Ian conducts guided tours of the 400-year-old St. Bees School and the nearly 1,000-year-old St. Bees Priory (also known as the Priory Church of St Mary and St Bega) for many other visiting 'Coast to Coast' walkers.
Shortly after we arrive in St. Bees, we meet up with Ian to be taken on a gentle walk round the School buildings and grounds, and then on to the Priory. The school was founded around 430 years ago by Archbishop Grindal, then the Archbishop of York.
The Priory is even older, dating back to 1120, and has been, and still is, in use as the village church since that date. It is a beautiful building, well worth a visit regardless of your religious inclinations. And arranging with Ian or one of his colleagues in the history group to take you round the Priory, makes it an even more interesting visit. It is amazing. The photo of the Priory (below) is one taken by Ian. Many thanks, Ian.
St. Bees has a fascinating and extensive history, and we spend an hour or so with Ian going round the building and hearing many of the stories about the village, school and Priory. You can see & read more about the village at the St Bees web site - www.stbees.org.uk
I comment to Ian that his tour is almost 'tailor made': Kathy and I are both educators, and I have studied mediaeval music and art. Add to that the connections of St. Bees (UK) and Bega (Australia) and it is one fascinating afternoon.
Kathy, what did you find the most intersting aspects of our tour with Ian? About St. Bees school? About the Priory?
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