Frome, Nunney and Pen Selwood

St John the Baptist church in Frome holds an unexpected delight in the shape of a Saxon carving set in the wall, with the now familiar intertwining lines (foliage? who knows?) and a serpent-like creature. It reminded me of those at Colerne and Ramsbury, our last trip. The pattern is worn at one end so it is hard to make out what is going on but the serpent creature had the same zig-zag markings as the ones in Ramsbury. A challenge to draw. Underneath they had set a seemingly Norman beast with four legs and the characteristic tail coming up from beneath. This one was like one in Ditteridge. We are now beginning to see simiarities and recognise distinctive features of both Saxon and Norman work. Oddly, the organist in this church was also practising, but not as uplifting a set of tunes, and we were glad to leave the gloomy atmosphere, although not glad to be leaving the jaunty creature.

Our second stop, Nunney, held two surprises. One good and one bad. There are the remains of a large, solid castle, which everyone had decided to visit on the same day, but it was fun to look up and imagine the rooms as they might have been. Just over a small bridge was the church and it was inside that the horrible surprise occurred. Hoping to find some fragments of Saxon carvings, we looked around in anticipation, but it was only when we consulted their leaflet that we discovered some bastard (let's not beat about the bush) had stolen three Saxon fragments in 2002.

We were quite appalled. There were drawings of them in the leaflet so we could at least see a sketch of how they were. One has a creature biting its own tail which would have been fabulous to see and draw. We drove on to our next village in utter disbelief, trying in vain to work out who would steal such things and why. It can only be for money and presumably these stones are now in some ignorant person's back garden, to make it "look nice." Those people who appreciate Saxon carving would not steal them, for they would appreciate their value as an object and their historical worth. They would want everyone to be able to enjoy them. So if you do not appreciate them for what they really are, why would you want them in your possession? It makes no sense to me. My sister investigated on the web and discovered that many carvings have been stolen and that one was up for auction for a ludicrous figure. I think that the more we publicise stolen artifacts, then perhaps there is the tiniest chance that one day someone will see them and realise what they are. It is really sad that people think their own wealth is more important than respecting what has been there for over a thousand years, which everyone should be free to enjoy. Luckily the majority of things we have seen have been too heavy to move (such as fonts) or fixed into the wall. If I was religious I would wish that Jesus would strike them down for taking it, but it is not to be. So keep your eyes peeled...

Happily nothing had been stolen from Pen Selwood, and try stealing a door lintel if you can, this one was a beauty. Two long bodied creatures facing each other with a dear lamb of God in the centre, in its own circle, carrying its own bag or notepad, who knows - it might be an artist too. The creatures were reminiscent of others with long claws, long bodies and curling tails, namely Ampney St Mary and Ditteridge. There were two human faces facing inwards over the door which were almost identical in style to the ones at Ditteridge - surely the same person. The Lamb of God was similar to that at Berwick St Leonard, which was not so far away.