We awoke today to sunshine and the prediction of a warm holiday weekend. After breakfast we went with Mike and Dott to see the sights around Blackburn. Our first stop was Whalley Abbey. This was a former Cistercian abbey in Whalley. After the dissolution of the monasteries, the abbey was largely demolished and a country house was built on the site. In the 20th century the house was modified and it is now the Retreat and Conference House of the Church of England.
There were 2 of these magnificent gatehouses and their position gave you an idea of how enormous he abbey complex was.
Discussions of history and architecture with Mike.
The church of St Mary and All Saints at Whalley dates from the 13 th century. A church probably existed there in Anglo Saxon times and there are 3 well preserved Saxon crosses in the graveyard. It was mentioned in the Doomsday Book.
We went inside after the service had finished and it was quite remarkable.
The Vicar reminded us of the Vicar of Dibley. She was a large jolly lady who said it was fine to take photos. A very dour lady came up when I was doing this and said I had to make a donation if I wanted to take photos !!
One of three Saxon crosses in the cemetery
Mike pointed out the history of the inside. The stalls were carved in about 1430 and came from the church at Whalley Abbey. They are quite rare apparently. The stall can be raised so people can perch on them when standing for parts of the surface. Each underside of the stalls has a different intricate carving. They are called misericord carvings and they represent subjects including angels, devils, grape vines, griffins, pomegranates, the Holy Trinity, two eagles carrying Alexander to Heaven, a blacksmith shoeing a goose, a girl with a weeping satyr, a wife beating her husband with a pan and a splendid St George and the dragon.
St. Anton's Cage, a large pew next to the Lady Chapel, was originally for the Nowell family of Read, near Padiham. These caged pews for the gentry up the front of old churches are quite disturbing reminders of the english class system! Made in 1534 it was added to in 1610 and again in 1697. Above its two doors are the initials of the Fort and Taylor families who for years contested ownership of the pew. The date of 1830 refers to the time when the pew was divided, by Ecclesiastical court order, to resolve the dispute. But neither party could bear such a sharing arrangement. The pew was never used again and both families built themselves private galleries elsewhere in the nave. Some things never change!
The church had a very impressive organ which dated from 1727. It was originally built for Lancaster Priory. It was purchased in 1813.
After seeing the church we went for coffee at a busy coffee shop. On leaving the village we saw an old viaduct
Then we took a quick trip out to Stoneyhurst where Dott and Mike's daughter and son in law teach. It is a converted Elizabethan manor that is now a Private school
After Stoneyhurst we moved onto Ribchester which is an old Roman town. We had a lovely lunch there and then went exploring.
S Wilfrid's dates from the 13th century and was built on a site close to the Site of a roman fort, Bremetennacum.
Pulpit dated from 1636.
Original painting on the wall of the church.
Remains of the fort granary
Remains of the roman bathhouse
We did a tour through the roman museum which was interesting. This gravestone depicts the departed 'meeting' the locals when he arrived in Britain.
After our sightseeing was finished we called in to see Mike and Dotts daughter Sarah, her husband Michael and their kids Molly and George. They made us a lovely afternoon tea which we enjoyed out in the sunshine.
Then it was home for tea. Dott made a lovely fill pie with spinach, feta and sundries tomatoes. We sat and chatted until bedtime.
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