Lady well
Below is a view looking South towards Joneses Hill in 1011, from a path that's still well used today, that was then, a well trodden route for Pilgrims, and is the subject of this chapter.
Below is a Google Street view showing where I think in 1011 the pilgrim path joined with Barton Orchard, and
below that is an image of how I think the view looked in 1011.
below that is an image of how I think the view looked in 1011.
Below, we climb up the hill path and before us seems to be a very special religious shrine and destination revered by pilgrims.
Below is a photo taken by Andrew Rolph showing a section of Lady well path as it is today and
Below that is an image of how I think it looked in 1011.
Below that is an image of how I think it looked in 1011.
Below is photo taken by Andrew Rolph looking up from Lady well path towards Saint Mary's chapel.
Below that is an image of how I think it looked in 1011.
Below that is an image of how I think it looked in 1011.
Above, here we see the shrine of Mary above the mouth of Ladywell spring.
And below, this is the view those worshippers can see when they look back Down the path.
Below is a long range telephoto lens photo taken by Andrew Rolph showing Lady well, Tory, and Saint Mary's chapel, and
Below that is how I think the same shot would look if taken in 1011. Though the zoom of the virtual camera in the virtual model wasn't as good as Andrews, so mine is taken in midair about halfway along his trajectory of view, so the perspective is very slightly different.
Below that is how I think the same shot would look if taken in 1011. Though the zoom of the virtual camera in the virtual model wasn't as good as Andrews, so mine is taken in midair about halfway along his trajectory of view, so the perspective is very slightly different.
Above is a much closer (and with less perspective distortion) drone shot of the same area. We see that the presumed original slope, where the underground stream springs out of the hillside, was very steep, and this is the only Stone bridge design I could create that successfully crosses such a steep stream.
This I think was a very special place, going back to well before Roman times, and will have contained a great deal of history.
Centuries later though, this very Catholic symbol, seems to have been systematically and completely destroyed by quarrying it away.
As its destruction is so complete, I think the most likely culprits are a protestant act of ethnic cleansing or that it's importance had eventually declined below the monetary value of the stone.
This I think was a very special place, going back to well before Roman times, and will have contained a great deal of history.
Centuries later though, this very Catholic symbol, seems to have been systematically and completely destroyed by quarrying it away.
As its destruction is so complete, I think the most likely culprits are a protestant act of ethnic cleansing or that it's importance had eventually declined below the monetary value of the stone.
&
Looking at the places pilgrims used to go, I think a pilgrimage wasn't only something that would assist your eventual passage to Heaven, but also was a pretext for a really nice holiday :) filled with many of the kind of interesting experiences, places and beautiful views we're still attracted to today.