Category Archives: architecture

Ending the Trip in Christchurch

Posted on May 1, 2017 by

My last day in England was spent in and around Oxford’s magnificent Christchurch College and Cathedral. To whet my appetite, we started the day at the Ashmolean museum. The airy, multi-story building has a bit of everything, from a full-size … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, English history, medieval history | Tagged , , ,

A Thousand Years of Oxford

Posted on April 30, 2017 by

Canterbury to London to Oxford by westbound trains, and here I am in another ancient English city. The Saxons settled it due to its strategic location on the Thames (oxford=a place where oxen could ford the river). A century later … Continue reading →

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Magna Carta, Sandwich, & the Puritans

Posted on April 29, 2017 by

The town of Sandwich was already 300 years old when Richard The Lionheart came through on his way back from the Third Crusade in 1194.   A half-hour east of Canterbury, it was one of southeastern England’s Cinque (Five) Ports … Continue reading →

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For Anglicans, the Center of the Universe

Posted on April 28, 2017 by

Just months after William the Conqueror successfully invaded southeastern England from Normandy, he began to build a church in Canterbury. These Normans were planning to stay.   Some ten centuries later, I spent the morning in the cathedral that grew … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, castles, medieval history, Uncategorized

The Vikings Were Here—Along With Everyone Else

Posted on April 27, 2017 by

My flight left SFO 2 hours late. Late in first class is better than late in coach, but it’s still late. Better food, wine in glass glasses, but we were as late as the people in the very last row. … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, English history, medieval commerce, medieval history | Tagged , ,