Wordwell All Saints church

Image: © Adrian S Pye Taken: 12 Oct 2008

Very early signs of building are everywhere, within and without. The quoin stones indicate early Norman, as do the north and south doorways and the tympana above with their unique carvings. Two dogs baying at a tree on one, and a man waving at someone on the other. The church is a treasure. Apart from the west end and bellcote, which is Victorian, and the awful pulpit, what you see is more or less how the Normans built it in the 12th century. What I found fascinating were the carvings on the 15th century benches (a few are replacements) whimpering dogs, cats doing what cats do, birds, griffins and dragons. On the back of one bench is a scene, probably from a fable, the meaning of which is lost in the mists of time. The church is usually open and is in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0