Saturday 23 March 2013

A letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Dear Sir,
Will you please check your ecclesiastical calendar and assure me that next weekend is Easter and not Christmas,
Yours faithfully, etc.

This was the view from the boat of Stoke Bruerne church this morning, winter back with a vengeance.
Yesterday we walked up into the village, the church was locked but on the south porch we found some rather intriguing graffiti,

it was somewhat enigmatic, this appears to be fingers, if you look carefully you can see a representation of the nails, (I think).

Any ideas?

We've seen similar scratchings in other churches, they look almost runic but what is the point of the holes drilled into the stone? I just wish someone would write a definitive book on church graffiti!


By the north door there are a couple of wonderful medieval faces. I wonder who they were?

Yesterday.

Today. You couldn't make it up.
We walked over to the museum this morning, it was closed, presumably the staff couldn't get in because of the snow.

The crocuses were looking a bit sad as was

one of the local inhabitants, he reckoned it was too cold for nest building and his missus was giving him hell.

There were still boats on the move though, I wish them luck because there is no way I'm venturing across

lock gates in these conditions.

Watch this space...........


4 comments:

Halfie said...

Could some of the marks be the mason's marks?

Graham and Jill Findlay said...

The "Fingers" definitely aren't and the "Runic" ones we've seen previously have even been carved on the head of an effigy on a tomb. The other is too complicated for a mason's mark but could be a mark with something else carved on top of it. Your guess is as good as mine.

The Ragged Society of Antiquarian Ramblers said...

The Norfolk Medieval Graffiti Survey site might be of interest to you:
http://www.medieval-graffiti.co.uk/

Huzzah!

Graham and Jill Findlay said...

Thank's for the tip. I will explore!