Iluminations: gallery room three

Welcome to the Gallery. Stroll at your leisure around this display of Alison's work. To save you from having to scroll too far, the Gallery is split into seven "rooms" - this is ROOM THREE.

To view a larger version of each of the paintings, simply click on the relevant image. Remember, though, that the larger version has a bigger file size and will take longer to download.

Some of the paintings can be bought as cards. If so, their availability is included with the card details. Contact Alison about prices.

St Frideswide, Oxford

This card illustrates the story of St Frideswide, who is the patron saint of Oxford. Her father, King Didan, endowed a double monastery at Oxford in the seventh century AD and installed his daughter Frideswide as its first abbess.

Legend tells that King Algar of Leicester pursued the pious and unwilling Frideswide, forcing her to flee Oxford and hide in woods downriver at Bampton, where she remained concealed for three years.

Algar and his henchmen were struck blind as they entered Oxford in search of the sainted lady.

Another painting based on this story can be found in the current catalogue.

St Edmund, King and Martyr

Edmund, Christian king of the East Anglians, led an army against the Danish invaders in 869AD and was killed. Within a few years he was venerated as a saint. He is portrayed "Risen in Glory" with the instrument of his martyrdom in his hand and surrounded by "the great heathen force" that he fought.

Nuns at Abingdon, Oxon
The sisters row timorously across to their Saxon nunnery on Andersey Island. The exact location of this site is unknown, but it was situated alongside the River Thames close to the present town of Abingdon.

Hailes Abbey, Gloucestershire

The story of the founding of Hailes Abbey by Richard, Earl of Cornwall in 1246 AD as a thanksgiving for surviving a shipwreck.

The abbey went on to become one of the richest and most popular centres of pilgrimage in all Christendom after Richard's son, Edmund, presented Hailes with a phial of the Holy Blood in 1270AD.

The Edgeworth Miracle, Gloucestershire

A local Cotswold story commemorated in the magnificent stained glass windows at Canterbury Cathedral, this tells the story of a young herdsman from the village of Edgeworth who was struck down by leprosy while driving his master's horses out to pasture. He made the long pilgrimage to Canterbury, where he was cured of his affliction at the tomb of St Thomas a Becket.

The Glastonbury Thorn

According to legend, Joseph of Arimathaea came to Glastonbury and struck his staff into Wearyall Hill, whereupon it took root and grew into the celebrated Glastonbury Thorn, which blossoms twice a year – once in the spring and again at Christmas.

Ten Lords a'Leaping

This card was produced with a revolving disc animating a verse from the carol The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Golf a la Bayeux

The popular game given an eleventh century twist.