Royal Coat of Arms

When Henry VIII declared himself to be the head of the church in England it became customary for the royal coat of arms to be displayed in churches. It is quite common to come across examples of these today. They were often painted on square wooden boards by a local person and the quality of the representation depends heavily on the skills they brought to bear. They don't seem to have been changed with every change of monarch: it's my impression that most record the various Georges and Victoria, and I recall seeing examples from the time of Charles I and II. The example above can be seen in the abbey church of St Mary, Abergavenny, so it must have been an order that applied in Welsh protestant churches too. The letters A R (Anne Regina) and the date 1709 show it to be of the time of Queen Anne. The year 1707 is when, following the Acts of Union, Great Britain came into being.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

A spherical triangle

I've read architectural historians who describe the shape of this kind of Gothic window as a "spherical triangle". It is a three-sided window with each side a part of a circle. The first example of the design that I recall seeing is in the south aisle of Gaddesby church in Leicestershire. This dates from the period c.1325-1350. Interestingly, the tracery of that particular window includes four "spherical quadrangles" i.e. squares, but with four curved sides all of the same circumference. The spherical triangle shown above can be seen at Tewkesbury Abbey, Gloucestershire. The subject depicted in the glass is a favourite of Victorian artists, the Three Graces" (Faith, Hope and Charity). Incidentally, I can understand the need for a word or phrase to describe the shape of this kind of window, but whether the chosen one makes sense is open to argument.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Another green man

During our visits to historic churches we often come across a green man. These carvings, usually in stone or wood, of a head surrounded with leaves, look decidedly un-Christian and that may well be the case - it wasn't unknown for early Christianity to embrace aspects of what were probably pagan customs. The green man is thought to be a symbol of rebirth, a feature that is both pagan and central to the Christian religion. The earliest examples of such heads seem to post-date the birth of Chritianity and are most common in the Romanesque and Gothic periods. There has been a resurgence of the green man in recent years that has nothing to do with religion or paganism. They can be widely found on sale as garden ornaments, which is the case with the one shown above.

A view from Llangatwg Quarries

click image to enlarge

A map can only hint at the view a location offers: the reality is invariably better. This thought came to mind as I zoomed my lens in and out looking across the landscape north from Llangatwg quarries. The view I settled on has Penallt farm with its surrounding pastures, sheep and lambs at the bottom of the frame, the line of conifers at what appears to be another farm called Fedw, and beyond, on the far side of the hidden Usk Valley, the lower slopes of the mountains at the western edge of the Brecon Beacons - also dotted with farms, houses and sheep a-plenty.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Hereford Cathedral reflected

The exterior of the east end of Hereford Cathedral shows clear evidence of the reconstruction in c.1845 when the architect, Lewis Nockalls Cottingham (1787-1847), took account of the original Early English work in his extensive remodelling. Further renewal was undertaken in c.2000. We made a visit to the cathedral on a day following heavy rain and I was pleased to come across a puddle reflecting this part of the building. It gave some interest to the featureless tarmac area that is used by cars associated with the cathedral. The reflection in the water reminded me of a torn segment of a black and white photograph of the building.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Climbers, Llangatwg disused quarries

Click photo to enlarge

A recent walk with our children and grandchildren found us at the disused quarries at Llangatwg above Crickhowell and the Usk Valley of Wales. The area, called Llangattock in English, was extensively quarried in the nineteenth century to provide limestone for iron-making, for "sweetening" the land, and for making whitewash, among other uses. A series of tramways were used to deliver the limestone to the canal and other locations.

Today much of the cliffs, spoil heaps and the higher plateau is an open-access area and nature reserve. We saw plenty of ravens, common buzzards, red kites,wheatears and a noisy pair of peregrine falcons. We also came across climbers making use of the worked cliff faces.

photos © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Mallard on the roof

When the breeding season begins in our part of Herefordshire the local mallards and Canada geese start to do something that they don't do at any other time of year: something that I have never come across prior to living here. They land on the ridges of the houses and stand there surveying the area round about. Why do they do it? Perhaps they are displaying themselves as "available". Maybe they are advertising their claim to the area. Whatever the reason, it looks most odd. A quick flip through Google images shows that it is not uncommon, but is unusual enough for people to photograph the phenomenon.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900

Dark sky and The Fosse

click image to enlarge

The Fosse is a distinctive house located near the remains of the castle moat (now called Castle Pool) and the site of the medieval castle (now Castle Green) in Hereford. The building style is closest to an amalgam that is often called "Jacobethan", a nineteenth century revivalist style incorporating elements of Jacobean and Elizabethan architecture. Interestingly, I read that the listing attribution to the architect Robert Smirke is erroneous. Apparently it is the work of Thomas Nicholson and it was built in 1848-50, not 1825 as is carved on a plaque below the front chimney stacks. The sunlit house below a dark sky prompted my photograph.

photos © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Sea Crow

The name of the bird we call the cormorant (Phalocrocorax carbo) is said to derive from C12 French then Latin (Corvus marinus) for sea crow. Looking at this big black bird one can imagine how that might have come about. Today the cormorant isn't a bird associated only with the sea, though many can be seen there; it is also equally at home on some inland rivers and lakes. The bird in the photograph was perched on a riverside alder tree at Ross on Wye. The white feathers on the neck and the white patch on its flanks indicate that it is an adult in breeding plumage.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900

The Monmouth viaduct

The Monmouth viaduct is a 20 arch, 600 feet (183 metres) stone and concrete structure built to carry the Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway across the flood-prone Chippenham Meadows next to the River Wye at Monmouth. It opened in 1861 after 10 months work and needed 9,000 cubic yards of masonry and 3,000 cubic yards of concrete. The river was spanned by a steel bridge with 150 feet long girders. This is no longer in place. Like many such structures it has a very Roman appearance as the ravages of weather, time and shrubs soften its outline. I photographed these structures during a circular walk from the town. The image below shows the nearness of the viaduct to the Duke of Beaufort bridge.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100