In the centre of York is a park known as the Museum Gardens. It has the ruins of an Abbey in it, St Mary's Abbey (1006-1539). Above, this section of the ruins makes a nice setting for one of the paintings in The Grand Tour. When I took this photo, a big sound system erected right next to the ruins was playing Gregorian chants (don't know if that's the right term; it was monks singing in Latin).
In the centre of Bury St Edmunds is a park known as the Abbey Gardens. It has the ruins of an Abbey in it: The Great Abbey of Bury St Edmunds (1020ish-1539). Like St Mary's in York, it was pillaged for building materials after Henry VIII's dissolution of the monastaries in 1539. But this abbey had a flint and rubble core, so when the stone cladding blocks were taken off (few remain), these weird and wonderful shapes were left. One of my Bury St Edmunds blog readers who used to play in the Abbey Gardens as a child called this part shown above "The Chicken and the Kettle."Ruby is in Bury St Edmunds for the week, where she formerly lived and blogged. This post is part of a series to run until her return to York, comparing the two towns.
6 comments:
Hi Ruby, Hope you are having a nice time in Bury. Very cold and wet here in York. I love this comparison between the Museum Gardens and the Abbey Gardens, absolutely well spotted! I have finally started my own blog. It is a bit about all and nothing. I would have liked to start a York Daily Photo Blog but you were quicker than me and I'm totally glad because you are doing such a great job with it and I couldn't have managed so well. Ciao. Antonella
I recognised the Museum Gardens straight away but was amazed to see the art display (not left out overnight I hope) and then scrolled down and saw the chicken which I didn't recognise then realised why as I've never done more than passed through or near Bury St E (Bury without anything added always means the one in Lancashire to me where the black puddings come from).
Good comparison.
This is a superb shot! love the painting & the little girl with Dad & I usually just pay attention to ruins - which I love.
I can see how the remains got their name. It's amazing how these still remain, even after all this time.
Fabulous post. The images, the writing. Really gets across to the ousider the places you show.
Thanks Antonella, I love your blog! Please don't hold back doing another York photo blog on my account though - the more the merrier! Everyone always has a different angle on the place they live and it makes it all the more interesting.
Gerald, don't worry, that's a print in the frame, and I think it's made from something quite indestructible as it's been outdoors for a few months now.
Tash, Gail'sman, Babooshka, thanks guys :-)
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