Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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Herefordshire School of Carving is in Carvers.
The Herefordshire School of Carving is the name given to a carvings of a particular style found in Herefordshire, and elsewhere, that were created during the 12th Century. Their work draws on a variety of cultural sources for its religious and mystical images; Norman military figures, Anglo-Saxon animals, and patterns. The carvers may have originated from Northern Spain, on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrim route. Subjects include arches, tympanums colums, fonts and corbels.
Examples of the Herefordshire School of Carving may be found at:
Herefordshire:
St Andrew's Church, Bredwardine [Map]
Church of St Mary Magdalene, Eardisley [Map]
Church of St Mary and St David, Kilpeck [Map]
St John the Baptist's Church, Letton [Map]
St Giles' Church, Pipe Aston [Map]
St Peter's Church, Rowlestone [Map]
St James the Great Church, Colwall [Map]
Derbyshire:
Church of St Michael and St Mary, Melbourne [Map]
Worcestershire:
St Leonard's Church, Ribbesford [Map]
St Peter and St Paul's Church, Rock [Map]
Dorset:
1100. St Peter and St Paul's Church, Rock [Map]. Herefordshire School of Carving. It was commissioned around 1150 by Roger Tosny. The nave and chancel are Norman but the south aisle and tower date from 1510. Restorations were carried out in 1861, 1881 and early in 20th Century.
Roger Tosny: Roger Tosny and Ida aka Gertrude Hainault were married. Around 1104 he was born to Raoul Tosny and Adelise Northumbria at Flamstead, Hertfordshire. On 29th September 1157 Roger Tosny died at Flamstead, Hertfordshire.
St Leonard's Church, Ribbesford [Map]. Herefordshire School of Carving tympanum. Archer aiming at what appears to be a bird with dog beneath. The description 'bird' somewhat difficult. Others call it a 'fishlike monster'. The capitals are carved with large bird pecking small bird, intertwined knots, and snakes.
Around 1120 the Church of St Michael and St Mary, Melbourne [Map] was constructed in the Norman, or Romanesque Style. It has numerous carvings of the Herefordshire School of Carving.
All Saints Church, Billesley [Map]. In the transept are two pieces of carved stone. One is a tympanum dating from about 1140 that depicts a man being attacked by a snake and a dragon, and being defended by a dove. The man is similarly dressed to those on the font at the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Eardisley [Map]. Herefordshire School of Carving.
Around 1150. The Eardisley [Map] Font. A fine example of the Herefordshire School of Carving. Several scenes ... Two knights in combat, either with each other or the tendrils of evil. To the right of the knights is the Harrowing of Hell where Christ, holding the Cross, is pulling Adam by his forearm out of hell. There is another figure holding a book; unclear as to who he represents. A particularly well carved lion; possibly the Lion of Judah. The two knights prossibly represent the duel between Sir Ralph de Baskerville with his father-in-law Lord Drogo of Clifford Castle whom Baskerville alleged to have stolen some of his land. Baskerville killed Drogo then bought a pardon from the Pope.
1150. St Mary's Church, Halford [Map]. Norman tympanum of the Herefordshire School of Carving over the north door.
The South Door at St John the Baptist's Church, Letton [Map] has a red sandstone lintel with geometric pattern to centre and two zig-zags to each end. Jambs are mostly of tufa and continue the zig-zag to round super-arch where the motif changes to semi-circles. Label with nailhead design. Appears to be Herefordshire School of Carving.
1200. St Andrew's Church, Bredwardine [Map]. Carving of lintel above the south door. Herefordshire School of Carving.
Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes
Récits d’un bourgeois de Valenciennes aka The Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes is a vivid 14th-century vernacular chronicle written by an anonymous urban chronicler from Valenciennes in the County of Hainaut. It survives in a manuscript that describes local and regional history from about 1253 to 1366, blending chronology, narrative episodes, and eyewitness-style accounts of political, military, and social events in medieval France, Flanders, and the Low Countries. The work begins with a chronological framework of events affecting Valenciennes and its region under rulers such as King Philip VI of France and the shifting allegiances of local nobility. It includes accounts of conflicts, sieges, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the impact of broader struggles like the Hundred Years’ War on urban life in Hainaut. Written from the perspective of a burgher (bourgeois) rather than a monastery or royal court, the chronicle offers a rare lay viewpoint on high politics and warfare, reflecting how merchants, townspeople, and civic institutions experienced the turbulence of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its narrative style combines straightforward reporting of events with moral and civic observations, making it a valuable source for readers interested in medieval urban society, regional politics, and the lived experience of war and governance in pre-modern Europe.
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1200. St Peter and St Paul's Church, Rock [Map]. Carvings of the Herefordshire School of Carving.
1200. St Andrew's Church, Bredwardine [Map]. Carving of lintel above north door. Possibly missing a Tympanum. From the Herefordshire School of Carving.
The Herefordshire School of Carving at St Giles' Church, Pipe Aston [Map]. Tympanum over the North doorway. An "agnus dei" - Lamb of God - flanked by a winged eagle and a winged bull surrounded byan archivolt of animals and foliage enclosed within a chevroned arch. The church guide describes the eagle as the emblem of St John complementing the winged bull emblem of St Luke which has at the end of one of its forelegs a block that is assumed to be St Luke's Gospel. Malcolm Thurlby, in this excellent book "The Herefordshire School of Romanesque Sculpture" suggest the carving is of a griffin. The imposts at the end of the arches have, on the left, dragons entwined, and, on the right, foliage. See Herefordshire School of Carving.
St Peter's Church, Rowlestone [Map]. Tympanum of the Herefordshire School of Carving.
Church of St Nicholas, Studland [Map] with carvings of the Herefordshire School of Carving.
St Mary's Church, Fownhope [Map]. Fine tympanum of the Herefordshire School of Carving.
St Nicholas' Church, Little Langford [Map]. Fine tympanum from the Herefordshire School of Carving.
Church of St Mary and St David, Kilpeck [Map]. South door with tympanum. Fine example of the Herefordshire School of Carving.
St James the Great Church, Colwall [Map]. Herefordshire School of Carving. The Norman church was started in the 12th century as evidenced by the main south doorway with its scalloped capitals and a round headed arch on the west front of the nave. The south aisle was added in the middle of the 13th century. The south west tower is unusually situated and houses ten bells with six dating from 1778. In 1865 the chancel was replaced and widened and in 1880 the north aisle was added. In 2010 the chancel was reordered.
St John the Baptist Church, Beckford [Map]. Fine Tympanum showing Harrowing of Hell. Possibly Herefordshire School of Carving.
Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
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St Mary's Church, Stottesdon [Map]. Fine tympanum and font of the Herefordshire School of Carving.
St Michael and All Angels Church, Castle Frome [Map]. Fine Herefordshire School of Carving font..
All Saints Church, Pitsford [Map]Parts of the church date to the Norman Conquest, with the tympanum over the main church door dating to that period. See Herefordshire School of Carving.To Do List.
St George's Church, Orleton [Map]. Font from the Herefordshire School of Carving.
St Michael's Church, Houghton le Spring [Map]. The church dates from the 12C but during recent renovations the foundations of an earlier Anglo-Saxon church were discovered. Many Saxon post holders were found. Below the Saxon church were found some Roman foundations, possibly from a temple and boulders from an early prehistoric burial cairn or ritual site. A carved tympanum (which probably predates the church) features intertwined beasts. It is known as 'The Houghton Beasts or Dragons'. See Herefordshire School of Carving.
St Cassian's Church, Chaddesley Corbet [Map]. Monument in St Cassian's Church, Chaddesley Corbett, Worcestershire, to Elizabeth Holt, unmarried daughter of Sir Thomas Holte 1st Baronet. Font possibly of the Herefordshire School of Carving.
