Author Archives: Stories in Stone
Anglo-Saxons at War
I am an art historian whose main speciality is British Romanesque sculpture. My period, to be clear, is normally taken to extend from the mid-eleventh century to the end of the twelfth. In England, another term with a similar meaning … Continue reading
Romanesque Sculpture in the Chalk Belt 2
The Westhall Group of doorways A group of a dozen twelfth-century doorways in Suffolk, extending from Herringfleet, near Lowestoft, in the north to Theberton, twenty miles to the south, and all within ten miles of the coast contains clunch doorways … Continue reading
Romanesque Sculpture in the Chalk Belt 1
England’s varied geology is an important contributor to the distinctive local character of our buildings: the golden oolitic limestones of the Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire Cotswolds stand in dramatic contrast to the rich red sandstone of Herefordshire, across the Severn. In … Continue reading
Gargoyles at Wilstead church
At 9.30 on the evening of Sunday 11 April, 1742 the west tower of Wilstead parish church near Bedford collapsed. The Bishop of Lincoln, having considered the extent of the damage, gave permission for the sale of three of the … Continue reading
Gargoyles 1: Introduction and interpretation
The simplest, most straightforward definition of a gargoyle is that it is a sort of high-level stone waterspout with a gutter, projecting out far enough from the wall face to prevent water erosion. From the thirteenth century onwards these spouts … Continue reading
Not the hand of St James
St James the Great JAMES the Great was the brother of the apostle John, and the son of Zebedee, a fisherman, and Salome, arguably (at a stretch) the Virgin Mary’s sister. James and John may thus have been first cousins … Continue reading
Romanesque Sculpture – the Canon
To be clear, I am using the word canon here to signify a list of works accepted as being representative of Romanesque sculpture. This is not necessarily the same as a list of works accepted as being of the highest … Continue reading
The Romanesque canon according to Zarnecki (1951 and 1953)
This list of dated works, taken from G. Zarnecki, English Romanesque Sculpture 1066-1140, London 1951, Later English Romanesque Sculpture 1140-1210 London 1953 is meant to be read in conjunction with my post on Romanesque Sculpture – the Canon. Location Work Date Durham Castle … Continue reading
The Romanesque canon according to Prior and Gardiner
This list of dated works, taken from E. S. Prior and A. Gardner, An Account of Medieval Figure-Sculpture in England. Cambridge 1912, is meant to be read in conjunction with my posts on Prior & Gardiner – sculpture as evolution and Romanesque Sculpture … Continue reading
Corbels and corbel tables
A corbel is a projecting block of stone or timber that supports a feature above. A row of corbels supporting a parapet, stringcourse or the eaves of a roof is called a corbel table. Corbels and corbel tables are thus … Continue reading
Stories in Stone 