the justices itinerant. He died possessed of this manor in the 3d year of Edward II. leaving his grand-daughter Juliana, daughter of Thomas de Leyborne, who died in his father's life-time, heir both to her grandfather and father's possessions, from the greatness of which she was stiled the Infanta of Kent, (fn. 2) though thrice married, yet she died s. p. by either of her husbands, all of whom she survived, and died in the 41st year of Edward III. Upon which this manor, among the rest of her estates, escheated to the crown, and continued there till king Richard II. vested it, among others, in feoffees, for the performance of certain religious bequests by the will of king Edward III. then lately deceased; and they, in compliance with it, soon afterwards, with the king's licence, purchased this manor, with those of Wall, and Esture, of the crown, towards the endowment of St. Stephen's chapel, in the king's palace of Westminster, all which was confirmed by king Henry IV. and VI. and by king Edward IV. in their first years; the latter of whom, in his 7th year, granted to them a fair in this town yearly, on the feast of St. John Port Latin, together with all liberties, and to have a steward to hold the court of it, &c. In which situation they continued till the 1st year of Edward VI. when this collegiate chapel was, with all its possessions, surrendered into the king's hands, where these manors did not continue long; for that king, in his 3d year, granted the manor of Esshetford, with that of Wall, and the manor of Esture, to Sir Anthony Aucher, of Otterden, to hold in capite; and he, in the 2d and 3d of Philip and Mary, sold them to Sir Andrew Judde, of London, whose daughter and at length heir Alice, afterwards carried them in marriage to Thomas Smith, esq. of Westenhanger, commonly called the Customer, who died possessed of them in 1591, and lies buried in the south cross of this church, having had several sons and daughters, of, whom Sir John Smythe, of Ostenhanger, the eldest, succeeded him here, and was sheriff anno 42 Elizabeth. Sir Thomas Smith, the second son, was of Bidborough and Sutton at Hone, and ambassador to Russia, of whom and his descendants, notice has been taken in the former volumes of this history; (fn. 3) and Henry, the third son, was of Corsham, in Wiltshire, whence this family originally descended, and Sir Richard Smith, the fourth, was of Leeds castle. Sir John Smythe, above-mentioned, died in 1609, and lies buried in the same vault as his father in this church, leaving one son Sir Thomas Smythe, of Westenhanger, K. B. who was in 1628 created Viscount Strangford, of Ireland, whose grandson Philip, viscount Strangford, dying about 1709, Henry Roper, lord Teynham, who had married Catherine his eldest daughter, by his will, became possessed of the manors of Ashford, Wall, and Esture. By her, who died in 1711, he had two sons, Philip and Henry, successively lords Teynham; notwithstanding which, having the uncontrolled power in these manors vested in him, he, on his marriage with Anne, second daughter and coheir of Thomas Lennard, earl of Sussex, and widow of Richard Barrett Lennard, esq. afterwards baroness Dacre, settled them on her and her issue by him in tail male. He died in 1623, and left her surviving, and possessed of these manors for her life. She afterwards married the hon. Robert Moore, and died in 1755. She had by lord Teynham two sons, Charles and Richard-Henry, (fn. 4) Charles Roper, the eldest son, died in 1754 intestate, leaving two sons, Trevor-Charles and Henry, who on their mother's death became entitled to these manors, as coheirs in gavelkind, a recovery having been suffered of them, limiting them after her death to Charles Roper their father, in tail male; but being infants, and there being many incumbrances on these estates, a bill was exhibited in chancery, and an act procured anno 29 George II. for the sale of them; and accordingly these manors were sold, under the direction of that court, in 1765, to the Rev. Francis Hender Foote, of Bishopsborne, who in 1768 parted with the manor of Wall, alias Court at Wall, to John Toke, esq. of Great Chart, whose son Nicholas Roundell Toke, is the present possessor of it; but he died possessed of the manors of Ashford and Esture in 1773, and was succeeded in them by his eldest son John Foote, esq. now of Bishopsborne, the present owner of them. There are several copyhold lands held of the manor of Ashford. A court leet and court baron is regularly held for it.

 

THE TOWN OF ASHFORD stands most pleasant and healthy, on the knoll of a hill, of a gentle ascent on every side, the high road from Hythe to Maidstone passing through it, from which, in the middle of the town, the high road branches off through a pleasant country towards Canterbury. The houses are mostly modern and well-built, and the high-street, which has been lately new paved, is of considerable width. The markethouse stands in the centre of it, and the church and school on the south side of it, the beautiful tower of the former being a conspicuous object to the adjoining country. It is a small, but neat and chearful town, and many of the inhabitants of a genteel rank in life. Near the market place, is the house of the late Dr. Isaac Rutton, a physician of long and extensive practice in these parts, being the eldest son of Matthias Rutton, gent of this town, by Sarah his wife, daughter of Sir N. Toke, of Godinton. He died in 1792, bearing for his arms, Parted per fess, azure, and or, three unicorns heads, couped at the neck, counterchanged; since which, his eldest son, Isaac Rutton, esq. now of Ospringeplace, has sold this house to Mr. John Basil Duckworth, in whom it is now vested. In the midst of it is a large handsome house, built in 1759, by John Mascall, gent. who resided in it, and died possessed of it in 1769, and was buried in Boughton Aluph church, bearing for his arms, Barry of two, or, and azure, three inescutcheons, ermine; and his only son, Robert Mascall, esq. now of Ashford, who married the daughter of Jeremiah Curteis, esq. is the present owner, and resides in it. At the east end of the town is a seat, called Brooke-place, formerly possessed by the family of Woodward, who were always stiled, in antient deeds, gentlemen, and bore for their arms, Argent, a chevron, sable, between three grasshoppers, or; the last of them, Mr. John Woodward, gent. rebuilt this seat, and died possessed of it in 1757; of whose heirs it was purchased by Martha, widow of Moyle Breton, esq. of Kennington, whose two sons, the Rev. Moyle Breton, and Mr. Whitfield Breton, gent. alienated it to Josias Pattenson, esq. the second son of Mr. Josias Pattenson, of Biddenden, by Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Felix Kadwell, esq. of Rolvenden; he married Mary, daughter of Mr. Henry Dering, gent. of this parish, and widow of Mr. John Mascall above-mentioned, by whom he has no issue, and he is the present owner of this seat, and resides in it. There have been barracks erected lately here, which at present contain 4000 soldiers. The market is held on a Saturday weekly, for the sale of corn, which is now but little used; and a market for the sale of all sorts of fat and lean stock on the first and third Tuesday in every month, which has been of great use to prevent monopolies. Two fairs are annually held now, by the alteration of the stile, on May 17, and Sept. 9, and another on Oct. 24; besides which, there is an annual fair for wool on August 2, not many years since instituted and encouraged by the principal gentry and landholders, which promises to prove of the greatest utility and benefit to the fair sale of it. That branch of the river Stour which rises at Lenham, runs along the southern part of this parish, and having turned a corn mill belonging to the lord of this manor, continues its course close at the east end of the town, where there is a stone bridge of four arches, repaired at the expence of the county, and so on northwards towards Wye and Canterbury. On the south side of the river in this parish, next to Kingsnoth, within the borough of Rudlow, is the yoke of Beavor, with the hamlet and farm of that name, possessed in very early times, as appears by the register of Horton priory, by a family of that name, one of whom, John Beavor, was possessed of it in the reign of Henry II. and was descended from one of the same furname, who attended the Conqueror in his expedition hither. The parish contains about 2000 acres of land, and three hundred and twenty houses, the whole rental of it being 4000l. per annum; the inhabitants are 2000, of which about one hundred are diffenters. The highways throughout it, which not many years ago were exceeding bad, have been by the unanimity of the inhabitants, which has shewn itself remarkable in all their public improvements, a rare instance in parochial undertakings, and by the great attention to the repairs of them, especially in such parts as were near their own houses, are now excellent. The lands round it are much upon a gravelly soil, though towards the east and south there are some rich fertile pastures, intermixed with arable land, and several plantations of hops; but toward the west, the soil is in general sand, having much quarrystone mixed with it, where there is a great deal of coppice wood, quite to Potter's corner, at the boundary of this parish.

 

The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, is a large handsome building, consisting of three isles, with a transept, and three chancels, with the tower in the middle, which is losty and well proportioned, having four pinnacles at the top of it. There are eight bells in it, a set of chimes, and a clock. In the high chancel, on the north side, is the college John Fogge, the founder of the college here, who died in 1490, and his two wives, the brasses of their figures gone; but part of the inscription remains. And formerly, in Weever's time, there hung up in this chancel six atchievements, of those of this family whose burials had been attended by the heralds at arms, and with other ceremonies suitable to their degrees. Underneath the chancel is a large vault, full of the remains of the family. On the pavement in the middle, is a very antient curious gravestone, having on it the figure in brass of a woman, holding in her left hand a banner, with the arms of Ferrers, Six masctes, three and three, in pale; which, with a small part of the inscription round the edge, is all that is remaining; but there was formerly in brass, in her right hand, another banner, with the arms of Valoyns; over her head those of France and England quarterly; and under her feet a shield, being a cross, impaling three chevronels, the whole within a bordure, guttee de sang, and round the edge this inscription, Ici gift Elizabeth Comite D' athels la file sign de Ferrers . . . dieu asoil, qe morust le 22 jour d'octob. can de grace MCCCLXXV. Weever says, she was wife to David de Strabolgie, the fourth of that name, earl of Athol, in Scotland, and daughter of Henry, lord Ferrers, of Groby; and being secondly married to John Malmayns, of this county, died here in this town. Though by a pedigree of the family of Brograve, she is said to marry T. Fogge, esq. of Ashford; if so, he might perhaps have been her third husband. Near her is a memorial for William Whitfield, gent. obt. 1739. The north chancel belonged to Repton manor. In the vault underneath lay three of the family of Tuston, sometime since removed to Rainham, and it has been granted to the Husseys; Thomas Hussey, esq. of this town, died in 1779, and was buried in it. In the south chancel are memorials for the Pattensons, Whitfields, and Apsleys, of this place; and one for Henry Dering, gent. of Shelve, obt. 1752, and Hester his wife; arms, A saltier, a crescent for difference, impaling, on a chevron, between three persons, three crosses, formee; and another memorial for Thomasine, wife of John Handfield, obt. 1704. In the north cross are several antient stones, their brasses all gone, excepting a shield, with the arms of Fogge on one. At the end is a monument for John Norwood, gent. and Mary his wife, of this town, who lie with their children in the vault underneath. The south cross is parted off lengthways, for the family of Smith, lords of Ashford manor, who lie in a vault underneath. In it are three superb monuments, which, not many years since, were beautified and restored to their original state, by the late chief baron Smythe, a descendant of this family. One is for Thomas Smith, esq. of Westenhanger, in 1591; the second for Sir John Smythe, of Ostenhanger, his son, and Elizabeth his wife; and the third for Sir Richard Smyth, of Leeds castle, in 1628: all which have been already mentioned before. Their figures, at full length and proportion, are lying on, each of them, with their several coats of arms and quarterings blazoned. In the other part of this cross, is a memorial for Baptist Pigott, A. M. son of Baptist Pigott, of Dartford, and schoolmaster here, obt. 1657, and at the end of it, is the archbishop's consistory court. In the south isle is a memorial for Thomas Curteis, gent. obt. 1718, and Elizabeth his wife; arms, Curteis impaling Carter. Under the tower is one for Samuel Warren, vicar here forty-eight years, obt. 1720. The three isles were new pewed and handsomely paved in 1745. There are five galleries, and an handsome branch for candles in the middled isle; the whole kept in an excellent state of repair and neatness. There was formerly much curtious painted glass in the windows, particularly the figures of one of the family of Valoyns, his two wives and children, with their arms. In the south window of the cross isle, and in other windows, the figures, kneeling, of king Edward III. the black prince, Richard, duke of Gloucester, the lord Hastings. Sir William Haute, the lord Scales, Richard, earl Rivers, and the dutchess of Bedford his wife, Sir John Fogge, Sir John Peche, Richard Horne, Roger Manstone, and—Guildford, most of which were in the great west window, each habited in their surcoats of arms, not the least traces of which, or of any other coloured glass, are remaining throughout this church. Sir John Goldstone, parson of Ivechurch, as appears by his will in 1503, was buried in the choir of this church, and gave several costly ornaments and vestments for the use of it.

 

www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol7/pp526-545

  

Newsmap is an application that visually reflects the constantly changing landscape of the Google News news aggregator. A treemap visualization algorithm helps display the enormous amount of information gathered by the aggregator. Treemaps are traditionally space-constrained visualizations of information. Newsmap's objective takes that goal a step further and provides a tool to divide information into quickly recognizable bands which, when presented together, reveal underlying patterns in news reporting across cultures and within news segments in constant change around the globe.

Newsmap does not pretend to replace the googlenews aggregator. It's objective is to simply demonstrate visually the relationships between data and the unseen patterns in news media. It is not thought to display an unbiased view of the news, on the contrary it is thought to ironically accentuate the bias of it.

www.marumushi.com/apps/newsmap/newsmap.cfm

Visually, NGC 6891 seems fairly simple. I can only see some very small knots of H-alpha. One of them is easy to spot. It's a very small, red dot near the left edge of the outer halo of material. I almost cleaned it up, thinking it was a cosmic ray.

 

Red: hst_08390_09_wfpc2_f658n_pc_sci

Green: hst_08390_09_wfpc2_f555w_pc_sci

Blue: hst_08390_09_wfpc2_f502n_pc_sci

 

North is NOT up.

Visually, there's not much I can think of to say about this. If you want, you could read about it, though. And then you could say, "Ah, so that is what a super-metal-rich planetary nebula looks like."

 

Again, two sets of data were three years apart, so if you are a very keen observer you may notice slight color fringing.

 

Red: hst_08594_03_wfpc2_f656n_pc_sci + hst_06119_94_wfpc2_f814w_pc_sci

Green: hst_06119_94_wfpc2_f555w_pc_02_sci

Blue: hst_08594_03_wfpc2_f502n_pc_sci

 

North is NOT up.

The rather visually challenged Greenwood Corvette was I believe made by the same named company who specialise in automotive performance tuning and racing specifically for....Corvettes! ;-p

Hot Wheels, ever eager to sniff out every last Corvette variation first released this casting a few years back and proved very popular with U.S. collectors. Its back yet again for 2020 and can be seen here in its very latest Case G colour scheme. Found recently at B&M Bargains. Mint and boxed.

Visually dominated by a type of infrastructure that was installed over the Blue Mountains primarily for an expected upsurge in coal traffic in the 1950s, three AC-traction 93 class power over a short rise at Werrington with a long rake of empty coal wagons the like of which in terms of train length and tonnage capacity were unthinkable at the time of Western line electrification six decades ago this year (2017).

 

080356 9 Aug 2017

Visually Oregon City seems either too dark or to bright, e.g. here the new lights on the bridge made the river seem very dark visually, but photographically it balanced out very nicely, only masked/brushed in some shorter exposures bits of the brightest bridge lights to get it to balance out. From a fun night in Oregon City with the PDXNightowls. NB18360-62

We went to the National Leprechaun Museum yesterday and was so surprised at how visually stunning it was!!!! totally unexpected :) www.leprechaunmuseum.ie

Perhaps the most visually compelling element in the Over mansion is this exquisitely detailed Classical inspired porch pediment. It combines lines from Classical Antiquity with Georgian era details reinterpreted though early 20th century eyes and tastes. Although merely part of an architectural statement, I view this as a genuine artistic statement worthy of careful study to fully appreciate the Old World workmanship from this era over a century ago. The stylized symmetrical Georgian Revival window at the center of the pediment was missing for a while but an exact replica was made for a previous restorer. Over 20 years of careful restoration work has gone into this mansion and continues.

Toute reproduction sur un support imprimé ou publication sur internet devra faire l'objet d'une demande expresse auprès du service communication de la Fédération Française Handisport.

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Toute utilisation ainsi autorisée devra mentionner le crédit photo (voir nom du fichier ci-dessus : “©…” ou métadonnées de la photo dans sa taille originale).

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Contact : photos [at] handisport.org

In the seed processing plant at Bidasem, workers visually examine and manually sift maize seed on a conveyor belt, picking out material such as damaged or spoiled seed or pieces of cob. After initial cleaning and sorting, all seed that goes through the plant passes through quality control. If a sample from a batch is found to more have more than 2% impurities, they are either separated out by hand like this or using a gravity table. The batch is then resampled to ensure a clean bill of health to continue processing.

 

Bidasem is a small seed company based in the central Mexican plains region known as the Bajío. It produces approximately 10,000 bags of maize seed a year, each holding 22.5kg, as well as producing wheat and oat seed and marketing seed of other crops. Despite their small size, Bidasem and similar companies play an important role in improving farmers’ livelihoods. “Our aim is to provide farmers with quality seed at accessible prices, that is adapted to the conditions we have here in the Bajío. It’s a great satisfaction, when farmers achieve the yields they need,” says director general María Esther Rivas.

 

“Without CIMMYT, we couldn’t exist,” says Rivas. She sells four different maize hybrids, all formed from freely-available CIMMYT parent lines. “Really the most important thing is to produce your own hybrids, and for us it wouldn’t be possible if we didn’t have the germplasm from CIMMYT. What we’re currently producing is 100% CIMMYT.” The relationship between Bidasem and CIMMYT is now deepening through participation in the MasAgro initiative, which includes training courses for seed companies and collaborative trials to evaluate the best seed.

 

Photo credit: X. Fonseca/CIMMYT.

 

For more on seed production at Bidasem, and CIMMYT's role in providing the best seed, see CIMMYT's 2012 e-news story The seed chain: producing better seed for small farmers, available online at: www.cimmyt.org/en/newsletter/598-2012/1398-the-seed-chain....

Midtown, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States

 

The Windermere, constructed in 1880-81, is significant as the oldest-known large apartment complex remaining in an area that was one of Manhattan's first apartment-house districts. With its exuberant display of textured, corbelled, and polychromatic brickwork, the Windermere complex is a visually compelling, imposing, eclectic, and unified group of three buildings anchoring the southwest corner of Ninth Avenue and West 57th Street. Adding to its significance is the Windermere's role in the history of women's housing in New York City. In the late 1890s, in an era in which housing options for single, self-supporting women were relatively limited, the Windermere was recognized as a remarkable home for a substantial population of these so-called "New Women." As such, it appears to have anticipated later residential projects in the city catering specifically to bachelor women.

 

Upon its completion, the Windermere, which is attributed to architect Theophilus G. Smith, stood within an area that had been sparsely settled only ten years before. By the mid-1880s, this area was home to several prominent examples of the apartment house, which was then a new and evolving residential building type. Today, the Windermere and the later, 1883-85 Osborne (a designated New York City Landmark) are the only- known large apartment houses or large apartment complexes dating from this district's early years.

 

The seven-story Windermere buildings are of impressive scale, topped by story-high cornices, and crowned, at No. 400 West 57th Street, by a high, false pediment with an inset, blind brick arch. Although they vary in width, the three Windermere buildings are united by common materials, decorative elements, and design into an asymmetrical group combining features of the Queen Anne style with brick polychromy and horizontal banding typical of the High Victorian Gothic, and with Romanesque elements including round- arched windows and the round arches of the Windermere's massive, machicolated cornices.

 

Among the Windermere's most notable features are the three-story bowed oriels at No. 400 West 57th Street; the segmental arches used as a framing device on both the 57th Street and Ninth Avenue facades; the use of contrasting Ohio stone trim; and the robust, channeled brick pilasters, which corbel upon reaching the cornices. Changes to the buildings over the years have included the addition of windows at the cornice level on the Ninth Avenue façade, and alterations to the ground floor of No. 400, including the removal of the original paired entrance portico and stoop, and the resurfacing of the façade with stone veneer. The Windermere's primary facades, which remain substantially intact after nearly 125 years, are among the features that distinguish the Windermere as an outstanding example of a large apartment complex of its time.

 

DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS

 

The Early New York Apartment House

 

Although merchants in Colonial New York lived "over the store" with their families, servants, and apprentices, by the early nineteenth century, new residential neighborhoods were developing away from Lower Manhattan's business district. By the 1830s, with the weakening of the apprentice system, New York's wage- earners found lodging in boarding houses, rented rooms, or the early tenement buildings, while artists and merchants typically lived in private three- or four-story rowhouses. But by 1860, New York's skyrocketing population - which increased from 33,171 in 1790 to more than half a million in 1850 - had pushed private- house prices out of the reach of most members of the middle class. By 1866, those who could not afford their own houses included "professional men, clergymen, shopkeepers, artists, college professors, and upper-level mechanics." Some middle-class families adapted by moving into boarding houses, but living with other families in a subdivided former rowhouse conflicted with the era's middle-class values, which stressed the "individual private house as the protector of family privacy, morality, and identity." In the years following the Civil War, new types of multiple dwellings emerged to cater to those of greater means than the poor or working-class, who remained largely confined to the tenement or rooming house.

 

Among New York's first apartment houses were two designed by Richard Morris Hunt: the Stuyvesant Apartments (1869-70, demolished) at 142 East 18th Street, and Stevens House (1870-72, demolished), on the south side of 27th Street between Fifth Avenue and Broadway. Buildings such as these led one observer to write in 1874 that "the successful establishment of a few elegant apartment houses for the rich demonstrated to those of moderate means the possibility of multiple tenancy without the risk of social debasement."

 

Although the Panic of 1873 slowed the construction of flats buildings in New York, construction took off, with an improving economy, after 1876. (As opposed to tenements, in which residents shared bathing facilities and toilets, both flats buildings and apartment houses had self-contained suites of rooms; the latter term generally referred to the more luxurious buildings, particularly those with elevators.) Between 1875 and 1879, approximately 700 new flats buildings were erected in New York; 516 were built in 1880 alone. By 1880, "the French flat, catering to the middle class, was a fixture of the city's architecture." Relatively few of these new buildings were architecturally distinguished; nevertheless, a "revolution in living," as the New York Times deemed it in 1878, was occurring, and by the mid-1880s, more New Yorkers lived in multiple dwellings than in rowhouses.

 

Most of the early flats buildings were located on the Upper East Side, east of Third Avenue. But as the city's architects moved, in the late 1870s, toward the creation of the "mammoth apartment house," much of the new apartment house construction occurred in the Ladies' Mile district and in "the new apartment district west of the luxury quarter." This area in the West 50s and low West 60s, largely undeveloped in the early 1870s, was bordered on the east by Fifth Avenue, then the city's poshest residential street; it was above the infamous Tenderloin, and east of the Lower West End, a working-class neighborhood between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues that would later become known as San Juan Hill. The extension of the Sixth Avenue Elevated to West 58th Street, and of the Ninth Avenue Elevated through the Upper West Side in the late 1870s, sparked the area's growth, particularly along West 59th Street; the pioneering apartment house there was the Bradley (John G. Prague, 1877, demolished), a luxury building at 30 West 59th. Nearby, directly on Fifth Avenue between West 52nd and West 53rd Streets, was a slightly earlier luxury building, the first Osborne (Duggin & Crossman, 1876, demolished), which was considered at the time to be "the finest apartment house in New York."

 

Despite their importance as early luxury apartment houses, both the six-story, six-bay-wide Bradley, and the five-story, seven-bay-wide Osborne, were relatively modest in scale. By the late 1870s, numerous medium-sized and larger apartment houses would fill the blocks of this rapidly developing area. To these were added the 80-foot-high, seven-story Windermere, in 1881.

 

The early 1880s would see a huge leap in apartment-house scale and sophistication, epitomized by such massive structures as the eleven-story new Osborne (James E. Ware, 1883-85, a designated New York City Landmark) at Seventh Avenue and West 57th Street; and by the Central Park Apartments, or "Spanish Flats" (Hubert, Pirsson & Co., 1883, 1885, demolished), a complex of eight, ten-story buildings located east of Seventh Avenue between West 58th and West 59th Streets. Farther uptown, on Eighth Avenue between West 72nd and West 73rd Streets, Edward Clark would build the Dakota (Henry J. Hardenburgh, 1882-84, a designated New York City Landmark), the first major residential building on the Upper West Side. Construction of such large apartment buildings was halted soon afterwards, however, as the 1885 passage of the Daly Law limited dwelling houses to 80 feet in height on the avenues, and 70 feet on side streets. These height restrictions would remain in effect until 1901.

 

During its early years, the apartment house remained "an experiment," as "what constituted the best or the most convenient or the most luxurious flat had to be subjected to constant revision, for there was no body of experience or literature to guide either architects or architectural critics." Architects drew upon various styles, often mixing them together. Developers and architects sought to strike a balance between communal living and the privacy of the rowhouse, in a climate in which the apartment house's long-term success was not a foregone conclusion. In 1877, with large numbers of vacancies in the Albany and Osborne, the Real Estate Record concluded that apartment houses were failing to draw the "better class of people" from private houses; by the mid-1880s, with the Dakota half-vacant, the Spanish Flats a financial failure, and numerous examples existing of unprofitable apartment-house ventures, some concluded that "the majority of upper- middle- and upper-class people still preferred houses over apartments."

 

By 1885, during the early years of the New York apartment house, the "new apartment district" west of Fifth Avenue had seen the construction of a diverse array of medium and large apartment houses, from the early luxury Bradley building, to numerous five- and six-story buildings like the Albany and Sonoma, to massive, towering apartment houses and apartment complexes like the 1883-85 Osborne and the Central Park Apartments. The Windermere, with its imposing bulk - its massive, story-high cornice and false pediment making it appear even larger than its seven-story height - is distinguished from the modestly scaled, pre-1885 residential buildings remaining in the area. Older than the Osborne Apartments to its east, the Windermere constitutes the oldest-known large apartment house or large apartment complex remaining in this district. With the exception of the Manhattan (Charles W. Clinton, 1879-80) at Second Avenue and East 86th Street, the Windermere may be the oldest large apartment house or large apartment complex remaining in New York City today.

 

Construction and Early History

 

Located at the southwest corner of Ninth Avenue and West 57th Street, the Windermere is comprised of three separate buildings - a corner building and two narrower buildings to its west - all of which are faced with red Philadelphia brick and trimmed with tan and black Philadelphia brick, stone, and tile. Although these buildings vary in width and have distinctive facades, the use of the same materials on all facades and the display of common decorative features - such as horizontal banding elements that extend across the Ninth Avenue façade and carry over to the West 57th Street facades of all three buildings - endow the Windermere with the appearance of a unified group. Press accounts from the early years of the Windermere often implied that it was a single building, or reinforced the conception of the three buildings as part of a common complex by using the Windermere name to refer to separate individual buildings. The 1899 G.W. Bromley map showed the complex as a single large building labeled "Windemere."

 

While in 1867, the lots between 55th and 59th Streets, and between Eighth and Tenth Avenues, held only a few scattered buildings, by 1879, the area had begun to fill in with structures. Still, at the end of the 1870s, the Windermere site, which was valued at $22,500 in 1880, had not been built upon.

 

Construction on all three buildings proceeded concurrently, with work on the corner building beginning on July 26, 1880, and the other two started on August 17, 1880. The three buildings would vary in size, with the corner building, extending for 115 feet along Ninth Avenue and 50 feet along West 57th Street, being the largest. It would house three families on each of its upper floors and two on the first floor, or a total of 20 families, and would also have two ground-floor stores. The center building would be only 20 feet wide, and would house one family on each of the first five floors; the upper two stories were "to be used as drying rooms or by families on [the] top stories of [the] adjoining house." The 30-foot-wide, westernmost building would house a total of 14 families - two on each floor. In total, the Windermere would contain 39 units.

 

All three buildings were completed on August 30, 1881. William E. Stewart was listed as their owner, and Theophilus George Smith as their architect. An attorney, Nathaniel A. McBride, was also involved with the project; all three men, at the time of the Windermere's construction, were listed as being at the same address, 152 Broadway.

 

Little information has been found on other building projects that McBride, Stewart, and Smith may have been involved with in New York City. McBride was born around 1842, and although a lawyer by profession, he was listed as a "real estate speculator" in the early 1900s. Stewart, a New York City native, was also a lawyer. Smith, listed only once in city directories as an architect, and at other times as a surveyor or civil engineer, designed a handful of tenements and rowhouses on the Upper West Side between 1877 and 1881.

 

In April 1881, several months before its completion, the Windermere was profiled in a New York Times article on "the growing West Side." It was described, along with several other new buildings, as representative of the high-quality construction occurring in the area west of Fifth Avenue and north of 42nd Street, which was then undergoing rapid urbanization. In addition to the completion of new elevated railroad lines, additional factors spurring apartment house construction in the area, according to the Times, were that "times are good, money is plentiful and cheap, and capitalists and owners of property are encouraged by these circumstances to improve their real estate." As described in the article, each Windermere apartment of seven to nine rooms would be

 

"furnished with a buffet, sideboard, and pier glass. For the convenience of tenants who do not wish to cook in their own apartments, large kitchens are situated in the basement. Three hydraulic elevators, which are to run day and night, will be provided. The building will be heated with steam throughout, and a telephone connecting with all parts of the City will be placed at the disposal of all tenants. Electric bells in all the suites communicate with the janitor's rooms, and an automatic electric fire-indicator will notify the janitor of the breaking out of a fire in any part of the building, even if the tenants of the burning apartment are out."

 

The article also mentioned the provision of automatic fire-gongs in the inner courtyard and the suites, "abundant" fire escapes, and a rear passageway allowing for deliveries, as well as the presence of uniformed "hall boys" who were "to be on duty day and night."

 

It is unclear whether the Windermere was conceived of as a luxury apartment complex. According to a second-story floor plan filed near its time of construction, only two elevators were provided - in the corner and westernmost buildings - making the middle building a walk-up and its suites, technically, flats. Despite this, the middle building's flats were spacious, consisting of eight rooms each, including front and back parlors, a sitting room, and three bedrooms, as well as two fireplaces. The apartments in the westernmost building lacked the middle building's sitting room, extra parlor, and second fireplace, but had an additional bedroom. There were slight variations among the corner building's apartments, each of which had seven rooms.

 

The Times article gave the impression of the Windermere as a high-class apartment complex, mentioning its $350,000 cost and including it among buildings that were "to be first class in every particular." The promised amenity of telephone service likely would have been considered a luxury feature, as it was new at the time. In 1882, Real Estate Record called the "Windmere" (sic) a "magnificent apartment house" in telling of its sale by Nathaniel McBride; one year later, it included apartments there among a "list of first-class apartments unrented" in "most of the principal apartment houses in the city." The prices listed for the Windermere's available apartments, however, were considerably lower than for those in buildings like the Berkshire, Gramercy, or Palermo; seven- and nine-room suites at the Gramercy, for example, rented for $2,000 to $3,000 annually, while the Windermere's rooms were listed at between $600 and $1,100.

 

It seems likely that the presence of the noisy and sooty Ninth Avenue elevated train only a few feet from the Windermere's east façade would preclude the Windermere from achieving luxury status; the Windermere was also well west of most of the luxury apartment houses of the time, such as the Bradley and the Vancorlear (Henry J. Hardenburgh, 1879, demolished), which were located two blocks or more to the east. Finally, the promise of the owners, before construction was completed, to "furnish coal to the tenants at summer prices all the year round," implies a cost-consciousness among prospective tenants that would presumably be out of place in a true luxury apartment complex.

 

The Windermere, in its early years, attracted tenants that, if not wealthy, could be considered comfortably middle class. Among those living in the corner building (No. 400 West 57th Street) in 1890 were the superintendent, Henry Sterling Goodale; a druggist; an artist; three brokers; and a lawyer. Those living in the center building included Charles H. Harvey, who served as a delegate to the New York State Democratic Convention in 1894. Among the residents of the westernmost building (No. 406) were a company president, a trunk merchant, and a minister. Also living at the Windermere in its early years were the superintendent of the Protestant Episcopal City Mission (in 1887), and the president of the city's board of health (also in 1887).

 

By the end of the decade, the Windermere would attract attention as an unusual residential complex catering to the "New Woman."

 

The Post-Goodale Windermere

 

Henry Sterling Goodale left New York in 1900, apparently moving to Amherst Massachusetts, where he died in 1906. Although Goodale's reasons for leaving are unclear, he may have been driven away, at least in part, by a fire that occurred at the Windermere in 1899. Although the fire did not spread far, "the observatory and the greater part of Goodsell's (sic) apartments were destroyed," the New York Times reported.

 

With Goodale's departure, changes appear to have occurred at the Windermere. The building may have been undergoing renovations in 1900: the U.S. Census of that year shows only four families living in the 400 building, none in No. 404, and four families in No. 406. The families in No. 400 included a doctor, his wife, and son; a male head of household with two daughters and one female boarder; a civil engineer, who lived with his wife and daughter, and a servant; and a druggist who had been present in the building in 1890 and who lived with his wife and a servant. The families in No. 406 included a doctor, his wife, and two daughters; a minister who had been in the building in 1890, and who was there in 1900 with his four daughters; a male doctor, living alone; and an engineer, his wife and daughter, and their male boarder, who was a doctor.

 

Fires plagued the Windermere during the first decade of the twentieth century. After a major fire in 1907, the Times reported that the tenants of the Windermere were "mostly women."

 

By 1910, the area that the Windermere was in - north of 44th Street and west of Eighth Avenue - was losing population, as the new subways spurred the development of, and drew tenants to, attractive new apartment houses in Harlem and other areas of northern Manhattan. In 1912 Real Estate Record and Guide characterized the area between Seventh and Tenth Avenues and between 14th and 70th Streets as a "tenement and dwelling" district, distinguishing it from areas of "high class dwellings and apartments" north of 70th Street on the West Side and along the eastern side of Central Park.

 

The 1910 census gives the first clear picture of the building's tenant make-up following Goodale's departure. No. 400, the corner building, had approximately 40 residents, about 38 of them boarders. About 25 of the boarders were single women; typical occupations included stenographer, telephone operator, cashier, nurse, dressmaker, and saleslady. There were also three models; one of them, Amelia Rose, was profiled in a 1905 New York Times article on the "Evolution of the New York Artist's Model." Rose, who had posed for Charles Dana Gibson when she was eight years old, was "one of the best-known models in New York," modeling for, among others, Mary Lawrence Tonetti, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and Daniel Chester French. Three of the male boarders were actors.

 

In 1910, the middle building, No. 404, apparently continued to be vacant. No. 406 appears to have remained almost entirely as individual flats, with 12 of the 14 flats occupied. Ten of the 12 families had boarders living under a male or female head of household; four of the families with boarders had at least one child. Of those households with boarders, seven had at least one female and at least one male boarder. The female boarders of No. 406 included two stenographers and two clerks, a nurse, a dressmaker, and a wax master; the male boarders included a railroad conductor, several chauffeurs and waiters, and two medical students, as well as a museum clerk, detective, hotel worker, plumber, doctor, and a driver for a milk company.

 

Between 1910 and 1920, the population of the Windermere exploded to approximately 225 residents. About 150 people were living at No. 400, within about 15 households; almost all of these households included "roomers," with one having ten, and another fifteen. Of No. 406's approximately 12 households, eight were headed by a husband and wife, and only one of them took in roomers. The 1920 Census showed a precipitous decline in the number of single women at the Windermere; only about 18 self-supporting women, with occupations including shopper, clerk, nurse, saleslady, laundress, and cashier, were living in all three buildings in that year. This trend in occupancy held in 1930, as relatively few women who were working outside the home lived at the Windermere. The occupations of the approximately 22 single working women included waitress, jeweler at the Tiffany store, general work at a hospital, waitress, operator at a factory, department store clerk, actress, and nurse.

 

The presence of a wax master and three actors in the Windermere in 1910 indicates that the building retained some artistic flavor into the 20th century. In 1905, Lillie Spencer, an artist and the daughter of the English-born painter Lilly Martin Spencer (1822-1902) was reported to be living there. Later residents would include Quinto Magnani (1897-1974), who composed the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera "The Argonauts" and who lived in the Windermere in 1929; and writer, painter, photographer, and sculptor May Mott-Smith (1879-1952), who lived at the Windermere from 1944 until her death. From to 1954 to 1958, the corner building was the home of Alonzo Hanagan (1911-1999), better known as Lon of New York, and his photography studio. Lon, known for his pioneering photographs of the male physique - which were both taboo and illegal in the 1940s and '50s - "created iconic images that both glorified the physiques of some of the most well-known bodybuilders of the time and documented the golden era of the sport," according to Reed Massengill. Lon moved to the Windermere, where he set up his studio in a large first-floor apartment, on the recommendation of Lou Elson, who also lived in the building and published the physique magazine Tomorrow's Man. Lon and Elson, working together, would launch four new physique magazines between 1954 and 1957. Later residents of the Windermere would include the actor Yaphet Kotto (1937- ) and silver screen icon Steve McQueen (1930-1980).

 

The Windermere was in the news in the 1980s when the building's agent, manager, and superintendent were convicted as part of a conspiracy to harass tenants into leaving the building. In 1998, the Times reported that the Windermere, at that time, had 165 single-room occupancy units and eight apartments; in 2002, it reported that only about a half-dozen tenants remained.

 

Design

 

With its seven-story Ninth Avenue and 57th Street facades topped by story-high cornices and crowned, on the 57th Street façade of the corner building by a one-story-high false pediment, the Windermere is notable, in part, for its impressive scale. This quality, along with its display of Queen Anne-, High Victorian Gothic-, and Romanesque Revival-style elements, and the exuberant corbelled, textured, and polychromatic brickwork of

 

both primary facades, make the Windermere a visually compelling, imposing, and eclectic architectural complex.

 

The Windermere's eclecticism is typical of large, 1880s apartment buildings. According to Elizabeth Cromley, in that decade, architects of large apartment houses sought "an individualism of style" to "mark out a large apartment block from nearby buildings.... Architects of the 1880s apartment houses favored eclectic styles ... which in turn served as identifying markers for apartment buildings." It was common for these new buildings, as does the Windermere with its segmented and complexly ornamented and textured facades, to exhibit "disjunctiveness," with "architectural details creat[ing] variety and disrupting] a single unified image.

 

The Windermere is comprised of three adjoining seven-story buildings. The functional independence of these buildings is made clear on their 57th Street facades, where they are separated from each other by brick pilasters. The presence, at each building, of a separate entrance portico and stoop - portions of which remain today, at Nos. 404 and 406 - also distinguishes the buildings from each other, as does the individualized handling of their window openings and window types. No. 400, the large corner building, is the only one to have three-story oriel windows; like No. 406, it also features square-headed windows paired below segmental arches. Both of these buildings differ in fenestration not only from each other but from the middle building, No. 404, which has neither the oriels nor the paired, square-headed windows.

 

Although each building features a massive brick cornice with corbelled brick arches, crowned by a heavy stone cymatium, the differing sizes and spacing of the arches, the projection of the middle building's roofline above the two other rooflines, and the prominent false pediment atop No. 400, also set off each building from the others. Each of the 57th Street facades is essentially symmetrical, except in the off-center placement of No. 404's entryway, but the three facades vary in width, with No. 400 the widest at 50 feet, No. 406 next at 30 feet, and No. 404, the middle building, the narrowest at 20 feet. Together, these three symmetrical facades combine to create, on 57th Street, a distinctive and picturesque, asymmetrical composition that is unified by common massing, materials, and design elements, but that communicates each building's independence. The Ninth Avenue elevation is similar to that of 57th Street in the manner in which shared ornament, features, and fenestration are brought together to create an expansive, asymmetrical, but unified façade.

 

The asymmetrical massing of the Windermere is representative of the Queen Anne style, as is the building's picturesque roof silhouette. The most distinctive feature of the roofline, which varies in height on both the Ninth Avenue and 57th Street elevations, is the false pediment on top of the 57th Street façade of the corner building. This pediment, which mimics the gables typically found on Queen Anne buildings, features the often-seen Queen Anne motif of a contrasting, inset arch, which is realized here in tan-colored brick. The oriel windows on the 57th Street façade are also representative Queen Anne-style features; semicircular in plan and supported by stone ancons, they recall, in simplified form, the oriel of Bruce Price's 1878 flats building at 21 East 21st Street. Other features consistent with the Queen Anne include the Windermere's red, Philadelphia-brick body and contrasting stone trim, the channeling on the chimney near the north end of the Ninth Avenue façade, and the manner in which the chimney corbels outward near its peak.

 

The chimney shares this channeling and corbelling with the Windermere's robust brick pilasters, which break down the 57th Street and Ninth Avenue facades into divisions of two and three bays. The channeling, also present on the body of the building, and the pilasters themselves, which are also consistent with the Queen Anne style, provide depth to the façade; they also provide surface texture, as does dogtoothed brick laid in horizontal and soldier courses, in panels below selected windows, and as infill between segmental arches and the square- headed window heads below. (The grouping of square-headed windows below a segmental arch, as at the fourth floor on the 57th Street façade, is another often-seen Queen Anne motif.)

 

Typical of the Romanesque Revival style, which was often combined with the Queen Anne on New York City rowhouses, are the Windermere's round-headed windows. At the fourth floor on both the 57th Street and Ninth Avenue facades, the extrados of these arches are trimmed with stone. Also typical of the Romanesque Revival are the round arches of the primary facades' monumental, machicolated cornices.

 

In designing the Windermere, Smith also drew upon the then-waning High Victorian Gothic style. The most representative High Victorian Gothic features of the Windermere are its bold constructional polychromy and its horizontal banding, achieved chiefly through the use of tan- and black-colored, and dogtoothed brick courses, and Ohio stone belt courses, that contrast with the facades' red brick, and tan-colored decorative brickwork in diamond-, cross-, and zigzag-shaped motifs below the fifth floor on both primary facades. Additional color is provided by a band of diamond-patterned, blue-and-white tile on the 57th Street façade. These High Victorian features are complemented by more generic Gothic Revival elements, including the quatrefoils present on the extant entrance porticos of Nos. 404 and 406, and the label moldings that are implied in stone at the fifth floor on the 57th Street façades of Nos. 400 and 406, and at the fifth-floor windows on the Ninth Avenue façade.

 

Smith's decision to use pilasters to break up both facades, including the 115-foot expanse of the Ninth Avenue façade, into the two- and three-bay divisions typical of rowhouses, may have represented a conscious effort to appeal to and comfort prospective tenants. In 1880, the large middle-class apartment house was still a new phenomenon, and as historian Elizabeth Cromley points out, designing one for prospective tenants who saw the rowhouse as the norm presented special challenges. "Since the private house had been the only kind of architecture that provided mid-century New Yorkers with the image of home," she writes, "designers of apartments were faced with serious problems. How were they to make larger-than-house-size multiple dwellings fit that image?" It was not unusual, into the 1880s, for new apartment houses and apartment complexes, including the Central Park Apartments, to have multiple entrances; by using these entrances to, in effect, break down large buildings or complexes into smaller components, architects may have been seeking to assuage tenants who were used to smaller-scale residences.

 

In these early years of the flats and apartment house, architects also drew upon rowhouse imagery, as in the 1878 flats building at 21 East 21st Street, which "rested comfortably within the image of a house." An unrealized 1874 proposal by Henry Hudson Holly for a "family hotel" similarly included seven separate entrances, all with high stoops, "to create the impression of a row of houses, comforting to families made uneasy by multiple dwellings." In this climate, in which architects were finding their way towards a new vocabulary for the large apartment house, and in which the rowhouse was the chief symbol of home for middle-class New Yorkers, it may well have made sense for Smith to draw upon rowhouse imagery to attract prospective tenants. With its Ninth Avenue and 57th Street facades broken down into two- and three-bay divisions, its multiple entrances - off-center at No. 404, and originally paired at No. 400, possibly to give the impression of two entrances to adjoining, three-bay houses - and its stoops, the Windermere appears to exhibit a tension between the rowhouse and the emerging large apartment house that would be appropriate for a new apartment house of its time.

 

Differentiating the three buildings from each other may have assisted the Windermere's owners in targeting each one to different clienteles. This appears not to have been an uncommon practice at the time: at the Florence, completed in 1878 at Fourth Avenue and 18th Street, three different classes of residents were expected to occupy its 42 suites, including bachelors, families, and young married couples. The presence of oriel windows at the corner building of the Windermere, for example, may have represented an effort to make that building more attractive to higher-paying tenants and to distinguish them from those living in the adjoining walk-up flats building.

 

Description

 

Ninth Avenue

 

The Windermere's asymmetrical, 115-foot long Ninth Avenue façade is divided into five large bays. Each of these bays is essentially symmetrical, except for the second-northernmost bay; there, the two windows per floor are slightly off center. Each of the five bays is defined by channeled brick pilasters. The northernmost three of these pilasters appear to have been removed below the second floor's sill level; the other three pilasters run from below the second story's stone sill course to the top of the Ninth Avenue cornice. The northernmost bay of the Ninth Avenue façade is split by a chimney, which projects from the façade and features channeling, dogtoothed brick panels and courses, and recessed brick panels. The chimney extends from a point that is horizontally in line with the springlines of the second-story's round window arches to the top of the cornice, where it has six channels and corbels outward, ultimately piercing the cymatium. The other pilasters on the Ninth Avenue façade, except for the second-southernmost, engage the cymatium rather than piercing it. The central bay's roofline rises slightly above the rooflines of the other bays.

 

The window openings on the Ninth Avenue façade are horizontally and vertically aligned, and are grouped in a pattern, from south to north, of 3-2-3-2-2. Round-arched window openings with brick voussoirs and stone springers and keystones, are present at the second and sixth floors. Round-arched window openings with brick voussoirs, without keystones, and with stone extrados trim, are present in the southernmost, central, and second-northernmost bays at the fourth floor. At the second floor, these window openings are above a stone sill course; the round-headed openings at the fourth floor are above a stone ledge; and the windows at the sixth floor have stone sills. Square-headed window openings with stone lintels are present at the third, fifth, and seventh floors, and at the fourth floor, where they are placed below segmental arches with stone springers in the second-southernmost and northernmost bays. At the third and seventh floors, these windows have stone sills; at the fifth floor, they are above a stone ledge located at sill level. At the square-headed window openings, two additional courses of stone - one just below lintel level, and other just above sill level - are present in between and flanking the windows. At the fifth floor windows, a stone course is present just above sill level, in between and flanking the windows; stone blocks wrap the window heads in a form recalling that of a label molding.

 

The second floor of the Ninth Avenue façade is similar in design and use of materials to the corresponding floor of the 57th Street façades. Three single courses of tan brick, interrupted by the façade's windows and pilasters, run horizontally between the sills and lintels. A stone sill course also runs the length of the façade, pierced by its pilasters.

 

At the third floor, in all of the bays except the northernmost, brick channeling is present between the windows. Zigzag, cross-shaped, diamond-shaped, and other decorative elements in tan brick flank, and are located between, the window openings in the three central bays. Cross-shaped elements in tan brick flank are located between the outer window openings and their flanking pilasters in the southernmost bay. A single course of tan brick runs across the façade at the third floor, interrupted by the window openings, pilasters, channeling, and chimney. Running across each of the bays below the third-floor windows' sills is a single soldier course of dogtoothed brick.

 

At the fourth floor, in the northernmost and second-southernmost bays, the Ninth Avenue façade features square-headed window openings, each of which is located below a segmental arch. The area between the windows' lintels and the arches above is filled with dogtoothed brickwork. In the second-southernmost bay, the window openings are not centered below their arches, and three single courses of tan brick run horizontally between the window openings and between the openings and their flanking pilasters. In the northernmost bay, each window opening is centered below its arch; two single courses of tan brick run horizontally between the openings, as does a course of stone, which is horizontally aligned with the stone springers of the fourth floor's round-headed windows. A diamond-shaped element in tan brick is present between the two northernmost window openings. A stone ledge runs across the fourth floor, pierced by every pilaster and by the chimney. Below this ledge, beneath each window, is a dogtoothed brick panel. In the southernmost, third-southernmost, and second-northernmost bays, round-headed window openings similar to those on the corresponding floor of No. 404 West 57th Street are present. The arches feature stone springers with brick voussoirs and are without keystones. Their extrados are trimmed with stone. Triangular decorative elements in tan brick are present above the window openings, horizontally placed between the openings and abutting the pilasters.

 

At the fifth floor, channeling is present between, and flanking, the window openings. A stone ledge runs the length of the façade, pierced by the southernmost and third-northernmost pilasters.

 

The sixth floor is similar in design and use of materials to the corresponding floor of the 57th Street façade, with five dogtoothed brick courses abutting the seventh-floor window sills above. A single stretcher course of tan brick runs directly below the dogtoothing. Two pairs of tan-brick courses run horizontally between the sill and lintel levels, sandwiching two rows of brick dogtoothed soldier courses.

 

The seventh floor is similar in design and use of materials to the corresponding floor of the 57th Street facade, with alternating rows of stretchers and brick dogtoothed courses above the lintels, and four single courses of tan-brick banding, and channeling between the sills and lintels.

 

The Ninth Avenue facade is crowned by a broad stone and brick cornice, which is topped by a large cymatium. It is pierced by four window or door openings, one in each of the four southernmost bays. At the central bay, corbelled brickwork supports a stone belt course, from which ten arches with brick voussoirs spring. These arches' extrados are trimmed with stone. The cornice at the southernmost bay has ten round arches with stone springers; below the two northernmost arches are circular openings. The cornice at the second-southernmost bay has eight round arches with stone springers; below all except the northernmost arch are circular openings. The cornice at the second-northernmost bay has nine round arches with stone springers; the cornice at the northernmost bay has eight round arches with stone springers; below all of these arches are circular openings.

 

All of the window openings in the northernmost bay have been bricked up. All of the window openings in the four southernmost bays at the second, third, and fifth floors have been covered over. Ten windows - six one-over-ones, two one-over-twos, and two two-over-twos - are present at the fourth floor. Seven windows - five one-over-ones, one two-over-one, and one two-over-two - are present at the sixth floor. Three windows - one two-over-two and two one-over-ones - are present at the seventh floor. Windows or doors are present in two of the four openings at the cornice level.

 

A metal fire escape is attached to the facade in the second-southernmost bay. It extends from the second floor to the cornice level, where a metal platform runs the length of the three central bays. Graffiti has been written on the facade at the second through seventh floors in the second-southernmost bay, and below the second-floor sill level.

 

No original material appears to remain at the ground floor on the Ninth Avenue facade. The setback entrance to the upper floors of No. 400 is located there, and is surrounded by metal panels. There are two storefronts, both currently vacant; one is metal, and the other is covered with stone veneer. Stone or brick veneer, or metal, cover most of the ground floor facade.

 

No. 400 West 57th Street- South Facade

 

On the partially visible, secondary south facade of 400 West 57th Street, four window openings are present at each of the second through seventh floors. Most of these window openings have been covered over. Three window openings are present at the cornice level, including one tripartite window. These openings do not appear to be original to the building and may indicate the existence of a rooftop addition behind them.

 

- From the 2005 NYCLPC Landmark Designation Report

Visually, the finished look is one of pure line with few design elements. The atmosphere is one of pure tranquillity during the day; the reflection of sky in the water and very little to distract the eye. At night the lighting scheme creates a magical pathway fading into the distance, and always there is the gentle sound of running water.

 

Part of a larger scheme, these clients wanted an ultra-simple, minimalist waterfeature on two levels. The main material used was a pale cream Travertine detailed with a dark slate-grey.

 

At the lower level, a canal runs across the garden. The main steps are accessed by stepping stones across the water.

 

The upper level features two rills. Water flows away from the house and cascades via two stainless steel waterfalls onto the lower level beyond, aerating and purifying. The paving features LED flush lighting to highlight the edge of the scheme and the steps and all three bodies of water are floodlit discreetly below the water surface.

 

The only plant material is six ball-shaped box trees, providing a simple, sculptural look to this otherwise angular scheme.

From "Postcards for the visually illiterate" / "Ansichtkaarten voor visueel ongeletterden"

 

Learning to see things as they are.

 

Zuster/Sister

Duif/Dove

Toute reproduction sur un support imprimé ou publication sur internet devra faire l'objet d'une demande expresse auprès du service communication de la Fédération Française Handisport.

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Toute utilisation ainsi autorisée devra mentionner le crédit photo (voir nom du fichier ci-dessus : “©…” ou métadonnées de la photo dans sa taille originale).

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Contact : photos [at] handisport.org

Designed by Cuno Amiet 1912. During the latter part of the nineteenth century, Switzerland, due to its mountainous terrain, difficult geography and a population who spoke four different languages, promoted country wide activities to help tie its citizens together with a sense of Swiss nationalism. A variety of Swiss government competitions and contests such as marksmanship skills required posters promoting the events throughout the country. (No television or radio in those days.)

 

It was out of this national effort supporting clear, visually attractive graphics that the Swiss contemporary design movement eventually devoloped.

Visually identical to the Jenoptem models, this example came in great condition but out of collimation. Performance is not as good as my Jenoptem 7x50, image goes soft towards the edge of the field quicker than I would expect from this model. Still has the great Zeiss smell though!

Usable with Spectacles =No

I don't typically buy anything from the Revoltech series, mostly likely because the licenses that they play with aren't usually my thing. However, once in a while, an interesting figure pops up.

 

For the last little while, one of the more visually impressive sublines from the Revoltech is the Figure Complex: Amazing Yamaguchi line featuring various beloved X-Men characters sculpted by Yamaguchi Katsuhisa. I know a Wolverine and Magneto were released, and a Gambit will be released. I also believe the line has moved onto at least non-X characters with the recently solicited Iron Man.

 

Obviously, this figure is none of those - this is Psylocke.

 

For someone that likes figures and toys, it's surprising how few comics I've read. My introduction to the character was from the original Capcom Vs. Game, X-Men: Children of the Atom in all her uninhibited bouncy glory.

 

The character naturally has a long and storied past that I'd probably lose much sleep over if I actually tried to research. I believe that "too long, didn't read" version of it is that she is a mutant (duh) named Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock, the sister of Captain Marvel. Through a series of events such as self sacrifice and transference of mental capacities, she ends up in a body of an Japanese woman who is the brain dead wife of the leader of the Hand, an assassin clan, and is brainwashed into become one of them. She develops Psionic powers (ability to form things out of mental energy, mostly for her being blades), and eventually breaks free of this brainwashing, and that, friends is the genesis of the X-Men character Psylocke.

 

None of that matters, of course. I bought the figure because the previews made her look really, really, good, and Psylocke herself being a very sharp character design with long flowing purple hair and her purple kind-of-there outfit. While it's been out for probably 6 months now, I only recently got mine because I insist that the guy who sold it to me bring it to me personally... even if I had to wait six months.

 

If you've never watched gameplay of Psylocke, just think slinky female ninja dressed in purple capable of making various energy things. And, as mentioned, the prototype pictures show cased that very well. So, how did it do?

 

Well, let's start from the top.

 

Psylocke comes with the figure, two face plates (one neutral, one smiling), a sheathed katana, an empty sheath, twin katanas, twin energy katanas, twin Psyblades, 4 sets of hands, a detachable sash, and a dynamic stand with both a peg connector, along with a clamp that I guess would give you a bit more height with your aerial stuff but I never actually used it. I personally would have like an additional angry/attacking face plate because as it is, she's a bit too serene looking.

 

Also kind of neat is that on the cardboard insert (and side flaps of the box) are full colour prints of I guess what comic art inspired this particular design.

 

The Revoltech joint system is a bit different from the Figma and Figuart systems.. at least I guess they are, and at the very least this one is.

 

Articulation is very, very, very good. I cannot emphasize how much you can get this figure to do despite it's small size. The trade off is that some of the joints look really weird when not positioned properly, specifically the shoulders and knees, which are double or triple joints depending on which one we're talking about. Whomever designed the tray for holding Psylocke really didn't do the figure any favours to say the least. However, the amount of knee bend and chest press that this figure more than overshadows this first impression issue, and that range or movement is something you want for a figure like Psylocke.

 

In addition to the aforementioned, all your standard points of articulation are present. Bonus ones include a toe swivel, articulation for her sash, thigh swivel, independent neck and head articulation, and hair that can be lifted to all for greater neck movement, with the latter head/neck related items allowing for some great crouching poses.

 

Sadly, while her shoulders worked out just fine despite their wonky appearance, her ass suffers from the dreaded "thigh separation" scenario where the movement of the legs creates an unsightly gap where the thigh meets the back of the body, particularly notable given that she doesn't wear pants. But, again, at least the trade off is great articulation.

 

Psylocke I guess would technically be the action figure (or at least middle of the pack Japanese figure) equivalent of a Butterface release. To be fair, it is generally what was promised on the box, so I don't really have anyone to blame but myself for buying her if this was the key aspect that ruins the experience for me. Both the prototype and the final item feature the same round almost featureless face with the undersized nose.

 

No it's other things that serve not only as a topic of discussion, but also kind of give you a feeling as to why Figma and Figuarts are kind of priced the way they are.

 

Psylocke has an MSRP of about 6,000 Yen, which is about the price of your run of the mill Figuart, with Figma coming in closer to what.. 7,000 if not more these days? The releases are about the same size, but lets remember that Figuarts have no stand and very few accessories, and clearly Psylocke destroys any run of the mill Figuart figure in terms of value.

 

Part of the pricing on everything is of course the cut paid for the actual license, but it's not like a Marvel license is particularly cheap. So what else is there?

 

It pretty much comes down to paint.

 

If you look closely, you'll probably notice that Psylocke has no paint whatsoever on her fleshy bits. Not only does this look a bit meh, but it makes photographing her a major pain in the ass, especially if you're trying to bring out details.. like her nose and eye sockets. You'll notice that the paint masking on her leg bands isn't bad, but there are more weak spots than on its Figma and Figuarts competitors, especially if we're talking about figure with a relatively simple colour scheme. Some minor paint issues were also spotted on her neck piece, but those are primarily paint transfers. There were also some areas with paint overspray, but it wasn't anything bootleg bad, just something worth noting.

 

Her translucent purple hair is also a big seller for this figure. The overall final product is pretty good, but if you look closely (and in the instance of the back of her head, not even that close), you'll notice some very rough spots that I don't know were a QC issue or a design flaw. By comparison, nothing this was spotted on either KOS-MOS or T-ELOS, both of which are at least 7 years older than Psylocke.

 

For what it is worth, her effect parts are very well done, particularly her Psiblades with the gradient from cold to warm Purple. The quality of the stand itself is, from my analysis, more solid than a Figma stand, mostly due to a combination of better plastic, a thicker arm, and better designed joints. There were also no issues with regards to rough plastic finishes other than the aformentioned hair problems.

 

One other issue that I read about was the face plate itself. Some owners seem to be indicating that due to the way the face is mounted on the head (friction based, one slot, straight above the face) the figure arrived with the socket on the hair already worn out and wouldn't hold the face in place, or would be in danger of doing so in the future. I didn't have that issue on mine, but I do understand where they're coming from with these statements.

 

I should probably also mention the eyes. Those who are familiar with the Hot Toys world will know the term PERS, which is their fancy term for eyes that can be moved on the sculpts to facilitate an even greater amount of posing. Amazingly this figure also features eyeballs that can be moved, though it's not as complicated as the PERS system. This is actually pretty neat given the size of the eyeballs, though you might want to ditch the included white pick in favour of a tiny screw driver or something to move the eyes as I believe the 90 degree bend actually makes it harder to manipulate the eyes into the right direction.

 

In the end, a very good release, and probably the best Psylocke action figure I've ever seen.. of course, the only others I have seen are the Marvel Legends one which again, aren't bad given the price. Those looking for a more legit comic sculpt need not apply here, naturally.

 

But there is no doubt that this is a sharp looking figure, and for the price it comes with quite a few goodies. It just lacks that final bit of spit polish that would push it from being very good to being outstanding. Still, if you like your ninjas purple and slinky, you can't go wrong.

New lego instruction!) pacific rim . Zane mech inspired with atlas destroyer (visually created by @francescobog87 with this amazing body work) (link in my bio) #legopacificrim #lego #mech #legomech #legomecha #ninjago #legoninjago

Bali is one of the few places on earth made visually stunning by its main economic activity. In no other locale of the island does this hold truer than in the Tabanan District of west Bali where the cascading rice terraces of Jatiluwih are the most striking feature of the agricultural landscape, claiming even slopes that look too formidable to be of any possible use.

 

Along with majestic Pekerisan River in Gianyar and the stately Taman Ayun Temple in Mengwi, Jatiluwih has been chosen as a new nominee as a World Heritage site. It’s a great honor for Bali to have its natural and cultural wonders included, as the sites will take their place right along side world-famous Borobudur, Prambanan, the Sangiran archaeological site, Ujung Kulon, Lorentz and Komodo national parks, and the tropical rainforests of Sumatra.

The achingly picturesque area of Jatiluwih actually comprises not only rice fields but also forests, lakes, springs, temples and a huge natural mountain reserve scattered over a wide area around the slopes Mount Batukaru, a sacred landscape whose boundaries are defined by a cluster of temples supported by traditional villages and farmlands administered by age-old subak organizations, the local water boards.

 

This site is among the most striking examples of terraced agriculture in the world and is arguably Bali’s oldest and most complex real-life model of the subak agricultural system which vividly reflects the intertwined, mutually beneficial relationship between the island’s traditional rice growing culture and its Bali Hindu spiritual belief system.

 

Bali’s terracing and irrigation practices are even more elaborate, sophisticated, and seasonably predictable than those on Java. Though beautiful rice field terraces also can also be found in Sumatra and Sulawesi, there is no irrigation organization in Indonesia comparable to Bali’s water conservation and distribution system. Only the 2000-year-old Ifugao rice terraces of the Philippines can hold a candle to Jatiluwih.

 

As it exemplifies such effective water usage over centuries, Bali’s famed environmentally friendly subak system itself is being considered for the World Heritage list. The effort to get the subak system listed to World Heritage status is especially urgent in the face of widespread diversion of agricultural lands. Over the past 20 years Bali lost more than 1,500 ha of precious rice fields to make way for the development of tourist resorts, restaurants, housing complexes, road construction and other commercial enterprises.

 

The Realm of Dewi Sri

Jatiluwih is one big sculpture. Because of the Tabanan area’s superb drainage pattern, the high volcanic ash content, and the island’s equable climate, conditions for traditional sawah cultivation exemplified by Jatiluwih’s terraces are perhaps the most ideal in all of Bali.

 

Rice growing is practiced as both an art and a science. Bali’s steep and narrow ravines, as typified especially in the western part of Jatiluwih, are not easy to dam. To remedy this problem, the area’s farmers have devised an ingenious system of hand-built aqueducts, small catchments, and underground canals to collect rainwater from Bali’s mountain lakes, spilling each farmer’s precious allotment of water onto tiers of paddy via thousands of tiny waterfalls.

 

Jatiluwih’s rice fields are irrigated by water that is sometimes channeled by tunnels through solid rock hillsides. Water needs high on the ridges often require tunnels two or three kilometers long. This complex irrigation system, continuously maintained, groomed, and plowed, has been developed over many centuries. The historical manuscript, the Bebetin, records that Balinese farmers have used the Subak system since at least 1071.

 

Some scholars have postulated that it is due to the expertise of Bali’s rice farmers that the Balinese have been able to support such a refined civilization with such a theatrical and colorful religion. The discipline required to share water and resources has created a remarkably cooperative way of life. Rugged individualists cannot exist in communities where every farmer is utterly dependent on the cooperation of his neighbors.

 

The word for rice (nasi), a staple of the Balinese diet, is the same word for “meal”. A Balinese cannot imagine a meal without rice. Specialized vocabularies deal with every aspect of rice farming, and a huge amount of time, energy, and money go into petitioning the gods so the rice farmer’s work may yield good results. Popping up everywhere in Jatiluwih’s rice terraces you see small temples dedicated to Dewi Sri, the beloved goddess of rice.

 

An area of natural outstanding beauty.

жж DSC_9821

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Never let who you are limit what you can do. I honestly believe that anyone can accomplish anything in life if they have the will to do it.

 

Pictured are two runners seen at the Ma On Shan Promenade after they have finished their run and are walking home. One of the men is visually impaired. But he is able to run outside with the help of a guide runner. A cotton rope binds their hands together, thus allowing the visually impaired athlete to be able to run out in open air.

 

I have never seen anything like this before. Hong Kong is awesome. And very accessible. Crazyisgood. SML Love.

 

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-02-08 11:20:37 GMT+0800

+ Dimensions: 3196 x 4794

+ Exposure 1/200 sec at f/5.6

+ Focal Length: 102 mm

+ ISO: 640

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 7D

+ Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM + Canon EF 1.4x Extender III

+ GPS: 22°25'14" N 114°13'27" E

+ 中國香港馬鞍山海濱長廊 中国香港马鞍山海滨长廊 Ma On Shan Promenade, Hong Kong, China

+ Serial: SML.20130208.7D.21490

+ Workflow: Lightroom 4

+ Series: Crazyisgood

 

“領跑員 Guide Runner + 視障運動員 Visually Impaired Athlete” / Crazyisgood / SML.20130208.7D.21490

/ #Crazyisgood #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLMen #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #馬鞍山 #MaOnShan #人 #people #男 #Men #街 #Street #攝影 #摄影 #photography #run #體育 #体育 #運動 #运动 #sports

Castlerigg Stone Circle is one of the most visually impressive prehistoric monuments in Britain, and is the most visited stone circle in Cumbria. Every year thousands of people visit it to look, photograph, draw and wonder why and when and by whom it was built. The stone circle is on the level top of a low hill with nice views to the towns in the valleys. There are 38 stones in a circle approximately 30 metres in diameter. Within the ring is a rectangle of a further 10 standing stones. The tallest stone is 2.3 metres high. It was probably built around 3000 BC - the beginning of the later Neolithic Period - and is one of the earliest stone circles in Britain. It is important in terms of megalithic astronomy and geometry, as the construction contains significant astronomical alignments. Although its origins are unknown it is believed that it was used for ceremonial or religious purposes.

***

Cercul de pietre de la Castlerigg este unul dintre cele mai imporante monumente preistorice şi cel mai vizitat de acest fel din Cumbria. In fiecare an, mii de persoane vin sǎ priveascǎ, sǎ fotografieze, sǎ deseneze şi sǎ se întrebe când, de ce şi cine construit bizarul ansamblu. Cercul de pietre se aflǎ pe o platformǎ situatǎ pe vârful unui deal de micǎ înǎlţime, cu privelişti frumoase cǎtre oraşele din vale. Ansamblul este format din 38 de pietre aşezate într-un cerc cu diametrul de cca. 30 metri. In interiorul cercului se aflǎ un dreptunghi alcǎtuit din 10 pietre. Cea mai înaltǎ piatrǎ are 2.3 metri. Ansamblul a fost construit probabil la începutul perioadei neolitice (în jurul anului 3000 î.Ch.) şi este unul dintre cele mai vechi cercuri de piatrǎ din Marea Britanie. Este un monument important din punct de vedere al astronomiei şi geometriei megalitice, întrucât construcţia conţine unele similitudini astronomice semnificative. Deşi originea ansamblului nu este cunoscutǎ, se presupune cǎ a fost folosit în scopuri ceremoniale şi religioase.

 

visitcumbria.com/kes/castlerigg-stone-circle.htm

 

Visually interesting cage with a fake crow .

The part of the Kojiki (Japanese creation) myth that I will comment on this time is the following.

 

Susano-o meets Amaterasu by the Well of True Names . The Sun Goddess speaks first asking him, "Why do you come to my kingdom, do you meant to rob me of it?" "Not at all sister" he replies and proceeds to explain what happened. “My father came and finding me crying asked me ‘Why do you cry’. I said 'I cry because I want to see my mother in the world of the dead,' whereupon he said 'go from here!' and banished me from my kingdom."

 

The above seems pretty inconsequential. All the same, I managed to write a paper and give a presentation about it to a congress of Japanese psychotherapists at which Takeo Doi (Mr. Amae) and Kitayama Osamu (genius, poet, folk singer, and leading Japanese psychotherapist) were present at the congress. Bearing in mind the company, though alas I think that Doi had left the building, I was on fire:-) But alas, the learned members of the audience were pretty disinterested, even if they were in the room, as far as I know.

 

As mentioned previously, the Kojiki myth is very terse. Perhaps this is a characteristic of myth in general, it is certainly true of the Kojiki. There is very little repetition. There are repetitions of structural elements, mentioned in more than one episode of the myth, such as of a child that cries until he is advanced in years, or deities spitting or dripping, things, and symbols into water. There are also repetitions of some words, presumably for emphasis such as the aforementioned, “skinly-skinned” or “chewily-chewed.” But generally speaking the writer of the myth did not write the same thing twice. But in the above passage, the myth repeats itself, word for word, character for character, *almost*.

Here is the part that is being repeated:

[Izanagi said] "Why do you cry?" Susano-o replies, "I cry because I want to see my mother in the world of the dead". Hearing this Izanagi says "*If you want to do that*, then go from here!" and banished him[Susano-o] from his[Susano-o’] kingdom."

Compare the second version above:

 

[Izanagi said] ‘Why do you cry’. I said 'I cry because I want to see my mother in the world of the dead,' whereupon he said 'go from here!' and banished me from my kingdom."

 

The repetition is long in a book which has little repetition. The repetition is word for word. The exact same sequence of characters repeat themselves, with one very small change. The change is miniscule. In the Japanese text it is only one character, read “shikaraba”, which I have translated “If you want to do that.” If could be translated “If so.” What is significance of a missing single character written 1500 or so years ago?

1) The myth is a sacred text for those that wrote it. In the preface they state that they have taken great care. So why in one of the few places that the scripture repeats itself does the writer slip up, miss a character, unless the exclusion were deliberate?

2) The same type of omission occurs in at least one other place very clearly, and possibly in several other places (I list them in my paper). The Kojiki has a particularly regular structure. In at least two clearly, probably three, and more mistily in several other episodes, there is a sort of refrain – a winger repeats the words of another (or himself) in a (deliberately?) incorrect way.

3) In this case and in others, the misquotation serves to make the quoter out to be a victim. The quoter is allowing himself to “amaeru” or (my trans) “fawn” in an unhealthy way.

 

“amae” (the noun) amaeru (the verb) are, thanks to Takeo Doi, definitive of Japanese culture. Many books have been written, by Doi and others, attempting to define the term. Doi and others attempt to explain Amae/amaeru . They explain the prevalence of that which it describes in Japanese culture. but perhaps due to the non-linguisticness, of what the terms mean, the descriptions continue.

 

Amae is the *unspoken* demand to “love me!” that children beam, as it were, towards their mothers. It is “being cute,” it is being weak, it is avoiding the linguistic expression of ones desire, but behaving in such a way as to encourage the beamed, the recipient of the extra-linguistic message, to respond and fulfil the unspoken (but beamed) desire of the “fawner.”

And here Susano-o is engaging in a particularly excessive, pathological form of “fawning.” Susano-o’s father, Izanagi, came along, asked what was the matter, found out what was the matter, did not allow Susano-o to amae/fawn, but instead, said “If that is the case” go and do it. Izanagi presented a perfect linguistic mirror to his son. He was the shrink that the son seemed to have needed. But Susano-o, ignores the linguistic mirror that he was presented with. And when he meets his sister, by a minor modification of the words his father spoke, made himself out to be the poor, little, lovable victim. The readers of the Kojiki myth have just read of the fathers’ love, his sincerity, so they know what went down. But the son says, “There was I feeling lonely for my mother and our father came along and banished me from my kingdom.” Instead of showing the Son what he has to to do to fulfil his desire, the father becomes, in the misquotation, a bully.

The protagonist, Susano-o, takes a good linguistic copy of himself (“Well if you want to do that, then go and do it) and transforms it into vector for Japano-Narcissitic self love (“Oh, I am so weak and sad and put upon). Mirrors, be they linguistic or visual, can be deformed to suit our self love.

 

Narcissus, if he had been visually awake, would have seen in his reflection the image, movements, of a man engaged in self-love-sickness. Susano-o, had he been linguistically awake, would have seen in his linguistic reflection (provided by his father), the movements, or lack of movement of a man engaged in self-love-sickness.

 

Susano-o goes and stands above the Well-of-True-Names, and copies himself, in his self narration (that imperfect medium) presenting himself as linguistically lovable, and in the Well-of-True-Names, I argue a mirror, there is someone that loves him.

 

So, the structure of the myth of Amaterasu-Susano is (please compare with the previous post) as follows

1) Susano-o’s linguistic self-narrative, his linguistic-self-copying, is just a copy, but a bad copy, a deceptive copy. It is certainly not alive. It is a nothing, a chimera allowing gross and misplaced self love.

2) Amaterasu’ image is truthy. Though "it" is only a copy of what Susano appears to be, "it" is not an “it” at all but being, a tragic, supernatural being that loves, means, meaningfully loves the protagonist.

3) But even though it is the image that (in Japanese myth), as always, comes out the winner, the speech plays an essential part of the story. The speech is the scapegoat, the nub of jokes, that nasty deceptive bit to be derided. The fawning self speech of Susano-o is needed both for the suspension of unbelief, and for subsequent defamiliarization (Brecht) to take place.

3.1) If it were just a story about some "Mirror Goddess" loving some guy, no one would be able to see the Mirror Goddess as a person at all, let alone a tragic hero.

3.2) If it were not for the speech, then we would never be able to come back to the realisation that, "oh ****! The Mirror Goddess, is just a copy. She is not, we are not, really people at all!"

4)Amaterasu is Susano-o *queered*. Amaterasu is just Susano-O’s image, but she is also a woman.

 

The next part, the vows of Susano and Amaterasu, are both a trick, and explain the phenomenon of mirror reversal. I have already posted the analysis of this next part, in brief, to flickr.

There are three Ashfords, really. The modern newtown, Swindonesque newbuilds stretching into the countryside; the Victorian railway town, all neat rows of brick built houses and the station, and then there is the old town, timber-framed houses along narrow lanes, with St Mary standing towering above all but the modern office blocks.

 

The west end church was given over to a Christmas Fayre, but is also used now as a concert venue, while under the tower westwards is still in use as a church, with many of its ancient features left alone by the Victorians.

 

-------------------------------------------

 

A stately church in a good position set away from the hustle and bustle of this cosmopolitan town. The very narrow tower of 1475 is not visually satisfactory when viewed from a distance but its odd proportions are hardly noticed when standing at its base. The church is very much the product of the families who have been associated with it over the centuries and who are commemorated by monuments within. They include the Fogges and the Smythes. The former is supposed to have wanted to create a college of priests here, but by the late fifteenth century such foundations were going out of fashion and the remodelling of the church undertaken by Sir John Fogge may have just been a philanthropic cause. Unusually, when the church was restored in 1860 the architect Ewan Christian kept the galleries (he usually swept them away), but Christ Church had yet to be built and the population of this growing town would have needed all the accommodation it could get. Even in 1851 1000 people had attended the church in a single sitting. The pulpit, designed by Pearson, was made in 1897.

 

www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Ashford+1

 

------------------------------------------

 

THE TOWN AND PARISH OF ASHFORD

LIES the next adjoining to Hothfield eastward. It is called in Domesday both Estefort and Essetesford, and in other antient records, Eshetisford, taking its name from the river, which runs close to it, which, Lambarde says, ought not to be called the Stour, till it has passed this town, but Eshe or Eschet, a name which has been for a great length of time wholly forgotten; this river being known, even from its first rise at Lenham hither, by the name of the Stour only.

 

A small part only of this parish, on the east, south and west sides of it, containing the borough of Henwood, alias Hewit, lying on the eastern or further side of the river from the town, part of which extends into the parish of Wilsborough, and the whole of it within the liberty of the manor of Wye, and the borough of Rudlow, which adjoins to Kingsnoth and Great Chart, are in this hundred of Chart and Longbridge; such part of the borough of Rudlow as lies adjoining to Kingsnoth, is said to lie in in jugo de Beavor, or the yoke of Beavor, and is divided from the town and liberty by the river, near a place called Pollbay; in which yoke there is both a hamlet and a green or common, of the name of Beavor; the remainder of the parish having been long separated from it, and made a distinct liberty, or jurisdiction of itself, having a constable of its own, and distinguished by the name of the liberty of the town of Ashford.

 

ASHFORD, at the time of taking the general survey of Domesday, was part of the possessions of Hugo de Montfort, who had accompanied the Conqueror hither, and was afterwards rewarded with this estate, among many others in different counties; in which record it is thus entered, under the general title of his lands:

 

¶Maigno holds of Hugo (de Montfort) Estefort. Turgisus held it of earl Godwin, and it is taxed at one suling. The arable land is half a carucate. There is nevertheless in demesne one carucate, and two villeins having one carucate. There are two servants, and eight acres of meadow. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, it was worth twenty five shillings; when he received it, twenty shillings; now thirty shilling.

 

The same Hugo holds Essela. Three tenants held it of king Edward, and could go whither they would with their lands. It was taxed at three yokes. The arable land is one carucate and an half. There are now four villeins, with two borderers having one carucate, and six acres of meadow. The whole, in the reign of king Edward the Confessor, was worth twenty shillings, and afterwards fifteen shillings, now twenty shillings.

 

Maigno held another Essetisford of the same Hugo. Wirelm held it of king Edward. It was taxed at one suling. The arable land is four carucates. In demesne there are two, and two villeins, with fifteen borderers having three carucates. There is a church, and a priest, and three servants, and two mills of ten shillings and two pence. In the time of king Edward the Confessor it was worth seventy shillings, and afterwards sixty shillings, now one hundred shillings.

 

Robert de Montfort, grandson of Hugh abovementioned, favouring the title of Robert Curthose, in opposition to king Henry I. to avoid being called in question upon that account, obtained leave to go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, leaving his possessions to the king; by which means this manor came into the hands of the crown. Soon after which it seems to have come into the possession of a family, who took their name from it. William de Asshetesford appears by the register of Horton priory to have been lord of it, and to have been succeeded by another of the same name. After which the family of Criol became owners of it, by whom it was held by knight's service of the king, in capite, by ward to Dover castle, and the repair of a tower in that castle, called the Ashford tower. (fn. 1) Simon de Criol, in the 27th and 28th year of Henry III. obtained a charter of free warren for this manor, whose son William de Criol passed it away to Roger de Leyborne, for Stocton, in Huntingdonshire, and Rumford, in Essex. William de Leyborne his son, in the 7th year of king Edward I. claimed and was allowed the privilege of a market here, before the justices itinerant. He died possessed of this manor in the 3d year of Edward II. leaving his grand-daughter Juliana, daughter of Thomas de Leyborne, who died in his father's life-time, heir both to her grandfather and father's possessions, from the greatness of which she was stiled the Infanta of Kent, (fn. 2) though thrice married, yet she died s. p. by either of her husbands, all of whom she survived, and died in the 41st year of Edward III. Upon which this manor, among the rest of her estates, escheated to the crown, and continued there till king Richard II. vested it, among others, in feoffees, for the performance of certain religious bequests by the will of king Edward III. then lately deceased; and they, in compliance with it, soon afterwards, with the king's licence, purchased this manor, with those of Wall, and Esture, of the crown, towards the endowment of St. Stephen's chapel, in the king's palace of Westminster, all which was confirmed by king Henry IV. and VI. and by king Edward IV. in their first years; the latter of whom, in his 7th year, granted to them a fair in this town yearly, on the feast of St. John Port Latin, together with all liberties, and to have a steward to hold the court of it, &c. In which situation they continued till the 1st year of Edward VI. when this collegiate chapel was, with all its possessions, surrendered into the king's hands, where these manors did not continue long; for that king, in his 3d year, granted the manor of Esshetford, with that of Wall, and the manor of Esture, to Sir Anthony Aucher, of Otterden, to hold in capite; and he, in the 2d and 3d of Philip and Mary, sold them to Sir Andrew Judde, of London, whose daughter and at length heir Alice, afterwards carried them in marriage to Thomas Smith, esq. of Westenhanger, commonly called the Customer, who died possessed of them in 1591, and lies buried in the south cross of this church, having had several sons and daughters, of, whom Sir John Smythe, of Ostenhanger, the eldest, succeeded him here, and was sheriff anno 42 Elizabeth. Sir Thomas Smith, the second son, was of Bidborough and Sutton at Hone, and ambassador to Russia, of whom and his descendants, notice has been taken in the former volumes of this history; (fn. 3) and Henry, the third son, was of Corsham, in Wiltshire, whence this family originally descended, and Sir Richard Smith, the fourth, was of Leeds castle. Sir John Smythe, above-mentioned, died in 1609, and lies buried in the same vault as his father in this church, leaving one son Sir Thomas Smythe, of Westenhanger, K. B. who was in 1628 created Viscount Strangford, of Ireland, whose grandson Philip, viscount Strangford, dying about 1709, Henry Roper, lord Teynham, who had married Catherine his eldest daughter, by his will, became possessed of the manors of Ashford, Wall, and Esture. By her, who died in 1711, he had two sons, Philip and Henry, successively lords Teynham; notwithstanding which, having the uncontrolled power in these manors vested in him, he, on his marriage with Anne, second daughter and coheir of Thomas Lennard, earl of Sussex, and widow of Richard Barrett Lennard, esq. afterwards baroness Dacre, settled them on her and her issue by him in tail male. He died in 1623, and left her surviving, and possessed of these manors for her life. She afterwards married the hon. Robert Moore, and died in 1755. She had by lord Teynham two sons, Charles and Richard-Henry, (fn. 4) Charles Roper, the eldest son, died in 1754 intestate, leaving two sons, Trevor-Charles and Henry, who on their mother's death became entitled to these manors, as coheirs in gavelkind, a recovery having been suffered of them, limiting them after her death to Charles Roper their father, in tail male; but being infants, and there being many incumbrances on these estates, a bill was exhibited in chancery, and an act procured anno 29 George II. for the sale of them; and accordingly these manors were sold, under the direction of that court, in 1765, to the Rev. Francis Hender Foote, of Bishopsborne, who in 1768 parted with the manor of Wall, alias Court at Wall, to John Toke, esq. of Great Chart, whose son Nicholas Roundell Toke, is the present possessor of it; but he died possessed of the manors of Ashford and Esture in 1773, and was succeeded in them by his eldest son John Foote, esq. now of Bishopsborne, the present owner of them. There are several copyhold lands held of the manor of Ashford. A court leet and court baron is regularly held for it.

 

THE TOWN OF ASHFORD stands most pleasant and healthy, on the knoll of a hill, of a gentle ascent on every side, the high road from Hythe to Maidstone passing through it, from which, in the middle of the town, the high road branches off through a pleasant country towards Canterbury. The houses are mostly modern and well-built, and the high-street, which has been lately new paved, is of considerable width. The markethouse stands in the centre of it, and the church and school on the south side of it, the beautiful tower of the former being a conspicuous object to the adjoining country. It is a small, but neat and chearful town, and many of the inhabitants of a genteel rank in life. Near the market place, is the house of the late Dr. Isaac Rutton, a physician of long and extensive practice in these parts, being the eldest son of Matthias Rutton, gent of this town, by Sarah his wife, daughter of Sir N. Toke, of Godinton. He died in 1792, bearing for his arms, Parted per fess, azure, and or, three unicorns heads, couped at the neck, counterchanged; since which, his eldest son, Isaac Rutton, esq. now of Ospringeplace, has sold this house to Mr. John Basil Duckworth, in whom it is now vested. In the midst of it is a large handsome house, built in 1759, by John Mascall, gent. who resided in it, and died possessed of it in 1769, and was buried in Boughton Aluph church, bearing for his arms, Barry of two, or, and azure, three inescutcheons, ermine; and his only son, Robert Mascall, esq. now of Ashford, who married the daughter of Jeremiah Curteis, esq. is the present owner, and resides in it. At the east end of the town is a seat, called Brooke-place, formerly possessed by the family of Woodward, who were always stiled, in antient deeds, gentlemen, and bore for their arms, Argent, a chevron, sable, between three grasshoppers, or; the last of them, Mr. John Woodward, gent. rebuilt this seat, and died possessed of it in 1757; of whose heirs it was purchased by Martha, widow of Moyle Breton, esq. of Kennington, whose two sons, the Rev. Moyle Breton, and Mr. Whitfield Breton, gent. alienated it to Josias Pattenson, esq. the second son of Mr. Josias Pattenson, of Biddenden, by Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Felix Kadwell, esq. of Rolvenden; he married Mary, daughter of Mr. Henry Dering, gent. of this parish, and widow of Mr. John Mascall above-mentioned, by whom he has no issue, and he is the present owner of this seat, and resides in it. There have been barracks erected lately here, which at present contain 4000 soldiers. The market is held on a Saturday weekly, for the sale of corn, which is now but little used; and a market for the sale of all sorts of fat and lean stock on the first and third Tuesday in every month, which has been of great use to prevent monopolies. Two fairs are annually held now, by the alteration of the stile, on May 17, and Sept. 9, and another on Oct. 24; besides which, there is an annual fair for wool on August 2, not many years since instituted and encouraged by the principal gentry and landholders, which promises to prove of the greatest utility and benefit to the fair sale of it. That branch of the river Stour which rises at Lenham, runs along the southern part of this parish, and having turned a corn mill belonging to the lord of this manor, continues its course close at the east end of the town, where there is a stone bridge of four arches, repaired at the expence of the county, and so on northwards towards Wye and Canterbury. On the south side of the river in this parish, next to Kingsnoth, within the borough of Rudlow, is the yoke of Beavor, with the hamlet and farm of that name, possessed in very early times, as appears by the register of Horton priory, by a family of that name, one of whom, John Beavor, was possessed of it in the reign of Henry II. and was descended from one of the same furname, who attended the Conqueror in his expedition hither. The parish contains about 2000 acres of land, and three hundred and twenty houses, the whole rental of it being 4000l. per annum; the inhabitants are 2000, of which about one hundred are diffenters. The highways throughout it, which not many years ago were exceeding bad, have been by the unanimity of the inhabitants, which has shewn itself remarkable in all their public improvements, a rare instance in parochial undertakings, and by the great attention to the repairs of them, especially in such parts as were near their own houses, are now excellent. The lands round it are much upon a gravelly soil, though towards the east and south there are some rich fertile pastures, intermixed with arable land, and several plantations of hops; but toward the west, the soil is in general sand, having much quarrystone mixed with it, where there is a great deal of coppice wood, quite to Potter's corner, at the boundary of this parish.

 

The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, is a large handsome building, consisting of three isles, with a transept, and three chancels, with the tower in the middle, which is losty and well proportioned, having four pinnacles at the top of it. There are eight bells in it, a set of chimes, and a clock. In the high chancel, on the north side, is the college John Fogge, the founder of the college here, who died in 1490, and his two wives, the brasses of their figures gone; but part of the inscription remains. And formerly, in Weever's time, there hung up in this chancel six atchievements, of those of this family whose burials had been attended by the heralds at arms, and with other ceremonies suitable to their degrees. Underneath the chancel is a large vault, full of the remains of the family. On the pavement in the middle, is a very antient curious gravestone, having on it the figure in brass of a woman, holding in her left hand a banner, with the arms of Ferrers, Six masctes, three and three, in pale; which, with a small part of the inscription round the edge, is all that is remaining; but there was formerly in brass, in her right hand, another banner, with the arms of Valoyns; over her head those of France and England quarterly; and under her feet a shield, being a cross, impaling three chevronels, the whole within a bordure, guttee de sang, and round the edge this inscription, Ici gift Elizabeth Comite D' athels la file sign de Ferrers . . . dieu asoil, qe morust le 22 jour d'octob. can de grace MCCCLXXV. Weever says, she was wife to David de Strabolgie, the fourth of that name, earl of Athol, in Scotland, and daughter of Henry, lord Ferrers, of Groby; and being secondly married to John Malmayns, of this county, died here in this town. Though by a pedigree of the family of Brograve, she is said to marry T. Fogge, esq. of Ashford; if so, he might perhaps have been her third husband. Near her is a memorial for William Whitfield, gent. obt. 1739. The north chancel belonged to Repton manor. In the vault underneath lay three of the family of Tuston, sometime since removed to Rainham, and it has been granted to the Husseys; Thomas Hussey, esq. of this town, died in 1779, and was buried in it. In the south chancel are memorials for the Pattensons, Whitfields, and Apsleys, of this place; and one for Henry Dering, gent. of Shelve, obt. 1752, and Hester his wife; arms, A saltier, a crescent for difference, impaling, on a chevron, between three persons, three crosses, formee; and another memorial for Thomasine, wife of John Handfield, obt. 1704. In the north cross are several antient stones, their brasses all gone, excepting a shield, with the arms of Fogge on one. At the end is a monument for John Norwood, gent. and Mary his wife, of this town, who lie with their children in the vault underneath. The south cross is parted off lengthways, for the family of Smith, lords of Ashford manor, who lie in a vault underneath. In it are three superb monuments, which, not many years since, were beautified and restored to their original state, by the late chief baron Smythe, a descendant of this family. One is for Thomas Smith, esq. of Westenhanger, in 1591; the second for Sir John Smythe, of Ostenhanger, his son, and Elizabeth his wife; and the third for Sir Richard Smyth, of Leeds castle, in 1628: all which have been already mentioned before. Their figures, at full length and proportion, are lying on, each of them, with their several coats of arms and quarterings blazoned. In the other part of this cross, is a memorial for Baptist Pigott, A. M. son of Baptist Pigott, of Dartford, and schoolmaster here, obt. 1657, and at the end of it, is the archbishop's consistory court. In the south isle is a memorial for Thomas Curteis, gent. obt. 1718, and Elizabeth his wife; arms, Curteis impaling Carter. Under the tower is one for Samuel Warren, vicar here forty-eight years, obt. 1720. The three isles were new pewed and handsomely paved in 1745. There are five galleries, and an handsome branch for candles in the middled isle; the whole kept in an excellent state of repair and neatness. There was formerly much curtious painted glass in the windows, particularly the figures of one of the family of Valoyns, his two wives and children, with their arms. In the south window of the cross isle, and in other windows, the figures, kneeling, of king Edward III. the black prince, Richard, duke of Gloucester, the lord Hastings. Sir William Haute, the lord Scales, Richard, earl Rivers, and the dutchess of Bedford his wife, Sir John Fogge, Sir John Peche, Richard Horne, Roger Manstone, and—Guildford, most of which were in the great west window, each habited in their surcoats of arms, not the least traces of which, or of any other coloured glass, are remaining throughout this church. Sir John Goldstone, parson of Ivechurch, as appears by his will in 1503, was buried in the choir of this church, and gave several costly ornaments and vestments for the use of it.

 

www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol7/pp526-545

  

Visually parsing the more complex motion that will result from the easeInBounce above will likely require more time than the more simplistic easeInQuad curve. (Both these curves and their associated code can be found on easings.net.)

 

Designing Interface Animation: Meaningful Motion for User Experience, Head, Val, 2016. New York: Rosenfeld Media rosenfeldmedia.com/books/designing-interface-animation

Woodchurch is the latest bete noir of Kent churches for me. Or has been for some while. Along with Hinxhill, these two have proved to be impossible to get into. The lat time I tried here was last year's heritage weekend where I found the church locked just after five in the afternoon.

 

So, after a flurry of e mails this week, and the warden's surprise I have always failed to get in: "its open from seven in the morning to five every day". Maybe I just went on the three or four occasions this did not happen.

 

Whatever, this was the first stop of the day.

 

Woodchurch is on the route to Cranbrook and Sissinghurst, so this is the third week I have driven through Ham Street.

 

We park opposite the two pubs that sit beside each other, one, The Bonny Cravat looked fine with hanging baskets outside.

 

But too early for a pint, so we walk up the path to the porch and pushed....

 

The door swung open, and ahead of me, Jools was already in the church.

 

We found the light switches and lit up the large cool interior.

 

I found not one, not two, but three squints, or hagioscopes. One, a fabulous on with a double opening. I have not seen anything like it before.

 

Also, there are three sets of steps, including one to the pulpit and another to the now truncated rood loft.

 

I climb both.

 

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An enormous church with much of interest. The fabric dates from the thirteenth century, and the nave arcades of alternate round and octagonal piers are made of ragstone, which was polished in the nineteenth century to resemble Bethersden marble. In fact there are some genuine pieces of Bethersden marble in the church, particularly important visually being the shafts between the east window lancets. On the south-east buttress of the chancel is a mass dial, and on the main south wall is an excellent large sundial. The rood loft stairway survives in the north chapel where there is a good and rare double hagioscope. The sedilia are made up of three graduated thirteenth-century seats with a double piscina incorporated as part of the same scheme. In the south aisle is a medallion of the Blessed Virgin Mary, while the nearby east window depicting the Crucifixion is by Kempe. In front of the pulpit is the brass to a priest, Nicholas Gore (d. 1333), a quatrefoil with a circular inscription, into which is set the figure of Gore in his vestments. The Royal Arms are those of George III and were painted by a local artist, Joseph Gibson, in 1773.

 

www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Woodchurch

 

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WOODCHURCH

IS the next parish south-eastward from Halden, and is within the court of the bailiwic of the Seven Hundreds, which claims paramount over the denne of Ilchenden, being a great part of it; though the manors of Apledore and of Wye claim over some parts of it.

 

This PARISH, which stands rather on high ground, is about five miles in length from north to south, and three miles and an half in breadth. The soil of it is in general a stiff clay, though in the southern part of it there is some light land, inclining to sand. It is exceedingly covered, throughout most of it, with oaken coppice wood, and the face of the country here, as well as the roads, are much like those of Halden, last described. The village is near the centre of the parish, built mostly round a green, with the church on the north-west side of it, and the parsonage-house. In the south-west part of the parish is Shirley-house and farm, which formerly belonged to the family of Clarke, and afterwards to the Harlackendens, from whom it was purchased by Anne Blackmore, widow of John Blackmore, esq. of Tenterden, who died in 1717; and their grandson Thomas Blackmore, esq. of Hertfordshire, now owns it, with other adjoining estates in this parish. Below this farm southward is a large tract of marshes, called Shirley, or Sherles-moor, being about three miles in length and two in breadth, lying in Woodchurch, Apledore, Eboney, and Tenterden, containing 1245 acres, and is what is called the Upper Levels, the waters of which few through Scots-float into Rye harbour. It is allowed to be the richest land for satting cattle in all these levels. It belongs to several different proprietors, among whom Sir Edward Hales, bart. Thomas Blackmore, esq. the dean and chapter of Canterbury, Richard Curteis, and the heirs of William Henley, esqrs. are the most considerable.

 

Sir Edward Hales, bart. and Richard Hulse, esq. are lessees of the dean and chapter of Canterbury, for lands in this level, which formerly belonged to the priory of Christ-church there.

 

About three quarters of a mile northward from the church, is Redbrooke-street, at which formerly resided a family named At-hale, possessed of lands in this and the neighbouring parishes.

 

THE MANOR OF TOWNLAND, alias WOODCHURCH, is subordinate to that of Apledore, and was part of those lands and estates assigned for the desence of Dover-castle, to the constable of which it was allotted, and made a part of his barony, which was usually stiled from him, the Constabularie, being held by him of the king in capite by barony, by the service of maintaining a certain number of soldiers from time to time for the desence of the castle. Of him and his heirs this manor was held in capite by the service of ward to the castle, Ralph de la Thun held this manor and other lands in Woodchurch, by the above service, in the 43d year of Henry III. in which year he died possessed of it, and from him it acquired the name of Thunland, or Townland, as it was afterwards called. After him Richard de Tunland became possessed of it, whose grandson John Ate Towneland paid aid for it in the 20th year of Edward III. and in his descendants it continued down to Thomas Townland, who died possessed of it in the 7th year of Henry IV. (fn. 1) After which it passed by sale into the family of Norton, whence it was sold, about the beginning of king Henry VIII.'s reign, to the prior and convent of Leeds, who were then possessed of it, as appears by the receipt in the exchequer anno 8 of that reign, Mich. Rot. 35; and it remained part of their possessions till the dissolution of the priory, in the 31st year of that reign, when it came into the hands of the crown; from whence it was granted that year to Thomas, lord Cromwell, earl of Essex, on whose attainder next year, this manor, among the rest of his estates, became forfeited to the crown, where it staid but a small time, for the king, in his 36th year, granted it to Sir Thomas Moile, chancellor of his court of augmentation, who in the 4th year of Edward VI. alienated it to Thomas Ancos, who afterwards sold it to Thomas Lucas, gent, who died possessed of it in the 3d year of queen Elizabeth, hold ing it in capite by knight's service. He was descended from William Lucas, gent. of Ashford, who is recorded in Fuller's history, among those gentry who were returned as such, and qualified to bear arms, by the commissioners anno 12 Henry VI. (fn. 2) By the inquisition taken after his death, it was found, that Thomas Godfrey was his nephew and next heir. He died in the 7th year of that reign, and was succeeded by his brother James Godfrey, who two years afterwards alienated it to Mary, the widow of Sir John Guldeford, of Hemsted, who in the 19th year of that reign sold it to John Shellie, whose son John Shelley, esq. of Michelgrove, was created a baronet in 1611; and in his descendants, baronets, this manor continued till the reign of Charles II. How long it continued in this name, I do not find; for it was now become but of very little note. At length, after some intermediate owners, it became the property of Mr. Gabriel Richards, and since his decease of Mr. William Evans, the present possessor, who resides in it.

 

THE PLACE-HOUSE, or Woodchurch house, is a seat situated at a small distance eastward from the church, and was the habitation of a family who took both their surname and original from it. Anchitel de Woodchurch was possessed of it about the time of the Conqueror, and gave for his arms, Gules, three swords, erected in pale, argent. His grandson Roger de Woodchurch, is the first that is mentioned in the antient deeds, without date, of this estate, and his grandson Sir Simon de Woodchurch, is in the register of those Kentish gentlemen who accompanied king Edward I. in his victorious expedition into Scotland, where he was knighted, with many others of his countrymen. But in him the name, though not the male line, determined; for by matching with Susan, daughter and heir of Henry le Clerk, of Munsidde, in the parish of Kingsnoth, who brought a large inheritance into his family; his successors, out of gratitude to those who had added so much splendour, and annexed so plentiful a revenue to their name, altered their paternal appellation from Woodchurch to Clerke; and in several of their deeds subsequent to this match were written, Clerke, alias Woodchurch. He left two sons, Simon, who died without male issue; (fn. 3) and Clerke Woodchurch, heir to his mother's lands, as well as to his elder brother at this place, on his failure of male issue; which latter left a son Peter Clerke, alias Woodchurch, who inherited this seat on his father's death, and in his descendants it continued down to Humphry Clarke, for so they then wrote their name, who resided at Buckford, in Great Chart. He sold this seat, with the estate belonging to it, to Martin Harlackenden, esq. of this parish, whose successor Walter Harlackenden resided here in the reign of James I. and his descendant Geo. Harlackenden, esq. of Woodchurch, sold it to Winifred Bridger, widow, and Laurence her son, the latter of whom at his death devised it to his son John, who dying s.p. his sister Mrs. Winifrid Bridger, of Canterbury, succeeded to it, and dying in 1776, unmarried, by will gave it to the Rev. William Dejovas Byrch, of Canterbury, and Elizabeth his wife. He died in 1792, and she in 1798, having surviving issue an only daughter Elizabeth, since deceased, who married Samuel Egerton Brydges, esq. of Denton, who is now in his late wife's right became entitled to it.

 

Great part of this house has been pulled down, and the remainder of it makes but a very mean appearance, and is inhabited by several different persons.

 

HENDEN is an estate in this parish, which from having had for a length of time the same owners as that last-described, was once almost accounted an ap pendage to it. This place is supposed (for there are no records existing of it) to have been the original seat of the Hendens, who were in much later times seated at Biddenden-place, in this neighbourhood, as has been mentioned before, where they continued till within these few years. How long they remained possessors of it, cannot therefore be traced; but in the reign of king Richard II. the Capells, of Capellscourt, in Ivychurch, were become owners of it; in the 15th year of which reign Richard Capell died possessed of it. At length, after it had continued in his descendants for some generations, it went by the marriage of a female heir into the family of Harlackenden, of this parish, where it remained till Deborah, daughter and heir of Martin Harlackenden, entitled her husband Sir Edward Hales, knight and baronet, to the possession of this estate, together with others in this parish and neighbourhood, and in his descendants it has continued down to Sir Edward Hales, bart. of St. Stephen's, the present owner of it.

 

HARLACKENDEN, usually called Old Harlackenden, situated within the boroughof that name which extended likewise over part of the adjoining parish of Shadoxhurst) was for some hundred years the patrimonial demesnes of that name and family, as appeared by a tomb in this church, the inscription on which, long since obliterated, shewed that one of them lay interred there soon after the conquest. Philipott says, the proportion and shape of the characters were much like those in use in the reigns of king Henry IV. and V. which he thinks was occasioned by this tomb having been renewed by one of this person's successors and descendants in one of the above reigns, and the former one might have been in old characters, suitable to the time in which it was first erected. There are none now remaining on it. Kilburne says, it was for William Harlackenden, anno 1081. They bore for their arms, Azure, a sess, ermine, between three lions beads erased, or; which arms were painted in an upper window of Grays-Inn hall, and appeared to have been of long standing there. In his descendants, residents here, many of whom lie buried in this church, this seat continued down to Thomas Harlackenden, esq. of Woodchurch, who procured his lands to be disgavelled by the acts of 31 Henry VIII. and 2 and 3 Edward VI. He died in 1558. (fn. 4) At length his descendant George Harlackenden, esq. of this place, alienated it to Winifried Bridger, widow, and Laurence her son, whose heirs, in the 9th year of queen Anne, procured an act to vest it in trustees, and they accordingly sold it, in 1711, to dame Sarah, widow of Sir Paul Barrett, sergeant-at-law. She died that same year, and by the limitation in her will, (fn. 5) this estate devolved to her grandson Sir Francis Head, bart. son of her first husband Francis Head, esq. who died possessed of it in 1768. After which his widow, lady Head, by virtue of her jointure, came into the possession of it. She died in 1792, and it then devolved to the daughters and coheirs of her late husband Sir Francis Head, and to their heirs, in the like proportions as the Hermitage, in Higham, and his other estates in this county, in which state it remains at present. (fn. 6)

 

HENHURST is an estate in the north-east part of this parish, which formerly belonged to a family of the same name, whose more antient seat was at Henhurst, in Staplehurst, of which this was but a younger branch. They were likewise often written in old deeds both Henhurst and Enghurst, and continued owners of this place until the reign of king Henry VII. and then Sir Thomas Henghurst dying without issue male, his daughter and sole heir carried it in marriage to Humphry Wife, whose daughter and heir Agnes entitled her husband Mr. Robert Master to the possession of it, who bore for his arms, A lion, rampant, holding in his paws an escallop shell. His son Mr. Thomas Master resided here, but his son Giles Master quitted this residence and removed to Canterbury, where he died in 1644. At length it descended to Sir Harcourt Master, alderman of London, who became possessed of it for the term of his life, by the will of his father's eldest brother's daughter, Mary Master. He died in 1648. Since which it has continued in his descendants, one of whom, Harcourt Masters, esq. of Greenwich, owns it at this time.

 

HENGHAM, now usually called Great Hengham, corruptly for Engeham, its original name, lies enveloped by woods, about a mile and an half northward from Woodchurch. It was once accounted a manor, and was in early times possessed by a family of the same name, who resided at it, and were stiled sometimes Engham, alias Edingham, in antient deeds, relating to their possessions in different parts of Romney marsh, the latter being probably their original name, and the former one an abbreviation of it. (fn. 7) Alanus de Engham resided here in the reign of king John, and married the daughter of Townland, of this parish, as did his descendant Moses de Engham, alias Edingham, who by marriage with Petronell, daughter of Alan de Plurenden, greatly increased his estate in Woodchurch; and probably of kindred to this family was Odomar Hengham, esq. who died in 1411, and lies buried in the body of Canterbury cathedral. They bore for their arms, Argent, a chevron, sable, between three pellets; on a chief, gules, a lion passant, guardant, or. A branch of this family became possessed of Singleton, in Great Chart, where they rebuilt the mansion, and afterwards resided; but the last residence of the Enghams, in this county, was at Gunston, where they flourished till the beginning of this century. At length Robert Engham, of Woodchurch, leaving two daughters his coheirs, this manor, about the latter end of the reign of Henry VIII. was carried in marriage by Mary, the eldest of them, to Thomas Isley, who leaving five daughters his coheirs, Mary, married to Francis Spelman; Frances, to William Boys, esq. Elizabeth, to Anthony Mason, esq. Anne, to George Delves, esq. and Jane, to Francis Haut, esq. they, in right of their respective wives, became jointly entitled to it. This occasioned a partition of this estate, which was afterwards called by the name of Great and Little Hengham; the former having the antient mansion and manor annexed to it. This part was afterwards alienated to William Hales, esq. of Nackington, who possessed it in the reign of king James I. and in 1640, passed it away by sale to Thomas Godfrey the younger, esq. of Lid, who conveyed it to Clerke, whence it was sold in the reign of king Charles II. to John Grove, gent. of Tunstall, whose descendant Richard Grove, esq. of London, who died unmarried in 1792, by will devised it to Mr. William Jemmott and Mr. William Marshall, the former of whom, on a partition of his estates, became the sole proprietor of it, and continues so at this time. A court baron is held for this manor.

 

THE OTHER PART of this manor, now called Little Hengham, which lies adjoining to it southward, is now the property of the heirs of Abbot, the Whitfields, and the Combers.

 

PLERYNDEN, now corruptly called Plunden, is situated in the north-west part of this parish, in the midst of a wood, and in the denne of the same name. It had in early times owners, who took their furname from it and continued so till Petronell, daughter and heir of Alan de Plerynden, who bore for his arms, Perchevron, in chief, two mullets, in base, a martlet, as they appear, carved in stone, on the roof of Canterbury cloysters, carried it in marriage to Moses de Engham, in whose descendants it remained till Vincent Engham, in the reign of queen Elizabeth, passed it away by sale to William Twysden, esq. of Chelmington, whose descendant Sir Thomas Twysden, bart. of Roydon-hall, in East Peckham, about the beginning of queen Anne's reign, sold it to Mr. John Hooker, of Maidstone, who died possessed of it in 1717, and devised it to his second son John, of Broadoak, in Brenchley, gent. who dying unmarried in 1762, devised it to his youngest and only surviving brother Stephen Hooker, gent. of Halden, and he alienated it to John Children, esq. of Tunbridge, whose son George Children, esq. of that place, is the present owner of it.

 

Charities.

RICHARD BROWNE, late of Woodchurch, by will in 1562, gave to the poor of this parish a rent charge of 4l. 10s. per annum, on every Trinity Sunday for ever, out of a messuage called Webbes, in this parish, of the clear annual produce of 3l. 8s.

 

SIR EDWARD HALES, of Woodchurch, by deed in 1610, gave to the poor yearly rents out of a farm, called the Legg farm, in Kenardington.

 

PHEBE GOBLE, of Woodchurch, by will in 1692, gave to the poor 2l. per annum, to be paid by her heirs for ever, out of a farm, called the Bonny Cravat, in Woodchurch, (now an alehouse) the first Sunday after Old Lady-day.

 

THERE IS A SCHOOL, for reading and writing, supported by contribution, in this parish.

 

The poor constantly relieved are about ninety, casually 45.

 

WOODCHURCH is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the dioceseof Canterbury, and deanry of Limne.

 

¶The church, which is dedicated to All Saints, is large and handsome, consisting of three isles and three chancels, with a spire steeple, shingled, at the west end, in which hang six bells. The windows in the high chancel are small and elegant. There are some very small remains of good painted glass. In this chancel is a stone, with the figure in brass, of a priest praying, and inscription for master Nicholas de Gore, in old French; and another stone, with inscription in brass, for William Benge Capellanus, obt. 1437. In this church are many tombs and gravestones of the family of Harlackenden, which have already been mentioned before. In the south chancel there is a handsome tomb, of Bethersden marble, for Sir Edward Waterhous, chancellor of the exchequer, and privy counsellor to queen Elizabeth, in Ireland, third son of John Waterhous, esq. of Whitechurch, in Buckinghamshire, obt. s. p. 1591, his arms on his tomb, Or, a pile engrailed, sable, quartered with other coats. Kilburne says, in the east window of this chancel, were the arms of Ellis; and in the east window of the north chancel, were several essigies of the Clerkes; and in the north window of it, those of William Harey; all long since gone. The sont in this church seems very antient, being of Bethersden marble, square, and standing on four pillars.

 

This church was part of the antient possessions of the see of Canterbury, and continues so at this time, his grace the archbishop being the present patron of it.

 

It is a rectory, valued in the king's books at 26l.13s. 4d. and the yearly tenths at 2l. 13s. 4d. In 1640 it was valued at one hundred and ten pounds. Communicants three hundred and forty-nine. In 1729 at two hundred and thirty pounds per annum.

 

Among the Lambeth MSS. is a decree of archbishop Peckham, concerning the tithes of Woodchurch, anno 1281. (fn. 8) There are about two acres of glebe land.

 

www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol7/pp226-237

11 x 14 limited edition print by visually impaired artist Michael A. Williams