January Miscellany

January Miscellany

January Miscellany Items of Interest Message in a bottle in Edinburgh home   Histoic graffiti in Croatia   From Twitter Medieval graffiti at risk from the weather Prisoners’ graffiti in Winchester’s 11th century West Gate   Apotropaic cat skeleton in Devon cottage    

Devon, Dartington Hall

Devon, Dartington Hall

Dartington Hall and Old Church Tower, Devon The buildings visible today around the Great Hall on the Dartington estate can be dated to all centuries from the 14th to the 20th. This recording exercise has concentrated primarily on the medieval buildings, but has taken account of all periods of graffiti and the phases of building…

March Miscellany

March Miscellany

March Miscellany Items of Interest BBC Digging for Britain Highlights Creswell Crags Apotropaic Graffiti From Twitter St Leonard, Clent, Worcestershire. The mediaeval inscription in the chancel. pic.twitter.com/f2bppU19CH — C B Newham FSA (@cbnewham) March 4, 2022 This set of staves is from a tower pier of St Peter's Berkhamsted which is close to a minor…

Devon, St Andrew Stokeinteignhead

Devon, St Andrew Stokeinteignhead

Devon, St Andrew Stokeinteignhead The church of St Andrew at Stokeinteignhead, South Devon, stands slightly above the surrounding cottages on the rising ground of a steep valley, which here widens out sufficiently to allow the formation of a village centre. The setting is constrained by the landscape, so that the relationship between church, church house…

St Michael de Rupe, Brentor, Devon

St Michael de Rupe, Brentor, Devon

St Michael de Rupe, Brentor, Devon The phrase first coined by John Aubrey, of eighteenth century antiquarian fame, that a great many churches dedicated to St Michael are situated on high ground, has become something of a cliché – a cliché pretty well upheld by the stunning locations of some of the churches dedicated to…

Saint Michael the Archangel in pre-Reformation England, and implications for the ‘butterfly cross’ graffito

Saint Michael the Archangel in pre-Reformation England, and implications for the ‘butterfly cross’ graffito

Saint Michael the Archangel in pre-Reformation England, and implications for the ‘butterfly cross’ graffito The mark commonly known as the butterfly cross is just one of the many perplexing symbols left on historic stone and woodwork by past generations. In form it tends to resemble a bow-tie shape, simply cut with two upright ends and…

West Ogwell Church, Devon

West Ogwell Church, Devon

West Ogwell Church, Devon West Ogwell Church is a 13th century church, now redundant and in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. It has a simple, whitewashed interior with box pews. The only visible graffiti is on a single limestone block beside the door. There are some Marian marks, initials, dot patterns and hash…

St Mary’s, Kingskerwell, Devon

St Mary’s, Kingskerwell, Devon

St Mary’s, Kingskwerwell, Devon   St Mary’s parish church in Kingskerswell was built in the 14th century with additions in the 15th century and is on the site of an earlier chapel.  There are only a few examples of graffiti in the church. They are to be found on the effigies of Sir John Dinham and…

St Mary’s Church, Wolborough, Devon

St Mary’s Church, Wolborough, Devon

  St Mary’s Church, Wolborough, Devon St Mary’s, Wolborough dates from the 15th century, although the west tower is earlier. Contents include an ornate screen of circa 1518 and a Norman font. The church stands on a hill, commanding a view of the Teign estuary. There is little graffiti in the church. It consists of a…

St Saviour, Dartmouth, Devon

St Saviour, Dartmouth, Devon

St Saviour’s Church, Dartmouth, Devon St. Saviour’s was dedicated as a Chapel of Ease in 1372, but it may be earlier in date. The church was enlarged in the late 14th/early 15th century and has been repaired and refurbished several times since. It is described as having one of the best interiors in Devon. Features…

St Blaise, Haccombe, Devon

St Blaise, Haccombe, Devon

St Blaise, Haccombe, Devon Haccombe parish church of St. Blaise, dedicated by Stephen de Haccombe, whose tomb lies here, was built in 1233, probably as a household chapel. Enlarged in the early English style in 1328, it contains a freestone screen, an octagonal font, a three-pointed sedilia, a 19th century chancel screen, tiles bearing coats…