My door this week comes from the ancient cathedral of St Alban, and is the entrance to the fourteenth century Watching Loft.
Prior to the dissolution of the monasteries, St Alban’s Cathedral was part of a huge abbey complex, at the centre of which was the shrine to the martyred saint. The Watching Loft was constructed so that monks and soldiers could keep watch over the shrine at all times, ensuring the sacred remains were undisturbed.
The doorway, as you can see, is quite narrow, and the loft itself seems quite cramped – I imagine the monks and soldiers up there crammed in like roosting pigeons, not to mention the contortions it would have taken to get up the stairs. Still, it is a wonderful surviving example of its type – the beautiful carving and ornate design a reminder of a time when people built things to last.
This is my entry to Norm 2.0’s Thursday Doors Challenge. For more doors, or to add one of your own, visit Norm’s site and click the link.
Helen Glynn Jones 
Wow – just wow. Looking at that, I can feel the cool air, hear the echo of footsteps on flagstones, get that slighty dusty, “holy” smell of old churches in my nostrils… And is that a ghostly monk behind those carved window openings?
Ooh, I had to go back and take another look at the photo – I always hope I might catch something like that in there. I’m not sure… I think it’s the archway inside, but then again..
And you’ve described the atmosphere perfectly 🙂
Beautiful doors, Helen. The older the better in my mind. The imagination goes wild 🙂
It does indeed, doesn’t it? Thank you 🙂
Beautiful doors and architecture indeed, but it sure seems like an awful lot of trouble to go through to keep an eye on someone who wasn’t going anywhere 😉
Yes, it does. I think though it might have been all the gold and precious jewels on the casket they were keeping an eye on, rather than the bones. Although, the bones themselves were very valuable at the time, as they brought pilgrims to the cathedral who then made donations – the bigger the donation, the more favourable their heavenly destination. Sort of like The 700 Club, six hundred years ago!
My legs already hurt looking at those stairs.
My back and neck crunch up just thinking about bending double to get in there!
Wow. I love that first shot of the Watching Loft. Beautiful. And…intriguing? Not sure. Something about it is fascinating. Love it.
Thanks, Sarah. It is an unusual space, isn’t it? I’m always quite drawn to it whenever I visit the Cathedral – I’d love to go up there, but would be a bit freaked out at the same time…
It is a tad creepy. It makes the freakiness emerge for sure.
Definitely. A lot of these old places do… 🙂
I love how old stone stairs get that worn down look where centuries of feet have stepped. 🙂
Oh yes, me too 🙂
That’s so interesting.
It’s cool, hey? The idea of a ‘Watching Loft’ 🙂
All kind of nefarious things could happen there.
I be they did, too 😉
What an intriguing place but somewhat scary looking place. I bet they all sat around a barrel drinking ale and playing poker, instead of keeping a look-out. 😉
Thanks, Jean – it is a bit creepy looking. I bet all sorts of goings-on happened up there 😉
Ooh, my bad back twinges in sympathy looking at that!
Yes, it’s a bit cramped, isn’t it? I can’t imagine people were that much smaller then…
Not to begin with, at least!
You can just imagine it when it was in use….Great shots & history.
Thanks, Vicky 🙂 Yes, you can almost hear the rustle of robes and the clank of armour…
I don’t always comment on these Thursday posts, but I really love them. They’re so inspiring and I always learn something new! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thanks so much, Kate – I’m glad you enjoy them 🙂 I learn a lot too – often things I didn’t realise when I was actually visiting the place, so they are fun to write 🙂
Beautiful doors! Maybe you forgot that in previous centuries people were not as well fed – shorter and thinner;)
Thanks, Jesh 🙂 I did know that – changing nutrition has made huge changes to our physiology over the years. It’s just, this door seems so small, especially for a man in armour like a soldier. However, like you say, people were smaller then 🙂
How have I not spotted these ? Must pay more attention! Love that I know some of the doors your post! 😁
Hehe – they’re sort of hidden away next to the shrine, so unless you go into that bit and walk around, you won’t see them. I swear I see something new every time I go there!