St Paul's, a monastic church founded by Benedict Biscop in the 7th Century, produced one of the finest of early-medieval historians in the Venerable Bede. His History of the English, from Roman Briton to Bede's own day, is a masterpiece. Beginning with a unifying theme, i.e., the twin progress of Christianity and Culture in England, Bede wrote in fine Latin, used verifiable sources whenever possible, exhibited a keen eye for detail and human interest, and above all, told a good story while keeping most things accurate -- a tall order for any historian in any day!

      The Anglo-Saxon church pictured here is actually twice the size of Bede's church. The section to the left of the tower is a later addition. Like Bede himself, who had little experience or travel in his monkish seclusion, from very little came very much. Bede's scholarship and influence, through Alcuin, would appear at Charlemagne's court while others like St Boniface would carry this Anglo-Saxon life of learning deep into barbarian Germany.

       Before going inside, notice the three tiny windows in the side of the structure -- right of the Tower, right of the large gothic window, left of the bush? Actually, a close-up would help: The small, middle, round window is a museum piece -- Anglo-Saxon. More on it coming.

       The inside of this little church shows its simple but solid workmanship (the gothic window in the rear is also a later addition). Only those three little outlets to the light (right wall) broke the solemness of the stone walls, yet one of those windows holds the earliest piece of English ecclesiatical stained glass -- from Bede's own day.

       The Vikings destroyed the church within a century of Bede, leaving the small stained glass and the Dedication Stone in the rubble. Also surviving is a chair that may go back to Bede's day -- or at least the design does.

       Another Anglo-Saxon church in Bradford-upon-Avon shows similar construction and characteristics. The structure was actually "discovered" as an ancient church only recently by an amateur archeologist. The building had served many other purposes over the years. Its interior shows the same simple pattern (the arch has been re-built).

       Technology levels had slipped during the Early Middle Ages from the days of Rome, but the architecture of Monasteries and Cathedrals of the High Middle Ages had progressed far in the Middle Ages. Perhaps other areas, too, had moved forward