2017

TF0913 : Church of St Faith: Graffiti by the door

taken 6 years ago, near to Wilsthorpe, Lincolnshire, England

Church of St Faith: Graffiti by the door
Church of St Faith: Graffiti by the door
We know that the stonework was erected in 1715, so all of this is more recent than that, and yet there is a footprint, something associated in the literature with medieval beliefs on healing. The idea that the enlightenment replaced the medieval world is such an over-simplification, and possibly the association of footprints with magic is an unwarranted assumption.
Graffiti in the Stone

Many churches have, scratched in the stone, patterns of circles, crosses, and mystic signs. After literacy became more common, names and dates started to appear.


The name 'medieval graffiti' has been given to these vernacular carvings, but some of the dated ones have 17th and 18th century origins, and I have seen one dated 1952.

It has been suggested that these represent an attempt to associate people with the place, in the hope of a safe return from pilgrimage or war. No-one really knows. It may simply be the same determination to 'make one's mark' that led schoolboys to carve their desks, or modern youth to get out the spray paint. But some of them must have taken a lot of time to complete, perhaps in more than one session, suggesting that the local church authorities were tolerant of this practice, that it was culturally normal.

The phenomenon is not unique to churches, as roadside crosses sometimes fall victim. Curiously it does seem to be confined to stonework of communal ownership, you don't see it done on people's homes or gravestones.

There is a web site called "Medieval Graffiti" which is owned by a project recording the phenomenon in Norfolk, but similar carvings have been found all over the country, although largely ignored by historians up to now.


Norfolk: LinkExternal link
Suffolk: LinkExternal link
Lincolnshire: LinkExternal link
Surrey: LinkExternal link
East Sussex: LinkExternal link
Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire: LinkExternal link

BBC story: LinkExternal link
Blog: LinkExternal link

Church of St Faith, Wilsthorpe

The present church dates from 1715, as the date on the pediment affirms, it was restored and altered by James Fowler of Louth in 1869. In the chancel is a controversial effigy, which may date from the 13th century, has almost certainly been recut, and which Pevsner thought was a Victorian forgery. It bears the arms of the Wake family, but that is almost certainly due to the recutting.

It would suggest, if it is real, that there was a church here before 1715, and that is definitely known. However the parish was only created in its own right in 1886 - until then it was a chapel-of-ease of nearby Greatford. The modern parish is Wilsthorpe and Breaceborough.

The building is of Ashlar, and mostly whitewashed within, and has a very small gallery above the door in the West End. It is a grade II* listed building (see LinkExternal link )


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Bob Harvey and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Historic sites and artefacts Village, Rural settlement Flat landscapes Primary Subject: Carved Stone other tags: Church Church Detail Stone Graffiti Click a tag, to view other nearby images.
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · St Faith's Church [38] ·
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TF0913, 138 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Bob Harvey   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Sunday, 5 November, 2017   (more nearby)
Submitted
Saturday, 11 November, 2017
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TF 09216 13645 [1m precision]
WGS84: 52:42.5676N 0:23.0910W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TF 09216 13645
View Direction
East-southeast (about 112 degrees)
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Image Type (about): close look 
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