theonlyD800inthehameau
Photography by theonlydeadheadinthehameau
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
Tuesdays of Texture: The Wall
Posted on August 23, 2017
A rather different perspective – from a roof terrace – of the cloister of the Cistercian Abbey of Noirlac:
Thursday Doors: Abbaye de La Reau (1)
Posted on August 17, 2017
The Abbaye de La Réau is an outstanding set of monastic buildings, some dating back to the 12th century, in the Vienne département of central France. In addition to the massive religious buildings, the site also includes the secular edifices that were a practical necessity to support the community of monks that lived here. The whole site is being sympathetically restored both internally and externally and a recent visit revealed many interesting doors – again, both internal and external – to be shared here over the next few weeks.
To begin with, though, some external views, starting with the great doorway of the Abbey itself:
The roof of the Abbey has completely gone, but the walls still look as solid as ever, even if some former doors have been closed up:
This is a view of the adjacent, and much more recent, residential block:
Although it seems clear from this image that some of the living accommodation was reclaimed from earlier uses:
This is in the grounds, next to what is now the Visitor Centre:
And finlly, for this time around, this building lies just outside the walls that enclose the complex:
Thursday Doors 17 August 2017
Weekly Photo Challenge: Elemental
Posted on August 10, 2017
It’s not the easiest thing to find an image that shows all four primal elements at once.
However, this picture, taken along a lane about a mile from here, undoubtedly conveys three of them: air, water and earth. And since the sun was shining, perhaps that could be taken for fire. In any case, it’s a tranquil rural scene.
The Path To…..?
Posted on August 4, 2017
This little-used track runs off the ‘main’ road between here and the nearby village of Saint-Martial-sur-Isop. It probably leads to an isolated farmhouse, but who knows?
Thursday Doors: Meillant (2)
Posted on July 27, 2017
This week we have the second instalment of doors in the town of Meillant. Last week we focused on the imposing Chateau, but we are ranging a little further afield this time – although to begin with only as far as the family chapel, which stands in front of the main house:
Just inside the entrance to the site is this visitor centre, which houses a number of miniature models of the chateau and other prominent buildings:
All the doors so far have been in more or less pristine condition, but these two examples in the grounds of the Chateau are rather more neglected – and mysterious:
Finally, because there is a town (or village at any rate) outside the walls, two examples of where the other half 99.9% live:
Thursday Doors 27 July 2017
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