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All the United Kingdom England Ashwell Medieval Graffiti of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin

Medieval Graffiti of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin

Historical etchings such as “Miserable, wild, distracted 1350" and “The Archdeacon is an ass.”

Ashwell, England

Added By
Alan Newman
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Graffiti of Old St. Paul’s Cathedral.   Jack1956/Public Domain.
Graffiti of Old St. Paul’s Cathedral.   Jack1956/Public Domain.
The graffiti on the west tower.   Jack1956/Public Domain
Church of St. Mary the Virgin.   AnemoneProjectors/CC BY-SA 3.0
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
  jooniur / Atlas Obscura User
  jooniur / Atlas Obscura User
The spire spiking through the trees.   Jason Ballard/CC BY 2.0
19th-century inlaid marble.   Alan Murray-Rust/CC BY-SA 2.0
19th-century wooden font cover.   Alan Murray-Rust/CC BY-SA 2.0
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About

The beauty of its interior, its octagonal lantern, and its unusually narrow spire make a visit to the Church of St. Mary the Virgin worthwhile. But look beyond those exquisite features, and you’ll also find graffiti scratched into its stonework that is of enormous historical value.

Perhaps the most noteworthy graffiti in the church is what’s believed to be an image of Old St. Paul’s Cathedral, which sadly burned down during the Great Fire of London. It’s extremely rare to find such detailed depictions of medieval buildings, making this little bit of outsider art a true archaeological treasure. It was most likely etched sometime between 1340 and 1561, though it’s unclear exactly when the unknown artist decided to leave his or her mark.

On the north wall of the west tower, you can also see 14th-century graffiti scratched by survivors of the Black Death during the reign of Edward III. Written in Latin, it translates to, “1350 Miserable, wild, distracted 1350 / The dregs of the mob alone survive to witness.” There’s also a reference to a great storm that occurred in 1361, which supposedly cleared away any lingering remnants of the bubonic plague.

Further graffiti, again written in Latin, can also be spotted on the pillars in the nave. One of the entries rather rudely criticizes the quality of the building’s construction, saying, “The corners are not jointed correctly—I spit.” Another insults a woman named Barbara, calling her, “the daughter of a barbarian.” Just above it is another line of text, simply claiming that, “the Archdeacon is an ass.”

Apart from the graffiti, the interior of the church has some very interesting features, including important embroideries manufactured by William Morris and Co., a fantastic hexagonal wooden pulpit dating from 1627, and some great 19th-century inlaid marble.

Related Tags

Churches Medieval Graffiti Plague Art History Sacred Spaces

Know Before You Go

Go behind the font into the tower to see the picture and the large inscription above it, on the right at the back. There are many other inscriptions on the church columns.

There is parking down the side of the church next to the pub.

Community Contributors

Added By

Dr Alan P Newman

Edited By

jooniur, Kerry Wolfe, rbenn250

  • jooniur
  • Kerry Wolfe
  • rbenn250

Published

September 28, 2017

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Sources
  • http://www.stmarysashwell.org.uk/church/graffiti/decode.htm
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_St_Mary_the_Virgin,_Ashwell#Ashwell_Graffiti
Medieval Graffiti of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin
St. Mary's Church
Mill Street
Ashwell, England
United Kingdom
52.0417, -0.155673
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