Celebrating the flowers of These Isles. 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇮🇪
British Isles
Joined March 2026
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In 1966 the high altar of the Oxford Oratory, the church where Tolkien went to Mass, was chopped up and moved forward
Sixty years later they are putting it back: A new high altar is being built in its original place from the architect’s surviving drawings, and the parish is raising £3.3 million to pay for it
Their slogan is four words: ‘We’re putting it all back’
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This is the shield of Edward the Black Prince, eldest son of Edward III and one of the great warrior princes of medieval England. Made in the 14th century, it bears the quartered royal arms of England and France and is now preserved in the Western Crypt of Canterbury Cathedral 🏴
Despite its battered appearance, it probably wasn’t carried at Crécy or Poitiers. Experts believe it was made for the Black Prince’s funeral in 1376, forming part of the heraldic display connected with his burial.
His tomb still stands in the Trinity Chapel above.
Nearly 650 years later, the shield survives in the same cathedral where the Black Prince was laid to rest 🏴
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A stunning Anglo-Saxon gold and garnet pendant from early 7th-century England 🏴
Found at King’s Field Cemetery in Faversham, Kent, it is decorated with three stylised birds picked out in deep red garnet cloisonné, surrounded by incredibly fine gold filigree, twisted wire and tiny granules. These disc pendants were fashionable among high-status Anglo-Saxon women in the 7th century, particularly in Kent, although examples have been found as far north as Northumbria.
The goldwork is characteristically Kentish, while the bird design may show other Germanic influence from across the Channel.
It was discovered by railway labourers during construction work in the 19th century and later entered the British Museum collection.
Nearly 1,400 years old, and the craftsmanship is still extraordinary 🏴
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Iona Abbey stands like a sentinel in the landscape, facing the Atlantic winds. It was established in 563 AD.
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London is healing.
This depressing post-war block in Kensington was torn down and replaced with a neo-Georgian terrace, similar to what stood there before it was hit by an aerial bomb.
The post-war blight had previously been designated a Grade II listed building in 2007, on the basis of its "simple but forceful expression of the Modernist principles of form and function."
Fortunately, this was later revoked citing a "procedural error."
What we have now is a beautiful, white-stucco-fronted townhouse, complete with porticoes and balconies just like its neighbours. Life restored to the otherwise intact square.
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This iconic 1985 image of Concorde Red Arrows & Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth II was hailed as 'the photograph of the century'.
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This is the kind of news Britain's historic churches have been waiting for. ❤️⛪
After six years of fundraising, research, and determination, St Mary de Crypt in Gloucester has secured £1 million to uncover and protect some of the most important medieval wall paintings in England.
The church has been a place of worship for more than 1,000 years and is believed to have Saxon origins. Hidden beneath later layers of paint are remarkable murals, including artwork that could date back over a thousand years. Some experts even believe the painting techniques may be unique in England.
The funding will allow specialists to carefully conserve the paintings, learn more about how they were created, and produce 3D replicas so visitors can experience details that have remained hidden for centuries.
At a time when so many historic churches are fighting to survive, it's wonderful to see one of England's oldest places of worship receiving the investment it deserves. Every church we save is another piece of our history preserved for future generations. ❤️⛪
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The mediaeval wall paintings of St Peter and St Paul's Church in Pickering, North Yorkshire. 🏴
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"Non Angli, sed angeli." - Pope Gregory the Great
("Not Angles, but angels.")
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This church is older than England itself! ⛪
Built around AD 675, Escomb Saxon Church has stood for more than 1,300 years.
Constructed using stone from a nearby Roman fort, it remains one of the finest and best-preserved Anglo-Saxon churches in Britain.
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On this day in 927, Æthelstan was crowned King of the English.
Celebrate the birth of England with books that remember where we came from.
35% off almost everything - Today only. Use code: ENGLAND1099
#england #england1099 #happybirthdayengland
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Few native mammals have made a comeback as remarkable as the pine marten.
Once widespread across England's woodlands, this agile woodland hunter was driven to the brink of extinction by centuries of habitat loss and persecution.
Now, after decades of conservation work, pine martens are beginning to return to parts of England where they have been absent for generations.
Perfectly adapted to life among ancient forests, they spend much of their time in the trees, moving with astonishing speed and balance through the canopy.
A few fascinating facts about the pine marten:
- Despite looking similar, they are not related to squirrels. They belong to the weasel family alongside otters, badgers and stoats.
- They can rotate their ankles almost 180 degrees, helping them climb down trees head first.
- They make their dens in hollow trees, old woodpecker holes and abandoned squirrel nests.
- An adult can leap several metres between branches with remarkable agility.
Its gradual return is also a sign that some of England's woodlands are becoming healthier and better connected, giving native wildlife the space it needs to thrive once again.
Seeing a pine marten in the wild remains a rare privilege. Have you ever been lucky enough to see one?
Follow @oaksandlions for more posts about English wildlife.
#England #EnglishWildlife #EnglishCountryside #PineMarten
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Sunset at Great Langdale, England 🏴
Walk the ground your forefathers defended 🏴
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#OTD in 1794, Frances Stackhouse Acton was born, she was a famous botanist, archaeologist & artist. She repaired Acton Scott Hall, built a local school, saved Stokesay Castle from ruin & excavated a Roman villa 📷 Acton Scott Museum #Shropshire #RomanArchaeology
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Ignored by the modernist architectural press, the Classical tradition is witnessing a true revival - skilled craftsmen and architects with an eye for beauty
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Today (6th June) we remember St Branwalader, a Celtic Christian saint of the sixth century whose memory has endured across Cornwall, Wales, Brittany and the Channel Islands.
Although little is known with certainty about his life, his influence can still be seen in places that bear his name, including St Breward in Cornwall and St Brelade in Jersey. His reputation for holiness was such that churches, chapels and holy wells were dedicated to him long after his death.
During the reign of King Athelstan, his relics were brought to England from Brittany, where they were honoured by generations of Christians and helped spread devotion to this ancient saint throughout the land. St Branwalader reminds us of the deep roots of Christianity in the lands of the Britons, where monks, missionaries and holy men carried the Gospel across the seas and countryside of western Britain.
May we share something of his faith, devotion and steadfast witness to Christ.
St Branwalader, pray for us. 🏴
