Ruined Statuary

Today, for Leanne’s Monochrome Madness, Sarah of Travel with Me invites us to photograph ruins. I could so easily take you (yet again) to my favourite ruined abbeys: Fountains Abbey, Jervaulx, or Rievaulx. But Sarah herself has shown Fountains Abbey off in her post. I could take you to ruins all over this country and beyond. Instead, I thought that I’d show you not buildings, but their statues, often ruined by weather, by warfare, or quite simply the passage of time.

Best start in Rievaulx though, where carvings in its museum gave me the idea.

Off to North Eastern France, where the churches and cathedrals of Rheims, Laon and Tournus (to name but a few) have all mightily suffered from the weather eating into into the local limestone from which these were built.

And in Troyes, wooden buildings have taken a weather-beating too.

A church in Bamberg has suffered mightily from having been contructed from limestone.

But even more recent buildings have been ruined a bit. Come to Hartlepool with me.

Let’s finish off by disobeying the challenge completely, at Sant Julia church, in Argentona, Catalonia. Its gargoyles were so ruined they pulled them down. And replaced them. Like this.

By the time you read this we will be at least half way down England, in transit for eastern France – Alsace. So you won’t get prompt responses to any comments I’m afraid, as we shan’t finish travelling till Friday. But I will send a postcard before the weekend is out!

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Author: margaret21

I'm retired and live in North Yorkshire, where I walk , write, volunteer and travel as often as I can.

48 thoughts on “Ruined Statuary”

  1. That’s quite a rogues gallery from France, Margaret. The expressions are priceless. I haven’t seen Sarah’s post yet but will later. Thanks for the shout out to Hartlepool. Have a wonderful trip xx

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  7. Love the ‘new’ whimsical version of the gargoyle… he or she looks like a lot of fun… all things built by man will never last, nature always wins. Have a safe trip and enjoy your travels.

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  10. Those faces in stone from France make quite a gallery! I like the worn sculptures from Bamberg a lot too. As for the gargoyles in Argentona, they aren’t ruined but they are rather fun so I’m glad you included them 🙂 Thanks for joining in when you were busy preparing for your trip!

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  14. I am always so impressed by the craftmanship of old buildings. You have given us a wonderful gallery. I love the work that has gone into the ones in Argentona, Catalonia. Gold stars all round for such talented stonemasons.

    Safe travels.

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  17. Wonderful portraits of unhappy church figures. 😀 Were they meant to frighten church goers or were they so high up that it would have been hard to make out the “grotesque” features?

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