Around the Front of the Chapel

The detail in every portion of this place is simply amazing. The more I look at this photos, the more small carvings I see.

In front of the chapel is this monument. It marks the burial place of of the 4th Earl of Rosslyn. He succeeded his father as Earl in 1866 and died in 1890 at the age of 57. He was a minor poet and a conservative politician and one of his poems is carved on the monument. None of his laws are to be found hereabouts.

The front of the chapel now was not intended to be the front. What is a chapel today was originally designed to be the choir. The current front is where the nave was to be built. Unfortunately, time and money limitations prevented the Earl from finishing the place.

Usually, these Gothic styled churches are adorned by a copious quantity of male statues representing the many forefathers of the church. Interestingly, there is a women here that does not appear to be the Virgin Mary (though she probably is).

Today's entrance is where the nave should adjoin. Instead, we get this simple door surrounded by an amazing array of statuary and ornamentation.

While some of the carvings have not survived in great shape, the details are still a wonder to see.