Patricia Stoughton
journalist and photographer
Frequent contributor
Authors
Patricia Stoughton
Dividing her time between London and Brittany, Patricia is a journalist and photographer specializing in French culture and history. She has written for French regional daily, Ouest-France and has been writing over many years for France and Living France magazines.
She also writes for a number of other publications including regular features for Church Building & Heritage Review and Best of British Magazine. Her work reflects her interest in Franco-British cross-cultural influences and shared history.
Having written for History Today on WWI heroine Louise de Bettignies, who spied for the British, she developed her research and took part in the documentary ‘The Spies Who Loved Folkestone’, an episode of the BBC series ‘World War I at Home’, featuring a section on de Bettignies.
In 2008 Patricia was dubbed a Chevalière de la Tour de Saint-Amand-les-Eaux, northern France, in recognition for her work on de Bettignies and artist Pierre Lorthioir, both natives of the town.
She can often be seen on the South Bank of the Thames with her camera recording street performers, skateboarders and life around the river.
— Articles by Patricia Stoughton —
Tucked away in the country lanes of Brittany (in the north-west corner of France) are a number of shrines and sculptures which feature an angel tenderly holding back Christ's hair on the crucifix. Patricia Stoughton goes in search of a peculiarly Breton touch in religious art.
hidden europe 51: Feature
Magazine article
The Gospel in Stone: Brittany’s Great Calvaries
by Patricia StoughtonReplicas of key sites associated with the life and passion of Christ have been a key element of Christian culture in western and central Europe. These so-called 'calvaries' take a very distinctive form in north-west France. Guest contributor Patricia Stoughton reports from Brittany.
In the north-west corner of Brittany, an area known as Finistère, dozens of ancient chapels attest to the erstwhile importance of faith in the region. Celtic myth and Catholic belief underpin life and community in this remote part of France. Patricia Stoughton introduces us to the astounding richness and variety of chapels on or close to the coasts of Finistère.
Patricia Stoughton leads us through the soft landscapes of Brittany to discover a local initiative that showcases local saints. La Vallée des Saints (Traonienn ar Sant in Breton) is a bold statement about the enduring importance of regional culture and identity.
hidden europe 38: Feature
Magazine article
Worth the detour: La Tour de Saint-Amand-les-Eaux
by Patricia StoughtonHad Bishop Amand not breathed his last in the Scarpe Valley in Flanders, this little French town would probably never have developed as an important ecclesiastical centre. Little remains of the original abbey in Saint-Amand-les-Eaux, bar for one spectacular tower. Patricia Stoughton tells the story of La Tour de Saint-Amand-les-Eaux.
The church enclosures of Finistère are spectacular pieces of architecture, marking progress from the material world (the village beyond the church) to a more spiritual realm. Patricia Stoughton has been exploring the far end of Brittany to unravel the symbolism and stories of the enclos paroissiaux (parish closes).