Christchurch Priory, Christchurch, Dorset

[NightHawk]

This particular building, situated on Quay Rd, Christchurch, Dorset, dates back to 1094, although there has been a church on this site since AD 800.

These are just a few photos of the exterior of the Priory.

Photo 1.  The sun was shining directly at me for this shot, so I had to use the clock tower as a shield. Hence the sky is a bit washed out, and it's a contrasty photo.



Photo 2.  This part of the building extends from the left of the clock tower as seen from Photo 1.



Photo 3.  Side view showing a rather unusual weather vane in the shape of a fish (larger view below).



Photo 4.  Enlargement of the 'fish' weather vane.  I couldn't get much detail as I only had my digital compact camera with me, and it was a long distance away, so the quality isn't brilliant.


I found a close-up photo that someone has taken of this weather vane on a Flickr website.  Click the link to see the photo.


Photos taken with Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS9 digital camera.

[ideasguy]

You did very well to capture the detail in those photos Laurie.
I admire you to get such good results when snapping into the sun
Amazing architecture, I have to say. How much would that building cost to design and build in todays money
Eric Hardy will be very interested in those images.

[NightHawk]

Thanks George.

It's actually not a bad little camera to have to hand when I go out.  In its own case it's always fastened to my bum-bag, so very accessible when needed.

I wouldn't even like to guess at how much a building of this quality would cost in todays money.

I know Eric Hardy has visited this Priory many years ago, but doesn't think he'll be able to get back again.  Maybe these few little photos will bring back a few good memories for him 

If I was going out on a specific photo assignment, then I would take my Nikon D60 DSLR camera with me and a telephoto lens.  This would give me much better quality shots with enhanced detail.

I'm actually considering doing this around the New Forest.  I want to capture as many different aspects of the Forest as possible.  Photos of the forest itself throughout the different seasons, especially autumn for the colour change of the leaves;  the quaint little villages with their wonderful architecture - old and new; the iconic New Forest Ponies, etc., etc.

I then plan to put the photos onto a web page, maybe with a little bit of local history to accompany them.  A sort of 'visitor guide' of my own personal experiences and favourite locations, but without being intended as a comprehensive tourist brochure.

Anyway, that's a future project I need to get organised 

[ideasguy]

Ah - I can see another book in the offing Laurie

Heres a similar project - All Around Lambeg by Frederick Gilbert Watson (my sisters husband)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ulsterscots/find-out-more/books/all-around-lambeg
Lambeg is close to the (now) city of Lisburn in N. Ireland.

Gilbert is an avid historian.

[NightHawk]

Ah - I can see another book in the offing Laurie

Always the optimist George 

Great book by Gilbert, but I'm not certain I'll be able to aspire to that degree of detailed, in-depth literature in my project 

I think mine will be more like a photojournalist approach - letting the photos tell the stories, with just a sprinkling of text