Salisbury, Bath and Beyond

I recently went to Salisbury and Bath for the first time. At one there was a Cathedral and the other an Abbey. 

I love exploring churches. Inside and out they've magnificent works of art. From the flying buttresses and towering spires to the intricate details of stained glass windows - I can spend quite a lot of time admiring the beauty of them. 

On this particular trip I discovered something new that both places of worship had.

I was walking along the choral benches in Salisbury Cathedral, noting the beautifully sculpted wood, when I realised that the end of every bench on every level had a small creature: a gargoyle, a lion, a dog, a gryphon. They were all different and all incredibly lovely. 

I honestly feel I could have photographed all of them given the chance. There wasn't a single one that didn't delight me and for that reason, when exploring the Abbey in Bath, I immediately went in search of and was rewarded to find similar sculptures! 

A dog, a very worried dog. 

Small delights but these little details are so incredible to think about. To reflect on the fact that someone carved these by hand, so many years ago. A tiny detail that would go unnoticed by most and yet deemed a necessity for the beauty of the building in which they are housed. 

Winged Lion

Each one a work of art unto itself. Different postures, expressions and combination of animal captured by incredibly skilled craftsmen so be enjoyed by the discerning eye. 

Gryphon

Imaginative creatures not seen anywhere else before. What's not to delight in? 

Owl-Lion?