Starting off for Brittany
Finally, time off in Brittany! The overnight ferry from Portsmouth delivers us to St Malo early in the morning. I haven’t finished writing about the Parish Enclosures, but I will be returning to those in the weeks ahead.
The Church of Saint Yves in La Roche-Maurice
The Church of Saint Yves was built in the 16C on the site of a 14C Chapel built by the Rohan family, the rulers in the area. From the ruined castle you can look down on the church enclosure in … Continued
Inside the Church of St Salomon at La Martyre
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.
La Martyre, Brittany
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 … Continued
Inside Notre Dame, Lampaul-Guimiliau in Brittany
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 Church of Notre Dame in Lampaul-Guimiliau, Brittany
Notre Dame in Lampaul-Guimiliau is one of the extraordinary Parish Enclosures in Brittany.
The Church of St Mélar in mono
It is quite difficult to take ‘interesting’ but true photographs of a church. 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 … Continued
The Church of St Mélar in Locmélar
In early May I took myself and my camera to Brittany for two weeks to photograph the Enclos Paroissiaux which are particular to western Finistère. I was quite nervous about the trip – driving on the right, and coping with only very basic French … Continued
Notre Dame de Lorette
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 … Continued
Vimy Ridge in WW1
Vimy Ridge was the site of a battle in WWI in April 1917, as part of the fighting around Arras. All four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Corps in the First Army fought together and were tasked with capturing the … Continued