buildings
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Sky news reports: A medieval church tower has been suspended 45ft (14 metres) above the ground as part of a building project in the City of London. The tower of the 700-year-old All Hallows Staining Church was balanced on stilts in what developers called a “never seen before feat of engineering”. It was raised above…
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Summary of a talk by Laura Cardy Shortly after joining the Richard III Society, I was invited to contribute to The Missing Princes Project, initiated by Philippa Langley. My task focused on an intriguing question: might St John’s Abbey in Colchester have played a role in the fate of Richard of York, the younger of…
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In 2008, archaeologists made a find that was possibly even more astounding than the discovery of Richard III’s remains. Beneath the floor of Magdeburg Cathedral in Germany, they opened a sarcophagus that was believed to be a cenotaph, or empty, symbolic memorial. Inside, they found a lead coffin which turned out to contain the remains…
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York is a city full of history, wherever you look and Lendal Cellars is one such place. If you have ever visited the Cellars, you’re entering right into York’s medieval undercroft. It has wonderful vaulted brick ceilings and chunky stone blocks that are all that remains of the Austin Friary that was once on the…
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One of our contributors, Maria Leotta, recently posted this blogpost about a house belonging to Francis Lovell in York – read about it here. However, she has also now sent me a photograph of the beam that was apparently in said house, and on it is a depiction of a man wearing a medieval-style hat.…
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Medieval buildings uncovered for the first time at the Tower of London. As part of preparations for installing a lift outside the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula, we have undertaken an important archaeological excavation to record and preserve the fascinating histories beneath our feet. Go to this link on the Tower of London Facebook…
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When a medieval craftsman was denied his wages, he turned to stone to exact his revenge in a way that would echo through centuries. Atop Freiburg Minster resides a notorious gargoyle that serves a dual purpose: not only does it effectively channel rainwater, but it also embodies a spirit of defiance. According to historical accounts,…
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Since most people were unable to read, mediaeval drinking houses/pubs used colourful pictorial signs, leading on from the ‘ale-stake,’ a vertical or horizontal pole hung outside such establishments to show that fresh ale was available. This was a continuation of a Roman practice of using ivy or vine leaves to indicate a place that sold…
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Do you remember my bolshie* piggybank? Yes, the one that’s never around when I find another wonderful property for sale? Well, when he saw how my eyes lit up when reading that Appleby Castle is for sale, he had it away on his trotters at the speed of light. Not that the few pennies he…
The New Murrey and Blue blog 