By Dawn Alethea Lowe En 24J09
Take time, be in awe of the beauty around you.
Ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey, Yorkshire, England
During the June holidays, I was incredibly privileged to be given the opportunity to travel to the UK, courtesy of my grandmother who was going over to visit her sister. While I was there, I definitely contemplated why I was living in Singapore 😂 I mean the weather was amazing, among other things.
That aside, I’ve always found historic architecture – think Baroque, Renaissance and Roman – particularly beautiful. And England has an abundance of those. I saw gorgeous architecture everywhere: cathedrals, parliament buildings and even a bank building! It was heavenly. Being surrounded by such magnificence and the slower pace of a holiday got me thinking about the breakneck-work-study culture in Singapore.
Like any other major city, Singapore moves at an incredibly fast pace, but even more than that, this culture has seeped into every aspect of our lives. In fact, I’d even go so far as to say that Singapore operates at an even more frantic pace than other financial powerhouses. You might’ve even heard that Singaporeans are the fastest walkers in the world!
While that is funny to imagine (at least to me), it makes us wonder if we’re all a little too kiasu. I mean, the concept of having to be ahead of everyone else has been drilled into our heads since we were kids. As a young nation determined to prove our worth and match up against the “big guys”, we were taught to maximise our time and opportunities, to see others working hard and work even harder ourselves, leaving little time for slowing down and catching our breath (or “slacking”, as gracelessly averred by the overly judgemental).
While there’s no doubt this has allowed Singapore to emerge as the darling of the 21st century, it has unfortunately deprived us of the chance, indeed innate want, to pause and really look around to see the small details and appreciate the intricacies of the wonders to be found all around us.
So this will be a journey through the architecture I encountered and the stories behind them, and why I hope you too will find beauty in our frenzied lives…
I spent two weeks in the UK, mostly in Yorkshire and a nearby village (that is, an area of landed properties much like the ones in Singapore, only a lot bigger and with a larger variety of houses), as well as a day in London. I was, again, very lucky to have been given a tour of York by my English uncle and one of London by my cousin, his daughter, living there. But first, York.
York
A former government building converted into an Italian restaurant, and you can see York Minster in the back!
Yorkshire is a relatively small town in Northern England (think Manchester, Leeds area), though it was once England’s largest county. Because of its historic significance, York has a lot of very old, but well-preserved architecture.
Another thing about York is that the pace of life there is slower because it’s not a bustling city, which not only means that their walking pace is slower, but also that people really take time to appreciate the many beautiful things around them. When I got a tour of the county, it was through a historical lens, owing to its strong historical roots and my uncle’s interest in history. This was, of course, extremely fascinating to the tiny historian in me.
The architecture in York is split into a few different periods, the earliest being Roman Architecture,
The only surviving Roman column re-erected outside the Minster South door.
followed by Medieval,
Shambles, one of the best-preserved Medieval shopping streets in Europe
Norman,
Clifford’s Tower was originally built by William the Conqueror as a symbol of Medieval Kings’ power, twice burned down and eventually rebuilt by Henry III. I saw children running up the steep hill to get to it, which I unfortunately didn’t get to 😔
and Gothic architecture.
The front (a mere small section) of York Minster, a Cathedral that is York’s crowning jewel.
The melding of all these different architectural styles, a tangible piece of York’s history, is such an amazing thing. Knowing that you’re standing next to buildings built hundreds of years ago by people who lived that long ago and that they’re still in use and taken care of makes you appreciate and understand the past of a place.
Sadly, our nation’s small land space, coupled with its need to keep up with the times, means future over former.
Impending doom from wall-to-wall
Another crucial part of York’s history and architecture is its City Walls - the most complete in England! Built as a defence structure to protect the important city in the past, the City Walls include a walkway all through the walls, narrower at some parts with their walls still intact, four main bars (fortified gateways), various towers, arrow slits and other small details.
A narrow section of the trail, perfumed by lush greenery and pleasant breezes
The main attraction of the City walls is its various bars and towers, most notably Monk Bar, the largest and most ornate bar dating back to the 14th century! Rather horrifically, the gallery (the room above the arch) has “murder holes” used to rain boiling water and missiles on intruders 😨 But I digress; it’s pretty amazing how something built so long ago is still in such good condition!
Monk Bar, complete with its portcullis (iron wrought gate) and rooms, is missing its barbican (fortified gateway). The cross-shaped arrow slits look quite beautiful to me (though they certainly weren’t while in use)
I cannot remember what this is, it could either be a bar (which I can’t find matching evidence of), or part of the Minster (similar architecture) though the architecture isn’t exactly the same? It’s still really pretty
York Minster - Majesty and Splendor
Another important part of York is the York Minster, but before I take you there, there used to be another equally impressive monastery beside it, in the present Museum Gardens. St. Mary’s Abbey was one of the wealthiest and most powerful Benedictine monasteries in England in its heyday, and its abbot was as incredibly powerful.
It was destroyed by Henry VII (yes, that guy with 6 wives) during the dissolution of monasteries, part of his Reformation of the church in the 16th century. The nationwide religious reformation coincidentally also gained Henry immense wealth. Only a hauntingly beautiful section of its walls and the 14th-century Abbot’s house remain.
The stunning backdrop of Museum Gardens
Now for the York Minster. York Minster is a colossal Anglican cathedral in the heart of York, tracing back to the 600s (so long ago it even sounds wrong). The Minster retains much of its medieval stained glass, even boasting the largest expense of medieval stained glass in the world, in its depiction of the Last Judgement on its east window, aptly dubbed the Great East Window. The York Minster is so treasured that work to restore the huge structure has been meticulously planned and is being carried out in stages, with more intricate detailing done by experts, by hand. Fun fact, Minster is an honorary title bestowed on some churches in England!
Yes, that is indeed the stained glass I was referring to - even I could scarcely believe it!
This is but a single frame of the Great East Window - that’s how grand it is.
The front entrance. Do you see the White Queen Elizabeth statue on the right? It was carved to mark her Platinum Jubilee. The various columns lining the walls are to be filled with statues of more important figures!
I clearly did not take this shot 🤭 To walk around the perimeter of the cathedral, one has to walk about 500m, and that’s before even entering!
The equally dazzling interior
Apart from the Minster, there are other smaller churches in York. The one here has a grand entrance intricately depicting various biblical scenes.
These are just some of the biggest pieces of history found around York, but don’t be fooled; the very essence of the past permeates throughout it, filling every street and corner, wrapping its swirly tendrils around every pillar and block.
Everywhere I walked, I saw a symphony of new and old coexisting peacefully, each with its own purpose and place. That appreciation for what came before is present in many countries; it is their identity and pride, and I hope we too can take a pause and cherish where our forefathers lived.
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