The Elizabethan Church: Books, Pulpits & Hourglasses

The Elizabethan Church: Books, Pulpits & Hourglasses

According to popular myth it was on the 31st of October 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses disputing the Roman Catholic Church’s practice on indulgences to the door of Wittenberg Cathedral. Whether this act was true or not does not dispute the fact...
ISLE ABBOTS TOWER: Early 16th C Medieval Statues – A rare survival

ISLE ABBOTS TOWER: Early 16th C Medieval Statues – A rare survival

On the Somerset Levels is the medieval parish church of Isle Abbots. The village gets its name from its position on the river Isle and its former connection with Muchelney Abbey.[i] The tower contains niches within which are a rare collection of medieval statuary....
Somerset Hunky Punks: Isle Abbots & Curry Rivel Parish Churches

Somerset Hunky Punks: Isle Abbots & Curry Rivel Parish Churches

A feature that occurs on many churches in Somerset is the Hunky Punk. The grotesque carvings are particularly numerous in the county and the term comes from Somerset dialect. The term derives from 2 old English words – ‘hunkers’, which is squatting on haunches, and...