St John, near Clen Coe

This is the view from the tiny church of St. John, a Scottish Episcopal Church on the banks of Loch Leven in the Scottish Highlands. The church is located midway between the small town of Ballachulish and the small village of Glen Coe and the view from the church graveyard is magnificent. By the ancient standards of many churches in the British Isles, St. John’s is relatively modern and was consecrated in 1844. But it’s a beautiful little church and sits in one of the most arresting views in the Scottish Highlands.

Salisbury Cathedral

This is Salisbury Cathedral, in southern England, taken with the reflection in the Baptismal font. The perfect reflection from the still water makes an arresting image and brings out the detail in the ancient stone architecture. The main part of the Cathedral was finished in the late 1250's and today it houses the world's oldest working clock (from around AD 1386) and it has the best surviving copy of the four original copies of the Magna Carta.

Saint Thomas Becket Church

Saint Thomas Becket Church, Salisbury, England. Salisbury Cathedral is the most famous landmark in the town of Salisbury in the south of England. But not far from the Cathedral is the church of Saint Thomas Becket. The Cathedral gets almost all the tourist traffic while the little church of Saint Thomas Becket remains quietly in the background with relatively few visitors. This is such a shame as the church is beautiful! But then again, it's wonderful to be able to enjoy the tranquility of the place without hordes of tourists tramping past. Thomas Becket Church started life around 1220 as a place of worship for the stone masons, and their families, who were busy building the nearby Salisbury Cathedral. Saint Thomas Becket was rebuilt into a more permanent structure in the mid 1450's and the local affection for the little church was such that the townspeople paid for it themselves. The family crests and emblems of those townspeople are still in the church to this day.

Vatican Corridor.

This astonishing passageway is the corridor leading to the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City in Rome. The corridor is festooned with artworks depicting religious history and, most notably, maps showing the church’s historical empire all along the walls. The ceiling is just amazing, and gives a hint of the splendor waiting for you to see in the actual Sistine Chapel. Respecting the regulations and local sensitivities, I did not photograph the interior of the Sistine Chapel, but it is an amazing sight. For those of you unfamiliar with the Sistine Chapel, this is the place where the Cardinals lock themselves into at the time of electing new Popes. They burn materials to release either black or white smoke from the chimney to indicate whether a new Pope has been elected. White Smoke indicates they have been successful. The practice has been going on for centuries. The Vatican, although located in the center of Rome in Italy, is actually a separate country with its own laws and practices.

Christchurch Priory

Christchurch Priory. The image here shows a frosty morning glimpse of the Christchurch Priory, whose history dates back to 1094. In 1539 King Henry VIII ordered the destruction of the monastic buildings but the Priory survived owing to a plea from the townspeople to keep it as a public place of worship. This is very fortunate as the Christchurch Priory Cartulary (collection of medieval legal documents) survives to this day and contains more than one thousand documents and charters from the 14th century. This is one of the most impressive collection of historic records and provides an intimate glimpse into medieval life.

Worcester Cathedral

Worcester Cathedral. This is the wonderful stonework in the roof of the Cathedral at the city of Worcester, England, situated on the banks of the River Severn. The Cathedral began as a modest Priory, founded in AD 680, although today nothing remains of this original structure. The Cathedral we see today began its construction in 1084, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Originally a Benedictine monastery, the monks were forcibly removed by King Henry VIII in 1540 and replaced by secular Canons as part of Henry's dissolution of the monasteries. The Cathedral has a rich history, but perhaps the most notable point of interest is the tomb of King John, youngest brother of Richard the Lionheart, and popularly known as the evil King in the legends of Robin Hood. Before King John died at Newark he requested to be buried at Worcester, where he rests to this day.

Saint Mary's Abbey

Saint Mary's Abbey is nestled in the little town of Melrose in the Scottish Borders. More commonly known as Melrose Abbey, the Abbey was founded by the Cistercian order around 1136, at the request of King David I of Scotland. Today the Abbey is mostly in ruins, but it's a beautiful and nostalgic place with some remarkably well-preserved tombs and gravestones. This is the view of the Abbey from the graveyard with some of the most beautiful and atmospheric tombs and headstones I have seen in my travels.

Thistle Chapel.

Thistle Chapel. The Thistle Chapel sits in a quiet corner of Saint Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Cathedral of Saint Giles has origins dating back to the 12th century, but the Thistle Chapel itself originates from the 19th century. The Chapel has the most intricate wood carving I have ever seen in a place of worship. The craftsmanship is quite wonderful. The Chapel is dedicated to the Order of the Thistle, the foremost order of chivalry in Scotland, founded by King James VII in 1687. The walls are decorated with the shields and emblems of the knights of the order, dating back from 1687 to the present day. Now the sad part. When I first visited the Chapel it was freely open to the public. Today, it can only be accessed during one of the prescribed accompanied tours. The reason? The Chapel has been desecrated several times by theft of emblems and wood carvings. These historical artifacts have be wrenched from the walls of the Chapel as “souvenirs” by people who have no respect for history, chivalry or culture. The guide who showed me around was almost shaking in rage as he recounted these events. I was left utterly speechless as I cannot comprehend how someone who has sufficient interest to visit a historical monument, yet in the same breath can have so little regard for their surrounds, or for their own actions. But it’s still a beautiful place. If you visit Edinburgh, be sure to see the Thistle Chapel in the Cathedral of Saint Giles.

Salisbury Cathedral

This is another view of Salisbury Cathedral, in southern England, taken in front of the Baptismal font. The main part of the Cathedral was finished in the late 1250's and today it houses the world's oldest working clock (from around AD 1386) and it has the best surviving copy of the four original copies of the Magna Carta. But what I like most about this Cathedral is the evidence of continued contributions from successive generations down the ages, so that there is an almost continual record of time beyond the usual burials and tombs. The baptismal font is a perfect example; obviously modern and new, but beautiful and well conceived to blend with the long historical evolution of the Cathedral. I wonder how many generations in the future will wonder what life was like in and around the Cathedral at the start of the third millennium?

Thistle Chapel.

Thistle Chapel. The Thistle Chapel sits in a quiet corner of Saint Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Cathedral of Saint Giles has origins dating back to the 12th century, but the Thistle Chapel itself originates from the 19th century. The Chapel has the most intricate wood carving I have ever seen in a place of worship. The craftsmanship is quite wonderful. The Chapel is dedicated to the Order of the Thistle, the foremost order of chivalry in Scotland, founded by King James VII in 1687. The walls are decorated with the shields and emblems of the knights of the order, dating back from 1687 to the present day. Now the sad part. When I first visited the Chapel it was freely open to the public. Today, it can only be accessed during one of the prescribed accompanied tours. The reason? The Chapel has been desecrated several times by theft of emblems and wood carvings. These historical artifacts have be wrenched from the walls of the Chapel as “souvenirs” by people who have no respect for history, chivalry or culture. The guide who showed me around was almost shaking in rage as he recounted these events. I was left utterly speechless as I cannot comprehend how someone who has sufficient interest to visit a historical monument, yet in the same breath can have so little regard for their surrounds, or for their own actions. But it’s still a beautiful place. If you visit Edinburgh, be sure to see the Thistle Chapel in the Cathedral of Saint Giles.

All Saints Church

All Saints Church. This tiny little church sits beside a busy road in East Harnham, a suburb of the larger city of Salisbury, in the south of England. By English standards, this church is practically new, having been consecrated in 1854 at the request of Isabella Lear, the then widow of the Dean of Salisbury. But despite its newness, it's a *beautiful* little church and the mellow color of the stone and flint construction adds a wonderful contrast to the soft green carpet lapping at the aging headstones. I couldn't pass it by without capturing its image.

Church of St Michael & All Angels.

This quiet little church sits on a small mound overlooking the river Avon as it winds its way through the little village of Sopley, in the county of Hampshire in southern England. Parts of the church date back to the 11th century when it was endowed by Earl Godwin in 1050, although the church is built on the site of a much older Saxon church originating in the Dark Ages. Most of the present construction comes from the 13th century, and is built from Ironstone and Binstead stone. Interestingly, the mound on which the church is built is extremely old and archeologists have suggested that it may have been the site of a pagan temple, thousands of years old. Today, the church is wonderfully peaceful. Chickens from local smallholdings wonder among the ancient gravestones and swallows skim the shallows of the passing river Avon.

Seton Collegiate Church

Seton Collegiate Church. Known locally as Seton Chapel, the church sits amid gently rolling countryside close to the southern shore of the Firth of Forth in Scotland, to the east of the city of Edinburgh. I saw very few other visitors during my travels to this church, which afforded wonderful peace and serenity within. The church was first raised towards the end of the 1400's and survives in pristine condition to this day. The term "Collegiate" refers to the church being run by secular canons, rather than Monastic clergy.

Great Malvern Priory

Great Malvern Priory. This is the Priory church standing at the top of the town of Great Malvern in the Midlands of England. It’s a beautiful church with an ancient history and a lucky escape from destruction. From 1075 (just after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066) until 1540 the church was a Benedictine monastery. During the English Reformation of the 16th century, King Henry VIII ordered the destruction of the English monasteries, including Malvern Priory. The townspeople of that time petitioned the King to spare their Priory with the promise of keeping the structure as a place of worship for the new Protestant religion of England. The King agreed to their petition and the Priory remains to this day as an Anglican church. Great Malvern Priory is claimed to have the largest display of 15th century stained glass in England, as well as the largest collection of medieval floor tiles in England. Many of the floor tiles have now been moved to wall displays to prevent damage from the multitude of visitors walking over them. The Priory is also famed for exquisitely carved misericords under each of the hinged seats in the choir stalls. It’s a lovely place.