Category Archives: travel

St Albans – stained glass and mediaeval paint

Posted on April 5, 2020 by

The sixth post on our visit to the Abbey of St Albans a few years ago. Parts One, Two, Three, Four and Five can be found by clicking the highlighted links. The very first time Stuart came down to visit, … Continue reading →

Posted in Churches, Photography, Spirituality, Stuart France and Sue Vincent, The Initiate, travel, writing | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

St Albans Abbey – ‘and unto God’…

Posted on April 1, 2020 by

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 , , , , , | 4 Comments

Selby Abbey – A final blaze…

Posted on March 28, 2020 by

There is a final jewel at Selby Abbey; the great East Window. I told how the great fire of 1906 had put it in imminent danger of shattering and how a dedicated fire crew had protected the fragile panes with … Continue reading →

Posted in adventure, Photography, scotland road trip, travel | Tagged , , , , | 17 Comments

Selby Abbey – Faces from the past

Posted on March 27, 2020 by

When the church was restored after the fire of 1906, the wooden roof had to be reinstated. Looking up today, you could be forgiven for thinking this is the original work, so faithfully have the beams been reproduced. The bosses, … Continue reading →

Posted in adventure, Photography, scotland road trip, travel | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Selby Abbey – Phoenix

Posted on March 26, 2020 by

“From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring…” Tolkien, Lord of the Rings Just before midnight, October 19th 1906, workers who had been installing a new system in the organ saw flames in … Continue reading →

Posted in adventure, Photography, scotland road trip, travel | Tagged , , , , | 18 Comments

Selby Abbey – Royalty and the American Flag

Posted on March 25, 2020 by

Another huge window fills the end wall of the south transept, showing scenes from the early history of the Abbey at Selby. On both walls, the stained glass depicts members of the Royal House; on one side Victoria, Queen and … Continue reading →

Posted in adventure, Photography, scotland road trip, travel | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

Selby Abbey – Interwoven threads

Posted on March 23, 2020 by

We walked down the Norman nave, passing Abbot Hugh’s pillar, identical to those at Durham cathedral where we had been the day before. Was it only the previous day? Similar too to the great carved columns of Dunfermline a few … Continue reading →

Posted in adventure, Photography, scotland road trip, travel | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Selby Abbey – Dignity and memories

Posted on March 21, 2020 by

We were supposed to be in Scotland this week, revisiting a magical place. However, that cannot happen at the moment. As things are rather up in the air, I thought I’d revisit a past trip this week and share a … Continue reading →

Posted in adventure, Photography, scotland road trip, travel | Tagged , , , , , , | 18 Comments

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 →

Posted in Ancient sites, Churches, History, Photography, travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Carved hills

Posted on January 17, 2020 by

One of the most striking things you can see as you drive through the English countryside is the great white shape of a hill figure cut into the landscape. There are many to see, at least fifty known figures, ranging … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancient sites, earth, England, History, Photography, travel | Tagged , , , , , | 22 Comments