Category Archives: Churches

St Albans… ‘render unto Caesar’

Posted on March 31, 2020 by

A few years ago, we set out early for a visit to St Albans. The beautiful sky soon clouded over, though, leaving us with a chill and persistent rain. We’d been meaning to visit the town for a long time, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Churches, Don and Wen, History, Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Fragments of history

Posted on February 29, 2020 by

Over the past month or so, we have been revisiting places in my local area in preparation for the April workshop we will be running here. There are so many wonderful sites that we would love to include, but time … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancient sites, Books, Churches, England, Friendship, Heart of Albion, History, Life, Love and Laughter, medieval wall paintings, Photography, Spirituality | Tagged , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Ancient stories

Posted on February 18, 2020 by

One of the things that have struck home over the past few years, wandering around the churches of Britain, is just how much we learn and understand from stories and images. The record held in these ancient places goes back … Continue reading →

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A Cistercian Abbey

Posted on January 18, 2020 by

I spent much of my childhood within walking distance of the ruins of Kirkstall Abbey, a place where history and legends seem to meld into a story perfectly designed to capture the imagination of a child. The abbey sits amid … Continue reading →

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A weekend wander II: Stories from the past…

Posted on January 9, 2020 by

The church at North Marston has changed much since the death of John Schorne in 1313. The miracles and healings attributed to this saintly man made the church into a place of pilgrimage and that, in turn, brought gifts and … Continue reading →

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A weekend wander: Conjuring the Devil?

Posted on January 8, 2020 by

On Sunday afternoon, with a little time to spare, we wandered out to North Marston, just a few miles from my home, to revisit the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. While its name is quite a … Continue reading →

Posted in Churches, England, france and vincent, Living Lore, Photography | Tagged , , , , , | 19 Comments

Laying a trail…

Posted on January 6, 2020 by

I pulled the camper-van into the parking spot and woke my companion. While he set about making coffee in the snazzy little kitchen, I rummaged in the storage compartment for the tool kit and another sign. We had done well … Continue reading →

Posted in adventure, albion, Ancient sites, Books, Churches, Don and Wen, france and vincent, Sacred sites, Scotland, Spirituality, symbolism, Templars | Tagged , , | 19 Comments

Whitby Weekend: One last wonder… II

Posted on January 4, 2020 by

It hits you as soon as you open the door… the towering figures of St George and St Christopher draw your eyes. On our first visit, we’d had no idea what we would find when we stepped inside, but even … Continue reading →

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Whitby Weekend: One last wonder…

Posted on January 3, 2020 by

There was time for one more visit before our ways parted. Gary knew the town well from time spent there with his father, but could not recall ever visiting the church. Stuart and I have been there before… and were … Continue reading →

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Whitby Weekend: Fantastic beasts

Posted on January 2, 2020 by

What we had really come to see at St Andrew’s church had very little to do with the church itself, except that many of the carved, tenth-century stones had been found, used long ago as building blocks within its walls. … Continue reading →

Posted in albion, archaeology, Art, Churches, History, Photography | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments