Listening to: Kathryn Williams, The Quickening
Reading: Tess Gerritsen, The Bone Garden (enjoying very much)
St Osyth is named after the saint who was allegedly beheaded here by the Danes (remember, this is the east coast and was badly hit by raiding parties) and who built a nunnery here in the 7th century. A window in the church commemorates this. But the church also has some seriously pretty glass in the windows
as well as the most unusual communion rail, in the shape of a horseshoe.
A second monastery was built not far from the church, and this became Chich Abbey. (St Osyth used to be called Chich - or Cicc - centuries ago.) The gatehouse has glorious flushwork; but what really attracted me were the dragon and St George in the spandrels. (There is a dragon story about the area... But that's nothing to do with the saint. It's in the book. Yeah, I know I'm a tease. This is what authors are meant to do when promoting their books, right?)
And the way this window was filled in. What beautiful work.
Plan for today: crack on with book(s).
10 comments:
Beautiful, Kate. Love the dragon and the filled-in window and the stained glass.
Hi Kate - just in case you need some diversion [ snarf] in old english -have you seen this church puzzle from Salisbury?
The Sarum Code: What can it mean?
http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/2010/02/the-sarum-code-what-can-it-mean.html
I'm sure you are just the girl to solve it!
LOL Nina
Right, can't wait to read this book now!!!
I love them all I'm not even going to try and pick a favorite :)
Jan - I knew you'd like the window :)
Nina - that's really interesting! (I'd say it was 16th century so modern English rather than OE, simply from the font used - plus the earliest known church wall paintings tend to be floral/vine.)
There's a big lightbulb flickering at the back of my head now. (Don't suppose you have the plans for a time machine, do you?)
Olivia - it's out in July :)
Lacey - you have excellent taste *g*
Aha! A little bird tells me there's a brilliant book coming out in July that I need to buy! xx
Love visiting St Osyth, there are some gorgeous buildings - the town jail which is now a house and a few of the other gems tucked away there.
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