Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: bricked up

Walking the Via Turonensis I had two books with me. One was a little booklet, telling me, where to turn left or right. The most important (absolut recommendable!) book was Anne Prache´s "Ile de France Romane". Anne Prache mentions, that in the hamlet of Mervilliers is a former church with a remarkable tympanum. Mervilliers consists out of 10 or 15 residential houses - and a large farm. I entered the farm and tried to find anybody to ask. But there was nobody at home. This was private property and I did feel uneasy, walking around, knocking on doors and shouting "Allo" and "Coucou"...... I left the farm and walking back met a lady, whom I could ask. She assured me, that one of the barns was a church once, but had never seen the tympanum. One barn near the road was obviously older than the others. I found a small wooden garden gate. I pushed it open, entered, turned around - and there was the tympanum.

A church was mentioned here the first time in 1071, when William, abbot of Saint Denis, and Jean d'Ivry, archbishop of Rouen, discussed the revenues from here. What a contrast! The church was erected over at least two periods. The Romanesque nave was started late 11th/early 12th century. The Gothic chancel to the right was completed mid 13th century. Here the ties to Saint Denis are interesting, as Abbot Suger, rebuilding the Basilique Saint-Denis, had created a very new style with the support of some revolutionary masons/architects. So the Gothic chancel seen here, is for sure, strongly influenced by the "new choir" in Saint Denis. .. and another bricked up side portal...

A plane creates a contrail over Le Bellay-en-Vexin. The erection of "Sainte-Marie-Madeleine", below the blue sky, started probably within the early 12th century. The base of the bell tower is Romanesque. I could not see the capitals inside, as the church was locked, but I learned, that they are Romanesque as well. It must have taken a long period to complete the structure - and it looks, that from that moment on the remodelling process started. Here again is a bricked up side portal.

Santeuil, just about 2kms south of Brignancourt (previous uplaod), hosts this wonderful parish church. "Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul" was built on a hillock between mid 12th century (apse, transept, bell tower) and the early 13th century (nave). It was erected in the very early Gothic style, that still was blended with many Romanesque parts. As the church never got damaged by wars or restauration, this is very much, how it must have looked 1250. So many medieval churches have the former side portals bricked up. Here is just another example, with a nice zig-zag decor.