Monday 24 January 2011

Gloucester Cathedral

Sorry about the delay. Once again, life got in the way. My middle daughter took me to the cinema yesterday (her treat), then we went shopping for seeds (her treat) and finally ended up in Matalan where she got a jacket for work and treated me to two lovely tops in the sale : )

Back to Gloucester cathedral today:

This marks the spot of the burning to ashes of John Hooper, 2nd Bishop of Gloucester, who died for his religious beliefs during the reign of "Bloody Mary" - Queen Elizabeth's little sister, and a devout Catholic. He died in 1555.



The entrance into the Cathedral Close - St Mary's Gate.

This beautiful (Elizabethan?) building is the back view of the previous photograph.

View of the cathedral as we walked towards it from St Mary's Gate.

This tombs is one of the earliest alibaster carvings in England and drew many visitors in the 14th century, gifts from whom funded a major expansion of the Cathedral between 1331 and 1350.

Alas, he met a grisley end, and his "consort" Piers Gaveston, fared little better.

Painted chained White Harts top an adjacent pillar.

The Norman font is made of lead and dates from around 1130. It was gifted to the Cathedral in 1940 and originally came from Lancaut in the Wye Valley.

This effigy of Robert was carved from Irish bog oak in the 13th C. It is believed to have been made by Knights from the Third Crusade as a tribute to Robert, who had been one of the Knights in the First Crusade.

He was otherwise known as Robert Curthose and was Duke of Normandy from 1087 until 1106. his name comes from the French: Courtheuse - "short stockings" although his father, William the Conqueror called him "short-boots" in derision . . . Wikipedia can tell you more about him . . .


The beautiful cloisters at Gloucester - where part of one of the Harry Potter movies was filmed.

A rather blurry photo of what was believed to be a Tiger - it certainly has lots of teefs!!



Today, 31 years ago, my dad died. He was only 63. I wonder what he would have thought of his grandchildren? He would have thought we were mad to move to this house, falling-down as it was when we arrived nearly 23 years ago, but perhaps a bit more approving if he saw it now.

A.R.O.S.: Love lives on in every memory.

5 comments:

  1. That was interesting, I have never been to Gloucester Cathedral

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  2. I absolutely love that effigy of Robert - wonderful colours.

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  3. I used to live in Malvern and visited Gloucester quite often although I never actually went to the Cathedral, not entirely sure why! Your photos have made me incredibly homesick for the area, I must try get back there sometime this year :-)

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  4. Just out if interest, how old do your kids have to be, before roles are reversed and they start treating YOU? 21years and waiting....

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  5. Thank you for visiting and happy to have inspired you. Hope you are enjoying drawing again.
    Great post about this Cathedral, makes me want to visit. Afew years ago when my daughter was at Winchester Art school, we got to see both Winchester and Salisbury Cathedrals.

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