Dec 24, 2021
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...
Nov 7, 2021
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....
Oct 27, 2021
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...
Oct 3, 2021
A few years ago, I ventured into the parish church of St Andrew at Curry Rivel in south Somerset and couldn’t help but admire this extraordinary tomb monument from the early-17th C. The stone, plaster and paint bring it alive in a unique way that we don’t often see...
Sep 25, 2021
Tewkesbury Abbey was originally a Benedictine monastery and is now a parish church. It was built in the early 12th C and remains, although in part, a significant example of Norman architecture. In the 14th C the abbey received an upgrade. This post looks at the...
Sep 19, 2021
On a recent visit to Tewkesbury Abbey, I was struck by the carvings of individual faces from the 14th C. The abbey had an upgrade in the 1320-1350 period, which is likely when the faces were carved. These are faces from over 670 years ago. What were the times they...
