Dorchester Abbey

Yesterday we visited another nearby church, in large part to test out some new gadgets that David bought for our upcoming trip - a big tripod and remote-control clickers for both our cameras. We had a good time and confirmed what we had suspected about tripods - they are a pain in the rear and a make a bit of a scene, but do take better pictures.

Below are just a few pics from the church, which is called Dorchester Abbey and is just 8 miles southeast of Oxford. It was here that this part of England was first converted to Christianity, when a bishop from Italy baptized the Saxon king around 650 AD. The church was large and quite interesting, and we were joined by only a few other visitors during our hour-or-so visit.



This baptismal font above is one of the highlights of Dorchester Abbey - it is made of lead and is the only font from a monastic church to survive the English Reformation. It is carved with Jesus and the 11 apostles (no Judas!).



This really beautiful fresco is from about 1340 AD. I initially assumed the person on the right was Mary Magdalene, but I did wonder why she was holding a book. It turns out that it is probably St. John. A saint holding a book is usually an author, and John commonly appears with the Virgin Mary in crucifixion scenes because of John 19:25-27. As you may know from the Da Vinci Code hoopla, John is often depicted with feminine features because he was thought to be quite young during Jesus' lifetime.



Above is a "Jesse Window" depicting the family tree of Jesus. It is unusual because it has sculptures on the tracery (the stone part).



An effigy tomb of a 13th-century knight, which uniquely shows him in the act of drawing his sword.

Explore more:
Article on Dorchester Abbey
Photo Gallery of Dorchester Abbey