Trinity College Cambridge

Working on the last few posts documenting our travels in Cambridge, England. Thursday the 12th of March we walked our feet off in between stops along the way. I booked a last minute morning tour of Trinity College for 10am to start off the sight seeing part of our day.

Our guide was a retired Porter of the college and he entertained us well.

King Henry VIII founded the College in 1546 as one of the very last acts of his life.

The open window is that of Isaac Newton’s Room while he attended Trinity.

The story of Isaac Newton and the falling apple is the famous legend behind his 1687 discovery of universal gravitation. While he wasn’t hit on the head as popular culture suggests, watching an apple fall prompted him to wonder why objects always fall straight to the ground, leading to his breakthrough. Above you’ll see the apple tree planted outside his room. Our guide said that this tree was grafted from the actual tree that led Newton to ponder the theory of gravity.

The Great Court features the iconic Clock Tower, where students attempt to run around the perimeter before the clock finishes striking 12 in the famous “Trinity Clock Challenge.”

If any of you have watched the movie, “Chariots of Fire”, you’ll remember the great court run, although a central theme it was not actually filmed at Trinity.

The College’s Great Court is famously the largest enclosed courtyard in Europe.

The Renaissance-style fountain in the center of Trinity College’s Great Court was first erected in 1602 and rebuilt in its original design in 1715. Historically supplied by a Franciscan monk conduit built in 1325, the landmark is famous for acting as a washing area for early students.

Overall, this chapel seemed to me, more a tribute to man than God.

The famous oil painting located behind the altar in the Trinity College Chapel at the University of Cambridge is St Michael binding Satan, painted in 1768 by the prominent Anglo-American artist Benjamin West.

King Charles III studied at Trinity from 1967-1970 and became the first heir apparent to earn a university degree when he graduated in 1970. Trinity College, Cambridge, has produced about 34 Nobel laureates, the highest number of any Oxford or Cambridge college.

Trinity was the academic home to Sir Isaac Newton, who lived and worked there for decades, as well as legendary figures like Francis Bacon, Bertrand Russell, and Tennyson.

One of my favorites from Tennyson’s Idylls of the King, King Arthur, on his deathbed voices to his friend some profound thoughts on prayer;

” Pray for my soul. More things are wrought by prayer
Than this world dreams of. Wherefore, let thy voice
Rise like a fountain for me night and day.
For what are men better than sheep or goats
That nourish a blind life within the brain,
If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer
Both for themselves and those who call them friend?
For so the whole round earth is every way
Bound by gold chains about the feet of God.”

I’ve come to learn that Trinity had a scholar that I would most be honored to know, Thomas Bilney.

Thomas Bilney first found forgiveness through a translation of the Bible done by Erasmus. As Thomas grew in faith, he studied the writings of William Tyndale, and Thomas spoke out every chance he got—He preached that every man had a right to read the Scriptures in his own language. In 1531, Thomas was burned at the stake.

Thomas Bilney: the forgotten hero of the English Reformation.

Thomas Bilney: The Flame Shall Not Kindle Upon Thee

Bilney Day in Norfolk

I learn as much as I can before we travel to a new part of the world. It is more of a general overview with thoughts about what we should see and do. Once we visit the sights and we come home, I learn even more while working on our Travel Journal.

There is always more to learn about any given college or historical site but this is all I’m sharing today. I was happy to have had this tour to start out our day of this and that in Cambridge.

Thank you for traveling along with us as I journal our traveling days.

Cambridge Dinner and Evensong

Another journal entry for our time in Cambridge in March of 2026. This one will be for the evenings of March 11th and a back track to the evening of March 10th.

After our train ride back from Ely we hailed a taxi to drive us back to our lodgings. We freshened up and relaxed for a while but soon determined we were hungry and set out to find the likely spot for dinner.

The Cambridge Chop House looked good and we managed to get seated without a reservation.

The views of King’s College were a nice added treat.

A lamb chop for me and short ribs for Greg.

We shared sticky toffee pudding for dessert. This was a top notch and very satisfying meal.

It slipped my journal posting radar about our Tuesday evening March 10th Evensong at St. John’s College. St. John’s College was closed to visitors the whole time we were in Cambridge but they did have Evensong that the public could enjoy. We were so happy to be able to attend it in the college chapel and get a little view into some of the architecture and history.

Evensong is a musical form of evening prayer, most familiar in the Anglican and Episcopal traditions. It’s typically held in cathedrals, collegiate chapels, and parish churches, often at the close of the day. Unlike many other church services, much of Evensong is sung by a choir, accompanied by an organ, with the congregation usually participating through silent reflection or by joining in a few responses and hymns. The primary purpose of Evensong is to offer thanks for the day that is past, to seek spiritual peace for the evening ahead, and to provide attendees with a space for contemplation through beautiful music and scripture.

It has been a wonderful way for us to end a day of sightseeing in our travels to attend Evensong.

Where we were seated to enjoy Evensong I was able to see some of the floor tiles in the transept/crossing section of the chapel.

Moses and the burning bush.

Abel and his offering to God.

While waiting in the narthex of the chapel, I was thrilled to see the following tribute.

Greg and I have read about William Wilberforce and seen tributes to him in different parts of England. His book, Real Christianity, is a book I can recommend. I have the revised and updated version by Bob Beltz.

Wilborforce and Thomas Clarkson both members of St. John’s College were honored for their prominent role in passing of the Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade 1807.

1776 & 1779 William Wilberforce and Thomas Clarkson begin their studies at St John’s. Joining forces in 1787, they will spend the rest of their lives leading the campaign to abolish the slave trade and slavery.

“Britain’s abolition of its slave trade and then colonial slavery is the most dramatic example in human history of moral convictions overcoming national self-interest.” David Brian Davis

While we were in Oxford at Christ Church College in 2022 we saw a tribute to one of Wilberforce’s sons.

The plaque on the left reads Culham College, Founded by Bishop Samuel Wilberforce, to prepare school teachers to serve children within the Diocese of Oxford and well beyond its borders. 1852-1979

Samuel Wilberforce, FRS was an English bishop in the Church of England, and the third son of William Wilberforce. Known as “Soapy Sam”, Wilberforce was one of the greatest public speakers of his day. He is now best remembered for his opposition to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution at a debate in 1860.

We also read an extensive plaque in his honor in the north transept of Westminster Abbey when we visited in 2003.

William Wilberforce is buried in the north transept of Westminster Abbey in London, England.

He was laid to rest on August 3, 1833, following a major state funeral. He is buried next to his close friend and former British Prime Minister, William Pitt.

Wilberforce was a member of parliament from Yorkshire. When we were visiting the Yorkminster in 2023 I spotted a plaque dedicated to him at the entrance to the gift shop.

You can read more about Wilberforce at the following link;

William Wilberforce

I’ll leave this post with a couple quotes from Real Christianity.

The Bible is one of God’s greatest gifts to humanity. It tells us of the greatest gift that men and women have longed for through-out the ages and of which the prophets spoke about for centuries. When Jesus finally came, His arrival was hailed by the angelic host with the exclamation, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14). How can you measure the value of the good news of Christ? It is spoken of in the Bible as light in the darkness, freedom from slavery and life from death. Look at how much the Early Church valued the message. They received it with great joy and overflowing gratitude.

Surely all these things should help us come to terms with the inexpressible value of true faith. The greatest gift of God is often either rejected outright or treated as if it is of little worth. But if we really began to study the Bible, we would be impressed with the proper value of the gift.”

Ely Cathedral Stained Glass Museum

Our Danube to Cambridge Travel Journal continues with a visit to the Stained glass Museum housed up many stone stairs in Ely Cathedral. This visit was on Wednesday March 11th, 2026.

Looking down to the narthex where we entered the cathedral.

The Annunciation

The Three Marys at the tomb.

The Arms of Queen Margaret of Anjou, 1843.

St. Matthew shown writing the Gospel of Matthew

Nativity Scene window that was removed for safekeeping from a church that became redundant. Shortly afterwards, the church was demolished.

“Do not touch me” Mary at the Tomb when she recognizes Jesus.

The Dance of Salome

St. Peter

Mary and the Disciples at Christ’s Ascension

Holy, Holy, Holy

The Children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses.

The Visitation

The Good Shepherd

Mary and Martha and Jesus

King David

Michael

The Lost Silver, There is Joy over one Sinner that Repentith

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

Christ and His Followers

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican

The Parable of the Rich Fool

Finding Jesus in the Temple

Suffer the Little Children

Descent of the Holy Spirit

The Anointing of David King over Israel

Feed my Lambs

Nativity

These were the windows that stood out to me. There were more but I restrained myself.

From the museum we walked over to the Almonry for a bite to eat.

Check out the ceiling!

After our light meal we walked back to the Train Station for our ride back to Cambridge. This was a bright and blustery day.

Just a few more posts to complete our travel journal in Cambridge after our Danube River Cruise.

Inside Ely Cathedral

As previously mentioned, this continues our travel journal for Wednesday March 11 when we took a short train ride from Cambridge to Ely to visit the cathedral. These photos are numerous and are from the inside of Ely Cathedral.

The entrance was through those amazing doors!

Ely Cathedral has origins dating back to AD 673 when St Etheldreda built an Abbey Church. The present building dates back to 1083, and was granted Cathedral status in 1109.

Installed as part of the Victorian restoration, the incredible Nave Ceiling was the work of two artists.

Henry Styleman Le Strange painted the first six panels (counting from the west), and Thomas Gambier Parry painted the last six – you can observe a change of style between the sixth and seventh panels.

The ceiling tells the story of the ancestry of Jesus, beginning with Adam (panel 1) and continuing through Abraham (panel 4), David (panel 8) and Mary (panels 9 and 10).

It is almost impossible not to look up when you visit a cathedral. I liked this ceiling section with all the angels looking down. Reminded me of 1 Peter 1:12

“It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.”

Looking into the Quire.

These ornate organ pipes were fascinating to me.

The jewel of Ely’s Crown and acknowledged as one of the wonders of the Medieval world is the Octagan.

You can read more about the Octagon here.

That is not a missing panel but a door opening.

Our guide gave us important details about this doorway and I found more information here. They call this the Prior’s door (c.1135). A Romanesque carved doorway.

The Christ figure is contained within a mandorla – an almond shape traditionally used to frame images of the transcendent. Here Christ’s feet cross the boundary of the mandorla, stepping towards mankind.

Two human heads with pronounced eyes just below the tympanum watch those passing through the door into the church and symbolically entering heaven.

From the link; Like the rest of the building, the deeply carved doorway is sculpted in extremely hard Barnack limestone. It has a tympanum – a half-moon shape at the top – which would originally have been brightly painted. It shows an unusual clean-shaven Christ sitting in judgement on the peoples of the earth. One hand is raised in blessing, the other holds the Book of Judgement from Revelation.

Processional Way (below) was built to join the Cathedral and the Lady Chapel.

We were now entering the Lady Chapel, the largest Lady Chapel attached to any British Cathedral. I copied the following from Ely Cathedral’s Website.

The thirteenth and fourteenth centuries saw the rise of the cult of the Virgin Mary, and chapels in her honour were added to many churches and cathedrals, including Ely.

All this was destroyed in the sixteenth century during the Reformation, which, in keeping with Puritan convictions, rejected all forms of religious decoration. The scars of this deformation are highly visible today. Traces of coloured paint can still be seen, and fragments of the glass survive in the central window on the south side. The exquisite figures in the lower niches have been defaced and above are the empty pedestals where the statues stood.

Walking back into the main sections of the Cathedral.

This narrow spiraling stone staircase leads to the organ. Hopefully the organist was slim.

The Quire

So much history and so much to see and take in. I’ve shared enough or maybe too much here today and it would take a few more visits to absorb more.

This was a very long photo journal of the interior of Ely Cathedral. I will save the stained glass museum housed in an upper section of the cathedral for another day.

1776 – 2026 ~250 Years!

From the prayer journal of the first president of the United States, George Washington.

“O eternal and everlasting God, I presume to present myself this morning before thy Divine majesty, beseeching thee to accept of my humble and hearty thanks, that it hath pleased thy great goodness to keep and preserve me the night past from all the dangers poor mortals are subject to, and has given me sweet and pleasant sleep, whereby I find my body refreshed and comforted for performing the duties of this day, in which I beseech thee to defend me from all perils of body and soul.

Direct my thoughts, words and work. Wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the lamb, and purge my heart by thy Holy Spirit, from the dross of my natural corruption, that I may with more freedom of mind and liberty of will serve thee, the ever lasting God, in righteousness and holiness this day, and all the days of my life.

Increase my faith in the sweet promises of the Gospel. Give me repentance from dead works. Pardon my wanderings, & direct my thoughts unto thyself, the God of my salvation. Teach me how to live in thy fear, labor in thy service, and ever to run in the ways of thy commandments. Make me always watchful over my heart, that neither the terrors of conscience, the loathing of holy duties, the love of sin, nor an unwillingness to depart this life, may cast me into a spiritual slumber. But daily frame me more and more into the likeness of thy son Jesus Christ, that living in thy fear, and dying in thy favor, I may in thy appointed time attain the resurrection of the just unto eternal life. Bless my family, friends & kindred unite us all in praising & glorifying thee in all our works begun, continued, and ended, when we shall come to make our last account before thee blessed Saviour, who hath taught us thus to pray, our Father.”

I’m humbled by this prayer from the first president of the United States. I pray along with it as I ready this post.

The stained glass window with the sun streaming through casting it’s light and color onto the statue of George Washington was taken at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. in May of 2011. Dear had a conference in D.C. and I was able to tag along. The National Cathedral is a must see if you ever travel to D.C.

Happy 250th Birthday United States of America!

Cannon Beach A.M. and P.M.

Our first morning in Cannon Beach it was our goal to make it to Haystack Rock and back before breakfast.

Our lodgings were where the Ecola River empties into the Pacific.

Haystack is not the only rock along the coast, just one of the most known.

It was fun to learn that there are Puffins that like these rocks.

Time to head back for breakfast.

This is the mouth of the river.

Another morning walk and we still haven’t seen the horizon because of the marine layer.

Birds, especially the pelicans and seagulls enjoyed flapping their wings in the river.

Our next walks on the beach were later in the morning or in the early afternoon.

We can see a horizon on this day.

Here come the pelicans!

For our last walk on the beach we started at Haystack and worked our way to another public access spot to head up to Hemlock for lunch before we made it back to our car.

We used a public stair access to the beach.

It was a treat to be able to see further out into the sea.

This was the first day we could see the lighthouse. I zoomed in to get some shots.

The history of Tillamook Lighthouse or Terrible Tilly can be found here.

The last shot from our lodgings. Till next time Cannon Beach. It was a delight to discover you more fully.

Cannon Beach Christian Conference Center

Our trip to the Oregon Coast was a spontaneous last minute decision. I knew about CBCC and it’s location. At the beginning of June I decided to check out their summer conference schedule (better late than never). There were two 5 night conferences with speakers that stood out to us but they were both full when we enquired and we got put on waiting lists. One of those conferences was from June 22nd until June 27th. A week before the conference was to start we got a call that there was an opening. We decided to go for it. Yikes. This part of the Oregon Coast is about a 9 hour drive from our home. We made another last minute call and asked our kids on the ‘Coast’ if we could spend a couple nights with them to cut our trip in half. They said yes!

It was nice to spend a couple days with our ‘Coast’ kids.

On Monday morning the 22nd of June we left Bothell for our 4 hour drive to Cannon Beach. We stopped on the way in Astoria for lunch and that post is here.

CBCC was founded in 1945. Some of the history can be found here.

John Goodman photo of original grounds i

More Than
75 Years in Ministry

Founded in 1945, Cannon Beach Conference Center has grown from humble beginnings to its place as one of the premier Christian retreat and conference centers on the West Coast.

The building above is the large dining room.

Across from the dining room was another lodge with the main conference check in lobby, a book nook, a store and a nice fireside area.

The above view is on campus lodging along with other buildings. I didn’t get photos of the gym and the chapel where all of our worship sessions were held.

This was our approach to the main campus from our lodgings each day for breakfast, our morning session, dinner, and our evening session. Our lodgings were about a half a block to the main campus.

The Pacific view lodge on the right is one of several lodges that house conference attendees.

We chose the older, more humble Beach Front Lodge that is located right on the beach.

Humble room and shower room with million dollar views and sounds.

The rooms do not have TV’s (on purpose), no coffee maker (coffee is provided at the conference center from 6:30am) no toiletries like shampoo and conditioner. They do have bar soap, towels, linens, tp, tissue, hair dryer, paper towels, microwave, refrigerator and internet. We brought our travel coffee pot, beans, grinder, and coffee cups which was a great decision for us since we like to have our cuppa when we wake up.

Looking back at the lodge from the sand.

Pelicans gathered during the day entertaining us.

What we learned as first timers is that these conferences are popular with large and small family groups who come year after year and have a kind of family reunion enjoying food and activities provided for all age groups.

We met some dear folk who we had many good conversations with. One couple who were missionaries in Japan for 27 years were especially good to get to know.

The worship/teaching time in the morning and evening was encouraging. Here are some notes I wrote down during the talks, The Invisible Hand of God was the overall theme from the book of Esther.

“Our unseen God is providentially working in our lives even when it feels like He is conspicuously absent or silent.”

“The unmistakable hand of God orders events to accomplish His will.”

“Don’t discount the possibilities of your ordinary days.”

A quote shared from the speaker’s father-in-law;

“Sin will…

take you further than you ever intended to stray
keep you longer than you ever intended to stay
cost you more than you ever intended to pay.”

We had free time everyday from about 11am until dinner at 5:30. We had lunch at different restaurants in town. We stopped and shopped along S. Hemlock street, the main drag which was always hopping with tourists. I didn’t get any photos of the street filled with tourists. We walked the shore and I’ll share those photos in another post.

We kept in touch with World Cup Soccer in the different eateries we chose in town.

It was delightful to fall asleep serenaded by the wind and the waves.

For those of you who might visit Cannon Beach someday these are places we ate and enjoyed the food and service, Driftwood, Bill’s Tavern and Brewhouse, Pelican Brewing, Screw and Brew (a hardware store and brewery), Public Coast Brewery.

We ate a lot of fish!

A shout out to Public Coast manager who kept the TV/bar area open after closing for us soccer fans to watch the USA v Turkey game on Thursday night! Thank you!

We also purchased candy and Salt Water Taffy from Bruce’s Candy Kitchen, making sweet memories since 1963.

Photos from our beach walks are coming soon.

Astoria to Cannon Beach

We’ve been away from our Country Bungalow since June 20th. Our first stop was at our Son and DIL’s home for two nights. Then early on Monday morning we drove from Bothell to Cannon Beach, Oregon but our first stop on that journey was in Astoria, Oregon.

We were only stopping here for a meal before we continued on to Cannon Beach.

Perched at the mouth of the mighty Columbia River, Astoria is Oregon’s oldest city and the first permanent U.S. settlement west of the Rockies.

With Victorian-era homes etched into hills overlooking the Columbia River, this picturesque settlement is a port city with Scandinavian flavor. Surrounded by forests, boasting three rivers and situated a stone’s throw away from the Pacific, Astoria is a fishing village-meets-Victoriana, chockablock with forts, museums and great local brews.

If you squint, you can see the bridge in the distance that connects this part of Oregon to Washington State.

We had decided ahead of time to eat at Fort George Brew Pub and we were not disappointed.

The seafood chowder was so good and the Albacore Fish and Chips were excellent. The Albacore was a first for us and we really enjoyed it.

The house made tartar sauce was excellent, too.

Driving out of town we stopped to get a closer shot of this bridge.

Astoria Bridge, truss bridge spanning the mouth of the Columbia River between the states of Oregon and Washington, western United States. It was designed by William A. Bugee and at its completion in 1966, it was the longest continuous-truss bridge in the world.

It is 4.1 miles long.

Before we made it into the little seaside town of Cannon Beach we made a stop at Ecola State Park to get these views of Cannon Beach.

We managed to arrive at a good weather window. We paid $12 to park which was the ‘out of state’ parking fee.

Sea air does a number on my hair so I’ll be in search of a good hat to wear for any future beach trips.

The famous Haystack rock is one of many along the Oregon Coast.

Zooming in for our final shot of Haystack. In the next several days we would see the rock up close.

On the way back to our car we took another path to see a different view of the Pacific Ocean.

We drove the narrow winding State Park road down again to get to downtown Cannon Beach where we would be staying for the next 5 nights. More about our time in future posts.

It was a very nice time away but it is very good to be back home.

Cambridge to Ely

Continuing our travel journal from our trip from the Danube to Cambridge in March of 2026.

On Wednesday morning March 11th we walked to Bill’s Cambridge restaurant for breakfast before our train ride to Ely.

I know those are poached eggs but I honestly can’t remember what I ordered that came in that skillet…maybe potatoes of some kind. Oye.

After breakfast we called a taxi to take us to the train station for a short trip to Ely. Once we arrived we walked over to another taxi to take us to the cathedral. When the taxi driver asked me where we wanted to go, I said, “Ely”. He said, “Well you are already in Ely so where else would you like to go?” Ha! We talked about soccer and his favorite team that wasn’t doing too well, Spurs.

Ely is the second smallest city in England. The small town grew up around the monastery and Cathedral which dominated the Isle of Ely for centuries.

I’m sharing the outside of the cathedral first and the inside will be another post.

The history of Ely can be read here.

Why were we interested in seeing Ely Cathedral? We first heard of Ely through the author Elizabeth Goudge.

Elizabeth Goudge was a celebrated 20th-century English author who spent her formative years living at Ely Cathedral, where her father served as a canon. This historic Cambridgeshire setting deeply influenced her writing, inspiring her iconic 1960 novel, The Dean’s Watch as well as A City of Bells.

We both read The Dean’s Watch and it was one of my favorites of Goudge’s books.

We bought this copy of The Dean’s Watch in a used bookstore in Chipping Campden in September of 2013.

A quote from The Dean’s Watch by Miss Montague,

“How much more friendly it is when you cannot see, thought Miss Montague, and how much closer we are to Him. Why should we always want a light? He chose darkness for us, darkness of the womb and of the stable, darkness in the garden, darkness on the cross and in the grave. Why do I demand certainty? That is not faith. Why do I want to understand? How can I understand this great web of sin and ugliness and love and suffering and joy and life and death when I don’t understand the little tangle of good and evil that is myself? I’ve enough to understand. I understand that He gave me light that I might turn to Him, for without light I could not have seen to turn. I have seen creation in His light. He shared His light with me that I, turned, might share with Him the darkness of His redemption. Why did I despair? What do I want? If it is Him I want He is here, not only love in light illuming all that He has made but love in darkness dying for it…And she said, I will learn to pray.”

My next post will be of the inside of this magnificent cathedral.

Cambridge – King’s Chapel

Our travel journal from our visit to Cambridge in March 2026 continues.

This is still from our Tuesday March 10th in Cambridge. Warning: There are a lot of photos in this post!

Our guide got us into the grounds of King’s College and then said her goodbyes while we enjoyed the Chapel.

The college quad. The chapel is on the right.

The fountain (1874-1879), with a statue of the College’s saintly Founder, stands in the centre of the Front Court.

King’s College Chapel is the oldest surviving building within the College site and perhaps the most iconic building in Cambridge. Work on this Chapel only started five years after King’s College was founded by Henry VI in 1441.

King’s College Chapel is the chapel of King’s College in the University of Cambridge. It is considered one of the finest examples of late Perpendicular Gothic English architecture and features the world’s largest fan vault.

It took 5 kings to finish this structure.

26 windows chronicling scenes from the Old and the New Testament.

Adoration of the Magi

The three wise men have brought Jesus their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. At the front in red is the oldest man, holding a container of frankincense; frankincense was burned in sacrifices to God by the Israelites in the Bible, so it came to be a symbol of Jesus being God. The man behind him is holding a jar of the perfume “myrrh”; this was used in embalming corpses, so it became a symbol of Jesus’ death as a sacrifice for mankind. The third man, often called the “Black Magus”, has brought Jesus gold, a symbol of the fact that Jesus is a king.

It was painted by the artist, Peter Paul Rubens, who born in 1577, in what is now Germany. He was one of the most well-known and successful artists of his time. He didn’t usually paint pictures in order to later sell them in a shop or a gallery: most of his paintings were commissioned by groups who wanted his pictures in their churches. This one was originally painted for a convent of nuns in Antwerp, Belgium. It only came to Cambridge in the 1960s.

King’s College Chapel escaped unscathed during wars including the Second World War, when the glass of most of the windows was removed for safety. The opportunity was taken to clean, repair and photograph it. Only the West Window remained in place, appreciated at last in the absence of unfair competition.

Carved Tudor Roses are seen and they, too, have an extensive history.

The Tudor Rose, was created in 1486 by King Henry VII. It symbolizes the unification of the House of Lancaster (red rose) and the House of York (white rose), bringing an end to the brutal civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses.