Nigel's Photo Blog

  Lepidina. Reenactment from AD100 Today, I  am posting information  on Vindolanda, an extensive Roman military site located about 1 mile south of Hadrian’s Wall i n northern England.This site about thirty five mile west of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Roman Milestone at Vindolanda Vindolanda  compries both military fort and civilian settlement (vicus). Archaeological research is ongoing and has revealed a wealth of artefacts and finds including textiles, footwear, human and animal bones, weaponry, coins, leather goods and unique written communications know as the ‘Vindolanda Tablets’. Summary information on the site as follows: Original fort established around AD 85, some forty years before commencement of Hadrian’s Wall. In the early years the fort was constructed of wood and hence was required to be rebuilt at regular intervals. It is likely that the fort had been rebuilt five times by the early years of Hadrian’s reign ( 117-138). At each rebuild the old fort...

  Tour Group at Chipping Campden, Cotswolds. Tyday, I am providing an illustrated itinerary of a one-day tour of the ever popular Cotswolds and Shakespeare country in central England. First, depart lodgings in Oxford and drive north for one hour to  first destination of Bourton on the Water. This is a popular village built around the banks of the River Windrush. Here, there are many shops, a model village, motor car museum and other places of interest. Bourton on the Water, England Bourton on the Water, Cotswolds, England After an hour at Bourton on the Water  continue north to  Chipping Campden. This is another popular Cotswold village, which prospered from the medieval wool industry. Here there are shops, hotels, a fine church and houses with thatched roofs.   Chipping Campden Church. A wool church rebuilt in 15th century. Market Hall at Chipping Campden. Dates from 1627. Thatched House at Chipping Campden, Cotswolds After an hour at Chipping C...

  Fountain Abbey, North Yorkshire, England. This evening, I am posting information on Fountains Abbey  in Yorkshire, one of England’s top heritage attractions. Location is about thirty miles N.W. of York. A brief history of this site is as follows: Founded in 1132 by a small cadre of Benedictine monks from St.Mary’s Abbey in York. The new community attracted tangible support from Cistercian monks in Clairvaux, France. All Cistercian abbeys adopted identical architecture. Men had the choice of two roles, either choir monk in prayer of lay brother in manual labour. Fountains reached an early peak of prosperity and power in the 1200s but by end of that century its fortunes began to wane as a function of financial difficulties, sheep disease, failed harvests and Scots raiders. In 1349-50 the Black Death took its toll of the monks. By the late 15th century a revival had occurred under Abbot Huby who instituted a reform programme and attracted new monks. At about this ...

   Market Square, Stow-on-the-Wold Today, I am posting information on the popular Cotswold village of Stow-on-the-Wold in England. Stow features in many tours of the Cotswolds region. Physical character with honey-coloured traditional stone buildings has remained substantially unchanged since the 18th century. Most of the shops and businesses are small, independent traders featuring antique dealers, art galleries, clothing fashion and eateries with latter including the renowned Huffkins Tea Room. There are numerous hotels, guest houses and B&Bs to cater for the large number of visitors. Other facts and information: The village has a long history and features in the Domesday Book of 1086. Name is derived from ‘St. Edward’s Holy Place’ with affix ‘wold’ indicating a high ground cleared of forest. Located 84 miles N.W. of London , 21 miles south of Stratford-upon-Avon . Famous for twice yearly Gypsy Horse Fair. Rose to prominence as a market town due to location at ...

Highclere Castle aka Downton Abbey This evening, I am posting information and images relating to sites connected with Highclere Castle of Downton Abbey fame. This site is located about seventy miles SSW of London. First, St Mary’s Church at Brampton which featured in some scenes of the T.V. series followed by the castle. Summary information on Highclere Castle: Records of the site date back to 749. A high status residence on the site from the 1370s. House rebuilt 1774-6 with further work undertaken in 1820s, 1838-50 and 1850s. Refurbished and opened to the public in 1988. Stewardship of the property inherited by the 8th Earl and Countess of Carnarvon. Interior rooms include entrance hall, library, music room, drawing room, smoking room, morning room, red staircase, gallery, gallery bedrooms, oak staircase, dining room and the *Egyptian exhibition. (*Lord Carnarvon of Highclere financed excavation in Egypt which culminated in the discovery of the tomb of the Pharoah Tutankhamu...

Having just spent six days connecting with the world of ancient Rome via a hike along the 2nd century AD, Hadrian's Wall I am now presenting a portfolio of images from a much older period, namely ancient Egyptian and Sudanese artefacts which can be found at the Petrie Museum in the Bloomsbury district of West London. The Petrie collection extends to abnout 80,000 items. Fish, flowers and natural world from Amarna The exhibits span the Paleolithic (2.4m- 15000 years ago) to the Roman period but with emphasis on ancient Egypt from around 3100 BC to the 1st century AD. Fortunately, the Museum permits photography but the images presented here are slightly distorted as a function of the glass cabinets through which the items have been photographed. Foundation of Temple. Tuthmosis III Mortuary temple of Amenophis Painted wooden stela, Neskhons, 965 BC Osiris, possibly 26th dynasty. Bead collar from first intermediate period Gilded Mummy Cartonnage from 1st c AD Falence ank...