Details from Coventry Cathedral website:

The artist John Piper was asked to design the stained glass. His view was that with 198 small areas of window to fill, the glass needed dazzling colour and an abstract pattern to create unity.

Working with glassmaker Patrick Reyntiens, he created the window from thousands of differently-sized pieces of glass to visually vary the space and rest the eye.

The baptismal font is situated in front of the baptistery window and is carved in the shape of a shell. The Inner City Peace Trail provides further information:

The font is carved into a boulder that was donated by the government of Jordan as a gesture towards Muslim, Christian and Jewish cooperation. It was shipped from a hillside near Bethlehem in 1960 and placed before John Piper’s stunning Baptistry window.

The font was carved into it by Ralph Beyer. He was a German letter-cutter, sculptor and teacher. He is most noted for his work on the new Coventry Cathedral, including carving not only the baptismal font but also the foundation stone of the cathedral, the greetings set into its floor and, what is perhaps his most famous work, the huge inscriptions in the nave.

Born in Berlin, Beyer served in the British Army during WWII. His mother was murdered in Auschwitz.

The earliest records show a church on this site in the twelfth century built by Geoffrey de Clinton sometime between 1100 and 1135. Geoffrey or his successor later made over the manor of Hughenden including the church to the priory of Kenilworth and it seems that the monks established a small priory in what is now Church House.

A small chapel and a bell tower were added in the thirteenth century on the north side, and later still a small nave, about half the length of the present one was added, and a rounded Norman Arch used for the porch, though where this was originally we do not know. By 1870 the church was in a very bad state of repair, and the vicar, Canon Blagdon, with considerable financial help from his father-in-law, James Searight, set about rebuilding it. He raised the floor of the chancel, altered the pitch of the roof in the vestry, rebuilt the nave, moved the tower to its present position and raised it two stories. The result is an interesting example of Victorian Church architecture at its best.*

The Disraeli tomb in the churchyard is a large crypt containing the remains of a number of members of the Disraeli family. It was finally sealed when the last member of the family was buried there in 1967. For the Earl’s funeral use was made of the natural slope of the ground from West to East, and a cutting was dug from the line of the present hedge to the door of the crypt enabling the bearers to carry the coffin right into the crypt.

One of the names on the tomb is not Disraeli. Mrs Brydges Williams, a great admirer of the statesman, offered to make him her heir if she might be buried alongside him. Her offer was accepted, and her body now lies in the crypt in Hughenden churchyard.*

• Information from St Michael & All Angels website

St Dunstan (909- 988) and St Ethelwold (908 – 984)

Together these two churchmen were responsible for the revival of monasticism in England. In 970, one hundred years after it was sacked by the Danes, Ethelwold, Bishop of Winchester, re-established the monastery in Ely as a Benedictine foundation.

The Rule of Benedict, written in the 6th century, still underpins the worship and life of the Cathedral today.

‘Whoever you are, then, who are hurrying forward to your heavenly Father, with Christ’s help fulfil this little rule, which is written for beginners.’

Rule of Benedict, Chapter 73*

*from an information board next to the chapel

The Jesse window is one of the most splendid examples of 14th century stained glass in Europe. This great East Window shows the central story of the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus, surrounded by some earthly ancestors including Jesse, father of King David.*

*from a signboard in front of the window

The photo is best viewed large on Flickr

At the entrance to Gloucester Cathedral, the West Window is a prominent feature. Although my photographs don’t capture the details well, the window depicts Biblical scenes.

The glass we see today was installed in 1859 as a memorial to Dr J. H. Monk, Bishop of Gloucester from 1830 to 1856. It was made by the large Newcastle firm of William Wailes, and is signed and dated in the red strip in the bottom left-hand corner of the window.

The themes of the window are the Birth of Jesus and the Doctrine of Baptism. These are highly appropriate for the window’s location, as fonts are usually placed near the main, often west, entrance to churches.

In the central section, between the upper and lower transoms (the main horizontal stonework across the window), you will see the nativity, with shepherds and kings visible through the windows hurrying towards the stable. To the left of this, angels announce the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, while on the right the three kings worship the infant.

Above these nativity scenes, from left to right, are the Presentation of Christ by his parents in the temple, the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, and John the Baptist preaching by the River Jordan. Three Christian baptisms from the Acts of the Apostles are depicted above the upper transom: those of Paul, of Cornelius, and of the jailer of Philippi.

Across the bottom of the window are three ‘watery’ incidents from the Old Testament. The first of these shows Noah with his family, animals, and birds leaving the ark after the flood. Next are the Israelites after passing safely across the Red Sea. The horror of the Egyptians as they face drowning is vividly captured, as are the treasures at Moses’ feet. Finally Naaman can be seen washing in the Jordan to rid himself of leprosy. Note his feet are showing through the water.*

*From Gloucester Cathedral Stained Glass – Gloucester Cathedral 2004

I ascend unto My Father and your Father