Category Archives: historic sites

The wounded heart of Paris

Posted on April 17, 2019 by

The white dome of the Sacré-Cœur, floating like some fairy tale castle against the blackness was my very first glimpse of Paris. It was a school trip, we were no more than children… and I fell in love with the … Continue reading →

Posted in historic sites, Memories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 53 Comments

The mystery in ‘my back yard…’

Posted on April 15, 2019 by

Stuart Templeton at Ratmobile Adventures recently wrote about an impromptu stop and a battle by a bridge. It reminded me of a battle that took place locally… For some reason or another, I’ve been thinking about the church at Hardwick … Continue reading →

Posted in archaeology, Churches, Don and Wen, England, historic sites, History, mystery, Photography | Tagged , , , , , , | 40 Comments

Elusive realities: The touch of the past..?

Posted on April 5, 2019 by

We visit a lot of ancient sites and, over the years, have developed both a set of ideas and a bit of a ‘feel’ for these places. Some of those ideas have later been borne out by research into the … Continue reading →

Posted in albion, ancient mound, Ancient sites, Don and Wen, Elusive realities, france and vincent, historic sites, History | Tagged , , , , , | 34 Comments

Time travelling: A place of kings and “holy air…”

Posted on February 18, 2019 by

“Holy air encased in stone” … that is how Sir John Betjeman described the crypt at Repton, and it was this that we had come to see… we hoped. On a previous visit, the crypt had been locked. This time, … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancient sites, archaeology, Churches, historic sites, Photography, Sacred sites, Stuart France and Sue Vincent | Tagged , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Time travelling: Ivar the Boneless and the Bone-yard…

Posted on February 15, 2019 by

Repton today is no more than a small Derbyshire village, but once it was the capital of Mercia, one of the most powerful realms of its era. For three hundred years, Mercia encompassed most of what would eventually become the … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancient sites, Churches, france and vincent, historic sites, Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Time travelling: The ghosts of Repton…

Posted on February 14, 2019 by

After our visit to the wonderful church at Breedon, with its wealth of carved Saxon stonework, it seemed only right to call at Repton, less than ten miles away… and probably much closer in the days when horse and foot … Continue reading →

Posted in albion, Ancient sites, Churches, Folk Tale, france and vincent, historic sites, Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Time travelling

Posted on February 6, 2019 by

Nearly five years ago and with strict instructions from my writing partner about ‘not finding things’ on my way north without him, I had accidentally found Breedon on the Hill and we had been ‘going to’ go there together ever … Continue reading →

Posted in albion, Ancient sites, Churches, Don and Wen, England, historic sites, Landscape, Photography, Stuart France and Sue Vincent | Tagged , , , , , | 20 Comments

Ashbourne

Posted on January 28, 2019 by

Pre-Raphaelite glass sits in walls pitted by Cromwellian gunfire, while a 1950s reredos graces a chancel that dates back to 1241. That’s why I love these old churches… the history of a community is written within their walls in wood … Continue reading →

Posted in albion, Ancient sites, Art, Churches, Doomsday: The Ætheling Thing, England, historic sites, Photography, Sacred sites, Spirituality | Tagged , , , , , , | 26 Comments

Flight of fancy

Posted on January 26, 2019 by

Just a few miles away from my home is the little market town of Thame.  It is an interesting place with some beautiful old architecture. I have seen a fair bit of it this year as I have had to … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancient sites, Art, Churches, historic sites, Spirituality | Tagged , , , , , | 30 Comments

Seeking the sacred

Posted on January 24, 2019 by

All my life I have visited sacred sites when I could, and I have been lucky enough to visit many. Whether ancient church, temple, stone circle or legendary landscape, there is something about these sites that touches a place deep … Continue reading →

Posted in albion, Ancestors, ancient mound, Ancient sites, historic sites, History, Spirituality | Tagged , , , | 34 Comments