MEDIEVAL ECHOES: Church of St Mary, Tarrant Crawford, Dorset

MEDIEVAL ECHOES: Church of St Mary, Tarrant Crawford, Dorset

I don’t particularly like to venture out from late July through August, when the schools are on holiday. However, the places that are guaranteed to be free of tourists are parish churches. This August (2024) I ventured out with a friend to visit two Dorset churches...
A WONDER OF THE 14th C: The Abbot’s Kitchen, Glastonbury Abbey

A WONDER OF THE 14th C: The Abbot’s Kitchen, Glastonbury Abbey

With the recent clear, cold weather of January, I visited Glastonbury Abbey to take photographs. I have been fascinated by the Abbot’s kitchen and wanted to reflect on its form and function. The building reminds me a Tudor or Early-Stuart conceit. A playful...
Medieval Echoes: A walk by the River Brue in Bruton, Somerset

Medieval Echoes: A walk by the River Brue in Bruton, Somerset

Walking around Bruton, particularly down by the riverside, one can get the feeling of medieval Somerset. The single-span bridge would have seen trains of packhorses and mules, laden with woolsacks, woollen cloth, and silken cloth making their way through Bruton and...
Tewkesbury Abbey: 14th C Faces

Tewkesbury Abbey: 14th C Faces

On a recent visit to Tewkesbury Abbey, I was struck by the carvings of individual faces from the 14th C. The abbey had an upgrade in the 1320-1350 period, which is likely when the faces were carved. These are faces from over 670 years ago. What were the times they...