Friday 2 July 2010

Northampton (7) - De la Pre abbey




I've completed the models that will represent the abbey, which was very near to the accepted location of the battlefield - in whichever verison of site interpretations you may have a personal preference for.
De la Pre abbey (now Delapre, giving it's name to a southern part of the town) was a convent that had been on the site since being founded in 1145 by the Cluniac order. Queen Eleanor's body rested here in 1290 on it's jouney back to London and so near to the site a Queen Eleanor cross was erected, that still stands.
The plan was to represent the building, but not to have it imposing on the table, adjacent to the Lancastrian camp. The building is one of the new Grand Manner later medieval buildings, which are really excellent, especially the townhouses. This is the church building, which as it (oddly) has no tower looks sufficiently religious and substantial, but not obviously a parish church. It's been quickly painting and dry-brushed, with some foliage added climbing the walls to make it look more established.
The gatehouse is also GM building and the walls are from Empress (from Spanish Civil war range)and the orchard is by Realistic Modelling Services. Hopefully the whole thing holds together fairly convincingly, as the medieval buildings are now long gone and those on the site appear to be a mix of Georgian and Victorian? Unfortuneatly I'd not realised it was a convent until last week and so the monks that I've got ready to use won't be seen walking the grounds, and any nuns will be well and truly locked inside, out of sight, for their own security!
Picture taken from my dry-run set-up...

1 comment:

  1. I think the whole set-up looks fantastic. I know that when we met and you were telling me of your plans, I wasn't sure the Medieval Gatehouse would work in this setting, but you have proven me wrong - very wrong and your inspired 'cross-kitting' has worked very well

    Although you say it was a quick drybrush, I think you have managed to capture the 'honey' stone colouring very well. So far I have only seen this Church model painted in Dark Grey, I think I prefer the Honey colour!

    Thank you for the e-mail and good luck with the rest of the project.

    Tony
    http://dampfpanzerwagon.blogspot.com/

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