Architectural Photographs

For the appreciation of the glorious beauty of nature and in unexpected places.
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Jude
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Re: Architectural Photographs

Post by Jude »

Pontefract Castle was another casualty of Cromwell's goons. But in this case, for a change, its destruction seems to have the support of the local populace - they felt it attracted too much fighting.

Standing atop a hill that overlooks the city, it must have been an imposing sight in its time. Little remains of it today.
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Here's the spot where Richard II was held prisoner, and probably murdered:
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There is a herb garden on the slopes to the Castle. I'm so jealous that the English can have outdoor herb gardens in March.
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Lalaith
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Re: Architectural Photographs

Post by Lalaith »

Indeed!

That's very cool!

The BBC production I've just watched recently (gosh, what was the name of that?!) depicted Richard II's death in that very spot! Or, at least, a spot they made to look exactly like that.
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Jude
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Re: Architectural Photographs

Post by Jude »

Was that The Hollow Crown?
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Lalaith
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Re: Architectural Photographs

Post by Lalaith »

Ah, yes! Thank you. I should've gotten up to go look and see or tried to look it up online, but I was being very lazy. :nono:
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Jude
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Re: Architectural Photographs

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I'm planning to watch that too - I wonder if the impact will be stronger now that I've been where it happened?
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Jude
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Re: Architectural Photographs

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Elgin Cathedral:
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It's hard to capture how imposing it is in person. In fact, by the time I arrived, the grounds were closed for the day, so these pictures were taken through the gate.

Sadly, after the Scottish Reformation in 1560, the services were transferred to the parish church of St. Giles, and this magnificent building was simply abandoned. Boggles the mind.
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Look at this and try to mentally fill in the missing bits - that should give you some idea of this building in its heyday:
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Incidentally, the lady who owns the B&B where I'm staying said she once attended a live performance of Macbeth in these ruins. That must have been an experience to remember.
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Voronwë the Faithful
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Re: Architectural Photographs

Post by Voronwë the Faithful »

Wow, indeed that must have been something special. Great pics, keep em coming.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
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Jude
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Re: Architectural Photographs

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I took almost a hundred pictures of Elgin Cathedral, so overwhelmed I was by the beauty of what's left.

The grounds around it are a cemetery, still in use today. There are a few graves that are actually inside the cathedral grounds, as recent as the early 20th century.

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Of the graves that were not sheltered, the earliest that were still legible were from the mid-1600's. And even most of them took some deciphering. Many more were almost totally eroded and smooth, probably from the 1500's and earlier.

This one from 1791 is mainly legible because of the moss:

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Judging from some of the other graves, eventually the moss will spread outside of the letters and erode the stone.

This one from 1684 was "indoors", relatively speaking. Hence its legibility:

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Another "indoors" one. I'm not sure what the "X" with a line on top means. Anyone?

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Some bishops and knights from the 13th century:

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Elizabeth Paterson, a lady who died in 1698 at the age of 36:

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She must have been special - there weren't many other epitaths with a full poem in Latin and English.

"Elizabeth here lyes who led her life
Unstained while virgin and tuice married wife"
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Voronwë the Faithful
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Re: Architectural Photographs

Post by Voronwë the Faithful »

Wow! Incredible stuff.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
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Jude
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Re: Architectural Photographs

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So when Elgin Cathedral was abandoned in the mid-1500's, it started to fall into a slow decay. Because of its reputation, it continued to be painted and drawn often, so you can actually see how intact it was, century by century. In 1824, it was finally decided to preserve what was left, and clear the grounds of all the fallen masonry and rubble.

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You can actually climb to the top - you climb the right tower until the outdoor walkway that you can sort-of-see here at the top of the missing window, and then continue to the top of the left tower.

The stairs have ancient graffiti carved into them - some in Latin, and some diagrams.

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I'm sure this one has a perfectly innocent explanation :help:

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One of the many rooms on the way to the top:

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Shots from the top:

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Looking across to the other tower:

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Looking up at the tower from the ground:

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Primula Baggins
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Re: Architectural Photographs

Post by Primula Baggins »

Jude, these are beautiful, fascinating images. Thank you so much for posting them!
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
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Inanna
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Re: Architectural Photographs

Post by Inanna »

I love the shots from the top. Gorgeous.
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Lalaith
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Re: Architectural Photographs

Post by Lalaith »

Those are great and interesting shots!
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Jude
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Re: Architectural Photographs

Post by Jude »

Okay - one more set of Elgin Cathedral photies from the ground...

The arc-shaped cavity here probably originally held a huge stained-glass window. I wonder what it depicted?

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A family tomb:

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These would have been floor-to-ceiling pillars:

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Elentári
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Re: Architectural Photographs

Post by Elentári »

Fascinating! Was one of those photos (the one with the slim central column) from inside the Chapter House, Jude? That seems far less deteriorated than the rest of the cathedral.
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Jude
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Re: Architectural Photographs

Post by Jude »

Yes, that's the Chapter House - and unlike the rest of the Cathedral, it's virtually intact. Here's its roof:

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Its entrance:

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Elentári
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Re: Architectural Photographs

Post by Elentári »

Beautiful, thanks! I believe I'm right in saying that Salisbury cathedral also has a separate, octagonal Chapter House, again with a single central column supporting the vaulted ceiling. The octagonal and circular designs are an English speciality, apparently!
There is magic in long-distance friendships. They let you relate to other human beings in a way that goes beyond being physically together and is often more profound.
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Lalaith
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Re: Architectural Photographs

Post by Lalaith »

Lovely! :love:
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Jude
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Re: Architectural Photographs

Post by Jude »

"Here! I am waiting for you!"

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"No!"
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Voronwë the Faithful
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Re: Architectural Photographs

Post by Voronwë the Faithful »

That's awesome, Jude!
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
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