Sunday 13 September 2015

Sunday Snap – Melrose Abbey


We were up in the England's Border county for last week's Sunday Snap of 'On the Sands'. The town that inspired the artist L.S. Lowry to paint a series of scenes was

Berwick-upon-Tweed

If you were wondering what Lowry's interpretation looked like here's the information board next to the beach shelter.
Those in the know last week with the correct answer were Julie, Kirsty, Susan, Erica and Sam.

From being just on the English side of the border this week we take our first journey on JibberJabberUK to Scotland whilst it is still part of the UK! Pushing the fragile state of the Union gently aside we are in Melrose with one of four abbeys in a close area whose ruins still remain. The monastery on this site dates from 1136 when King David I of Scotland requested its formation. This begun its long association with Scottish royalty and nobility. It grew into a successful and wealthy community until the 16th century. Continued attacks from English armies culminated in one devastating onslaught in 1544 from which the abbey was never able to recover and was never fully rebuilt. In 1610 a part of the abbey's former church was converted to be used as the town's parish church. It continued to be used as such until 1810 and a new church in the town was built. During its time as parish church many local people were buried in the grounds with their gravestones remaining to this day.

Along with the ordinary folk of the town Melrose Abbey is the final resting place for King Alexander II of Scotland and the recent Dukes of Buccleuch. Also buried on this site is the heart of perhaps Scotland's most famous king and national hero. After his death in 1329 his heart taken from his body and buried at Melrose Abbey while the rest of his body was taken to Dunfermline Abbey to be interred. His most notable victory was at the Battle of Bannockburn which secured at the time independence from England. In 1995 he was depicted alongside Mel Gibson's William Wallace in the film Braveheart. This week's question is

Which Scottish king's heart is buried at Melrose Abbey?

We were joined last week by Julie and some teacup doodling. There was a touch of autumn on the ground at Kirsty's. Susan shared with us a happy, little In the Night Garden fan. Jack was the star of some starting school shots. The master of the waves was captured by Cheryl. The tomatoes have turned Gothic at Shaheen's. Nadine had a spot of blue sky thinking in Leeds. A very smart post box in a best kept village was spotted by Sam. Sophie picked a perfect day for a trip to the river. There was a selection of animals and birds from New Zealand photographed by Betty. Finally, Kara's boys were giving each other a helping hand.

If you want to join in with this week's Sunday Snap then add your link to the linky below. Any theme is allowed. It doesn't have to be published today as you have until 23.55 on Friday 18th September 2015 to join in. Grab my badge below for your blog post. Just make sure it is your photo and you hold the copyright for it.
Sunday Snap


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I'll share my favourites with you next week and remember I do like a bit of a tale to go with a photo but it's not a necessity!


19 comments:

  1. A beautiful Abbey. What a stunning picture. I think it's Robert the Bruce but not sure x

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  2. I hope it is OK that I added my Sunday Selections post. :)

    I love your Melrose Abbey photo. :)

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  3. I toreador ruins and always want to now who lived there and what stories they had could tell us.

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  4. What a lovely photo - I have no idea though who has their heart buried there...and I feel like I should know!

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  5. I am really into abbeys at the moment and recently went to Jervaulx Abbey in Yorkshire, what a feast for the eyes that was! I also have a macabre fascination with mummified hearts and relics, we have a heart in the walls of a church I know. Bruce's heart was reburied at Melrose in the 90's, a bit Richard III-like.

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  6. The abbey looks gorgeous. Love the beach shelter with Lowry's version alongside too!

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  7. Such a beautiful photo, looks so atmospheric there and full of history to explore.

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  8. What an amazing looking Abbey that is - I wonder what it looked like in its prime. x

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  9. I was only thinking about Lowry the other day - I've never seen any pictures of his that were not town ones! My youngest son loves painting and sketching pictures with many people in, unusually really since many kids focus on a few on just one. He always reminds me of Lowry, he goes big but non specific not he detail. Great photo, somewhere i would like to visit!

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  10. Thanks for featuring my snap last week!! I haven't been anywhere this week to show you!

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  11. Gorgeous photo, I love visiting places like this. I am so interested in how people used to live x

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  12. What a stunning building, would love to visit one day

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  13. Oh that Abbey looks stunning! No idea about the question though

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  14. Gosh Melrose Abbey looks stunning, definitley somwhere I'd like to visit. Mich x

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  15. Such a lovely photo and not somewhere I have ever been myself x

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  16. Oh, beautiful place, definitely worth a visit!xx

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