Reflection on the remains of the past as a way of emphasising the transience of life was such a common theme in Old English literature that they had a special word for this motif: Dustsceawung, 'contemplation of the dust.'I blog history things. I am particularly interested in medieval, maritime, medical, and scientific history, as well as osteoarchaeology and palaeopathology. So you will probably see a lot of those topics here. My ask is always open for questions, suggestions, requests, or anything else you feel compelled to say.
Note: all images belong to me unless a source is listed. If material is incorrectly sourced or if you own the rights to material which you wish to be removed, please let me know.
York in the Snow
York Minster East Window Conservation Project
The East Window of the Minster is currently undergoing conservation, giving visitors a chance to learn something about the work involved in preserving medieval stained glass and to see some of the panels up close. The first panel has yet to undergo the conservation process, and although it is in good condition, parts of the image have been obscured by repair leads from previous repairs. Repair leads have been removed from the other panels on display, revealing more detail. In addition, God’s cloak in the second panel has been restored based on historical evidence, and several of the Thunders’ heads in the fifth panel, which were previously missing, have been replaced. More about the project can be found on the York Glaziers Trust website.
Anglo-Saxon Settlement in Norton
I have previously mentioned that, as part of my dissertation, I am currently in the process of analysing dental pathologies in Anglo-Saxon burials from the Village of Norton, Cleveland. Well, a couple of weeks ago I actually got to visit Norton and learn a little more about the site where these skeletons were excavated.
This is the site of the pagan cemetery. The settlement would probably have been just to the southwest, on the other side of the modern hedge, and the later burial grounds cluster around the same area. A number of important landmarks are visible from the site, and likely influenced its location. The tower of the Saxon church at Billingham, a neighboring settlement, is just visible above the trees. More pagan landmarks include Roseberry Topping, which was associated in lore with Odin, and a possible Bronze Age barrow within the same field as the pagan Saxon burials. In winter it is also possible to see down to the river Tees beyond the treeline. This would have been the main access route into the area, so it would have been important to be able to monitor river traffic.
A hollow way also runs just behind the cemetery, leading northeast from the settlement. Sunken lanes like this are worn into the landscape over centuries of travel, and essentially the same route is still used today, as a modern road can just be seen behind the ancient route.
After the tenth century, there was a major shift in the settlement pattern at Norton. This may have coincided with the expulsion of the Saxon cult of St Cuthbert from Durham by the Normans in 1083. Groups of monks settled in other communities including Norton, and it may have been at this point that the original Saxon church was destroyed and a new church built to the west, with the settlement re-organising around this new centre.
Although the new church at Norton was built after the Norman Conquest, it was built in a Saxon style, which would seem to be a deliberate statement on the part of the monastic community who relocated there. Although the cruciform plan is unusual for a Saxon parish church, a number of classically Anglo-Saxon architectural elements are still visible, including the design of several of the windows, and the former roofline, which was much higher to allow space for the dormitory.
Correction: Although the church at Billingham was mentioned as a landmark, it would not yet have been built at the time when the pagan burial site was in use.
Chillingham Castle: Details and Art
Since the mid thirteenth century, Chillingham Castle has been the ancestral home of the Grey family, known both for the ill-fated Lady Jane, and for the popular flavour of tea. Originally built in the twelfth century, Chillingham received its license to crenelate from Edward III in 1344. The original document is on display in the castle still today.
The castle has played host to royalty on several occasions. Edward I stayed at Chillingham on his way north to fight William Wallace in 1298. Henry III and James I also both spent time there, as have members of the modern royal family.
The surrounding estate is also home to the famous Chillingham wild cattle. It has been suggested that this breed bears some resemblance to the extinct Aurochs, and may be descended from prehistoric wild cattle which once inhabited the British Isles. The herd has remained essentially genetically isolated for several centuries, and apart from a small reserve group kept in Scotland, is the only such herd surviving in the country.
Waltham Abbey has seen several incarnations. The church was rebuilt in stone under the direction of Harold Godwinson in the 1050s, following the miraculous cure of his paralysis which was attributed to a wooden cross held in the earlier church building. Most of the current structure dates from the Anglo-Norman period, and clear parallels can be seen with the famous Anglo-Norman cathedral at Durham in the decoration of the pillars in the nave.
However, a few Anglo-Saxon elements are still visible in the structure of the church, including a section of herring-bone stonework in the rear wall.
Waltham also boasts an early fifteenth-century wall painting depicting Judgement Day, with a heavenly chorus and souls ascending on the left and the damned descending into the mouth of Hell on the right.
In addition to enjoying the patronage of Harold Godwinson, Waltham has been suggested as one possible site for his burial following the Battle of Hastings. If he was indeed buried in the church, it would probably have been beneath the high alter. Today, a stone marker on the site of the Anglo-Saxon alter commemorates his death.
The church also contains a number of depictions of Harold, commemorating its history. These include a modern stained-glass window, and a carving on the exterior walls.
Wharram Percy
Last Friday we had a field trip for my Medieval Settlement and Communities course. (This is the first time I have been on a field trip since high school! There was much excitement.) One of the sites we visited was the deserted medieval village of Wharram Percy …
View from the North Manor Site:
The North Manor was built at the high end of the village, placing it in a visible position of power. From the Manor, it would have been possible to look down across the entire village and the valley.
One of the earthwork structures at the North Manor site comprises a circular wall with a mound in the centre, and has often been interpreted as a dovecote. However, no excavations have yet been carried out at the North Manor to corroborate interpretations of the manor’s layout and the functions of the various buildings.
The church associated with the settlement sits nestled in the valley below the village. This is a more sheltered location, but one with unusually low visibility for such an important structure within the community.
Here it is possible to see something of the building sequence and history of the church in the cut and fill of various window arches and doorways.
There are also a number of Anglo-Saxon grave slabs which were incorporated into the church walls, a fairly common practice.
‘Britain’s Most Fragile Treasure’: an interesting documentary which recently aired on the BBC exploring the stained glass of York Minster’s East Window, the largest surviving example of medieval glasswork in England.
The Acropolis, Athens
Theatre at Delphi
stained glass, St Salvator’s Chapel, St Andrews
See also: this post
Rose window, Notre Dame Cathedral
St Mary’s Abbey, York
King’s Manor, currently home to the University of York Departments of Archaeology, Eighteenth-Century Studies, and the Centre for Medieval Studies, has a long and rather illustrious history. Around the year 1270, the site contained a house for the Abbot of St. Mary’s Abbey, the ruins of which lie in the Museum Gardens nearby. Extensive rebuilding was carried out in the late fifteenth century, and further additions were made after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. During this period, up to 1641, the site was used as the Headquarters of the Council of the North, and housed several royal guests, namely Henry VIII, Charles I, and James I.
The King’s Manor Library houses collections of particular relevance to the departments based there, but the librarians are especially proud of what they call their ‘party piece’, the foyer ceiling. This elaborate plasterwork is not original to the buildings of King’s Manor, but is of comparable date. It was transported from a house in the city of York and specially fit to the room.
The Coat of Arms of Charles I sits above the main entrance. The lion carrying the flag of St George represents England. The unicorn, displaying the flag of St Andrew, and symbolically the supporter of Scotland, was introduced to the coat of arms by Charles’ father, James VI of Scotland and James I of England. Also depicted are a fleur-de-lis, representing France, and a harp, representing Ireland.
Other Details: In the final image, the remains of two filled-in doorways can easily be seen, one including a wooden lintel. It may be slightly more difficult to discern the pitting in the stonework, mainly in the upper left quarter, caused by gunshot during the Civil War.
The Shambles, York
Named for the stalls or benches known as shamels which were used to display meat, this street originally housed the butchers of the city of York. A reference to the street appears in the Domesday Book, but its present form dates largely from a rebuilding around 1400.
