Category Archives: Travel

Good Fences ~ Oxford, England

It’s time for Good Fences #20 at Run*A*Round Ranch Report with TexWisGirl.

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This fence with “Head” posts is in Oxford England close to the Bodlein and and next to the Sheldonian Theater and Old Ashmolean. Each post has a different head.

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Oxford Day 6 079I didn’t have a lot of time to research why there are heads on each of these posts and information about them isn’t an easy click away.

Last night while Dear and I watched an episode of Inspector Morse they drove on the street next to this fence. I enjoy seeing places we have walked when we watch shows like Morse, Inspector Lewis, or Lord Peter Whimsy series from Dorothy Sayers mysteries.

I’ve got to run today and will be around later to see more Good Fences. Hope your day is going well.

 

D is for Doors!

It’s time for ABC Wednesday and the letter D. Thank you Mrs. Nesbitt and the ABC crew for hosting this weekly meme.

D is for Doors!

‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

Oxford Day 6 040Our tour guide in Oxford said that there are stories about this door being an inspiration to C.S. Lewis on the writing of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as he was housed behind this door from time to time.

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Oxford Day 6 041and just to the right of this doorway was this…

Oxford Day 6 042…the lamp post that served as the model in the story.

Good story if it’s true and you can see the inspirations are there. The Chronicles of Narnia are a favorite of mine.

There is so much great history to hear about and see in Oxford. We are already talking about spending at least a couple days in this city the next time we visit Jolly Old England.

University Church of St Mary the Virgin ~ Oxford

Oxford Day 6 046St Mary’s stands in the physical centre of the old walled City, and the university grew up around it. In medieval times scholars lived in houses with their teachers and the university had no buildings of its own, so it adopted St Mary’s as its centre. The church continued as a parish church, but by the early 13th century it had become the seat of university government, academic disputation, and the awarding of degrees.

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Oxford Day 6 120The Oxford Martyrs ~Each of the three anglican bishops, Latimer, Ridley and Cranmer, who were burnt at the stake in Oxford during the reign of the Roman Catholic queen, ‘Bloody Mary’, underwent part of his trial in St Mary’s. Their principal crime was not to believe the doctrine of transsubstantiation, although Cranmer, as Henry VIII’s Archbishop, had also played a crucial role in the downfall of Queen Mary’s mother, Catherine of Aragon.

Oxford Day 6 118This bit of history at St Mary’s really was interesting to me to read…

John Wesley, founder of Methodism, often attended the University Sermon in his Oxford days, and subsequently, as a Fellow of Lincoln College, preached some of his most stirring sermons before the University here – notably the famous sermon the ‘Almost Christian’ in 1741. In 1744, again in St Mary’s, he denounced the laxity and sloth of the senior members of the University. He was never asked to preach here again. ‘I have preached, I suppose,’ I wrote, ‘the last time in St Mary’s. Be it so. I am now clear of the blood of these men. I have fully delivered my soul.’

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In 1947 a disastrous fire destroyed the original 17th-century ‘Father’ Smith organ. Its replacement, by J W Walker, had become unplayable by 1981. The present organ, the third, was built in 1987 by Metzler Orgelbau of Zurich with the intention of recapturing the spirit of the original ‘Father’ Smith. It is undoubtedly one of the finest instruments of its kind, and incorporates the few of Smith’s decorative pipeshades which survived the fire.
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Oxford Day 6 121While traveling I never have the time to thoroughly study the history of the places we visit. In preparing my posts for my blog, after the fact, I learn so much more information and history and I find out all the things I missed while visiting these amazing places. That’s why I always am ready for another trip to see the things I missed. There’s only so much my brain can absorb in a short visit.
Since we’ve been home and while watching an episode of Endeavor we noticed that the outdoor patio area of this church was in the segment. It’s fun to see the places we’ve visited on these shows.
I’m linking to InSpired Sunday for the first time this week.  This weekly meme is hosted by – Beth and Sally . This is a weekly meme devoted to sharing religious architecture from around the world.

Magdalen College ~ Cloisters

The 15th Century Cloisters construction commenced in 1474 which makes this medieval square of stone among the oldest parts of Magdalen.

Oxford Day 6 156Balancing on the buttresses that jut from the Cloister walls are the figures later known as ‘hieroglyphics’, the ‘GARGELS”, Magdalen’s very own gargoyles. Some are biblical, some heraldic, all symbolic. Since they entered the College in 1508-9 they have been keeping their emblematic eyes on the comings and goings in the Cloisters and the quad.

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Oxford Day 6 155Wanted to let you all see that we did “keep off the grass”.

From the Cloisters we headed out to Addison’s walk and the New Building following the footsteps of Tolkien and Lewis along one of the paths that leads to  the famous meetings of the “Inklings”.

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Oxford Day 6 170As you can tell from my posts from Oxford there is a lot to see in this city. I still haven’t shown you photos from Bodleian and Radcliffe Camera or the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin. These places have been seen in many Masterpiece Mystery series and scenes from Harry Potter movies, too. My last post of Oxford will be photo heavy.

Back at this old house the renovations continue. We were hoping for things to be wrapped up today but that’s not happening. Maybe by Tuesday…

We have Fleet week and SeaFair and Hydro races and the Blue Angels in Seattle this weekend. What does the first weekend in August hold for you?

University of Oxford ~ Magdalen College

We visited Magdalen College with our daughter Katie in 2004 and we were happy to re-visit the buildings and grounds this past July. What drew us to this college in 2004 was the information we read about Tolkien and C.S. Lewis enjoying walks and theological discussions here and along Addison’s Walk. We wanted to walk along that path, too.

Magdalen College was founded just outside Oxford’s City walls in 1458 by William Waynflete.

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Oxford Day 6 137The chapel was begun in May 1474. The remarkable West Window of the Antechapel is a dramatic depiction of the Apocalypse and the judgement of souls. This vision was cast in 1637 but has been subjected to subsequent restorations, the re-glazing in 1859-1861 leaving the windows as they appear today.

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Oxford Day 6 141Above the stalls hangs Giampetrino’s remarkable 15th copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, on permanent loan from the Royal Academy. In view of the bad condition of the original fresco in Milan, (which I had the privilege of seeing in March of 2013) Magdalen’s copy on canvas is a piece of increasing historic and artistic significance.

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Oxford Day 6 139In 1635, the repaving of the Chapel floor in a pattern of black and white marble tiles.

Oxford Day 6 140The doors to the main Chapel were locked so I had to get these photos by looking through the glass on the doors. The choir sings from the middle stalls at either side. Towards the end of the 19th century the Choir achieved renown and played a pivotal role in ensuring an unprecedented fondness of carol singing among the general public by the publication of an anthology of carols.

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Oxford Day 6 157This is the Hall which was built at the founding of the College. The High Table at the far end seats the President, Fellows and formal guests, just as it did in the early 16th century when it welcomed King James I. Oscar Wilde was a fromer member of Magdalen.

This post is getting long so I will do another post with photos from the Cloisters and some outdoor spaces.

Good Fences ~ Oxford, England

Oxford Day 6 099Balliol College ~ University of Oxford

It seems that everywhere you look in England you see wonderful stone walls and ornate gates. Here are a sampling from each of the colleges we visited while in Oxford on July 6th.

Oxford Day 6 110Trinity College ~ University of Oxford

Oxford Day 6 166Magdalen College ~ University of Oxford

I’m linking to Good Fences at Run*A*Round Ranch Report #19

Trinity College ~ University of Oxford

Oxford Day 6 094You can read about the history of Trinity College by clicking here. After our walking tour of Oxford on our 6th day in England Dear and I enjoyed some lunch and then walked about on our own. We visited two more of the University of Oxford Colleges, Trinity and Magdalen. We had to pay a small entrance fee to walk about these colleges.

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Oxford Day 6 100The Chapel was consecrated in 1694 and was hailed by contemporaries as the most magnificent Chapel in the University.  Its dynamic integration of architecture, sculpture and painting is unrivalled amongst surviving ecclesiastical interiors in England.

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Oxford Day 6 107Deposition of Christ ~ (copy after Andrea del Sarto) by Gaetano Cannicci, 1870.

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Back here in the “States” work did not proceed as planned on Tuesday. One thing we’ve learned is that there are too many different laborers that are required in a bathroom renovation. You have your plumber, your tiler, your drywall installer, the taper, the sealer, the electrician. We can’t say that the skill level for all these workers has been to our standards. We were pleased with the plumber. Work halted on Tuesday since the prep work for the tile man was not completed as needed. I really am hoping we are real pleased with the tile man. The upside to the delay today was that I was able to go out and take care of  some errands that needed to be done.

Today, hopefully the tile will be installed with no glitches. I better go run and take some more before photos. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

The Oxford Colleges ~ Balliol

I’m linking this post about one of the many Colleges in Oxford to ABC Wednesday. C is for Colleges. Thank you Denise Nesbitt and the ABC team.

On Wednesday July 9th (Day 6 of our England Trip) we boarded a train in Moreton in Marsh to Oxford for the day. We found free parking on the street close to the station. The train ride was a short 37 minutes. Since parking in Oxford is a challenge and you are advised to use park and rides on the outskirts of town we thought a train ride close to the center of town was the best option for us.

Oxford Day 6 011We opted to go to the visitor center and sign up for a walking tour. There were a few other tour options but they seemed a little too hawkish for our taste.

We only visited one of the colleges with the tour guide. The oldest Oxford college continuously on one site, co-founded by a woman, Balliol is home to young people from many different backgrounds who have come to study with world-class academics.

Oxford Day 6 012Each of the Oxford Colleges to my understanding have their own chapel, dining hall, libraries, and dormitories.

Oxford Day 6 013Some inside views of the William Butterfield chapel.

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Oxford Day 6 023These are the outside views of the chapel designed by William Butterfield in 1857.

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Oxford Day 6 026This was the dining hall for the college.

 

 

 

Oxford Day 6 032Oxford is a very bicycle friendly town and on our walk around town it seemed we were more in danger from being hit by a bike than a car.

Oxford Day 6 033Because of the way this chap was dressed our tour guide said that he’d be sitting for exams. The white bow tie was significant as to what exams he’d be sitting for. There are dress codes that are still observed for taking exams and other ceremonies, too.

After Balliol our tour guide showed us some other major sites in Oxford that I will post about soon. When our tour was over Dear and I spent some time at Trinity College and Magdalen College before we met up with a couple we met on the tour from Vancouver Island at the Oldest Pub in Oxford.

It’s only Monday and it feels like Friday. We are having a very warm summer day in the Pacific Northwest. The thermometer is already registering over 80 degrees. We are in a dry hot spell this week. Work is continuing slowly in our bathroom. The tile guys are suppose to be here tomorrow.

 

Stow ~ The Church of St. Edward

Ancient and historic Stow on-the Wold is the highest town in the Cotswolds standing 800 feet above sea level.

Stow on the Wold 001One of the historic Cotswold buildings in Stow on the Wold is the church of St Edward.The church is primarily a product of the 11th century with later additions in the 15th century. Quite apart from the lovely architecture, the church has a significant historical connection with the Battle of Stow on the Wold. The battle was the final conflict of the English Civil War.

Seeing this church door flanked by the ancient Yew trees is what first drew me to making Stow on the Wold a must see town in the Cotswolds. Here’s the inside photo of this great door.

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The 88ft high 4-stage tower, completed in 1447, is a conspicuous landmark with an embattled parapet with pinnacles and a string course with gargoyles.

In 1646 a Royalist army marched through the Cotswolds in a desperate attempt to join up with King Charles at Oxford. They were finally confronted at Stow on the Wold by a Parliamentary force. The fighting was fierce and deadly. The Royalists were defeated and over 1000 imprisoned within the church.

We made a quick stop in this town on our trip in September of 2013, this time we stopped for a longer stay and enjoyed spending some time inside the church of St. Edward.

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Stow on the Wold 007This portion of 1 Chronicles 16 was sculpted from Cotswold Stone

Stow on the Wold 006Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice:
and let men say among the nations, The Lord reigneth.
Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof:
let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein.
Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord,

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Stow on the Wold 011When we were done inside the church we walked around this small market town and enjoyed visiting some of the shops.

Stow on the Wold 025The Kings Arms on the market square hosted King Charles I before the Battle of Naseby in 1645.

It’s amazing to think these buildings have been standing for so long. I’m always blown away by the history in the places we visit in England.

Travel Tips for Stow-on-the-Wold. The market square has free two hour parking but when your two hours are up you have to move your car out of the square and find parking at other lots close by. The Fosseway long term parking near Tesco is said to have free parking. When you see “no returns” that means you can’t just change the spot your car is parked in. There is a good variety of shops and places to eat in Stow. We strolled through a few “thrift” stores in town which usually have names like Oxfam, Blue Cross, and others that benefit Hospice care or heart research, etc.

Good Fences ~ England

Day 4 Gardens 082The first two photos are from Kiftsgate Court Gardens in the Cotswolds and the last few are from Hidcote Manor Garden in the Cotswolds.

Day 4 Gardens 083These two gardens are just across the road from each other in the Chipping Camden area of the Cotswolds in England.

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Day 4 Gardens 050I have a lot of fences and gates to share from the two weeks we spent in England the beginning of July.

I’m joining in with TexWisGirl at Run*A*Round Ranch for Good Fences #18.

If you want to see more from Kiftsgate Court Gardens or Hidcote Manor Garden click on the links.