churches
The present church appears to date from the 14th century and was originally cruciform in plan. It once served as a chapel to the adjacent manor house, which survives as a ruin, and is documented in 1301. In the north aisle are three effigies, reputed to be Sir John Dinham (Lord of the manor) and his wives. The south aisle and tower were built in the 15th century and the north aisle in the late 15th or early 16th century, together with the north porch. There were a number of restorations in the 19th century.
There is a good deal of graffiti around the north doorway and that of the north porch, and on the stone benches. This includes crosses, names/initials and probable Marian type marks (typically a lone letter W or M). There are further marks on the tower doorway and a small number on the south doorway.
Inside the church there is much graffiti on the stone effigies and some on piers of the north aisle, including a face. There is modern graffiti, mainly names and initials, on the benches.
A number of dated 18th and 19th century shoe outlines were cut out and saved when the tower roof was re-leaded, and these are displayed in the church. Such outlines are fairly common, although the Kingskerswell examples include an outline of a foot with toes, which we have not seen anywhere else so far.
churches
The church of St Mary Magdalen, Huntshaw, is believed to have been built in the early 14th century. The chancel is now the earliest part of the church, with a window of c. 1300. The building was much reconstructed in the 15th century, possibly in and after 1439, when Bishop Lacy granted an indulgence in aid of rebuilding. It was substantially restored in 1862. It is built of coursed slatestone rubble with ashlar dressings.
With the exception of a cross on the south doorway, the
graffiti found is in the nave. Some of the piers have image niches, and there
is graffiti associated with some of these. On the Christ image niche there is a
small cross on the left and a pentangle on the right. And on the right side of
the St John image niche there is a cross and a puzzling motif that looks rather
like an acorn.
The graffiti on the piers includes a hexagram, a pentangle, an interlocking V/upturned V, and a reversed or anti-clockwise swastika type symbol. The swastika (from the Sanskrit svastika – associated with wellbeing) is an ancient symbol used by many cultures around the world, and is seen in medieval and later Christian art.
It is possible that the V/upturned V is derived from the V’s, or even the letters AM, associated with Marian marks. Similar symbols have been found on cast iron firebacks, where they are likely to have been considered as apotropaic.
An identical reversed swastika, interlocking V/upturned V, and a pentangle are also found at St George’s church, Beaford.
churches
St George and All Saints, Beaford, has Norman origins, although much of the present structure is believed to date from the 15th century. The church was restored and re-glazed in the late 19th century. The tower was first rebuilt in 1802 and again in 1909-10.
The visible graffiti consists primarily of prominent marks
on either side of the limestone south doorway, and a possible 19th century
masons mark on a buttress.
On the west side of the doorway there is a pentangle with a
cross beneath it. The pentangle is interesting as it has additional side
strokes that look as if they were added later. These additions make the bottom
part resemble what is known in graffiti terms as a butterfly symbol (a saltire
cross between two bars).
On the east side of the doorway is a reversed (anti-clockwise) swastika type symbol. The swastika (from the Sanskrit svastika – associated with wellbeing) is an ancient symbol used by many cultures around the world, and found in Christian iconography. Its meaning as graffiti is uncertain, but its position here on a doorway suggests that it may have been considered as apotropaic (protective).
Above the swastika is a symbol combining a V and an upturned V. It is possible that this has derived from the V’s, or even the letters AM, associated with Marian marks. Similar symbols have been found on cast iron firebacks, and may have been apotropaic. An identical V symbol exists at Huntshaw, where there is also a reversed swastika and two pentangles.
churches
The earliest part of St John’s is believed to be the tower, which dates from about 1400. The remainder was rebuilt around 1450, including the construction of the north and south arcades. In c. 1520 the south aisle was extended eastward to form a chapel for the Gilbert family of Compton Castle. In 1874 the chancel was restored and many of the windows were replaced.
There is a good deal of graffiti surviving in the church. Most
of it is found around the doorways, especially the south door, on a number of
the limestone piers, and on an effigy located in the chancel.
On the porch doorway are the letters AM. These may be initials, but these letters are also recognised as a Marian reference (Virgin Mary) – and possibly meaning Ave Maria. The compass drawn circles and notches/ladder on the south doorway are likely to have been seen as apotropaic (protective), as are the asterisk type symbols and saltire cross found within the church itself.
There are, unusually, images of birds, several of which survive only in part, having probably been eroded by cleaning/scraping during refurbishments. The birds are on a pier in the south aisle, close to the church door, with another (feet and part of body detectable) by the doorway of the room over the porch. From what can be seen, they all seem to be the same design. Their purpose and meaning are not known.
churches
St Bartholomew’s was built in the 12th century and still has a fine decorated Norman font. The nave and tower are believed to be of 13th-century date and the north aisle was added in the 15th century. Traces of medieval wall paintings survive. The vestry is Victorian.
The earliest graffiti is found on one of the limestone piers of the north aisle, and on the top of the font. These include crosses, a circle, a deep score mark, and a possible feint word or name. Several of these features are likely to have been made for apotropaic (protective) purposes, especially the saltire crosses on the font. There is fairly modern graffiti on some of the bench bookrests.
Displayed on a wall are foot and hand outlines on lead, some with 18th and 19th century dates, which were cut out and saved when the tower roof was re-leaded.
It is not uncommon to find such outlines, together with other graffiti, on the lead of tower roofs. The hand outline is of particular interest as the detail of the line indicates that it has been made with a tool that we have not, so far, encountered anywhere else.
churches
St Michael’s is believed to be of late 13th or early 14th century date, although the south transept, which is set at a marked angle from the rest of the church, may be earlier. The church was enlarged and partly rebuilt in the 15th or early 16th century. The body of the church was restored in 1856 and 1884, and the tower in 1908.
Much of the visible fabric of the church is granite (including the piers) or rubble, neither of which lends itself to the easy scoring of graffiti. There are, however, many marks scratched into a limestone effigy that is believed to represent Lady Dinham. There is further graffiti on the rood screen and the parclose screen in the Lady Chapel.
On the lead of the tower roof there are shoe and hand outlines (not uncommon on tower roofs), names and initials. In the nave some of the pew bookrests also have graffiti, although most of this seems relatively modern.
churches
St Mary’s church is believed to be of 15th century date,
with an earlier west tower and a south aisle and porch of c.1516. The windows are mostly 15th century. There is a Norman
font.
Most of the graffiti is on the limestone piers, and includes
a charming simple drawing of a three-masted ship, with possible feint sails.
Other marks on the piers include a rather irregular circle, where it can be seen that the tool used has slipped. And a series of lines, which, like the circle, are usually considered to be apotropaic or protective. There are also sets of initials, one of which is associated with an anchor.
On one pier is a figure, which seems to be partly scribed and partly in pencil, with a tall hat of a type seen in the 19th century.
There is a great deal of graffiti on the back and side of the organ, mostly names/initials and dates, some from the early 20th century.
churches
All Saints was built in the early 15th century, it was consecrated
in 1428. Until 1864 it was a chapel of ease to the parish church of adjoining
Kingsteignton. The church was restored in the late 19th century, including the
rebuilding and extension of the chancel, and lengthening of the south aisle, in
1892.
The surviving graffiti consists mainly of shoe outlines that were inscribed into the lead of the tower roof. Such outlines are fairly common on tower roofs – hand outlines are also sometimes found. The shoe images at All Saints were recognised as of interest and saved when the roof was re-leaded some years ago. They have since been mounted and placed by the tower entrance. The earliest outline with a date is of 1781 and the latest is 1909. One of the pieces has a plumbers’ soldered date of 1752, which would relate to an episode of works on the lead roof.
Other than the shoe outlines, there is some relatively modern graffiti on the bench bookrests.
churches
The church of St John the Baptist has 12th century origins; a remarkable west doorway and south tympanum survive of this period. The north aisle was added in the 15th century. In 1814 the church was partly ruinous; substantial works included dismantling the crossing tower and the building of a new tower at the west end of the north aisle. The chancel was enlarged in 1825 and the upper parts of the tower rebuilt in 1863. Other 19th century works included replacement windows.
Very little graffiti is evident in the main body of the church, probably due to the cleaning associated with refurbishments of the past. On a pier of the north aisle there is a triangle and a ladder motif in close association with one other – these are potentially early in date. An arrow on the tower doorway is curious and does not look very old – post-dating the construction of the tower in the early 19th century. Arrows are not uncommon as apotropaic (protective) marks, but it is not known if they were used in this way at such a late date.
Most of the surviving graffiti is in the tower, on stone evidently re-used from an earlier context – quite possibly the original tower. It is located on the first floor window surrounds and consists of initials and dates, some of which are now upside down and truncated. The dates include 1689, 1724, 1760 and 1816.
