Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Lanercost Priory

 My next home. Well, if they put in a furnace. And some glass (double glazed please)  in the windows....I just found the Priory so beautiful - I think it was partly due to the gorgeous blue sky and the warm orangey-coloured stones. Orange and blue are complementary colours after all. Perhaps if it had been a grey and rainy day I wouldn't have felt so drawn to the place.
 

 The Priory dates back to the 12th c.  Being so close to the Scottish border it was subjected to many raids.  Part of the nave of the priory church has been reroofed and restored and is still in use today as a parish church!

The rest has been left to gradually crumble while serving as a major attraction.


 And the lady working in the gift shop was something else - she offered to make us tea as the tea shop was closed all the while making sure I bought  2 books instead of one so I could save a pound and she could rack up big sales. And yes I bought both books!

She also sold Annie a membership whilst talking to another lady (obviously upper crust!) - it was a conversation that has stuck with me...

Shop worker: "so did you call him yet?"
Posh visiter in a shocked voice: "goodness no, I can't call him, we haven't been introduced!"

It was another world.


 Looking in through the crumbling gate.

 Oh we were so lucky to have such lovely weather


In the niche above the front doors of the church is Mary Magdelene kneeling next to her is a canon or prior.

 Look up, look waaaaaaay up!



 I love the amazing herringbone pattern of the inlaid wood in the ceiling above.

How wonderful that this part of the church is still in use.

Below is the shaft of the Lanercost Cross which used to stand outside the church but has been heavily damaged over the years - it dates to 1214.



The undercroft outside...

 ...and inside...food and drink were stored here and there was a warming room where the canons were kept. I also read somewhere that when King Edward 1 stayed at the priory he used this area as an exercise room!
 
  The tomb of Elizabeth Dacre Howard, 4 mos. old - the Dacre family took over the property after the Priory was dissolved by Henry VIII. They must have had bushels of $$ to keep the whole place going!! The effigy was created by a renowned sculptor Sir Edward Boehm.














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