Posted on February 23, 2018
This ancient and very worn staircase can be found on the Pont Valentre in the town of Cahors, in southern France.
Amazingly, worn as it is and with no handrail, it is not roped off in any way to prevent public access. It would take a brave or foolhardy soul to climb it, though, however impressive the views over the River Lot might be from the top.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Structure
Category: Black & White Tagged: Architecture, Black & White, Cahors, Cee's Black & White Photo Challenge, Medieval, Pont Valentre, Staircase
Posted on January 26, 2018
While visiting the restored medieval abbey of Noirlac last year, I was struck by this almost abstract composition of a curving staircase and austere stone walls. Another homage to M C Escher and suitable for Cee’s Black & White subject of ‘Walls’ this week.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Walls
Category: Black & White Tagged: Abstract, Architecture, Black & White, Cee's Black & White Photo Challenge, M C Escher, Medieval, Noirlac, Staircase, Walls
Posted on January 12, 2018
At the Roman site of Cassinomagus, archaeologists have excavated the steps that surrounded and led down to the fountain or spring that would have provided the settlement with most of its fresh water. This is a detail of one corner.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Corner
Category: Black & White Tagged: Archaeology, Architecture, Black & White, Cassinomagus, Cee's Black & White Photo Challenge, Corner, France, Roman
Posted on January 9, 2018
The Bénédictins railway station in the city of Limoges has been voted the most beautiful train station in Europe. It’s not bad, that’s for sure. This is the skylight in the dome that covers the main hall. I think it meets with Frank’s theme this week of ‘Circle’.

Tuesday Photo Challenge: Circle
Category: Composition Tagged: Architecture, Circle, fpj-photo-challenge, Limoges, railway station, Tuesday Photo Challenge
Posted on December 22, 2017
So is it arches you want for Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge this week? Or domes?
Here’s an image with plenty of both – from the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. The figures at bottom right give an idea of scale.

Posted on December 13, 2017
This image shows the stairwell of the bell-tower of the restored Abbaye de La Reau, in central France.

Posted on November 2, 2017
This week, more doors from the lovely medieval village of Saint Cirq Lapopie, in the Lot region of southern France.
If it’s a village, it must have a church:

Another two-door image:

Arches are a common architectural theme…


…although not universal:

Finally, I had to include this one, for obvious reasons:

Thursday Doors 2 November 2017
Category: Doors Tagged: Architecture, Doors, France, Medieval, Saint Cirq Lapopie, Thursday Doors
Posted on October 27, 2017
From ground level, the stonework of the tower of this church at Chabanais looks particularly imposing:

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Bricks & Stone
Category: Black & White Tagged: Architecture, Black & White, Cee's Black & White Photo Challenge, Chabanais, Church, Perspective
Posted on October 13, 2017
Cee’s theme this week is ‘Internal Walkways’. I hope that the aisle of a church counts – in this case, that of St Mary’s in Beverley, Yorkshire.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Indoor Walkways
Category: Black & White Tagged: Architecture, Beverley, Black & White, Cee's Black & White Photo Challenge, Church, Interiors, St Mary's Church
Posted on September 29, 2017
The glass roof of the covered open-air vegetable market in the city of Chartres is replete with symmetrical lines and angles to meet Cee’s theme for this week (and works particularly well in monochrome).

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Lines and Angles
Category: Black & White Tagged: Architecture, Black & White, Cee's Black & White Photo Challenge, Chartres, geometric, Lines and Angles, markets, open air, Symmetry