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St Mark's Church, Berkeley, CA Salisbury
A town where there is
no need to go looking for interests in dark corners, it is all around. The
city dates back to the 13th Century when it was decided to move the Bishops seat
from Old Sarum. The Cathedral foundations were begun in 1220 and the city
started to grow. Salisbury was built on a grid or chequer system which
left space between the blocks. Cathedral close is the most beautiful in
all England and the list of buildings with interest is unending. The first
sight of the Cathedral is most impressive an early example of English
architecture. Its spire soaring to a height of 404ft the highest in
England, the nave measures 198ft with a clear uncluttered beauty, little having
changed since it was built. Salisbury Cathedral
The first sight of the
Cathedral is most impressive an early example of English architecture. Its
spire soaring to a height of 404ft the highest in England which imposes almost
6,000 tons of stone on the four pillars of the crossing. The Nave measures
198ft with a clear uncluttered beauty, little having changed since it was built.
Foundations no more than 4 feet deep on a bed of gravel, the main building was
begun in 1220 and completed in 1258. The Cloisters and Chapter house being
finished in 1280. It was never a Monastic institution but staffed with
Secular Clergy called Canons. This arrangements continues today.
Canons would be away in their parishes for most of the year, just coming back to
the Cathedral for short periods of time. The present houses round the
close are built on the sites of the former Canons Houses. Wells
Very much a Cathedral city
and dominated by it, the existing building was started in 1180 continued in
stages until 1424. Many of the buildings in the Cathedral precincts are
used today for much the same purposes as that for which they were originally
built. The Vicars Close consists of a cobbled street with a total of 42
small houses built in the 14th Century for the Vicars of the Cathedral.
The Cathedral school was started in 909 and while closing for one short period
of 6 years in 1861 now records over 600 pupils. On the West front there
are 294 sculptures left of the original 386 some damaged beyond recognition, 3
new ones were unveiled by the Prince of Wales in 1985. The Chapter House
reached by an ancient stone stairway is octagonal in shape and part of a two
storey building, could be one of the most beautiful Chapter Houses in Britain.
The Cathedrals South doors lead to beautiful 15/16th Century cloisters Winchester
The historic city of
Winchester has been welcoming groups for centuries, ever since the first
pilgrims visited the shrine of St Wwithun. Already an important town in
Roman times, it became the capital under the Anglo Saxons, and in Alfreds time
871-901 was a great centre of learning. William the Conqueror kept
Winchester as his capital and as late as the 17th Century Charles II planned a
palace here. The city is rich in important buildings, one such building is
the Great Hall, completed in 1235 it is a magnificent example of 13th Century
domestic architecture. It is now an Assize Court. Sir Walter Raleigh was
condemned to death here in 1603 and on the wall hangs what is called King
Arthurs Round Table, marked out and inscribed for his knights. However one
building stands out above all others, the cathedral. Winchester Cathedral
The
building was started in 1079 and consecrated in 1093. Work from this
period can still be seen in the crypt, transepts and east part of the cloister.
Between 1189 and 1204 the lady chapel was built and the choir extended. It
is the longest Medieval Cathedral in Europe (556ft) in 1110 the central tower
collapsed and was rebuilt with the supporting piers greatly strengthened (they
are now 20ft in width). Among its treasures is the Great Winchester Bible dating
back to the 12th Century, this illuminated copy was written in the scriptorium
at Winchester and is now preserved in the Cathedral library. Romsey
Like most Abbey towns
Romsey grew up around the ecclesiastical site. King John`s hunting box
over the centuries has at various times been, abbey guest house, cottages and
even a workhouse. It is a flint and stone house and was only rediscovered
during the early part of this century. It is widely accepted that Edward I
visited with attendants during the year 1301. Evidence has been found
scratched in the plasterwork of the upper rooms, of various heads, shields and
mottoes associated with noblemen of the day, together with a life-size drawing
of the King himself, resplendent in crown. It is also recorded that King
John had sent his daughter here to be educated just over a century before the
visit of King Edward. Romsey Abbey
The Abbey dates back to
the start of the 10th century. Anglo-Saxon foundations have in fact been
discovered. (a trapdoor exists to access the remains from the church). The
main building however does date back to the 12th Century built by Henry de Blois,
Bishop of Winchester. The church was actually sold to the town for £100
during the dissolution. With the exception of the West front the Abbey is
entirely 12th Century. The Norman nave is over 250ft long and soars to a
height of over 70ft. Some very interesting items are to be seen within the
walls, especially at the rear of the altar in the South choir aisle, where you
can see a small Anglo-Saxon rood showing Christ with angels and soldiers.
Also on the West wall of the South transept hangs a crucifixion with the hand of
god reaching down, it is verified that this also dates back to Anglo-Saxon
times. A delightful Abbey which cannot fail to inspire and enthuse one. Stonehenge
There is nothing quite
like this awe inspiring monument anywhere else in the world, yet at first sight
it is curiously disappointing, probably because it is set on a plain so vast
that in comparison the stones seem quite insignificant. It is only when
man stands close to the stones that he seems so puny in comparison and it is
hard to imagine how centuries ago, with only primitive tools to help them, men
could possibly have placed these huge boulders into position.
Old Sarum
Such
a historic place covering an area of approx 56 acres. Important due to its
prominence above the countryside below. First remains indicate a Iron age
camp, followed by the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons, then the Danes who pillaged the
area in 1003. In 1070 William the Conqueror reviewed his troops on the
plains below. The site really moved forward just after William departed.
The Episcopal See was moved from Sherborne to Sarum and a new Cathedral and
Castle where built on the site. However by 1220 the area was becoming too
small for the requirements of the community so a new Cathedral was planned
nearby.(New Sarum or as it later became Salisbury) stones from the old Cathedral
where carried away and used in the construction of the new Cathedral. Truro
Capital city of Cornwall,
the commercial hub of the area. During the Middle ages it was an important
port for the export of iron ore, it is now a market town and an administrative
centre for the county. Stood for the King during the Civil War but really
history has passed it by. Truro Cathedral Although
by our standards a modern Cathedral dedicated in 1910. No one can fail to
be impressed when approaching the city, a soaring spire 250ft catching the eye
and dominating the centre of the city. It was the first Anglican Cathedral
to be built on a new site in this country since Salisbury in the 13th
Century. The County of Cornwall had been an Archdeaconry of Exeter until
the decision taken on the 15th December 1876 which declared the
See founded at Truro. The first bishop was Edward Benson Enthoned in
1877. Not in a Cathedral but in the small parish church of St Mary the
Virgin. The foundation stone of the new Cathedral was laid on the 20th
May 1880 by the then Prince of Wales later to become King Edward VII. The
building was completed and dedicated in 1910. St. Mawes
Beautifully situated on the
Cornish South coast, at the Eastern side of the entrance to the Carrick Roads.
The name of the town derives from that of its patron, Saint Mawdeth, a rather
obscure Celtic Monk. The church is mentioned in a document of 1345 as
being dedicated to Sanctus Maudetus. There are several thatched houses on
the waterfront overlooking the bay, behind the quay the narrow streets rise
steeply, with fine views over the river. St. Michaels Mount
At high tide it
must be reached by boat. At low tide it is possible to walk across the causeway
and up its steep cobbled pathway to its battlements. At some time in the
past it was joined to the mainland. Takes its name from the dedication of
its Chapel to St Michael the Archangel. In the Doomsday book it was
recorded as Sanctus Michael. According to an old Cornish legend, St
Michael appeared to some fishermen on the Western side of the island in about
500AD In 1044 a Benedictine Monastery was founded on it. Then owned
by the Monks of Mont St Michel off Brittany in France, to which it bears a
striking resemblance. In 1425 the crown ejected the Monks and it became a
fortress due to its strategic location. It then passed from noble to noble
until 1657 when the St Aubyn family bought it. It remained as the family
home until 1954 when the national trust acquired the land. A population of
approx 40/50 people still live on the island, mainly around the waters edge in a
Harbourside community. The church is of particular interest being of 14th
Century origin with a fine North door. Trelissick Gardens
25 acres of garden set in
parkland overlooking the Fal River, Carrick Roads and the harbour. The
property offers a port of call of exceptional beauty for general and specialist
visitors in a county already remarkable for its breathtaking coastal landscapes. Falmouth
Magnificent setting, its
harbour is claimed to be the third largest natural one in the world. It
also claims to have the most temperate climate of any resort in the UK.
Sir Walter Raleigh landed here in 1590, however it did not become a parish till
1664 and not till 1670 did it have a quay. Truro and Penryn being the more
important ports. However the coming of the larger ships gave the town its
chance, in 1688 it was chosen as the mail packet station and by 1827, 39 ships
where delivering letters all over the world. The arrival of the steamships
heralded the decline in Falmouths fortune but in 1863 the first tourists
discovered this jewel in the South West. Still a busy port servicing large
tankers up to 90,000 tons and many smaller vessels tie up in the multitude of
small creeks that run off the Fal Estuary. A very important embarkation
area for ships heading off to France on D-Day 6th June 1944.
Plenty of places to eat with many old pubs backing onto the main street which runs
parallel to the main quay. |
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