Category Archives: Churches

St Albans – ‘Not built by hands…’

Posted on April 2, 2020 by Sue Vincent

The third post on our visit to the Abbey of St Albans a few years ago. Parts One and Two can be found by clicking the highlighted links. “Look,” said my companion, pointing at two small figures in a pair … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Churches, Don and Wen, History, medieval wall paintings, Photography, Sacred sites, Spirituality | Tagged George Gilbert Scott, Grimthorpe, January holiday, St Albans Abbey, stained glass | 2 Comments

St Albans Abbey – ‘and unto God’…

Posted on April 1, 2020 by Sue Vincent

The second post on our visit to the Abbey in St Albans a few years ago. The first post can be found here. Where do you start? If the fabric of the building is made of fifteen hundred years and … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancient sites, Books, Churches, Don and Wen, England, Photography, travel | Tagged January holiday, medieval wall paintings, Ninian Comper, St Alban, stained glass, The Initiate | 4 Comments

St Albans… ‘render unto Caesar’

Posted on March 31, 2020 by Sue Vincent

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 architecture, George Gilbert Scott, January holiday, Norman architecture, Romans, St Albans, stained glass, stone carving | 24 Comments

Fragments of history

Posted on February 29, 2020 by Sue Vincent

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 being, Books, consciousness, history, Life, Photography, spirituality, Stuart France | 20 Comments

Ancient stories

Posted on February 18, 2020 by Sue Vincent

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 →

Posted in Ancient sites, Books, Churches, Sacred sites, Spirituality, symbolism | Tagged England, history, medieval wall paintings, Mythology, sacred sites, symbolism, The Initiate | Leave a comment

A Cistercian Abbey

Posted on January 18, 2020 by Sue Vincent

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 →

Posted in Ancient sites, Churches, History, Photography, travel | Tagged Cistercian, Cranmer, ghosts, Henry VIII, Kirkstall Abbey, Kirkstall Forge, Leeds, legends, yorkshire | 23 Comments

A weekend wander II: Stories from the past…

Posted on January 9, 2020 by Sue Vincent

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 →

Posted in Art, Books, Churches, Photography | Tagged Henry VIII, hsitory, John Camden Nield, John Schorne, Queen Victoria, shrine, stained glass, symbolism | 8 Comments

A weekend wander: Conjuring the Devil?

Posted on January 8, 2020 by Sue Vincent

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 buckinghamshire, healing well, Holy well, legends, miracles, Schorne | 19 Comments

Laying a trail…

Posted on January 6, 2020 by Sue Vincent

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 landscape, magic, mystery | 19 Comments

Whitby Weekend: One last wonder… II

Posted on January 4, 2020 by Sue Vincent

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 →