York: the historic centre at Christmas

Yesterday I went into our city centre to do my last lot of Christmas shopping although I always try to avoid the Christmas crowds as much as possible so I didn't stay long. Do you like to shop in a covered mega centre where everything can be found under one roof or do you enjoy browsing and buying from small outlets and craft fairs?

Last year in early December I went with a group of ladies to York, travelling by coach so all the photos are from that trip. Travelling by train or a special coach is the best way to get into a city centre rather than car these days as most have pedestrian only shopping areas and the park and ride option can be a convenient alternative, but with expensive charges.

York is only a short train journey away for me so hopefully I'll go there more often in the new year.

Certosa di Trisulti: The Nativity Crib Scene

  

When we visited the Charterhouse in the mountains at Trisulti in the Summer we went into the church which is situated in the courtyard of a papal palace of Innocent III (the pope who gave his blessing so that Francis of Assisi, the humble man of vision, could continue with his work as a friar preaching the gospel of love, justice and peace; demonstrating the way of Christ to the church and society in general).

A baptismal service was taking place at the time and many of the side chapels and adjoining rooms were open.

                                           

                                               

In the courtyard the shepherd boy placard indicates the open door into a semi-darkened room where there's an illuminated Nativity Crib set in a village with scenes and figurines of country folk who are engaged in a traditional way of life and working on different crafts. Some of the models are moving so it's a dynamic and endearing permanent display that has been there for many decades.

The nativity scene or il presepio was first introduced by Francis of Assisi on Christmas Eve of A.D. 1223 when the people of Gubbio in Italy created a living nativity scene in the woods and Francis preached the joyful message of the birth of Jesus Christ - 'the child of Bethlehem'.

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The feast of St. Nicholas - a children's festival

Today is the feast of St. Nicholas who was born in Patara, part of present-day Turkey, who became a Christian bishop and is believed to have died on the 6th December 343.  Stories of his work for the poor and legends about him spread far and wide and he became known as the protector of children and sailors and was associated with gift giving. In Holland he continues to be an important figure and the children put out their shoes the night before the 6th December in the hope that St Nicholas (Sint Nikolaas or Sinter Klaas) will leave gifts for them. In America Sinter Klaas became Santa Claus (the modern day Father Christmas).

Because St. Nicholas was such a popular saint in Europe until the Reformation in the 1500s many old churches and chapels are dedicated to him.

St. Nicholas' Church in High Bradfield is one of them. There was an Advent service there yesterday afternoon with an invitation to local women's groups as part of the patronal festivities, but since 87 m.p.h. gales were being recorded up there and being relayed to the local news programmes I decided not to go. Apparently High Bradfield felt the full force of the wind - the strongest gales in the area, which is not surprising being so high up and exposed to the elements. Thankfully, the weather has calmed down.

The chapel in Haddon Hall, Derbyshire has wall paintings including some in the chancel that illustrate incidents associated with the life of St. Nicholas - resurrecting three children and calming a storm at sea. St. Nicholas was associated from early times with the chapel.  The 'chapel of St. Nicholas' was mentioned in a marriage settlement of 1180.

Anyway, coming back to present-day festivities as we approach Christmas I've included a collage of 

chocolates made by grandsons when they worked at a chocolate shop.

A walk by the river

I went for a walk by the local river the other day.  The leaves were tenaciously clinging to many of the trees and there was still a lot of Autumn colour.  The river, which is more of a stream in places, runs through the Loxley Valley before joining the River Rivelin and, further on, the River Don. There are several weirs, evidence of the former mill workings and mill ponds.  The calm waters of these ponds are popular places for fishing. It's where our grandson and his cousin often go fishing in the summer. Damflask Reservoir has an outlet that runs into the river at the Bradfield Dale end. There are some good paths and quiet lanes that just go down to the river and along the banks so it's a pleasant place to take a walk. 

Swyncombe, Oxfordshire

Thankfully it's been another quiet week, but I'm very conscious that we're coming to the end of November and December days will be rather busy with seasonal events and social occasions before the Christmas holiday period.

Today I'm looking back to when we went down to Berkshire a few months ago. 

When we drive down to my home town we usually take a break in one of the Oxfordshire villages on the border with Berkshire where the winding road takes us through the beech woods and the Chiltern Hills. At the hamlet of Cookley Green on this last trip we turned down a narrow track lined with lime trees which gave us access to Swyncombe Church.

The name Swyncombe means 'the valley or hollow in the flank of the hill' (cumb) and 'wild boar' (swin). There was a Saxon settlement and the pre-Roman Ridgeway track, part of the Icknield Way, runs past the church.

  

                                                                       Cookley Green

                                                               
                                                         The Ridgeway track and Icknield Way

The church is early Norman with some Saxon parts and is dedicated to St. Botolph who lived in the 7th century AD. He was an Anglo-Saxon monk of the Benedictine order who made missionary journeys around East Anglia, Kent and Sussex, travelling on horseback or on foot and he was constantly exposed to danger from robbers who hid in the woods and forests.

It is thought that the church of flint and stone was built by Saxon builders under the direction of the Normans to a traditional design with one long nave terminating in an apse. The porch was added in the 19th century when the church was restored. The windows are Early English in style and only one in the  south side of the apse is original. Outside on the south side of the church can be seen a blocked Norman doorway and on the north side is another. Many of the grave headstones have inscriptions dating from the 18th century.

The stained glass of the lancet window depicts the three saints associated with the church, St. Botolph, St. Martin and St. Thomas Becket and the other shows the armorial bearings of the families who owned the estate of Swyncombe and the nearby Ewelme, including Thomas Chaucer, the son of the poet, Geoffrey Chaucer, and William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk, who married Alice, the daughter of Thomas and Matilda Chaucer.  

Later on these estates were given to Charles Brandon, married to Mary Tudor, the sister of Henry VIII, who became the appointed Duke of Suffolk. Then a cousin of Queen Elizabeth I owned them and the manor was an important one with hundreds of acres of land.  

The farm buildings next to the church looked as if they were derelict, but there were sheep in the pastures and the surrounding land was being farmed.

Although the settlement is tucked away in a secluded valley there are views across the Downs towards Oxford and one can imagine the travellers through the ages who would have used the ancient track of the Icknield Way which passes Swyncombe.