Photo Advent - 7th December

[byslantedlight]

Turns out the local church is very pretty indeed, inside - a friend asked if I'd go to a Christmas choir concert with her, because she wanted to see what they were like (she sings), so I did. It was very village-choir-singing-carols, and a nice excuse to just sit and gaze about me, while trying not to fret because I had a headache all day and still needed to finish half the day's work.. *g* (Blimey - and I've just read that the church dates from the fourteenth century - I shall have to find out more! ... Okay, and the village is in the Domesday book - well I didn't know that - and there's a bronze age hillfort nearby. Cool. *g*)

Comments

[heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com]

ha, for a split second I thought that was a lovely brooch or bauble - until my brain went through 90 degrees and tipped me to looking upwards! *bg*. Coffering, is that what it's called, a coffered ceiling? But hmm, it's vaulted too ... Or am I thinking of something else ... argh, bad brain, no biscuit :-( Strange to think of such ancient places being sort of there all the time - around here they're all mostly invisible or buried far under our feet, until archaeologists and historians show them to us :-)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

It does rather look like a brooch, doesn't it! I quite like abstract-y photos like that, where they suddenly tip you in other directions - so I hope you didn't mind too much. *g* And ooh yes, I bet it's coffered. And vaulted. It was high, anyway... *g*

I always think you've got so many thousands of places like this though, in London! I know lots of new buildings have taken lots of old buildings places, but then you look up and there's a hidden corner with an ancient face staring at you, or a ghost-sign, or a blue plaque... *g*

[siskiou.livejournal.com]

Lots to discover in and around the village! That's quite an impressive ceiling!
And in the Domesday Book? I'll have to read up to remind myself what exactly that is again.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I will definitely have to do some proper exploring of the village - I hope I get to stay here long enough this time!

The Domesday book was a kind of land survey that William the Conqueror made of his new kingdom, in 1086. It listed all the villages and properties and so on, and who had what kind of incomes. There's a website for it here, or info here from the National Archives.

The entry for Glastonbury, where I was living before I went to Aus and NZ, apparently reads "Glastingberie / Glaestingeberia: Glastonbury Church. Vineyard. 5 cobs, 58 cattle, 20 pigs, 50 goats."

Oh - the entry for Bath is a bit different: "
Bada / Bade: Before 1066 it paid tax for 20 hides when the shire paid tax. The King has 64 burgesses who pay £4; 90 burgesses of other men pay 60s there. The King has 6 derelict houses. This Borough, with the said BATHEASTON, pays £60 at face value and 1 gold mark. Besides this, the mint pays 100s. Edward the Sheriff pays £11 of the third penny of this Borough. From this Borough 1 house has been taken away. Hugh the Interpreter holds it; value 2s. Of the third penny (of) ILCHESTER William of Mohun pays £6 at 20 (pence) to the ora; of MILBORNE (Port) 20s; of BRUTON 20s; of LANGPORT 10s; of AXBRIDGE 10s; of FROME 5s."

[loxleyprince.livejournal.com]

Booo! for the headache but oh, what a beautiful roof! The colours are lovely (and so very British :-)
I'm very much looking forward to pics of the bronze age hill fort as time, weather, work, and headaches permit.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Definitely boo for the headache, but it did finally go away, so yeay. *g* The church is beautiful - I kept meaning to go and have a look when I lived nearby a few years ago, and never did - all that time I wasted not knowing how fab it was!

There will definitely be pics of the bronze age hillfort (assuming you can still see something *g*) - as soon as it stops raining quite so much!

[cyanne]

I always have to remind myself to look up when I'm wandering around various places. You never know what you might find and I really like this, it's beautiful. I'm not religious but I do like the history and the historical feel of churches.