Comments on: At Waltham Abbey https://spitalfieldslife.com/2025/07/18/at-waltham-abbey-iii/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Fri, 18 Jul 2025 14:28:00 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Bernie https://spitalfieldslife.com/2025/07/18/at-waltham-abbey-iii/#comment-1756082 Fri, 18 Jul 2025 14:28:00 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=203911#comment-1756082 In the fifties I was a teenager living in Stoke Newington near the terminus of the New River and one of my weekend walks (I had the teenager’s craze for walking far and fast) saw me walking up the Lea and/or the New towards Waltham Abbey. But my research was weak and I did not discover, for instance, that King Harold lay at the Abbey. So my weekend walks were diverted by other targets and I never did get to the Abbey.

Now, I can only regret my lost opportunities. Sic transit gloria mundi, as the saying goes.

]]> By: Lynne Perrella https://spitalfieldslife.com/2025/07/18/at-waltham-abbey-iii/#comment-1756028 Fri, 18 Jul 2025 12:22:04 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=203911#comment-1756028 Statues of notable characters “cradling” cities in their arms? — This has always intrigued me.
How did this fascinating tradition begin? And what are the most note-worthy examples? I seem to remember a painting that showed a Saint cradling the city of Venice. And I’ve seen several anonymous “angel”-like statues cradling cathedrals and such. I’ve clipped some of these images for my inspiration files — but the background of this tradition eludes me.

Maybe I am wrong to assume there is some kind of fascinating origin story — and perhaps it is just a compelling juxtaposition of human scale and miniaturized locale? Either way, the Abbey is such a bucolic, restful place …….. I am grateful for the tour.

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