Monthly Archives: April 2017
ZigZag – the finer details of cathedral architecture. #atozchallenge
The last day of the A to Z blogging challenge is here! Congratulations to everyone who took part. I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have. I’ve had so much to read, and still to read, as I continue to explore new blogs. As for my Z? Take a look at this picture. […]
York Minster – a church of many lives #atozchallenge
The end of the challenge is drawing near and I’m transporting myself to York for what most be one of the most famous cathedrals, if only because it keeps bouncing back from near destruction. The first church on the site dates back to 627AD and was built in wood, as would have been most churches […]
X – the Crossing point. #atozchallenge
Following my theme of abbeys and cathedrals, my X is less about the letter and more about the shape. Most churches in the UK have the layout of the cross, known as the cruciform – cross-shaped. The eastern end points to the centre of the Christian world, as it was in ancient times – Jerusalem. […]
Wells Cathedral – the poet of cathedrals #atozchallenge
Known as the ‘most poetic of English cathedrals’ Wells is a jewel and memorable. Taking its name from the well that still springs up in the bishop’s palace garden, the site of the cathedral dates back centuries to when in 705AD the king of Wessex founded a minister church. This Saxon church was superseded in […]
Valle Crucis Abbey. #atozchallenge
Valle Crucis means the ‘valley of the cross’. The cross refers to Eliseg’s Pillar which was erected in the 9th Century by the last king of Powys. Wales is now a principality and not a kingdom, and it’s laws of inheritance meant that when a prince dies, his land is divided amongst his sons, legitimate […]
Undercrofts – Chester Cathedral. #atozchallenge
When not looking up, it’s worth a trip down into the underbelly of a cathedral or abbey. While the soaring heights and stained glass are awe inspiring, save a little respect for the undercroft. Used in abbeys as a cellar for storage as well as a sleeping quarters for the lay brothers, the undercroft is […]
Tintern Abbey – A labour of love. #atozchallenge
“If Tintern abbey… what is it?” (say it aloud). This is a quip of the late Terry Wogan, a much loved radio broadcaster who died last year. The correct answer is “Tis an abbey” or simply, “Tis.” Tintern Abbey is more accurately a ruined abbey on the banks of the River Wye in Wales. It […]
Spires – reaching for the heavens. #atozchallenge
A spire is an Old English term for sprout or shoot of grass, something that grows upwards, reaching for the skies. In the case of a church, it is the heavens the spire is intended to reach and for those early Christians, the height of the spire, way above their heads, must have been awe […]
Rievaulx Abbey – Embracing remoteness
‘Far from the haunt of men’ – this quote refers to the Cistercians, who broke away from the existing religious order of the Benedictines to found their own monasteries. They believed in a stricter interpretation of the Rules of St Benedictine and living apart from secular communities and their terrible temptations. Let’s face it, they […]
Queen’s coronation – Westminster Abbey #atozchallenge
Since the coronation of William the Conqueror in 1066, British monarchs have been crowned in Westminster Abbey, barring two: Edward V (murdered) and Edward VIII (abdicated). The throne – King Edward’s Chair – is housed in the abbey’s St George’s Chapel ready for the next coronation. But why here at Westminster? Westminster Abbey is a […]
The Quiet Writer 