Random thoughts while visiting with the dead
Robert’s working away form home today and I’m feeling a bit morose, a bit jet-lagged and a bit lonely. Went for a walk down to the village, to the church to visit with my Knight Templar and his Lady.
It’s such a hot day today, hot and muggy. The door to the church is huge and heavy and oak and needs both hands to wield the latch, but once inside it’s so cool and so silent. The only sound is a gentle dull thud of the movement of the huge clock hands. These deep, Cotswold stone walls block out the outside world so beautifully. Isn’t it fantastic to be in silence once in a while? Do you have anyplace you can go where there is silence?
Here is my Knight. His name is Thomas Moore. I don’t know much about him except that he died in 1347. But isn’t that so fantastic to know? Isn’t it so fantastic to be remembered for 666 years.
Here is his lady. I’ve no idea what her name is so I call her Isabelle. To me it suits her. She’s here dressed in her whimple and tunic. Must have been so suffocatingly hot to run around in a whimple and tunic on a day like today.
Her feet are on her King Charles spaniel. (Actually I have no idea if that’s a K C spaniel except that ladies of that era always had a K C spaniel around them. Didn’t they?) I wonder if she ever ran with her dog to the middle of a field or close to the Thames and took off her whimple and tunic and felt the wind’s caress?
There used to be frescoes painted in the alcoves above them. If you look very closely you can just make out Christ and a few angels. The originals are in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. I keep meaning to go have a look.
Linking with Nancy from a Rural Journal for random Friday thoughts. 🙂
Tina Fariss Barbour
What a lovely place to visit! So much history there, and I enjoyed your imaginings about the people buried there. I love to be in silent, dark, cool places like large churches.
Veronica
Thank you Tina. I’ve been trying to investigate a little about them but I don’t think they were very significant, you know, politically or high rank, so not a lot out there. Mind you, I’m not a historian so don’t really know where to start. 🙂
Nancy @ A Rural Journal
Wow — I can’t even imagine having such a place to visit all by yourself. Thank you for the history lesson — I just love it! xo
Veronica
Hi Nancy, there are three medieval churches around me in our and the two neighbouring villages, so walking distance to some fabulous history. One year I took Chloe out of Vancouver school for two months to be here in England, I think she was 9 or 10 yrs old, and, to fulfill her credits, she did an extra report on what medieval relics are left within the ten mile radius of the cottage. It was really surprisingly a lot to report. 🙂 (Mind you Oxford city was included)
lynn
My goodness I think I have seen your Knight, 1987 a friend and I walked and bused the Cotswolds, staying in all sorts of quaint and cozy corners, I shall have look through my photos. what a delightful place to go, some of my favourite places are where history is still present whether in the architecture, statues, given life by our presence.
Veronica
Oh Lynn, I’d love to know. Please let me know. 🙂 We are in Northmoor which is in Oxfordshire.
Sara v
Great stuff Veronica!! Is that a lamb at the lady’s feet? Amazing.
Veronica
Do you think so Sara? I always thought it was a dog but I like the thought of a lovely little lamb. 🙂
Ida P. Krause
Well I must say this was quite interesting. I’ve never seen anything like this in a cemetery. It was fun to read about your Knight and his Lady.
Veronica
Ida, England is full of interesting sights like this. Soon I’ll take a drive to St Mary’s church where there are about seven family members buried this way. I’ll post those photos. 🙂
Beth
wow, i love history of any kind. thank you for sharing with us at F5F. ( :
Veronica
Hi Beth, I’m happy to share, I love history too. 🙂
abrianna
Lovely pictures. So glad you have somewhere to go when it is hot and muggy.
Veronica
Hi Abrianna, These stone churches are the best, but our West Cottage is a brick cottage and stays cooler too. Yay for stone. 🙂
Carol Z
I am so eager for a trip to England and your post reinforced my desire to see Oxford and Bath and a dozen other places. Thanks!
Veronica
Hi Carol, I hope you get here. Oxford is amazing. But then, my father was born in Cambridge and Cambridge is amazing too. And he studied in London and kept a flat in London for his whole adult life while living in Vancouver, and London’s amazing too. Oh well, you just have to see it all. 🙂
claudsy
Ah, Veronica, you made such a lovely walk with history. I’ve been delving into the things old lately and the history that travels with them. I thoroughly enjoyed this post and its pics. Thank you so much for sharing.
Veronica
Thank you Claudsy. 🙂 So glad you’re feeling better. If my photos can be of help to you or if you’d like me to photograph something, just say or just help yourself. 🙂
claudsy
I enjoy them. They give me a feel of being there in person. One of these days I want to stroll through places Old World in person and just soak in all that I can.
Thanks for the good wishes, my friend. I hope you have a terrific rest of the summer.
Veronica
Claudsy, you can always come visit me here and I’ll take you around the churches and graveyards. 🙂
julochka
I love how his legs are crossed! wish there was such a treasure in one of our nearby villages…
Veronica
Julie, there must be some viking someone around. 🙂
michellepond
Love the history, the facts you give and the stories you build around each piece.
Veronica
Thanks Michelle, I make up a lot of thing, don’t I? 🙂 It’s all good.
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