http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidave/tags/spaceprogramme/ Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:23:28 -0700 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:23:28 -0700 http://www.flickr.com/ http://farm1.staticflickr.com/152/buddyicons/58418425@N00.jpg?1249454837#58418425@N00 http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidave/tags/spaceprogramme/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidave/3990431731/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/archidave/">archidave</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidave/3990431731/" title="An Earthbound mission"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3511/3990431731_84df8c322c_m.jpg" width="240" height="174" alt="An Earthbound mission" /></a></p> <p>Indeed it is not an ill-fated mission to space, but a mission to seamen. The light here was built in penance by a local Lord and maintained by the chantry priests of the Oratory that this tower once formed part of. A fire was lit in the small lantern at the top nightly until the reformation and the chapel was closed. The light however lasted on as a beacon to signal to smugglers and was jealously maintained by the locals who benefited from the illicit trade. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Catherine's_Oratory" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Catherine's_Oratory</a><br /> <br /> An additional contextualising shot to the previews one in my steam and really to reiterate just what a stunning early morning light there was up there. Moments before we reached this summit the whole had been clothed in low cloud and mist <br /> <br /> Partner shot to this one <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidave/3990119368/in/photostream/">www.flickr.com/photos/archidave/3990119368/in/photostream/</a></p> Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:23:28 -0700 2009-10-07T22:00:27-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (archidave) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/3990431731 An Earthbound mission <p>Indeed it is not an ill-fated mission to space, but a mission to seamen. The light here was built in penance by a local Lord and maintained by the chantry priests of the Oratory that this tower once formed part of. A fire was lit in the small lantern at the top nightly until the reformation and the chapel was closed. The light however lasted on as a beacon to signal to smugglers and was jealously maintained by the locals who benefited from the illicit trade. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Catherine's_Oratory" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Catherine's_Oratory</a><br /> <br /> An additional contextualising shot to the previews one in my steam and really to reiterate just what a stunning early morning light there was up there. Moments before we reached this summit the whole had been clothed in low cloud and mist <br /> <br /> Partner shot to this one <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidave/3990119368/in/photostream/">www.flickr.com/photos/archidave/3990119368/in/photostream/</a></p> archidave morning light lighthouse house tower monument eh st architecture landscape ancient chapel medieval isleofwight rocket lonely catherines exposed wight oratory iow pepperpot englishheritage spaceprogramme