Exploring history in London & abroad with my camera
The door opens to a rich collection of wall paintings, carvings, vaulted ceiling, 16C stained glass windows, statues, and a Glory Beam - this is a place for lingering, preferably alone. King and then Saint, Salomon stands beside the High Altar with a sword stuck in his side looking very regal - but the message…
The Church of St Salomon in La Martyre, like many of the parish enclosures, is built on the site of an earlier complex. And like many of the churches it had to be rebuilt after storm damage. It was in the early church that King Salomon of Brittany sought refuge in 874 but was nevertheless murdered…
As people push open the door of the church and step inside there is usually a murmur, or an 'Aah'. After the dark exterior even the dim light inside cannot hide the extravagant colours, exuberant altar pieces, and extraordinary ceilings. The Glory Beam dates from the 16C and is intricately carved. But it is the…
Read More "Inside Notre Dame, Lampaul-Guimiliau in Brittany"
Notre Dame in Lampaul-Guimiliau is one of the extraordinary Parish Enclosures in Brittany. The Church dominates the centre of the village, and I have visited several times in the past. As you walk round the building it presents itself in different ways, but always one is aware of the distinctive shortened bell tower, built in…
Read More "The Church of Notre Dame in Lampaul-Guimiliau, Brittany"
It is quite difficult to take 'interesting' but true photographs of the Church of St Mélar in Brittany. Colour? Black and white? Odd angles? Details or the broader picture? And how can I convey the sense of age, beauty, and the mix of originality and convention? In the end these are religious buildings - can…
In early May I took myself and my camera to Brittany for two weeks to photograph the Parish Enclosures which are particular to western Finistère. I was quite nervous about the trip - driving on the right, and coping with only very basic French - but it was a wonderful fortnight. These church enclosures developed mainly in the 16C…
On our last morning in France we stopped at the French National Memorial at Notre Dame de Lorette - nothing prepares one for this and photographs from the ground simply can't capture the size of this cemetery where 20,000 soldiers are buried in individual graves and another 22,000 lie in eight ossuaries. This is the…
