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...
May 30, 2021
Whilst the roots of the Benedictines grew from the Italian countryside, they established some of their monasteries as key centres in England. The Benedictines played an integral role in society, culture, learning and the economy of England from the 7th C through until...
Apr 18, 2021
Dating stained glass is not a simple task. The techniques, colours, designs, window tracery, ferramenta, content, symbolism, intended purpose, commission and position need to be examined. This post is to give an introduction to some of the considerations. Between the...
Mar 10, 2020
This week I visited the Tutankhamun Exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh. It was a beautifully curated exhibition. I was astounded to see that wooden objects survived from 3345 years ago in fantastic condition. I couldn’t help...
Sep 27, 2019
Figure 1: Looking east from the land below Athelney towards Burrow Mump on a misty morning. Whilst the land is reclaimed and cultivated nowadays, it was a patchwork of marshes, reeds and flood water. Low islands stood above the wetlands, only accessible by punts and...
Sep 25, 2019
Figure 1: Low-lying mist looking across the Somerset Levels from Aller Church at dawn In this post and the next one I want to concentrate on an area in the Somerset Levels that was a key turning point in the history of Wessex and England. This first post is to provide...
