Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey is founded upon a religious site of the 7th century. A monastery until 1539. Then an abbey and had the status of a cathedral until 1560. Although it is still referred to as an abbey, it currently has the status of a “Royal Peculiar” and is directly responsible to the monarch. It has been the place of royal coronation and burial since 1066.
Sited next to the Houses of Parliament ⇒, it is open to the public (for a fee – see the Abbey website ⇒ and history ⇒) but photography is not allowed inside.
The interior photographs that follow are taken from the Abbey website’s photo-gallery ⇒ that provides downloads for personal use.
Stained Glass and A Quaint Corner in Walthamstow
Not far from here is Walthamstow Street Market ⇒ which dates from 1885 and is the longest street market in Europe. Also in Walthamsow is the William Morris Gallery ⇐ and just behind that is beautiful Lloyd Park ⇐.
This spot is up St Marys Rd or by bus up Church Hill. The sign post is rather whimsical as the only place open to the general public is the Vestry Museum and the church (for services and events). There is of course a pub with a garden.
Down the hill is Walthamstow. Behind the tree is the Vestry House Museum (in another post). To the right is one of the Alms Houses.
The Ancient House. And, there’s that pub again. Did I mention that it has a garden ?
And a n ancient Pillar Box for post.
St Mary’s Church ⇒ is open for services and a number of events. I managed to sneak in while they were preparing for a concert.
The above can be expanded for reading. Click on the image and then again to expand.
There wasn’t a lot of stained glass but it was of good quality.
So it’s goodbye from sunny (sometimes) Walthamstow
William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow
William Morris (1834 to 1896) ⇒ was a writer, illustrator, textile/wallpaper designer, a social activist and founder of the Kelmscott Press. He had a considerable influence upon design during and after the Victorian period and was a close associate of Rossetti, Webb, Ruskin and Burne-Jones.
The gallery is free to enter and contains additional works by Burne-Jones. It is not a huge collection but there is a lot of educational material and some artifacts with a real wow factor. In addition the gallery provides an online collection, exhibitions (Mary Morris from October 2017 to January 2018), workshops and masterclasses. Please see the gallery website ⇒ . The easiest way to get to the gallery is at the bottom of this page.
More of William Morris can be found at the Red House ⇐ in Bexleheath (south-east of London) where he founded the decorative arts company, Morris, Marshal & Faulkner & Co which included wives and other family members.
The above wallpaper was for Queen Victoria and required 66 separate woodcuts (that’s how it was done) for each section.
The stained glass is by Edward Burne-Jones
For a closer look please right-click on the image, select “open in a new tab” and then left click in the tab/image to enlarge.
Ruskin advised aspiring artists to copy a work by Albert Dürer “until you can’t look at anything else”. William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones spent hours with the above Knight, Death and the Devil.
.
Bust of William Morris
The easiest way to get to the gallery is by traveling to Tottenham Hale Rail Station (or Blackhorse Road Staion) and then take the number 123 bus which stops right outside the gallery pictured below.
Behind the gallery is the gallery garden and further on is the very pretty Lloyd Park ⇐. Together with the free gallery it makes a very pleasant day out. 🙂
Victoriana at 18 Stafford Terrace and the Sambournes
Edward Lynley Sambourne and his wife (Marion) took residence of 18 Stafford Terrace in Kensington in 1874. The Sambourne family and descendants maintained the Victorian style and content. The house was taken over and maintained by the Victorian Society and then the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in 1989.
The website ⇒ is informative, interesting and shows much of Edward Lylynley Sambourne’s work as an illustrator. There are a variety of tours available and open house (when photography is allowed) on some afternoons. Hence the website is an essential read for those who wish to visit and may wish to note there are four flights of stairs without a lift.
The website is also used by Leighton House. An interesting place but photography is not allowed (2017).
For 40 years Edward Lynley Sambourne was notable contributor to the comedic and satirical magazine Punch ⇒ (its website includes a large gallery of cartoons). The house at 18 Stafford Terrace is full of drawings, artworks and some very fine stained glass. He also created the earliest draft drawings for the illustrated version of the Rev Charles Kingsley’s book the Water-Babies. More of Edward Lynley Sambourne’s work ⇒ as shown on Flickr.
The house and its atmosphere has been so carefully preserved that it is like walking back in time, although one can only enter the edge of each room. Enjoy ~ 🙂
. . and goodnight all. 🙂
Canterbury Cathedral
17 Pics. Canterbury Cathedral ⇒ was founded in 597 by Augustine and enlarged during the 11th and 12th centuries. The cathedral became notable when archbishop Thomas Becket ⇒ was murdered there by followers of Henry II. Becket was later cannonised as a martyr and Canterbury became a place of pilgrimage.
Canterbury became yet more famous when Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales ⇒ in 1386.
The cathedral is not so greatly ornate as St Paul’s Cathedral ⇐ but it is an extraordinary sight. There is a charge for entry so please see the website ⇒.
.
The gate to the cathedral precincts.
.
.
Cathedral Entrance
.
The entrance leads into the Nave and one is struck by the huge size and antiquity of the cathedral. The ability to construct on this scale without the assistance of modern technology is awe inspiring.
Looking back from the far end of the Nave.
Continuing further there is the entrance to the Quire and Trinity Chapel.
.
.
Some of the stained glass along the way.
The Quire and Trinity Chapel.
.
The tomb of Archbishop Chichelle. There are many tombs in the cathedral including Henry IV and Edward the Black Prince. Archbishop Chicelle is the most ornate. Thomas Becket was buried beneath Trinity Chapel but his bones were destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the reign of Henry VIII .
.
.
It seems that graffiti is nothing new, although it is always worth taking a close look in old churches and buildings for Witch Marks ⇒, which are not quite as they sound.
AND don’t miss out on the Cloisters with their extraordinary ceilings (I did). They are at the back of the cathedral. Here are some Google pictures ⇒ .
Thanks for visiting Freed From Time and there are a lot venues at About Canterbury ⇐.
The Blackfriars Pub
The Blackfriars Public House is where Queen Victoria Street meets the northern approach to Blackfriars Bridge and is very near to Blackfriars underground rail station in central London.
The bridge has recently been covered with solar panels. This makes it the largest solar power providing bridge in the world. Across the bridge is the South Bank ⇐ with its many attractions.
The Blackfriars region of London gained its name in 1317 from the black capes (capa) used by the brothers (frere) of the priory. More ⇒.
The public house was built in 1905 on the site of an old Dominican Friary. More and menus ⇒.
.
Don’t Advertise It. Tell A Gossip. By Henry Poole
.
.
.
St Mary’s Church in Stoke Newington
A view of the stunning St Mary’s Church⇒, designed by George Gilbert Scott, as seen from just inside Clissold Park⇐ at the eastern end. The church dates from 1858 and was built when the “Old” church (further down this page) was no longer adequate. Inside the “New” church ⇓.
.
.
.
.
.
And, from the street ⇑. Just to the left, on the nearer side of the street, is the old church ⇓.
The old church site dates back to the early 14th century but was rebuilt during the 16th century. This makes it the oldest Elizabethan church still in use in London. It is also a venue for community events, artwork, music and for hire. The website is here⇐.
Thanks for the visit and perhaps you would like the Clissold Park Goslings⇐.
Southwark Cathedral Interiors, Stained Glass and Legend
21 pics. Southwark Cathedral has some of the finest stained glass that I’ve seen anywhere. It is free to enter and a non-commercial photographers permit/sticker can be purchased from the shop for £2.50. The Wiki hiistory is here and the cathedral’s website is here.
The site of Southwark Cathedral has been a place of worship for more than a 1000 years and has a curious legend attached to its origins (see below). It is is very close to London Bridge Station and near to Bankside, The South Bank, The New Globe Theatre, The Tate Modern and many other venues of interest (South Bank Attractions »).
Beside the cathedral is the Borough food market where one can purchase almost anything from Falafel to Thai food.
For a closer view please click on an image and then again to magnify.
Southwark Cathedral End of Nave and Font
.
.
Southwark Cathedral Choir and Sanctuary
.
Southwark Cathedral Sanctuary
.
Stained Glass
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Restored by Harvard Alumni after WWII bomb damage
.
Artifacts
.
.
.
The site of the original Globe Theatre is nearby and William Shakepeare lived in the parish for several years.
.
This is the cathedral’s present owner. Well, he thinks he is and that he put the cat in cathedral. 🙂 .
“Everybody else is having a lie down so why not me”. 🙂
.
.
.
.
.
The Legend of Mary Ovarie
.
Not far from the cathedral, on Bankside, there is a replica of Drake’s ship the Golden Hinde. Beside the ship is a stone tablet with the strange legend of Mary Ovarie and the origins of Southwark Cathedral.
You can click on the image to expand and magnify, but some of the writing is a little faded so it is reproduced below.
.
.
“Legend suggests that before the construction of London Bridge in the tenth century a ferry existed here. Ferrying passengers across the River Thames was a lucrative trade. John Overs who, with his watermen and apprentices, kept the “traverse ferrie over the Thames”, made such a good living that he was able to acquire a considerable estate on the south bank of the river.
John Overs was a notorious miser and devised a plan to save money. He would feign death believing that his family and servants would fast out of respect and thereby save a day’s provisions. However, when he carried out the plan, the servants were so overjoyed at his death that they began to feast and make merry. In a rage the old man leapt out of bed to the horror of his servants, one of whom picked up a broken oar and “thinking to kill the Devil at the first blow, actually struck out his brains”.
The ferryman’s distressed daughter Mary sent for her lover, who in haste to claim the inheritance fell from his horse and broke his neck. Mary was so overcome by these misfortunes that she devoted her inheritance to founding a convent into which she retreated.
This became the priory of Saint Mary Overie, Mary having been made a saint on account of her charity. During the Reformation the church of St Mary Overie was renamed St Saviour’s Church. In 1905 it became Southwark Cathedral and the collegiate church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie.”
Well, would you Adam and Eve it.
Bow Bells, Cockneys, Dick Whitington and Captain John Smith
The Church of St Mary Le Bow
The Church of St Mary Le Bow is in Cheapside and but 3 minutes walk from St Paul’s Cathedral. To be a true Cockney, which is not quite what people think, one must be born within the sound of St Mary Le Bow bells. Their website can be found here and this is not the same place as St Mary’s in the district of Bow.
According to folklore Dick Whittington changed his mind about leaving London when he heard the peal of Bow bells, and so changed his fortunes and became Lord Mayor of London. There was in fact a Richard Whittington who was Lord Mayor of London several times during the 14th century.
.
.
.
There is also a cosy little crypt converted into a pleasant café.
.
.
In the square, just outside the church, is a statue of Captain John Smith. The captain was a mercenary, pirate, explorer and at one time leader of Jamestown the first permanent English colony in America. It is said (mostly by himself) that his life was once saved by Pocohantas. He was probably what we would call now, a real swashbuckler. Anybody who wore rain-catcher boots like that had to be hardy. 🙂
Waltham Abbey and King Harold’s Day
The Church
There has been a church on this site since 610 AD. Rebuilt on a grander scale by Harold Godwinson (Earl of Essex and East Anglia) and consecrated in 1060 AD. The church has a long history that can be found here.
Harold Godwinson later became King Harold II in 1066. During that year Harold was forced to march north to Stamford Bridge and fend of a viking invasion. Two weeks later he was in Hastings trying to repel the Norman invasion. The Normans prevailed over the Anglo-Saxons and England/Britain was changed forever. This was the last successful invasion of the British Isles.
.
.
.
.
.
.
King Harold’s Day
.
.
“Hit me with your rhythm stick”. Morris dancing didn’t appear until 1448 but I’m not going to say anyting.
“I don’t know why they do it. They’d be better of with a hammer, like me and Thor”.
She was very good and produced some appealing airs.
The value of life was accounted very differently then. A slaves life being worth less than a toe of any other person.
On the other hand they had some sophisticated shoe marketing techniques.
What did the Normans ever do for us ?
“Falcons, who said falcons, I’ll give them food poisoning”. The falconry display includes a Peregrine Falcon and is here 🙂
Strawberry Hill House – Interiors
The interiors of Strawberry Hill House are so well refurbished, that it seems waiting for its first occupants. Whilst the house has few artifacts at present, the trust is raising funds to restore at least some of Horace Walpole’s massive collection. For pictures of the castle-like exterior, history and essential information for visitors please click here.
These pictures are not necessarily in the order they were taken, do not include all the rooms and it is essential to use the guide-book to ensure seeing everything.
It is worth magnifying some of these pictures, especially the stained glass. To do so please click on a picture and then again to magnify and then use your browser’s “back” key to return here.. Enjoy 🙂 .
The Temple Church
16 pics – The Temple Church dates from 1185 and can be found amidst the Temple Court. More pictures of the Temple Court and how to find it here⇐.
Flowers of the Temple Court here⇐,
Admission to the Temple Church here⇒ (do check for admission dates/times) and its History here. It has some of the most intricate stained glass that I have ever seen and there are pictures further down.
These are four separate windows.
The National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
9 Pics. Admission to The National Maritime Museum at Greenwich is free and non-commercial photography does not require a license. There are many other attractions (mostly free) at Greenwich. Please click here for more and for travel information.
The Top Floor Gallery
Horatio Nelson. The painting was commissioned by a friend in Nelson’s younger days
The First Floor Mezzanine
The Ground Floor
I do like the little dog. He looks like a fiercely loyal friend, or a headbanger. 😛
The First Floor
There isn’t a lot on the first floor but it does provide an elevated view of ground floor exhibits.
It was him. No, it was him with the sword. How dare you sir. I will draw my sword and cut off your nose.
No, it was me with the smug expression, and I’ve got a scroll. 😛
Hampton Court Palace
14 pics –Travel to Hampton Court by Train or River. — Admission/Information/Events. Admission can include Hampton Court Palace or just the gardens. The gardens usually close at 5 pm and the Palace at 6 pm. Pictures of Hampton Court Gardens. The Royal Chapel is the best feature and, although photography is not allowed, you can view here.
Somebody got caught in his pyjamas.
Many of the tapestries are very old and faded. The frescos likewise. I picked the best I could find.
Freed From Time 