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.