theonlyD800inthehameau
Photography by theonlydeadheadinthehameau
Scenes from the crypt
Posted on March 8, 2019
For this week’s theme of ‘Murals’, some very old artwork on the walls of the crypt of the church in the village of Gargilesse, in central France.
Thursday Doors: Blond
Posted on December 13, 2018
Blond is another one of those picturesque villages within a half-hour’s drive from here at Tranquility Base. It’s big USP is the annual Capon Fair, which took place last Sunday. The weather wasn’t great, so there were by no means as many stalls as in previous years. On the positive side, that left more gaps through which to spot some interesting doors.
The church, which is fortified, is always visible, however:
…although this side door wouldn’t stand up to much of a battering:
Just behind the church is this little stone edifice, which seems to be standing guard over a stream that’s only about a foot wide:
This is one of the doors usually obscured by market stalls:
The garage looks bigger than the rest of the house:
Artistically, this decrepit little door juxtaposes well with the stagnant green pool in front of it:
Thursday Doors 13 December 2018
Thursday Doors: Nouic
Posted on June 14, 2018
(We had no internet connection for five days last week, so I’m afraid you’ve had to wait a bit longer for your next dose of doors from the depths of the French countryside.)
The village – and commune – of Nouic could be described as ‘the next one along’ from our home base of Mézières-sur-Issoire, about a ten-minute drive in a generally southerly direction.
Even its greatest proponents would be hard-pressed to argue that, architecturally, there’s anything special about it (you could say the same for Mézières, in all honesty), but over the next couple of weeks or so, I can at least demonstrate that it’s got some interesting doors.
I read somewhere that the official distinction between a village and a hamlet is that the former has a church – which Nouic indeed does:
More informally, any self-respecting French village also has to have a hairdressers’, so that ticks another box. (Mézières has two. Just sayin’.)
In my personal opinion, however, this is the most striking building in Nouic:
Although most are much more prosaic, even if you can get two for the price of one in some cases:
More from Nouic next week.
Thursday Doors 14 June 2018
Thursday Doors: Eglise de St Pierre, Limoges
Posted on May 17, 2018
Now, I know you’re all desperate for another set of doors from Cahors – and you will get them soon. However, if only to heighten that delicious sense of anticipation, this week a one-off set of images from the church of St Pierre in the city of Limoges.
I came across this serendipitously, on our way to a quilting and photography exhibition in a building on the opposite side of the eponymous Place, but I thought it was worth pulling out my old iPhone and capturing this set of freshly-painted church doors:
Back to Cahors next week. Maybe.
Thursday Doors 17 May 2018
Weekly Photo Challenge: Out of this world
Posted on March 1, 2018
In modern times, the power of religion is much diluted. However, it is important to remember that at one time the grandeur of great cathedrals – now often faded – was designed to impress a superstitious and almost certainly illiterate populace.
Both the architecture and the decor were intended to provide an idea of the glories of the life hereafter: literally out of this world.
Even now, the twin domes of the cathedral of Cahors can still impress even the most determinedly secular of observers.
The Tower
Posted on October 27, 2017
From ground level, the stonework of the tower of this church at Chabanais looks particularly imposing:
The Nave
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.
In Memoriam
Posted on September 8, 2017
Cee’s theme for her Black & White challenge this week is ‘textures’. This stone tablet, mounted high on a wall in St Mary’s church in Beverley, East Yorkshire certainly meets that brief, but additionally has quite a poignant tale to tell.
The inscription is very worn and quite difficult to read, but this is what it says:
NEAR
Are the ashes of Mr Richd Greyburn
Who was ye only son of Mr Willm
Grayburn of this town, Alderman
IN
The dearest memory
Of so dutiful a son
So honest a tradesman
So pious a Christian
Who died ye 18th of May
Anno Domino 1720
In ye 31st year of his age
HIS
Mournful father
hath created
this Monument
Thursday Doors: Abbaye de La Reau (3)
Posted on August 31, 2017
A final set of doors from Abbaye de La Réau this week.
As we started last week’s instalment with an image taken from inside looking out, here’s another of the same, this time from the smithy/workshop:
This one is in the Visitor Centre:
In the grounds of the Abbey are the ruins of a round defensive tower, a refuge for the monks if some of their theological debates got a little heated:
And a couple more interesting doors from other buildings within the complex:
Thursday Doors 31 August 2017
Thursday Doors: Abbaye de La Reau (2)
Posted on August 25, 2017
This week we’re continuing our exploration of Abbaye de La Réau with some internal doors. I doubt whether any of these are absolutely original, but most of them are pretty old-looking, it has to be said.
However, to bridge the exterior/interior divide, here’s an image looking out from inside the monks’ living quarters:
A few examples of the doors leading off from this entrance space:
Rather prosaically, this is the door to the (communal) privy. Three seats (holes in a plank, to be more precise), no waiting:
And finally for this week, a door situated in the inner courtyard of the complex. Comes complete with bonus door within a door:
Thursday Doors 24 August 2017
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