Monday 31 May 2010

From the top of our town

The Market Place in our town is at the highest point. It isn't really a square, more a sort of squashed polygon. On one side is the Parish Church of St. Michael's and all Angels, next door is the Town Hall, the Police Station, then the Library, and the other sides are shops. Much has been altered, the older shops gone, taken over or just flattened when they built the Indoor shopping Mall.



The Parish Church has a rather ornate arch over the steps leading to the churchyard. On the top is a cute angel, holding her skirt up!





I walked around the side of the church, and found these fallen angels! They were neatly arranged by the side, but there was no indication that I could see where they had come from. One seems to be playing a small harp, and the other a trumpet. I thought they were rather sweet, but sad.



You can generally see the hills beyond from any part of the town which opens to the east. Church Street leads from the Market place down a steep hill.




At right angles to this road, down the side of the churchyard, from a road originally called Churchwallgate, steep steps lead down to the bottom of the hill.




In the Library, which used to be a Bank, when Banks were ornate places, I found a bit of the original floor. It was beautifully tessalated (is that the word) with lovely curlicues.......



......in the corners. The library had kept just a square of this gorgeous floor, the rest, presumably damaged, was carpeted and the whole place had been opened out and refurbished.

It was good to think that they had kept this reminder of the older days, when Banks were staffed by people, not computers, and you could go and see the Bank Manager to ask for a loan!!

15 comments:

M. Reka said...

Wow interesting pics.
Short Poems

KathyA said...

The mosaic floor is beautiful! What a splendid community. I prefer the outdoor shops -- the indoor malls are so.....yech - cold/impersonal/stifling. I love the idea of walking though a town center and looking in the windows.

kenju said...

Too bad they don't have the whole mosaic - it's lovely!

The shot looking east to the hills could have come from my home town, which is in a valley nestled between large hills. I love that sort of terrain, although where I live now consists of low, rolling hills.

Love the arch and fallen angels.

sea-blue-sky & abstracts said...

It's nice to see more pictures from where you are Gilly - I love the wrought iron gates and decorative tiled floor - and the hills beyond. Lesley

Anonymous said...

Loved your photographs, Gilly. Yes, the angels do look a little sad--too far from home perhaps!!

VioletSky said...

Where I grew up is rather flat with all roads in a grid pattern.
Hilly towns with steps are so interesting. I always thought of them as being so pedestrian friendly - though now I realize it isn't all that friendly unless you can walk up and down those steps and aren't carting babies or bags of groceries.

Sweet Virginia Breeze said...

Enjoyed your photos! I love old buildings with lots of history. The mosaic floor is lovely.

Marja said...

I love the cute angel on the top of the arch and the steps and the mosaic What a nice visit

theMuddledMarketPlace said...

ah yes....a bank with people in it

mine has machines...lots of them in serried ranks.... and people who help me to use them

grrrrr!

Susan McShannon-Monteith said...

Such a beautiful town you dwell in Gilly.
The tiled floor is gorgeous and the influence looks very William Morris.
Susan x

Friko said...

one sentence made me feel very sad: it starts "much has been altered, the old shops are gone"

That is sadly how it is in so many of the lvely old market towns.
Thank you for a view of your town.

Cloudhands said...

Thank you for the tour. What a wonderful place to meander and enjoy the views. It looks like a place I would want to visit often.

Glennis said...

Wow, that's a hilly town! I love the angels. The mosaic floor is stunning. How beautiful.

Greener Pastures--A City Girl Goes Country said...

Look at that mosaic tile! Just gorgeous. And I love the angels.

Maria said...

What a wonderful tour. I was mesmerized by the beauty of your little town. I hope it does not become too modernized. I agree with KathyA about indoor omalls. They are so impersonal.

The town I live in is without either a mall or a town centre. It seems we must depend on Wal-Mart for everything or go 100 miles to the nearest large town.