The chapel you see below is in fact two chapels. At ground floor is The Undercroft Chapel, and up a very narrow winding stone staircase is Prior Crauden's Chapel.
The long building to the left is 'the oldest inhabited residential building in Europe', it was built around 970 AD. It is where I spent four years at school. You can understand why the chapels were so omnipresent in the young Cro's early life. They were directly opposite my 'front door'.
Prior Crauden's Chapel (below) is one of the most beautiful and serene places on earth. It is very small, beautifully decorated with carved stone niches and remains of vaulting, and with an ancient tiled floor depicting Adam and Eve under the altar area.
When I was at school I would often take a book up there and sit for hours in one of the niches, reading. I was almost guaranteed to be alone, and it made the most perfect 'reading room'; far quieter than our library.
The chapel was built in 1320 by Prior John de Crauden, and I shall remain eternally grateful to him.
You were lucky to have such a wonderful place to read as a child. I really like the magic of old churches.
ReplyDeleteI would love to go there again to read. It was perfect.
DeleteThat is a beautiful stained glass window.
ReplyDeleteEverything about it is beautiful; even the difficulty of access.
DeleteIt looks a wonderful old church. Very interesting history. How wonderful you could enjoy the peace with a good book. Perfect reading spot
ReplyDeleteI would love to visit again, but I'm too settled at home.
DeleteWell, I never knew you were at school in Ely. Somehow I had got Shrewsbury in my head. We live and learn. "Magnon! See me in my study! You have been caught reading in Prior Crauden's Chapel again! Select your cane!"
ReplyDeleteYes, up in The Fens. I had plenty of cane in my first years; but not for reading.
DeleteAh well, there's another blogpost subject - "Getting Caned". I also got caned - twice for not wearing my school cap and once for having longer hair than the school rules stipulated.
DeleteLooks like a wonderful place to learn to learn.
ReplyDeleteIt was all a long time ago, but I still think back to sitting up there with a book.
DeleteI can see you will always have a great fondness for this chapel. It is a remarkable place.
ReplyDeleteIt was probably the most beautiful room I've ever visited.
DeleteThat chapel is a beautiful place and I am certain that any lingering ancients were smiling indulgently at the vision of a child with a book scurrying off to his quiet corner to read.
ReplyDeleteIt always had a lovely atmosphere so maybe those 'ancients' were looking kindly at me.
Delete"Boarding School: a place that will raise your children for you." Sometimes that's necessary, like here in Australia when families live in the outback and have "School of the Air" until children reach High School age, then they are sent to boarding school in the nearest big city. But In England it seems to be the most common method of schooling or do I have that wrong? Are there more public day schools than boarding schools?
ReplyDeleteI believe that only about 9% of children go to private schools, and not all of those are boarders. Maybe half are; I really don't know.
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