Guess the Place

[MartinR]

Well done CAT.  You answered the two key questions: Rochester Cathedral Crypt and the old (Gundulph) East End.  Bragging rights are withdrawn though, no Roman buildings in that shot.  The excavation was at the centre of the East End where according to both Palmer and St. John Hope there was the silver shrine of St. Paulinus (sometime Bishop of Rochester and first Archbishop of York; died 10 October 644) projecting beyond the wall.  St. John Hope reported finding a decayed wooden coffin and bones in this projection.    In 2015 excavations rediscovered this projection and that is the deeper part shown.  Two, as yet undated,  long bones were found there.  Is is possible, but not proved, that this is the last resting place of St. Paulinus and the bones may be his.

[Local Hiker]

Maybe I should say this in the Technical thread, but it is quite relevant to Guess the Place.

As with this photo, I often drop the GTP photos onto my laptop and do a few tweeks with Windows 10's basic photo viewer edit functions.
This often improves the clarity of the images to help answer the quiz. (I do this with my own photos routinely anyway)

I include this example of how a few seconds of tweeking can improve lighting and detail.

Have a play. You will be surprised how you can improve your digital images before you archive them, not just GTP images.

[CAT]

Rochester Cathedral Crypt with the earlier Norman east end of the Cathedral, Roman building remains and the medieval graves?

[MartinR]

A bit trickier one this.  I'd like to know not only which building it is in, but what is the significance of the excavation, and for bonus bragging rights, what (possibly) was found therein?

[Local Hiker]

MartinR, correct. I have canoed on the lake, but not ventured out onto the canal itself. I cycle the area regularly.

The canal, and the Queenborough Lines that it is part of, is a scheduled monument, https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1404499

Barton Point Park has a 500yds long 5" model railway track, an airfield for model planes, and a small radio controlled boat lake, all in use that day.

Immediately in the area, historic artifacts include the canal, the remains of an artillery battery (now a holiday camp), and the remains of an early 20th century rifle range, with a nice little cafe for a coffee and an all-day breakfast after exploring.

Over to you.

[MartinR]

Barton's Point Country Park, Sheerness.  The waterway is part of the defences of Sheerness, and may I say a heck of a long way to paddle in a kayak.

[Local Hiker]

Thanks MartinR.

Not quite trains, planes and automobiles, but model trains, planes and boats.

A fun day in October 2016, where was I?

The waterway beside the railway is quite a historic feature.

[MartinR]

Yes it is Rochester Castle, I meant that by my previous reply (which maybe wasn't clear).

[Local Hiker]

I was going to sit this one out, but since I was on a bench (drinking coffee on a ramble) by that very church, not that long ago, and took this reciprocal shot, I could not resist.
Is Rochester Castle correct? (I won't post the next guess until you confirm, just in case I am wrong)

[MartinR]

Prime not zoom, but yes: 500mm.

[Local Hiker]

From the angle and elevation, I would say Rochester Castle with a good zoom.

[MartinR]

Possibly an easy one, but where was the photo taken from?

[Local Hiker]

MartinR, thanks for guessing correctly.

I cannot add any more than this website:-  https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/visit/church-listing/st-james-cooling.html

Cooling castle, where Jules Holland lives, is just along the road to the west of the village, and I had a nice lunch in the Horseshoe and Castle pub on the day, just to the east of the village.


Over to you.

[MartinR]

They're "Pip's Graves" in Cooling churchyard.  The churchyard is supposed to be the inspiration for the opening scene in Dicken's "Great Expectations".

[Local Hiker]

Maybe this is not as easy as I thought.
When I say North Kent, I was more north than south Essex.
(That pretty well gives the place away)