More from Dundrennan Abbey...

[endlessrarities]

Aargh!!  The second plane of the day has just passed overhead.  According to the news, flights have resumed at Glasgow Airport.  An end to tranquility, then...

Since my last blog-post, I have cycled twenty-one miles in the sunshine, eaten a very nice piece of carrot cake (yum) and written almost a thousand words.  Woo Hoo!!!  I've actually accomplished something today!!

I shall now post some more pictures from Dundrennan.  I thought I'd feature some close-ups of the vaulting and mouldings:-

The picture above shows a view through the south transept, looking towards the site of the crossing.  Below is a close-up of that same doorway, seen from the chancel, with some rather delicate moulding still evident:-

 

Dundrennan Abbey's primary claim to fame lies in the fact that on the 15th May, 1568, Mary, Queen of Scots stayed overnight there as a guest of the then-Commendator, Edward Maxwell, after fleeing from the Battle of Langside, where her forces were defeated.  It turned out to be her last night spent on Scottish soil - she sailed away from nearby Port Mary, and went to England to ask her cousin Elizabeth I for assistance.

The rest, as they say, is history...

Another view now, looking into the former abbey church through its west door.  As you can see, there's not much left now:-
 

 

And this last view looks through into the chancel from the nave:-

That's all folks.  I'm off to do a bit more writing.  Then I'll be watching the film 'Immortal Beloved', if all goes according to plan...

Comments

[bellakara.livejournal.com]

Those photos are gorgeous - but the third one is virtually identical to a memorial in the Necropolis which is an archway with an inscription in the middle rather than a real entrance. It's such a shame these buildings were destroyed. It's like the destruction of the Buddhas.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

In this case, it was long slow decay rather than quick destruction.

More of that story in tomorrow's post...

[lizziebelle.livejournal.com]

Not that I've been there, but this place reminds me of the ruined abbey at Glastonbury. They must be of the same era, yes?

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure offhand - this one might be slightly later, but please don't quote me on it! I think there might be a bit more of the Gothic about Dundrennan (at the words 'Glastonbury Abbey', images of Romanesque doors and dog-tooth mouldings come to mind), but the two of them are just about contemporary in the wider scheme of things.

I've got loads of photos of Glastonbury Abbey, too. We went there at the same time we went to Wells...

[roaming.livejournal.com]

I so love seeing these pics. They are a nice break in my day and make me sigh. Thank you for doing them!

[medievalmuse.livejournal.com]

I particularly love the composition in the second photo. Gorgeous!!! and yum at your mention of carrot cake (one of my favorite foods on earth). Glad you are having a good day.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the comment re. composition. I was trying to take some pretty pictures at the various sites I visited, but most of the time they just looked silly!!!

I'll leave that to the artistic photography types - I'm better suited to concentrating on the monuments!

The carrot cake was one of the best I've tasted. The cakes at that particular cafe are rather lovely. Lemon loaf, Orange & Rosemary Polenta Cake, Chocolate & Beetroot. All are very scrummy and worth a bike ride!