Second Largest After London !
by coceng
The St. Catherine Chapel began as the north aisle of the chancel.
This chapel is also constituted in the same building as Church of St. John The Baptist.
This fan vaulting did not originally belong there, as it was donated to the church.
Probably it was removed from the ruins of the nearby abbey.
Another close-up...
Cirencester - ancient capital of England.
by highworthlad
Cirencester in Roman times was called Corinium Dobunorum. It was the capital of England and its second largest town.
St John the Baptist church, the largest parish church in England and one of the most beautiful. Built in the 12th century with a tower being added in 1400 it has a unique 3 storey fan vaulted porch. This was built in 1500 as a business centre and is still used by the parish council for meetings.
Its rare 1450 pulpit is carved in a finely worked wine glass design.
Now the 231 steps up to the roof were just not possible for me to cope with due to their very steep and narrow nature so I grabbed a passing Canadian, instructed him on how to use the camera and sent him on his way! And a fine job he did too.
Some of the ancient brasses date back to the 15th century. These would have been set into the floor and walls and now removed for safety