Dr James Alexander Cameron
@drjacameron.stainedglassattitudes.com
Freelance art and architectural historian with focus on English medieval churches but love poking around all buildings. Lecturer at V&A Academy and tours for Martin Randall Travel.
www.stainedglassattitudes.com
https://ko-fi.com/stainedglassattitudes
www.stainedglassattitudes.com
https://ko-fi.com/stainedglassattitudes
this picture sums up quite well a visit to St Stephen's cloister with the whips
November 15, 2025 at 9:44 PM
this picture sums up quite well a visit to St Stephen's cloister with the whips
Case in point: the 1526-9 fan vaulted cloisters of St Stephen's College were always used as the whips' offices. Not been in since 2017 before they stated restoration so not sure what's in there these days. But it was always very weird going in there.
November 15, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Case in point: the 1526-9 fan vaulted cloisters of St Stephen's College were always used as the whips' offices. Not been in since 2017 before they stated restoration so not sure what's in there these days. But it was always very weird going in there.
Reckon there is an argument to turn it into a museum btw, yes you'd need to rent out a lot of the corridor/room areas to offices but that's only what happened at Somerset House. As well as being a deathtrap of dead wires/pipes the building is hardly fit for purpose anymore.
November 15, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Reckon there is an argument to turn it into a museum btw, yes you'd need to rent out a lot of the corridor/room areas to offices but that's only what happened at Somerset House. As well as being a deathtrap of dead wires/pipes the building is hardly fit for purpose anymore.
and really what happened to Paris Cathedral isn't a great comparison: that was poor site safety during a restoration project that destroyed the roof structure. A fire here would destroy countless of Barry and Pugin's interiors, attached paintings and relief carvings. It would be a massive loss.
November 15, 2025 at 9:20 PM
and really what happened to Paris Cathedral isn't a great comparison: that was poor site safety during a restoration project that destroyed the roof structure. A fire here would destroy countless of Barry and Pugin's interiors, attached paintings and relief carvings. It would be a massive loss.
remember King Edward the Confessor's body is actually inside the top of the shrine platform. Although the classical stuff over the top was Marian (i.e., 1550s), it was entirely replaced by Stephen Dykes-Bower when he was surveyor of the fabric (he should not have been surveyor of the fabric)
November 15, 2025 at 12:08 AM
remember King Edward the Confessor's body is actually inside the top of the shrine platform. Although the classical stuff over the top was Marian (i.e., 1550s), it was entirely replaced by Stephen Dykes-Bower when he was surveyor of the fabric (he should not have been surveyor of the fabric)
enjoying how it looks like dog might also be sat sipping a cocktail
November 14, 2025 at 7:54 PM
enjoying how it looks like dog might also be sat sipping a cocktail
I would speculate the National Gallery might be keen on acquiring this. Would go nice with their contemporary Donne Triptych anyway. Of course if it went to a foreign buyer there would be an export bar slapped on it in the usual way, and time to fundraise
November 14, 2025 at 7:51 PM
I would speculate the National Gallery might be keen on acquiring this. Would go nice with their contemporary Donne Triptych anyway. Of course if it went to a foreign buyer there would be an export bar slapped on it in the usual way, and time to fundraise
Thankfully they lifted that to boost slumping visiting numbers when COVID was stopping international travel. You now can take photos, except in the museum in the galleries over the ambulatory (which costs an extra £5).
So you can't take pics like these:
So you can't take pics like these:
November 14, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Thankfully they lifted that to boost slumping visiting numbers when COVID was stopping international travel. You now can take photos, except in the museum in the galleries over the ambulatory (which costs an extra £5).
So you can't take pics like these:
So you can't take pics like these:
documented from 1281-2. there's a whole bit about it in BAACT 2017
November 13, 2025 at 10:22 PM
documented from 1281-2. there's a whole bit about it in BAACT 2017
I think that's as far as it goes for it being an island.
The second plan is from the 2017 BAA conference transactions for Westminster where TTB critiques the MOLA model. But in 1995 he forwarded the Abbey nave was rebuilt early 12thc which seems to have been dismissed. So yeah. Many perspectives.
The second plan is from the 2017 BAA conference transactions for Westminster where TTB critiques the MOLA model. But in 1995 he forwarded the Abbey nave was rebuilt early 12thc which seems to have been dismissed. So yeah. Many perspectives.
November 13, 2025 at 10:01 PM
I think that's as far as it goes for it being an island.
The second plan is from the 2017 BAA conference transactions for Westminster where TTB critiques the MOLA model. But in 1995 he forwarded the Abbey nave was rebuilt early 12thc which seems to have been dismissed. So yeah. Many perspectives.
The second plan is from the 2017 BAA conference transactions for Westminster where TTB critiques the MOLA model. But in 1995 he forwarded the Abbey nave was rebuilt early 12thc which seems to have been dismissed. So yeah. Many perspectives.
the TTB-Atherton (again!) drawing has a lot of information in it
November 13, 2025 at 9:27 PM
the TTB-Atherton (again!) drawing has a lot of information in it
the free-standing campanile or the crossing? either way I think I only know the Hollar views
November 13, 2025 at 9:18 PM
the free-standing campanile or the crossing? either way I think I only know the Hollar views
it's just called Thorney isn't it? not island.
November 13, 2025 at 9:15 PM
it's just called Thorney isn't it? not island.
as it is, Westminster Palace and Abbey sits on a gravel terrace deposit of the Thames over alluvium (which in turn is over bedrock, such as it is, of London Clay).
A gifted building platform near London if you can't pump out concrete or drive down piles: but of course vulnerable to sea level rise.
A gifted building platform near London if you can't pump out concrete or drive down piles: but of course vulnerable to sea level rise.
November 13, 2025 at 8:52 PM
as it is, Westminster Palace and Abbey sits on a gravel terrace deposit of the Thames over alluvium (which in turn is over bedrock, such as it is, of London Clay).
A gifted building platform near London if you can't pump out concrete or drive down piles: but of course vulnerable to sea level rise.
A gifted building platform near London if you can't pump out concrete or drive down piles: but of course vulnerable to sea level rise.
But Tim Tatton-Brown has always pushed back against MOLA on this: that the upper E-flowing "tributary" of the Tyburn was dug in the 10/11thc to irrigate the Abbey. And that "Thorney Island" never really existed.
November 13, 2025 at 8:52 PM
But Tim Tatton-Brown has always pushed back against MOLA on this: that the upper E-flowing "tributary" of the Tyburn was dug in the 10/11thc to irrigate the Abbey. And that "Thorney Island" never really existed.
Been thinking about this (sorry): here's an interesting page on the classic view of Thorney Island being naturally completely surrounded by water with the Tyburn bifurcating east (the main tributary flows south to Vauxhall Bridge) to go around it.
molarchaeology.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade...
molarchaeology.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade...
November 13, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Been thinking about this (sorry): here's an interesting page on the classic view of Thorney Island being naturally completely surrounded by water with the Tyburn bifurcating east (the main tributary flows south to Vauxhall Bridge) to go around it.
molarchaeology.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade...
molarchaeology.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade...
Portland stone isn't really used on a large scale until Wren's St Paul's rebuild in the early 17thc. Before that Quarr stone from the Isle of Wight is the big source for Winchester and Chichester cathedrals.
November 12, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Portland stone isn't really used on a large scale until Wren's St Paul's rebuild in the early 17thc. Before that Quarr stone from the Isle of Wight is the big source for Winchester and Chichester cathedrals.
most of Chester now is Runcorn sandstone after the 19thc refacings
November 12, 2025 at 10:24 PM
most of Chester now is Runcorn sandstone after the 19thc refacings
But in stark comparison to the Caen stone builds: Canterbury, Old St Paul's, London (I think???) and Norwich where it was financially more savvy to ship stone from Normandy than move stuff from England by road to these building-stone starved sites.
November 12, 2025 at 10:23 PM
But in stark comparison to the Caen stone builds: Canterbury, Old St Paul's, London (I think???) and Norwich where it was financially more savvy to ship stone from Normandy than move stuff from England by road to these building-stone starved sites.
how did i get the respectively backwards. of course Durham is over sandstone w coal seams, Lincoln is on limestone. they are the classic English cathedral pair for being built of what they sit on though. Coventry and Lichfield too
November 12, 2025 at 10:19 PM
how did i get the respectively backwards. of course Durham is over sandstone w coal seams, Lincoln is on limestone. they are the classic English cathedral pair for being built of what they sit on though. Coventry and Lichfield too
well same exposed bedrock alongside the Avon cut. The Abbey was initially built of gritstone from Brandon Hill, the post 1298 E arm is faced with Dundry Limestone. Though the lower parts of the Elder Lady Chapel (in building 1218x22) are faced with Brandon gritstone
November 12, 2025 at 10:11 PM
well same exposed bedrock alongside the Avon cut. The Abbey was initially built of gritstone from Brandon Hill, the post 1298 E arm is faced with Dundry Limestone. Though the lower parts of the Elder Lady Chapel (in building 1218x22) are faced with Brandon gritstone
actually the fun fact about this is these are (apparently) the only unmined coal seams in County Durham, a county which so much of the modern urban topography is utterly predicated on coal mining.
because you know, there's a cathedral and bishop's palace on top of them
because you know, there's a cathedral and bishop's palace on top of them
November 12, 2025 at 9:13 PM
actually the fun fact about this is these are (apparently) the only unmined coal seams in County Durham, a county which so much of the modern urban topography is utterly predicated on coal mining.
because you know, there's a cathedral and bishop's palace on top of them
because you know, there's a cathedral and bishop's palace on top of them