Notre Dame de Rouen. The façade of the Gothic Church in France. Photographer: Hippo1947. Licence: SHUTTERSTOCK.

Tuesday 30 September 2014

The Alhambra. A Pearl. Set In Emeralds.


Text and Illustrations from Wikimedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.




The Alhambra,
Granada, Spain.
Photo: August 2006.
Source: Flickr.
Author: bernjan.
(Wikimedia Commons)




English: Evening panorama of The Alhambra from Mirador de San Nicolas.
Español: Panorámica de la Alhambra al atardecer desde el
Mirador de San Nicolás, Granada, España.
Photo: 6 August 2014.
Source: Own work.
Author: Slaunger.
(Wikimedia Commons)



The Alhambra (Spanish: [aˈlambɾa]; Arabic: الْحَمْرَاء‎, [ʔælħæmˈɾˠɑːʔ], Al-Ḥamrā', literally. "The Red One"), the complete form of which was "Calat Alhambra", is a Palace and Fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain.

It was originally constructed as a small Fortress in 889 A.D., and then largely ignored until its ruins were renovated and rebuilt in the Mid-11th-Century, by the Moorish Emir, Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar, of the Emirate of Granada, who built its current Palace and walls. It was converted into a Royal Palace in 1333 by Yusuf I, Sultan of Granada.



The Ceiling,
Photo: 10 March 2012.
Source: Own work.
Author: Liam987.
(Wikimedia Commons)



The Alhambra's Islamic Palaces, as we know them today, were built for the last Muslim Emirs in Spain and the Court of the Nasrid dynasty. After the Reconquista by the Reyes Católicos ("Catholic Monarchs"), in 1492, some portions were used by Christian rulers.

The Palace of Charles V, built by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1527, was inserted in The Alhambra, within the Nasrid fortifications. After being allowed to fall into disrepair for Centuries, the buildings being occupied by squatters, The Alhambra was rediscovered in the 19th-Century by European scholars and travellers, with restorations commencing. It is now one of Spain's major tourist attractions, exhibiting the Country's most significant and well-known Islamic architecture, together with 16th-Century, and later, Christian building and garden interventions. The Alhambra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the inspiration for many songs and stories.

Moorish poets described it as "a Pearl, set in Emeralds," an allusion to the colour of its buildings and the woods around them. The Palace complex was designed with the mountainous site in mind and many forms of technology were considered. The Park (Alameda de la Alhambra), which is overgrown with wildflowers and grass in the Spring, was planted by the Moors, with Roses, Oranges, and Myrtles; its most characteristic feature, however, is the dense wood of English Elms, brought by the Duke of Wellington in 1812. The Park has a multitude of Nightingales and is usually filled with the sound of running water from several fountains and cascades. These are supplied through a conduit 8 km (5.0 miles) long, which is connected with the River Darro at the Monastery of Jesus del Valle, above Granada.



English: Arabesques around one of the windows in The Alhambra.
Español: Mirador de Lindaraja, dentro del palacio de los Leones, Alhambra de Granada.
Photo: 23 February 2006.
Source: Own work.
Author: Javier Carro.
(Wikimedia Commons)



Despite long neglect, wilful vandalism, and some ill-judged restoration, The Alhambra endures, as an atypical example of Muslim art, in its final European stages, relatively uninfluenced by the direct Byzantine influences found in the Mezquita of Córdoba. The majority of the Palace buildings are quadrangular in Plan, with all the rooms opening on to a Central Court, and the whole reached its present size simply by the gradual addition of new quadrangles, designed on the same principle, though varying in dimensions, and connected with each other by smaller rooms and passages.

The Alhambra was extended by the different Muslim rulers, who lived in the complex. However, each new section that was added followed the consistent theme of "Paradise on Earth". Column Arcades, Fountains with running water, and reflecting pools, were used to add to the aesthetic and functional complexity. In every case, the Exterior was left plain and austere. Sun and wind were freely admitted. Blue, Red, and a Golden Yellow, all somewhat faded through lapse of time and exposure, are the colours chiefly employed.



The Alhambra,
Granada, Spain.
Available on YouTube at



The decoration consists, as a rule, of Arabic inscriptions that are manipulated into sacred geometrical patterns wrought into Arabesques. Painted tiles are largely used as Panelling for the walls. The Palace complex is designed in the Mudéjar Style, which is characteristic of Western elements, reinterpreted into Islamic Forms, and widely popular during the Reconquista, the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Muslims by the Christian Kingdoms.

The Alhambra did not have a Master Plan for the total site design, so its overall layout is not orthogonal, nor organised. As a result of the site's many construction phases over time, from the original 9th-Century Citadel, through to the 14th-Century Muslim Palaces, to the 16th-Century Palace of Charles V, some buildings are in odd positionings to each other.

The Terrace or Plateau, where The Alhambra sits, measures about 740 metres (2,430 ft) in length by 205 metres (670 ft) at its greatest width. It extends from West-North-West to East-South-East and covers an area of about 142,000 square metres (1,530,000 sq ft). The Alhambra's most Westerly feature is the Alcazaba(Citadel), a strongly-fortified position. The rest of the Plateau comprises a number of Moorish Palaces, enclosed by a Fortified Wall, with thirteen Towers, some defensive and some providing vistas for the inhabitants.



One detail of the Arabesques (see, above).
Fine architectural detail at The Alhambra Palace,
Granada, Spain.
This File: 29 January 2007.
User: Serg!o.
Source: Flickr
(Author: Yves Remedios)
(Wikimedia Commons)



The decorations within the Palaces typified the remains of Moorish dominion within Spain and ushered in the last great period of Andalucian art in Granada. With little of the Byzantine influence of contemporary Abassid architecture, artists endlessly reproduced the same forms and trends, creating a new style that developed over the course of the Nasrid Dynasty.

The Nasrids used freely all the stylistic elements that had been created and developed during eight centuries of Muslim rule in the Peninsula, including the Calliphal Horseshoe Arch, the Almohad Sebka (a grid of rhombuses), the Almoravid Palm, and unique combinations of them, as well as innovations such as Stilted Arches and Muqarnas (Stalactite Ceiling Decorations). The isolation from the rest of Islam, plus the commercial and political relationship with the Christian Kingdoms, also influenced building styles.

Columns and Muqarnas appear in several Chambers, and the Interiors of numerous Palaces are decorated with Arabesques and Calligraphy. The Arabesques of the Interior are ascribed to, among other Sultans, Yusuf I, Mohammed V, and Ismail I, Sultan of Granada.



Detail of the script
on the wall of the Mexuar Hall:
"God is the only Victor.".
Photo: 8 November 2009.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)



After the Christian conquest of the City in 1492, the conquerors began to alter The Alhambra. The open work was filled up with whitewash, the painting and gilding effaced, and the furniture soiled, torn, or removed. Charles I (1516–1556) rebuilt portions, in the Renaissance Style of the period, and destroyed the greater part of the Winter Palace to make room for a Renaissance-Style structure which was never completed. Philip V (1700–1746) Italianised the rooms and completed his Palace in the middle of what had been the Moorish building; he had partitions constructed which blocked up whole apartments.

Over subsequent Centuries, the Moorish art was further damaged, and, in 1812, some of the Towers were destroyed by the French, under Count Sebastiani. In 1821, an earthquake caused further damage. Restoration work was undertaken in 1828 by the architect José Contreras, endowed in 1830 by Ferdinand VII. After the death of Contreras in 1847, it was continued with fair success by his son, Rafael (+ 1890) and his grandson.

Completed towards the end of Muslim rule of Spain by Yusuf I (1333–1353) and Muhammed V, Sultan of Granada (1353–1391), The Alhambra is a reflection of the culture of the last Centuries of the Moorish rule of Al Andalus, reduced to the Nasrid Emirate of Granada. It is a place where artists and intellectuals had taken refuge as the Reconquista by Spanish Christians won victories over Al Andalus.



English: A room of The Alhambra Palace
and a view of the Court of the Lions.
Deutsch: Innenhof der Alhambra.
Artist: Adolf Seel (1829–1907).
Date: 1892.
Current location: Unknown.
This File: 22 March 2006.
(Wikimedia Commons)



The Alhambra integrates natural site qualities with constructed structures and gardens, and is a testament to Moorish culture in Spain and the skills of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian artisans, craftsmen, and builders of their era. The literal translation of Alhambra, "the red (female)," reflects the colour of the red clay of the surroundings of which the Fort is made. The buildings of The Alhambra were originally whitewashed; however, the buildings, as seen today, are reddish. Another possible origin of the name is the tribal designation of the Nasrid Dynasty, known as the Banu al-Ahmar (Arabic: Sons of the Red (male)), a sub-tribe of the Qahtanite Banu Khazraj tribe. One of the early Nasrid ancestors was nicknamed Yusuf Al Ahmar (Yusuf the Red) and, hence, the (Nasrid) fraction of the Banu Khazraj took up the name of Banu al-Ahmar.

The first reference to the Qal‘at al-Ḥamra was during the battles between the Arabs and the Muladies (people of mixed Arab and European descent) during the rule of the ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad (888 A.D. – 912 A.D.). In one particularly fierce and bloody skirmish, the Muladies soundly defeated the Arabs, who were then forced to take shelter in a primitive Red Castle, located in the Province of Elvira, presently located in Granada.

According to surviving documents from the era, the Red Castle was quite small, and its walls were not capable of deterring an army intent on conquering. The Castle was then largely ignored until the 11th-Century, when its ruins were renovated and rebuilt by Samuel ibn Naghrela, Vizier to the Emir Badis ben Habus of the Zirid Dynasty of Al Andalus, in an attempt to preserve the small Jewish settlement, also located on the natural Plateau, Sabikah Hill.



English: The Court of the Lions;
a unique example of Muslim art.
The Alhambra Palace.
Español: Patio de los leones.
Photo: 2 October 2003.
Source: Flickr.
Author: comakut.
(Wikimedia Commons)



Ibn Nasr, the Founder of the Nasrid Dynasty, was forced to flee to Jaén to avoid persecution by King Ferdinand III of Castile and the Reconquista supporters working to end Spain's Moorish rule. After retreating to Granada, Ibn-Nasr took up residence at the Palace of Badis ben Habus in The Alhambra. A few months later, he embarked on the construction of a new Alhambra fit for the residence of a Sultan. According to an Arab Manuscript, since published as the Anónimo de Granada y Copenhague, This year, 1238, Abdallah ibn al-Ahmar climbed to the place called "The Alhambra", inspected it, laid out the foundations of a Castle, and left someone in charge of its construction.

The design included Plans for six Palaces, five of which were grouped in the North-East quadrant, forming a Royal Quarter, two Circuit Towers, and numerous Bath-Houses. During the Reign of the Nasrid Dynasty, The Alhambra was transformed into a Palatine City, complete with an irrigation system composed of Acequias for the gardens of the Generalife located outside the Fortress. Previously, the old Alhambra structure had been dependent upon rainwater collected from a cistern, and from what could be brought up from the Albaicín. The creation of the Sultan's Canal solidified the identity of The Alhambra as a Palace-City, rather than a defensive and ascetic structure.



Canopy, with stonework.
The Alhambra Palace.
Date: 5 July 2008 (original Upload Date).
Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia;
Transferred to Commons by User:Arch2all
using CommonsHelper.
Author: Tim Bray.
(Wikimedia Commons)



The Muslim Ruler, Muhammad XII of Granada, surrendered the Emirate of Granada in 1492, without The Alhambra being attacked when the forces of the Reyes Católicos, King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile, took the surrounding territory with a force of overwhelming numbers.

The Alhambra resembles many Mediaeval Christian strongholds in its three-fold arrangement as a Castle, a Palace and a Residential Annex for subordinates. The Alcazaba or Citadel, its oldest part, is built on the isolated and precipitous Foreland, which terminates the Plateau on the North-West. All that remains are its massive Outer Walls, Towers and Ramparts.

On its Watch-Tower, the 25 m (85 ft) high Torre de la Vela, the Flag of Ferdinand and Isabella was first raised as a symbol of the Spanish conquest of Granada on 2 January 1492 [Editor: GRANADAINFO.COM states that, nowadays, four Flags are flown from the Tower: The Blue European Flag; the Green and White Andalucian Flag; the Red and Yellow Spanish Flag; and the Red and Green Granada Flag.]



English: Flag of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia (Spain).
One of four Flags flown, nowadays, from the Torre de la Vela, The Alhambra.
Español: Bandera de la Comunidad Autónoma de Andalucía (España). Según la descripción:
La composición de tres franjas horizontales (verde, blanca y verde) que forman la bandera fue aprobada por la Asamblea de Ronda en 1918. Sus colores evocan tonalidades del paisaje andaluz,
al tiempo que simbolizan los valores de la pureza y la esperanza en el futuro. En ambas caras
y en situación centrada se reproduce elEscudo Oficial de Andalucía que tiene una altura
de dos quintas partes de la anchura de la bandera. El color verde se denomina
"Verde Omeya Bandera de Andalucía.
Sources/Fuentes: Símbolos de Andalucía & Descripción símbolos de Andalucía.
Date: 21 February 2009.
Source: Own work.
Author: Miguillen.
(Wikimedia Commons)




Detail of Palacios Nazaries,
The Alhambra, Granada, Spain.
Photo: 20 May 2010.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)



A Turret, containing a large Bell, was added in the 18th-century, and restored, after being damaged by lightning, in 1881. Beyond the Alcazaba, is the Palace of the Moorish Rulers,

Access from the City to the Alhambra Park is afforded by the Puerta de las Granadas (Gate of Pomegranates), a Triumphal Arch dating from the 15th-Century. A steep ascent leads past the Pillar of Charles V, a Fountain erected in 1554, to the main entrance of the Alhambra. This is the Puerta de la Justicia (Gate of Judgment), a massive horseshoe Archway, surmounted by a Square Tower and used by the Moors as an informal Court of Justice.

The Alhambra tiles are remarkable, in that they contain nearly all, if not all, the seventeen mathematically possible Wallpaper Groups. This is a unique accomplishment in World Architecture. M. C. Escher's visit in 1922, and study of the Moorish use of symmetry in the Alhambra tiles, inspired his subsequent work on Regular Divisions of the Plane.

In Astronomy, there is a Main Belt Asteroid named Alhambra.



Available (in U.K.) from

Available (in U.S.A.) from


Monday 29 September 2014

The Shrine Church Of Saint Walburge. Bishop Campbell Of Lancaster And Monsignor Wach, Superior Of The Institute Of Christ The King, Sovereign Priest, On The Sanctuary. Bishop Campbell's Motto: "Ecce Nova Facio Omnia". "Behold, I Make All Things New".





On Saturday, 27 September 2014, Saint Walburge's Church, Preston, Lancashire, England, was officially opened and Dedicated as a Shrine given over to The Institute of Christ The King, Sovereign Priest, in a bold and inspired move by Bishop Michael Campbell of Lancaster.

Both Bishop Campbell and Monsignor Wach, Superior Of The Institute Of Christ The King, Sovereign Priest, were on the Sanctuary.

For an excellent Report on the occasion, please visit OFFERIMUS TIBI DOMINE

Another Full Report and beautiful photographs can be seen at GATESHEAD REVISITED

In addition, further photographs and a detailed Report are at THE LMS CHAIRMAN'S BLOG



The Consecration and Elevation,
during The Divine Mass.




A packed, reverent, devout, and very happy, Congregation give thanks to Almighty God for
Bishop Campbell's brave initiative to save this beautiful Church, which, up until recently,
was under grave threat of closure.




Bishop Campbell gives his Sermon.




English: Coat-of-Arms of Bishop Michael Gregory Campbell,
Bishop of Lancaster, England.
Reference: www.lancasterdiocese.org.uk
Español: Escudo de armas del obispo Michael Gregory Campbell,
obispo de Lancaster, Inglaterra, Gran Bretaña.
Date: 28 April 2014.
Source: Own work.
Author: SajoR.
(Wikimedia Commons)
[Editor: Bishop Campbell's Motto "Ecce Nova Facio Omnia" is extremely apt.
The Latin translates as "Behold, I make all things new".]

Deo Gratias.




Saint Walburge's Catholic Church, Preston, Lancashire.
This magnificent Church, has a 307-foot Spire,
the third tallest Spire in Britain.
Photo: 26 March 2008.
Source: From geograph.org.uk;
transferred by User:Belovedfreak
Author: Alexander P Kapp.
Attribution: Alexander P Kapp.
(Wikimedia Commons)



The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia.

Saint Walburge's Church is a Roman Catholic Church, located in Preston, Lancashire, England. The Church was built in the Mid-19th-Century by the Gothic Revival architect, Joseph Hansom, designer of the Hansom Cab, and is famous as having the tallest spire of any Parish Church in England. Saint Walburge's is designated by English Heritage as a Grade I Listed Building.

In April 2014, the Right Reverend Michael Campbell, Bishop of Lancaster, announced that the landmark Church would be entrusted to the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest in Autumn 2014, as a Shrine for Eucharistic Devotion.

The Sacraments would be offered in The Traditional Roman Rite, according to the Charter of the Institute of Christ the King, and there would be provision of the Ordinary Form of Mass on Sundays.

Saint Walburge's is dedicated to Saint Walpurga, an English Saint, born 710 A.D., daughter of Saint Richard, a Saxon King. With her two brothers, Saint Willibald and Saint Winebald, she went to Germany as a Missionary. She was renowned for her miraculous healing of illnesses. The Church is part of the Catholic Revival that transpired during the time of England's Catholic Emancipation.




The Nave,
Saint Walburge's Catholic Church,
Preston, England.
Photo: 25 May 2013.
Source: Own work.
Author: Mdbeckwith.
(Wikimedia Commons)



Weekly Traditional Latin Masses In Kent. Maidstone, Ashford, Tenterden, Headcorn.


The current hiatus at Blackfen, Kent, England, where the new Parish Priest has banned the Celebration of Traditional Latin Masses, on the grounds that "they are DIVISIVE", encourages Zephyrinus to publicise the Traditional Latin Masses which
ARE CELEBRATED in Kent on a REGULAR WEEKLY BASIS ON SUNDAYS.

In addition, Traditional Latin Masses are Celebrated during the Week,
on Feast Days and Holy Days of Obligation.

There is a vibrant and happy group who attend these Masses and meet, after Mass,
for a lovely Lunch in various hostelries and locations.

Do come and join them. You will all be most welcome.

Besides Glorifying God in an edifying, Holy and Traditional manner,
you will see the wonderful Kent countryside changing throughout the Seasons,
which, in itself, Glorifies God.



              




MAIDSTONE, KENT.

CHURCH OF SAINT FRANCIS.


Photo: © Copyright Chris Whippet
and licensed for reuse under this

Traditional Latin Masses are Celebrated at the
Church of Saint Francis,
126, Week Street, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1RH,
(next to Maidstone East Railway Station)
at 1200 hrs,
on the FIRST SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH.




ASHFORD, KENT.

CHURCH OF SAINT SIMON  STOCK.


Photo: WIKIMAPIA

  Traditional Latin Masses are Celebrated at the
Church of Saint Simon Stock,
Brookfield Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 4EU,
at 1200 hrs,
on the SECOND SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH.




TENTERDEN, KENT.

CHURCH OF SAINT ANDREW.



Traditional Latin Masses are Celebrated at the
Church of Saint Andrew,
47, Ashford Road, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6LL,
at 1200 hrs,
on the THIRD SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH.




HEADCORN, KENT.

CHURCH OF SAINT THOMAS OF CANTERBURY.


Photo © Copyright David Anstiss
and licensed for reuse

Traditional Latin Masses are Celebrated at the
Church of Saint Thomas of Canterbury,
Becket Court, 15, Station Road, Headcorn, Kent TN27 9SB,
(next to Headcorn Railway Station)
at 1200 hrs,
on the FOURTH SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH.




WHEN THERE IS A FIFTH SUNDAY IN THE MONTH,
THE TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS IS CELEBRATED AT

ASHFORD, KENT.

CHURCH OF SAINT SIMON  STOCK.


Photo: WIKIMAPIA

  Traditional Latin Masses are Celebrated at the
Church of Saint Simon Stock,
Brookfield Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 4EU,
at 1200 hrs,
on the FIFTH SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH.




The Dedication Of Saint Michael The Archangel. Feast Day 29 September.


Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.

The Dedication of Saint Michael The Archangel.
Feast Day 29 September.

Double of The First-Class.

White Vestments.


Saint Michael The Archangel.



Hymn to Saint Michael The Archangel.
Available on YouTube at


29 September was formerly Dedicated to All The Angels (Introit, Collect, Gradual, Communion), wherefore Pope Boniface II, about 530 A.D., chose that date to Dedicate a Church in the Great Circus, at Rome, to Saint Michael.

The Mass composed for the occasion has since been appointed for The 18th Sunday after Pentecost; it still relates to The Dedication of a Church. The present Mass was composed more recently.

The Hebrew meaning of "Michael" is: "Who is like God ?", and recalls the combat which took place in Heaven between "The Archangel of God, who deserved to be placed at the Head of The Heavenly Host", and the devil.





Sermon: Saint Michael The Archangel.
Available on YouTube at



As we have fallen through sin into the power of Satan, it is Saint Michael's part to continue the fight for our deliverance (Alleluia, and Prayer after Mass); wherefore, our Guardian Angels are subordinate to him.

Saint Michael conquers Satan's pride and obtains humility for us. It is also he who presides over The Worship of Adoration rendered to The Most High, for he offers to God the Prayers of The Saints, symbolised by Incense, whose smoke rises towards Heaven (Offertory, Blessing of the Incense).



Sermon: The Archangels.
Available on YouTube at


When a Christian has left this World, we Pray that The Standard-Bearer, Saint Michael, should introduce the Christian into Heaven; he is also often represented with The Scales of Divine Justice, wherein Souls are weighed. His name is mentioned in The Confiteor, after that of Mary, who is The Queen of Angels.

Saint Michael was the protecting Angel of the Synagogue, as he is now of The Church, which has succeeded it. To him, The Liturgy attributes the revelation of the future, made to Saint John in The Apocalypse (Epistle).

Every Parish Priest Celebrates Mass for the people of his Parish.

Mass: Benedícite Dóminum, omnes Angeli ejus. Bless the Lord, all ye His Angels.

Commemoration of Saint Jerome.


THE SAINT ANDREW DAILY MISSAL



THE SAINT ANDREW DAILY MISSAL

Available (in U.K.) from

Available (in U.S.A.) from


Sunday 28 September 2014

The Church Of Our Lady And Saint Thomas Of Canterbury, Wymondham Abbey. Altar Screen (Reredos) By Sir Ninian Comper.


Text and Illustration from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.




Reredos (Altar Screen),
Church of Our Lady and Saint Thomas of Canterbury,
Wymondham Abbey,
Norfolk, England.
With Tester (above) and Rood Figures (above the Tester),
designed by Sir Ninian Comper, 1922.
Date: 1922 (object created);
27 February 2007 (original Upload Date).
Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia;
Transferred to Commons using CommonsHelper.
Author: Sir Ninian Comper (creator of the object);
Photographer and Original Uploader: Richard Barton-Wood.
Attribution: Richard Barton-Wood.
(Wikimedia Commons)



Wymondham Abbey (pronounced Windham) is the Anglican Parish Church for the town of Wymondham, in Norfolk, England. The Church is Dedicated to Our Lady and Saint Thomas of Canterbury. Today, the Abbey serves as the Parish Church of Wymondham, but it started life as a Benedictine Priory.

The Monastery was Founded, in 1107, by William d'Aubigny, Chief Butler to King Henry I. William was a prominent Norfolk landowner, with Estates in Wymondham and nearby New Buckenham. The d'Albini (or d'Aubigny) family originated from Saint Martin d'Aubigny, in Normandy. Later, the Founder's son, William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel, in 1174, Founded Becket's Chapel, close by in the town, to be served by two Monks from the Priory.

William d'Albini's Monastery was a dependency of the Benedictine Monastery at Saint Alban's, where his uncle, Richard, was Abbot. Wymondham Priory was relatively small, initially for some twelve Benedictine Monks, but grew in influence and wealth over the coming Centuries. Disputes between the Wymondham Monks and Saint Alban's Monks were quite common, and, in 1448, following a successful Petition to the King, the Pope granted Wymondham the Right to become an Abbey in its own Right. A notable Abbot was Thomas Walsingham.




Wymondham Abbey Hatchment,
now hung in the Ringing Tower.
Date: April 2007.
(Wikimedia Commons)



The Monastery Church was completed by about 1130, and, originally, was Dedicated to The Virgin Mary. Later, following the murder of Saint Thomas Becket in 1170, Becket's name was added to the Dedication. A modern icon panel, by the late Rev. David Hunter, is on display in the Church and tells the story of Thomas's life in pictures.

In 1174, the Founder's son, also called William d'Aubigny, established a Chapel in the town, dedicated to Becket, and served by two Monks from the Priory. The Church was originally Cruciform in shape, with a Central Tower and Twin West Towers. When it was built, stone, from Caen, in Normandy, was shipped specially across the English Channel to face the walls.

The Central Tower was rebuilt, in about 1376, with a tall Octagonal Tower (now ruined), which held the Monks' Bells. In 1447, work on a much taller, single West Tower, began. This replaced the original Norman Towers and held the townspeople's Bells.




View of the South Side of Wymondham Abbey,
from across the River Tiffey,
clearly showing the ruined Octagonal Tower
and the newer Square Tower.
Photo:23 September 2006 (original Upload Date).
Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia;
Transferred to Commons by User:Oxyman using CommonsHelper.
Author: Original uploader was Etm157 at en.wikipedia.
(Wikimedia Commons)



From the start, the Church had been divided between Monks' and townspeople's areas, with the Nave and North Aisle serving as Parish Church for the town (as it still is). This, too, was, from time to time, the cause of disputes which occasionally erupted into lawlessness, though the Vicar of Wymondham was appointed by the Abbot.

King Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries brought about the closure of Wymondham Abbey, which was surrendered to the King in 1538. The Monks had, apparently willingly, already signed the Oath of Supremacy, and were given generous pensions - Elisha Ferrers, the last Abbot, became Vicar of Wymondham (the fine 16th-Century Sedilia, on the South Side of the Chancel, is said to be his Memorial).

The years following the Dissolution, saw the gradual demolition of the Monastic buildings for re-use of the stone. The Eastern End of the Church (blocked off from the Nave by a solid wall since about 1385) was destroyed, leaving the present Church (at 70 m.) only about half its original length. Repairs to the Church were carried out following Queen Elizabeth I's visit in 1573 (date and initials may be seen on Exterior stonework).




Becket's Chapel,
near Wymondham Abbey,
Norfolk, England.
This File: 24 January 2008.
User: Jaspe.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Beckets_Chapel.JPG.
Author: Bartonwood at the English Wikipedia project.
(Wikimedia Commons)



Notable features of the Church are the Twin Towers (a landmark for miles around), the Norman Nave, the splendid 15th-Century Angel Roof in the Nave and fine North Aisle Roof. The Church is also remarkable for its high-quality fittings, such as the 1783 Organ, by James Davis, and 1810 Chamber Organ (also by James Davis) and the splendid Gilded Reredos (or Altar Screen), one of the largest works of Sir Ninian Comper.

This was Dedicated in 1921, as a War Memorial, though the Gilding was not finished until 1934. Note, also, the Early-Tudor terracotta Sedilia (see above), the Georgian Candelabrum and Royal Arms of George II, the Carved Mediaeval Font, with modern Gilded Font Cover, and many smaller features, such as Angels, Musicians and figures, Carved on the Roof Timbers and Corbels. The West Tower houses a Peal of ten Bells, re-cast and re-hung in 1967. Hung in the Bell Tower, are six well-preserved 18th-Century Hatchments.

[Editor: A Funerary Hatchment is a depiction, within a Black Lozenge-Shaped Frame, generally on a Black (Sable) background, of a deceased's Heraldic Achievement, that is to say, the Escutcheon showing the Arms, together with the Crest and Supporters of his Family or Person. Regimental Colours, and other Military or Naval Emblems, are sometimes placed behind the Arms of Military or Naval Officers. 
Such Funerary Hatchments, generally therefore restricted in use to Members of the Nobility or Armigerous Gentry, used to be hung on the wall of a deceased person's house, and was later transferred to the Parish Church, often within the Family Chapel, therein, which appertained to the Manor House, the family occupying which, generally being Lord of the Manor, held the Advowson (or Patronage) of the Church. In Germany, the approximate equivalent is a Totenschild, literally "Death Shield".] 



Wymondham Abbey Nave.
(Note the Rood, above the Tester).
Photo: Richard Barton-Wood.
Date: 4 April 2007 (original Upload Date).
Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia;
transferred to Commons by User:Kurpfalzbilder.de
Author: Original uploader was Bartonwood
(Wikimedia Commons)


St Andrew Daily Missal (Traditional Mass)

Available (in U.K.) from

Available (in U.S.A.) from



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