Mono Monday: Historic Buildings

This morning I went for a walk round Castor village, which is full of historic buildings that I thought might make a good subject for the MonoMonday challenge. Unfortunately, when I arrived I found that I'd left the memory card in the computer, so I was restricted to using my iPhone.

My photograph shows the magnificent Norman tower of St. Kyneburgha's Church described as a 'riot of bifora, blind arcading and corbel tables' - which I'm sure means something to an architect and historian! It is notable for its Romanesque architecture and includes important medieval wall paintings. It is uniquely the only Church of that name anywhere in the world.


St Kyneburgha (or Cyneburh) was the daughter of the seventh century King Penda of Mercia and married Ahlfrith, son of the Northumbrian King Oswiu (or Oswy) in around 653. Mercia was not itself a Christian kingdom and Northumbria and Mercia were almost perpetually at war, so this was clearly a “political” marriage. Kyneburgha’s brother Peada, later to found Peterborough Abbey, married King Oswy’s daughter Ahlflaed and it was likely that this union depended on Peada’s conversion as Christian, which subsequently influenced Kyneburgha. Following her husband’s death, she came to Mercia and established a convent among the ruins of the Roman palace here in Castor.



I only stayed for a short while, but it's clear that this church has many important historical features, and could be a rich source of future images.