A fascinting tour! I was hoping you'd mention/show, though, where the famous early fourteenth-century clock of Abbot Richard of Wallingford was located in the abbey? I know it was destroyed in the sixteenth century, but hoping that knowledge of its location has not been lost.
Thank you for your kind words and for taking the trouble to write. Yes I can see I did neglect that matter of the clock. I think I was more fixed on the structure than the fittings and just didn't give it much thought. But it's a good question as you say. If I come upon anything relating to it I will let you know.
Its honestly impossible to mention everything about the interior and exterior of an ancient building and its changes over almost 1000 years . Even the long term cathedral archaeologist Martin Biddle doesn't know everything. It would take hours and hours & still things would be left out , I live across the road on sopwell lane , I notice something different inside and outside whenever I walk around the building. :)
A really fantastic tour Ian, well balanced for the architectural and ecclesiastical novice. I have spent so much time there but understood so little. Strange to see a strange school in the abbey at the end, is there not a cathedral in Borehamwood ?
Thank you very much Neil. I am really pleased it was of some use to you and it's so kind of you to write to say so. I am pretty sure there is not a cathedral in borehamwood. I actually teach near there!
I don't think there's a cathedral in borehamwood either, I could be wrong but I thought cathedrals were in citys and I'm pretty sure borehamwood is not a city , it's a small town, with elstree at the southern end of the road, towards London.
Great video, no matter how many times i walk around the abbey inside and out, or how much i read , i still learn something new, as i have watching your video. ..But there's a MASSIVE question nobody can answer, not the tour guides or any of the church people ,in fact the people i have asked have never noticed the objects before, let alone know anything about them. If you stand with your back to Alban's shrine facing the iron gates attached to the pillars and follow the stone around tucked away about a metre above the floor are 2 stone heads on opposite sides, both facing the floor. ( reminding me of a naughty child standing in the corner facing their feet) As if in shame , i can't think of anything that makes sense If remains of saints broken during the reformation why would anyone attach them where nobody notices and facing the floor. Instead of storing them in the vaults below. Maybe they came from the old Roman city, but again why position them in that way , Nothing i can think of makes any sense. If you're passing through and have a spare 10 mins , they are worth having a look at . I keep meaning to pop across and take some video footage, but something always comes up or i forget. There's nothing in the books i have , i can't find anything about them online . Have you noticed them ? I'd be surprised if you have. Anyway great video, I've learned a few things i didn't know before. Appreciate your time , and wish you well :)
thank you for your very kind words! i admit your right i have never spotted these figures and i really need to make good that omission! I shall take a look as soon as i can. Thank you for raising that question.
@@stjohnspipecasts6801 I actually got home early today and thought I'd pop across the road to the abbey and refresh my memory, even though I live close I havn't been inside for longer than I realised, the heads dont face the floor ( I was so sure they did) they face as if lying on their side facing you , wherever they came from they've been cut through the lower jaw , they both have a strange hairstyle, it reminds me of a Roman hairstyle, tied into swirls ( almost like mr whippy vans soft ice cream swirled on a cornet ( cone) coming almost to a point at the top . Everything about them is strange, loads of questions and no answers. I spoke to a lady after she finished her tour guide and she hadn't noticed them before I pointed them out , and obviously knew nothing about them either . I'll try sending my pics from mobile to this tablet,, It's bound to be iffy , lol , I'm rubbish with tech tbh , but I'll try asap and tag you when I've done it. :)
@@kevwhufc8640 thanks for updating us on your research. It sounds like you are the only one who has properly seen these figures. I look forward to looking out for them next time I'm in the abbey.
@@stjohnspipecasts6801 I've tried adding the videos to my others, hopefully I succeed, as I've said I'm rubbish with modern technology. I didn't think to take footage from a distance to make it clear exactly where they are. They are about 7 feet from the floor in opposite corners. I've been in some areas below in the vaults and they have all sorts of things inc heads , arms etc that had been smashed and buried and found during excavations. So I don't know why they aren't with them , its very odd , I assume they are male , but the hairstyle seems something a woman would have, .. I'm surprised nobody has done any research, especially Martin Biddle , the archaeologist in charge of the abbey, inside and out. The other videos I've added in the past were for similar reasons, to show someone an example of what I was talking about,
John of wheathampstead, the same as discovered during excavations just before the pandemic? So pilgrims, or the Victoria Beckhams of the day opened up the Dukes coffin and dipped their hanky in the stuff around his remains.. Was the coffin open ? Or did they just lift it after giving the guide a few coins ? I did not know that, its one of the most disgusting things I've heard ... urgh .. Is that why there are steps going down to his resting place? I vaguely remember something about people could go down, but an iron grille had to be bolted over it , i guess that's the reason . Poor old Humphrey, brother of Henry V and veteran of Azincourt .. I'm surprised any of those saints around the windows survived the reformation let alone the school children. The walk through was used like a red light district apparently. The 'slab' as many locals refer to Grimethorpes east front.
@@stjohnspipecasts6801 That’s the problem I’m playing it on an iPad and even at full volume you can barely hear it, the source material volume is just not loud enough. I really wanted to watch it and that’s why I left a comment
@@jasminespencer3992 then I'm very sorry! Since then I have got a better microphone though I admit that I do prefer to spend money on pipes! I will have a look and see if I can find the written text and send it to you tho I'm not sure if I have that esp as I think it was recorded in lock down when I didn't have access to a printer. I will have a look.
Very useful, thank you
A fascinting tour! I was hoping you'd mention/show, though, where the famous early fourteenth-century clock of Abbot Richard of Wallingford was located in the abbey? I know it was destroyed in the sixteenth century, but hoping that knowledge of its location has not been lost.
Thank you for your kind words and for taking the trouble to write. Yes I can see I did neglect that matter of the clock. I think I was more fixed on the structure than the fittings and just didn't give it much thought. But it's a good question as you say. If I come upon anything relating to it I will let you know.
Its honestly impossible to mention everything about the interior and exterior of an ancient building and its changes over almost 1000 years .
Even the long term cathedral archaeologist Martin Biddle doesn't know everything.
It would take hours and hours & still things would be left out , I live across the road on sopwell lane , I notice something different inside and outside whenever I walk around the building. :)
A really fantastic tour Ian, well balanced for the architectural and ecclesiastical novice. I have spent so much time there but understood so little.
Strange to see a strange school in the abbey at the end, is there not a cathedral in Borehamwood ?
Thank you very much Neil. I am really pleased it was of some use to you and it's so kind of you to write to say so. I am pretty sure there is not a cathedral in borehamwood. I actually teach near there!
I don't think there's a cathedral in borehamwood either,
I could be wrong but I thought cathedrals were in citys and I'm pretty sure borehamwood is not a city , it's a small town, with elstree at the southern end of the road, towards London.
Great video, no matter how many times i walk around the abbey inside and out, or how much i read , i still learn something new, as i have watching your video.
..But there's a MASSIVE question nobody can answer, not the tour guides or any of the church people ,in fact the people i have asked have never noticed the objects before, let alone know anything about them.
If you stand with your back to Alban's shrine facing the iron gates attached to the pillars and follow the stone around tucked away about a metre above the floor are 2 stone heads on opposite sides, both facing the floor.
( reminding me of a naughty child standing in the corner facing their feet)
As if in shame , i can't think of anything that makes sense
If remains of saints broken during the reformation why would anyone attach them where nobody notices and facing the floor.
Instead of storing them in the vaults below.
Maybe they came from the old Roman city, but again why position them in that way ,
Nothing i can think of makes any sense.
If you're passing through and have a spare 10 mins , they are worth having a look at .
I keep meaning to pop across and take some video footage, but something always comes up or i forget.
There's nothing in the books i have , i can't find anything about them online .
Have you noticed them ? I'd be surprised if you have.
Anyway great video, I've learned a few things i didn't know before.
Appreciate your time , and wish you well :)
thank you for your very kind words! i admit your right i have never spotted these figures and i really need to make good that omission! I shall take a look as soon as i can. Thank you for raising that question.
@@stjohnspipecasts6801 I actually got home early today and thought I'd pop across the road to the abbey and refresh my memory, even though I live close I havn't been inside for longer than I realised, the heads dont face the floor ( I was so sure they did) they face as if lying on their side facing you , wherever they came from they've been cut through the lower jaw , they both have a strange hairstyle, it reminds me of a Roman hairstyle, tied into swirls ( almost like mr whippy vans soft ice cream swirled on a cornet ( cone) coming almost to a point at the top .
Everything about them is strange, loads of questions and no answers.
I spoke to a lady after she finished her tour guide and she hadn't noticed them before I pointed them out , and obviously knew nothing about them either .
I'll try sending my pics from mobile to this tablet,,
It's bound to be iffy , lol , I'm rubbish with tech tbh , but I'll try asap and tag you when I've done it. :)
@@kevwhufc8640 thanks for updating us on your research. It sounds like you are the only one who has properly seen these figures. I look forward to looking out for them next time I'm in the abbey.
@@stjohnspipecasts6801 I've tried adding the videos to my others, hopefully I succeed, as I've said I'm rubbish with modern technology.
I didn't think to take footage from a distance to make it clear exactly where they are.
They are about 7 feet from the floor in opposite corners.
I've been in some areas below in the vaults and they have all sorts of things inc heads , arms etc that had been smashed and buried and found during excavations.
So I don't know why they aren't with them , its very odd , I assume they are male , but the hairstyle seems something a woman would have, .. I'm surprised nobody has done any research, especially Martin Biddle , the archaeologist in charge of the abbey, inside and out.
The other videos I've added in the past were for similar reasons, to show someone an example of what I was talking about,
@@stjohnspipecasts6801 somehow I've closed comments and made it for children only 🙈 ..I did say I was rubbish with tech lol
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GREGORIAN 🇬🇪 PHARMACEA
John of wheathampstead, the same as discovered during excavations just before the pandemic?
So pilgrims, or the Victoria Beckhams of the day opened up the Dukes coffin and dipped their hanky in the stuff around his remains..
Was the coffin open ? Or did they just lift it after giving the guide a few coins ?
I did not know that, its one of the most disgusting things I've heard ... urgh ..
Is that why there are steps going down to his resting place?
I vaguely remember something about people could go down, but an iron grille had to be bolted over it , i guess that's the reason .
Poor old Humphrey, brother of Henry V and veteran of Azincourt ..
I'm surprised any of those saints around the windows survived the reformation let alone the school children.
The walk through was used like a red light district apparently.
The 'slab' as many locals refer to Grimethorpes east front.
The tomb of The Duke of Gloucester was refurbished by Hertfordshire Freemasons at considerable cost. Shame this was not mentioned.
I'm sorry Mark. I was unaware of that.
@@stjohnspipecasts6801 No need to apologize. I mention it for the record only. We do not seek recognition. Great video.
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DON'T FORGET THE GREGORY CALENDAR ADOPTION.....1578....TO....1752.....BRITAIN...AND...WEST
I can’t hear you, perhaps the microphone budget was spent on pipes
I'm sorry to learn that..I just played it myself on my phone and it was decent to me. Maybe raise the volume?
@@stjohnspipecasts6801 That’s the problem I’m playing it on an iPad and even at full volume you can barely hear it, the source material volume is just not loud enough. I really wanted to watch it and that’s why I left a comment
@@jasminespencer3992 then I'm very sorry! Since then I have got a better microphone though I admit that I do prefer to spend money on pipes! I will have a look and see if I can find the written text and send it to you tho I'm not sure if I have that esp as I think it was recorded in lock down when I didn't have access to a printer. I will have a look.
Sound is perfect on my smartphone and listening to it atm on my tablet.
Volume is less than half on both my devices.
@@kevwhufc8640 Can you get me some cash from the ATM
Some should tell this gentleman that it is easier and healthier to speak without smoking a pipe !!
Thank you!