Govan Old

Govan Old Parish Church and environs from the air.

I've just uploaded this picture of Govan Old from the air to the Facebook site and I thought I would put it into the blog too because I think it's such a great image. I was given it by Jim Ward, from BAM Construction, the company who are building the Riverside Museum. The photo itself was taken by Hawkeye.

Why do I like this picture? I think it gives the best image of what I read described in Historic Govan , as the 'heart-shaped' space of the old parish grounds. It's even got a nice strong bit of red showing at the doorway to the church, the red seems to glow. And I like the way the little paving stones, or slabs, around the perimeter edge of the church and through the grounds make such a regular pattern in the grass. (You might need to zoom into the picture to see these slabs in all their glory.)




Illuminated letter from the Lindisfarne Gospel

I remember reading years ago that the monks who drew illuminations in old manuscripts used to make patterns by adding little dots of colour to certain letters to attract the eye of the viewer. I've just looked it up again and apparently it's even got a name: 'rubrication'. The stones in the pathway look a little like that to me - like they serve a decorative as well as a directional function.

The picture of Govan Old also gives a great view of both the new-build houses and of the travellers' communities near Water Row, of which more, I hope, later....