By Micah Mackay To support the Pilgrimage Challenge and to read more about it, please click here. The first thing that struck me about Glastonbury was the music. On street corners buskers competed for attention – the sound of the guitar accompanied us down one street, a saxophone down the next. Having been deprived ofContinue reading “Pilgrimage Challenge 3: Wells Cathedral in a Day (Glastonbury to Wells)”
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The Church of St John of Nepomuk, Vrchní Orlice
Vrchní Orlice (close to Bartošovice v Orlických horách) Hradec Králové Region Czech Republic May 2020 The Orlické Mountains (Orlické hory in Czech) cleave to their namesake, the eagle, by soaring gently but surely to great heights; the highest point, Velká Deštná, claims 1,115 metres from the sky. Despite the elevation, the valleys onContinue reading “The Church of St John of Nepomuk, Vrchní Orlice”
St Mary the Virgin Part 2 – Save Our Stories Series: A Reflection
The survival of Christ’s body within this image brings to mind what is really important: what will stay with other people, long after we have gone, is the love we are able to share, the selfless acts, and the bits of beauty, we, ourselves, are able to give to others.
St Clement’s Church, Rodel, Harris
ROAN & RUFUS JULY, 2018 We are away on Harris, cycling round the East road of the island. As we round the corner, a church appears, perched on a hill. We dismount our bikes and set them in the grass. We read the sign: ‘St Clement’s Church’. We enter the church. Like many churches, theContinue reading “St Clement’s Church, Rodel, Harris”
St Mary’s ,Tarrant Crawford: Part 1 – Save Our Stories: Wall Paintings Series
St Mary’s truly is a jewel in a church-crawler’s crown. It draws together not only the artistry of the medieval period but also its religious literature and devotional practices. The church is now a mere reflection of the glory that once was, but it nevertheless remains, in my view, quite glorious.
Beaurepaire Manor House, County Durham
Durham is hardly a city without its fans; the narrow, hilly streets that swirl and snake in the shadow of Bede’s mighty mausoleum are very rarely empty. The rest of County Durham, however, seems to me to be a nationally underappreciated part of the UK, both in terms of reputation and tourists’ footfall. Not unreasonably,Continue reading “Beaurepaire Manor House, County Durham”
Cerne Abbas, Dorset Part 3: St Mary’s Church
In a day and age overwhelmingly concerned with security it is rather a blessing to be able to wander into a church at any reasonable time of day and spend an hour or so exploring. Many a time have I arrived at a church to find it locked and bolted. St Mary’s in Cerne AbbasContinue reading “Cerne Abbas, Dorset Part 3: St Mary’s Church”
Cerne Abbas, Dorset Part 2: St Augustine’s Well
Cerne Abbas is full of hidden wonders. If you venture down Abbey Street and turn right through the churchyard gate, follow a small path that hugs the cemetery wall and venture down a small slope through a cluster of trees then you will find a beautiful though rather obscure spot – St Augustine’s Well. ButContinue reading “Cerne Abbas, Dorset Part 2: St Augustine’s Well”
Cerne Abbas, Dorset Part 1: Cerne Abbey
Nestled in a valley in the heart of Dorset is Cerne Abbas. Medievalists will know of this place because of its connection with Ælfric of Eynsham, one of the most prolific writers in Old English. However, many will mainly associate the village with its particularly well-endowed chalk giant which overlooks the valley. A Benedictine abbeyContinue reading “Cerne Abbas, Dorset Part 1: Cerne Abbey”
Tivetshall St Mary, Norfolk
UNDER the wide skies of southern Norfolk there are two villages called Tivetshall – two twins only recently united as one civil parish. Two villages produced two churches and, as is often the case with pairs of churches, they are of unequal popularity. While the church at Tivetshall St Margaret is well used andContinue reading “Tivetshall St Mary, Norfolk”
The Wandering Academic 