Tag Archives: Saxon

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

Posted on January 12, 2024 by Sue Vincent

“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 archaeology, churches, Derbyshire, folklore, ghosts, local legnds, Repton, Saxon | 17 Comments

Discovering Albion – day 10: Selby Abbey – Interwoven Threads

Posted on January 22, 2021 by Sue Vincent

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 Abbey, church, Gothic, history, Maundy Money, Norman, Saxon, Selby | Leave a comment

Discovering Albion – day 10: Back to St Andrews?

Posted on January 20, 2021 by Sue Vincent

Yes, we were heading back to St Andrews… no, not the one in Scotland, sadly… though I would, given half a chance. In fact, I mused, I could pretty much never come home given a camper van and some way … Continue reading →

Posted in adventure, Photography, scotland road trip, travel | Tagged Middleton, Saxon, Viking carvings, yorkshire | Leave a comment

Discovering Albion – day 7: It Just Kept Coming…

Posted on January 1, 2021 by Sue Vincent

The trouble with Brechin is that no sooner had you marvelled at the Aldbar Cross than you were confronted by the hogback… and all the rest of the stones safely stored in the corner. Now, we had, as you may … Continue reading →

Posted in adventure, Ancient sites, Photography, scotland road trip, travel | Tagged art, Brechin, history, hogback stone, Pict, Saxon | Leave a comment

St Albans – “Count the stars…”

Posted on April 3, 2020 by Sue Vincent

The fourth post on our visit to the Abbey of St Albans a few years ago. Parts One , Two and Three can be found by clicking the highlighted links. We had finally made it into the Crossing at the centre … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancient sites, Art, Churches, Don and Wen, History, medieval wall paintings, Photography, Rose, Sacred sites, Spirituality | Tagged abbey church, At Albans cathedral, January holiday, Norman architecture, Romans, Saxon, shrine, stained glass | 16 Comments

Time travelling: St Wystan’s

Posted on February 16, 2019 by Sue Vincent

We finally made it through the outer door of St Wystan’s church in Repton…and stopped. Two huge columns flank the inner door and, scattered around the porch are fragments of ancient masonry. carved medieval grave slabs and Saxon crosses. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancient sites, Churches, france and vincent, Photography | Tagged archaeology, churches, Derbyshire, folklore, ghosts, local legnds, Repton, Saxon | 9 Comments

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

Posted on February 15, 2019 by Sue Vincent

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 archaeology, churches, Derbyshire, folklore, ghosts, local legnds, mercia, Repton, Saxon, Viking | 19 Comments

Time travelling: The ghosts of Repton…

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Sue Vincent

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 archaeology, churches, Derbyshire, folklore, ghosts, local legnds, Repton, Saxon | 13 Comments

Ashbourne

Posted on January 28, 2019 by Sue Vincent

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 Derbyshire, George Gilbert Scott, Kempe, Norman, Saxon, stained glass, Tudor | 26 Comments

The Wyrm and the Wyrd – Imps and crosses

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Sue Vincent

To be fair, the weekend was over…officially at least… but we had scrounged an extra day to go exploring so, for us, the current of discovery continued. The day dawned fair but overcast, with that strange quality of light that … Continue reading →