What was once the north aisle of the abbey had been adapted to make the present day parish church.
Croyland is the old name for the settlement.
The abbey was one of the more prominent victims of Henry VIII’s and Thomas Cromwell’s Dissolution of Monasteries, an action which made England’s monarch immensely rich.
The present church has been created by adapting what was once the north aisle of the abbey.
Saint Guthlac was the founder of the abbey in the middle of the so-called Dark Ages. The land all around this area of the Anglian kingdom of Mercia was flood prone, quite isolated, yet with plenty of scope for fishing and fowling, making a perfect location for a monastic centre.
What was not taken down or pillaged following the dissolution, was further violated by Oliver Cromwell and his forces in the 1640s during the so-called English Civil War.
Since then, the graves of the succeeding generations have filled the spaces around the ruins.
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However, one more night would have been advantageous. Our flight from England was delayed thanks to President Trump’s arrival and all the extra security that entailed.
So by the time we got to our hotel it was about time for our evening meal – we didn’t have that much time to explore the city.
The second day was taken up with what turned out to be a fantastic trip around the County Antrim coast, which lasted most of the day.
The third day we had already pre-booked a visit to the Titanic Experience and the Game of Thrones exhibition, both in the same general area on the city’s outskirts. This took up most of the day too. We did do a little exploration that late afternoon.
And then our return flight back home was at 8:20 the following morning, so we were up with the lark to catch that.
So, despite a very full two and a bit days, we didn’t get to see as much of the city as we would have liked.
What we did glean, however, is that Belfast is lovely and the people are lovelier. We will return.
copyright Leofwine Tanner 2019
copyright Leofwine Tanner 2019
copyright Leofwine Tanner 2019
Ciscography 