Butterfield in Babbacombe – All Saints Church

Butterfield in Babbacombe – All Saints Church

Parish Church of All Saints, St. Alban’s Road, Babbacombe, Torbay, Devon (1865-74). One of the key works of the architect William Butterfield (1814 to 1900) that sticks in my mind is that of Keble College, Oxford. The overall shape of the building appears as a sober,...
Life on the edge – the Cistercian Abbey of Dunkeswell, Devon

Life on the edge – the Cistercian Abbey of Dunkeswell, Devon

Figure 1: Ruins of the north wall of west range at Dunkeswell Abbey, East Devon. Church of 1842 behind. Nestling in a valley of the Blackdown Hills, on the banks of the River Madford, are the enigmatic remains of Dunkeswell Abbey. Only fragments are left of the abbey...
Anglo-Saxon Baluster Shafts: Northamptonshire

Anglo-Saxon Baluster Shafts: Northamptonshire

Figure 1: Belfry Windows with Anglo-Saxon Baluster Shafts at All Saints, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire When looking at Anglo-Saxon churches there are 4 features to look out for: Belfry Windows Triangular-headed doorways or windows Strip-work on wall surfaces...
Joy, Music & Scissor Arches at Wells Cathedral

Joy, Music & Scissor Arches at Wells Cathedral

On the 27th July 2019 I attended a concert of the Somerset Chamber Choir in Wells Cathedral. The picture above is one I took just as the audience were settling and the choir were getting ready to start. The choir is in front of, and framed by, one of the three...
In Praise of Hands

In Praise of Hands

Figure 1: Hand gestures: The Bayeux Tapestry – the arrival of Halley’s Comet in the sky (Source: Thames & Hudson, The Bayeux Tapestry (London: Thames & Hudson, 1985), p. 32) The other day I was watching my dog scrabbling to get at a treat that had slid...
Moustachioed Gargoyles at Castle Cary

Moustachioed Gargoyles at Castle Cary

In the fallow period between Christmas and New Year I like to escape for a few hours on a local adventure. It was one such day I took myself and my camera to Castle Cary. I came upon All Saints Church on a low hill on the outskirts of the town. It has an impressive...