Three Secrets, Three Wonders

On my recent walk I passed through the village of Bartlow and I mentioned that the church held three secrets and behind the church lay three wonders. I promised I'd tell you about them and indeed I shall. Right now.

The church is unassuming enough, at first glance much like many another village church. A smallish flint built church surrounded by its churchyard. The round tower, which dates from Norman times, is unusual in this part of the world, but wouldn't get a second look from most passers-by.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); There's a nice sundial around the back too. But you'll have to venture inside to see the secrets of this 13th century building.

For inside there are wall-paintings around six hundred years old. The one shown above, which is part of what was once a much larger work, shows St Christopher. I hope you can make it out - I couldn't see it at all, but took the photo anyway and now I can see it clearly. St Christopher was often depicted in churches and invariably occupied the wall opposite the entrance. The very good reason for this was so that travellers could enter the porch and offer up a prayer to the saint without disturbing the service which might be taking place inside.

Here St Michael is seen weighing the souls. The devil is trying to tip the scales in his favour but is thwarted by Our Lady using her influence on behalf of the sinner to be judged, according to a leaflet I picked up in the church.

Lastly a picture of St George and the dragon, though sadly only the dragon remains.

Outside the church again and look for the little wooden signpost:

(in case you can't read it it says "Public Footpath - To Bartlow Hills")

Here, reached by a rough, narrow path, with no more publicity than the rustic sign above, stand some burial mounds dating from around 100 AD. Not just any old burial mounds but the highest one in Britain, which is part of what was the largest group of such mounds to be found anywhere in Europe.

The largest mound is some 13 metres high. It can be ascended by a flight of wooden steps (to prevent erosion). Each step are about as high as in an average house staircase, which makes it about five stories high.

Originally there were seven "hills" but four were more or less flattened in order to build a railway through the site. That seems to be fairly typical of the fate of this largely ignored site. In 1815 one Busick Harwood had the site excavated to provide work for the unemployed but the finds were never properly preserved or recorded. In 1832 rather better investigations were carried out and cremated remains and a great deal of ornate and valuable "grave-goods" were found. But again much of the material has since disappeared. Even in recent times  the hills haven't fared much better; they've been at different times in the care of both Essex and Cambridge-shire local authorities and have until recently been badly neglected.

This picture in an old guide book, even allowing for some artistic license, shows what has been lost. 

Take care.

In Town And Around

Another collection of ageing and engaging snippets to entertain and delight the passer-by, impeding their progress through this busy world.

At Last....A Staddle Stone

Many posts ago, possibly before many of you had encountered this blog, I mentioned "staddle stones". These mushroom shaped stones, standing about two feet (0.6m) high, were used to support the floor-timbers of small granaries which stood in every farmyard. Their purpose was simply to prevent mice and rats entering the grain store. I said that you often see them these days standing on the roadside and I would photograph one for you "soon". I found an old granary at Barley but the individual stones proved to be as elusive as any inanimate lump of rock could possibly be. But eventually I cornered one at Ashdon and I present this hard-won trophy above!



Watergate....The True Story!

Between the green common of Coe Fen and Peterhouse College is a wall which includes this ancient structure, a low, blocked gate, dating from the fifteenth century, which seems to have no purpose. Above it is the coat of arms of the Bishop Of Ely. The clue to its existence is in the name of the common, Coe Fen, for that is exactly what it was, a fen or marsh, till it was drained for public health reasons in the early twentieth century. A branch of the river formerly flowed close to the wall and a small "canal" allowed boats to enter the college grounds by way of the water-gate.



A Light-Show

From the old and seemingly indestructible to the fleeting and ephemeral. Over the Christmas period an iconic Cambridge landmark was lit up as never before. The light show, entitled "Foster's Mill Firmament" was the work of artist David Ward. Although temporary in nature it was based on things more ancient and eternal, namely the fan-vaulting of the ceiling of King's College Chapel and the night sky.



Well I Never....

At the edge of a piece of common land in the Cambridgeshire village of Haslingfield stands this odd little building; one old brick wall and three more modern wooden ones. An old illustration shows the brick wall was once more elaborate, sporting a Dutch gable. The wall dates from the seventeenth century, the time when Sir Thomas Wendy, physician to Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary and Elizabeth I, was extending the nearby hall. The building is a well-house and it seems likely that the brick wall was designed to give this humble building a grand aspect when seen from the approach to the hall. The wooden walls are a recent replacement for older timbers.



An Odd Bridge

If you've been to Cambridge you've probably seen this queer-looking bridge. It's the kind of structure that seems to inspire stories. The college authorities refer to it as "The Wooden Bridge" but everyone else calls it the "Mathematical Bridge". Some say it was designed by Isaac Newton but in fact it was the work of an undergraduate named W. Etheridge in 1749. Disappointing but true. Then you may hear that it was originally held together without the need for nails or bolts. That may be true but wooden dowels were probably used instead. The last tale, and the one I really wish was true, is that the iron bolts were put in because inebriated students returning after a night in the local alehouses could not resist the temptation to dismantle the bridge. Then of course, in the cold light of day, they found it was much harder to put back together again. But sadly there's no evidence for that story either.



And Finally....

At this time of year I can rarely pass by these beauties without stopping for a closer look.

Take care.

Queens' (Not Queen's) College

They get very sniffy about that apostrophe so I'd better get it right.

Queens' College, unlike neighbouring King's, does not announce itself to the casual visitor. King's strides grandly and majestically along King's Parade and has the wonderful Chapel which, with both its size and magnificence, dominates the scene. Queens' College, in contrast, hides away demurely in a side street. You enter through what appears to be just a hole in a drab and grimy wall, though once inside you turn to see that you've actually come in through a mighty gatehouse.

The street outside is so narrow and cramped that you are scarcely able to see the whole building. The college was founded in 1448 by Queen Margaret of Anjou, wife of Henry VI, as The Queen's College of St Margaret and St Bernard to "laude and honneurre of sexe feminine". Then in 1475 the college was re-founded by Elizabeth, the Queen of Edward IV. So the college was founded by two queens, hence that apostrophe after the "s".

The Old Court, which you see as you first enter is little changed since it was built when the college was founded. As you make your way through the archway into Cloister Court you are able to see into the Old Hall.

How very different from the canteen where I ate my sausage and chips when I was a student! Originally the Hall was rather plain but was re-decorated in the mid-19th century in the Arts and Crafts style. 

Then you're in Cloister Court itself. If Queens' lacks the grandeur and extravagance of some other colleges then it more than makes up for it with the quirky charm exhibited here:

From Cloister Court you can sneak through the corner into Walnut Tree Court....

....along one side of which stands the New Chapel (by "New" we mean 1891) which was designed, like the re-decorations which we saw in the Hall, by George Bodley. Avid readers of this blog, if any such there be, might remember Mr Bodley from a post about All Saints' Church; well, here's some more of his work....

There was preparation going on for some kind of end of college-year event so I didn't investigate further, but made my way around to where there was a more relaxed feel to proceedings in the Fellows' Garden....

....I say, old boy, are you sure those are Fellows? They look like "the sexe feminine" to me.

I wandered back into Cloister Court to cross the river by The Wooden Bridge, or the Mathematical Bridge as it's more often, but incorrectly, known.

I've shown you this before but to save the muscles of your clicking-finger here's what I said then:

"If you've been to Cambridge you've probably seen this queer-looking bridge. It's the kind of structure that seems to inspire stories. The college authorities refer to it as "The Wooden Bridge" but everyone else calls it the "Mathematical Bridge". Some say it was designed by Isaac Newton but in fact it was the work of an undergraduate named W. Etheridge in 1749. Disappointing but true. Then you may hear that it was originally held together without the need for nails or bolts. That may be true but wooden dowels were probably used instead. The last tale, and the one I really wish was true, is that the iron bolts were put in because inebriated students returning after a night in the local alehouses could not resist the temptation to dismantle the bridge. Then of course, in the cold light of day, they found it was much harder to put back together again. But sadly there's no evidence for that story either."

Over on this side of The Cam the college has added some more modern buildings, built in the 1970s and 80s; not bad for their day, but not in keeping with our present post. So lets just take a wordless wander back the way we came...

Take care.

A Trip To Trinity

Off to Trinity College, Cambridge, today and to the Great Court in particular. The Great Court either is, or isn't, the scene of the run by Harold Abrahams in the film "Chariots Of Fire". But more of that conundrum later. First of all lets have a look at the College's back gate, the famous Backs of the colleges where the fine buildings, lawns and gardens back on to the river. This was once known as the colleges' "backsides", but for some reason they changed the name!

At this time of year there's a fine display of early spring flowers, lighting up the scene before the trees start bursting into leaf. And the runners come out of hibernation too - but more of them later.

But if you want to see the Great Court you can't walk straight through the college but have to walk around to the main gate, so lets do just that.

There. not too far was it? And once through the gate you're immediately in the Great Court and what a magnificent space it appears as you enter from the crowded streets of the old part of town. 

Now, "Chariots Of Fire" and the Great Court Run. The point of the run is to complete the entire circuit of the Court in the 43 or so seconds it takes the college clock to strike twelve, actually 24 chimes for some reason. It was first achieved in 1927 by Lord Burghley, otherwise known as David Cecil. He went on to become an Olympic champion and a Conservative MP, distinctions which he shares with the other person to complete the run Sebastian (Lord) Coe who ran the race for charity in 1988. Coe's time is disputed by some and, of course, there is no video evidence of the earlier time.

In fact quibbling about the record is almost as much a sport as the run itself! 

It has been achieved more recently than Coe's effort but the course has been shortened. Does that count? Coe only achieved the feat if you take into account that the sound of the last chime had not completely faded away. Will you allow that? The time taken for the chimes to sound varies depending on when the clock was last wound as well as the meteorological conditions of the day. So what time do you actually have to do the run? You might as well use the sundial!

Lord Burghley, who set the original record, would not allow his name to be used in the film "Chariots Of Fire" because of historical inaccuracies. There certainly were a few:

•  Aubrey Montague was depicted as a student at Cambridge; he went to Oxford.
• Lord Andrew Lindsay's character based on Burghley who did go to Cambridge but not at the same time as Harold Abrahams.
• Harold Abrahams achieves the Great Court Run in the film, but not in reality.
• Montague is said to be alive at the time of Abrahams' death; he'd been dead for 30 years.

And there were many other discrepancies too. Just to confuse the issue still further the Great Court run in the film was actually filmed, not at Trinity at all, but at Eton. 

But, unlike Coe and Burghley, we've got time to look at some of the buildings as we amble around the Court. The front of the Great Gate has already been seen (third picture of this post) and its rather poor statue of Henry VIII has been shown along with an amusing anecdote in an earlier post. The theme of crudely carved statues is continued on the Court side of the gatehouse with representations of James I and his Queen and son. The architectural writer Nickolaus Pevsner is understandably horrified, "One would have thought the King's mason might have tried to do better for a Trinity College commission".

King Edward's Tower (above) was built in 1428-32 but stood some 70 feet further south. It was re-erected on its present site in 1600 by Dr Thomas Nevile, Master of Trinity and favourite of Queen Elizabeth I, as part of his vision of the Great Court.

Nevile was responsible for the building of the Hall, which he financed out of his own pocket.

There's also a third gatehouse, the Queen's Gate which has a statue of Elizabeth I.

The feature which catches the eye of most visitors however must be the fountain, seen here with the Chapel behind it. The Chapel is a fine building though on a much smaller scale than King's Chapel, of course. It holds a fine collection of marble statues of some of the great men who have studied at Trinity including Roubiliac's Sir Isaac Newton....

....Francis Bacon....

....and Tennyson. 

As I was leaving I came across the following entertaining scene...

...one of the college porters was trying to explain to a group of foreign tourists that "according to rules you're in too big a group. If you go out and re-enter as two smaller groups that will be within the regulations!" He was clearly not making himself understood and they seemed to think he was part of the show and stood taking his picture.

Take care.

Do The Leafdance, Baby!

Were you "leafdancing" with me on my last post? You probably thought it was all very complicated to achieve but actually many of those shots could be taken quite easily on a point and shoot camera (were, in fact,  taken on a point and shoot camera, albeit a Lumix) and only needed the kind of manipulation which can be done with a simple photofix program like Windows Photo Gallery that was supplied with Vista, or Windows Live Photo Gallery which is freely available for XP, Vista and Windows 7. Or, as they say on TV, other programs are available!

First of all take yourself and your camera to an autumn woodland - or anywhere with some colourful scenery.....

.....on a dull day your pictures will come out looking like this - dull! And if you try to photograph the leaves in close-up they'll probably be dull and blurred; the slow shutter speed has not been fast enough to stop the movement of the leaves or to eliminate camera-shake.....

Time to try something different. How about, if rather than trying to hold the camera still in a vice-like grip, you waggle it about? Round and round, side to side, up and down, backwards and forwards. It's OK, no one's watching - experiment! These are the kind of tricks we had to employ to try to get something unusual from 35mm cameras in pre-digital days. Occasionally we got something interesting, mostly we wasted lots of film. But, hey, with digital you can keep shooting till the battery runs out!

Mmmm, well, interesting. The movement of the camera has given lots of intriguing blurred effects - impressionistic, dreamy. But it's also muddied all the colours and seems to have thoroughly disorientated the light-metering system. Lets see if we can rescue something with a bit of computer tinkering....

                                                                           .....a bit more contrast might help.

                                                                                 .....and more colour saturation.

That's quite nice but for some reason the colours don't look very autumnal. Hang on, we can change the colour temperature, warm it up, more reds and browns....

                                                                                                         ....getting there!

I'd probably crop the image a bit. Like this.

Of course you can go completely crazy if you like....

                                                                                No, probably not a good idea!

But I could have made a fortune designing album covers for Jimi Hendrix! 

Take care.

The Rough Road To The Islands

While at university in the 70s many strange and attempting-to-appear-strange people drifted in and out of my circle of friends. Two of them drifted away to the island of Mull on the west coast of Scotland and were never to return, as far as I know. They left a few discarded ideas and memories, some of which surfaced unexpectedly in this song:

                            The Rough Road To The Islands 
                          
May your dreams not come to harm on the rough road to the islands
   as you search for deeper meanings where the mountains meet the sea
May good fortune bear you safely through the wild and lonely highlands 
   and I hope it won't be long before you're rolling home to me
                                                                           rolling home to me
                                                                            rolling home to me
        and I hope it won't be long before you're rolling home to me.

May your spirit be unbroken, may your thoughts remain sincere there
   for the message of the ocean may well pound upon those shores
And though city friends won't understand, write down the words you hear there
   and I know it won't be long before their mystery is yours
                                                                       mystery is yours
                                                                         mystery is yours
        and I know it won't be long before their mystery is yours.

For it is long ago men came that way and stopped to build a church there
   and they loudly sang the praises of that land of rocks and rain
There are flowers grow among the rocks for those who care to search there
   and I hope it won't be long before our city blooms again                         
                                                                     city blooms again
                                                                 our city blooms again
          and I hope it won't be long before our city blooms again.


The ideas which they left me were these:
- a book by Jack Kerouac in which he mentions sitting beside the sea hearing voices in the sound of the waves.
- a tape of a tape of a tape of Gaelic hymns from the Isle of Lewis.
- the realisation that "Goodbye" doesn't always mean "See you later".

Take care.