Carving next to the River Stour at Wolverley

Image: © Mat Fascione Taken: 15 Oct 2022

There is a legend in the village Of Wolverley that dates back to the times of the crusades around 1200 AD. The tale goes that Sir John Attwood left his wife to go and fight in the crusades. The wars did not go well for Sir John and he found himself captured and imprisoned in a Saracen jail for many years. Meanwhile back in Wolverley Lady Attwood had received no news of her husband Sir John and fearing him killed in the wars had decided to marry again. It was on the morning of her wedding that Lady Attwood's maid was walking in the meadow when she came across a man lying asleep in the hedgerow, his hair and beard were matted and unkempt his clothes in tatters and his feet fettered. The family dog who was by her side rushed to the man and started barking and bounding about as if he recognised the man. The maid rushed back to the house and told Lady Attwood what she had seen and to come quickly. Lady Attwood rushed to the meadow to see the man who by this time was quite awake. The man said he was her husband Sir John, Lady Attwood was unsure if this was true, however seeing the look of doubt on her face, Sir John endeavouring to prove he was telling the truth, produced half of a gold ring saying that he split this ring and gave half to his wife as a token of their love for each other when he left for the crusades. On seeing this Lady Attwood smiled and was able to show that she had the other matching half. A very touching scene, but Sir John's explanation was the stuff of miracles and went on to say that he was in his cell and was praying to the Virgin Mary to be released from the terrible situation he found himself in. On that night he drifted into a trance and found he had been transported from the Holy Lands back to Wolverley, however being a modest and pious man, he denied that it was the Virgin Mary that had carried him, but a swan had brought him back home to Wolverley. Wolverley Court belonged to the Attwood family where it was said one of their descendants was a crusader and the meadow underneath Wolverley Court is still called "The Knights Meadow". The head, body and feet of the old warrior are to be seen in the church. The above text is from a notice attached to the carving. This Sculpture was jointly funded by Wolverley & Cookley Parish Council & Wolverley Carnival Committee.

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