Fabulous afternoon at Amersham with the Monumental Brass Society today. A particular joy was spending some time with some gentry monuments I first studied during my masters 23 years ago.

Halfway b/w the house & garden is a Church, attesting there was once a village in the middle of this giant park. Heavily rebuilt but the East lancet windows look 13thC & a late-medieval wall painting of an angel was recently discovered & restored. Somewhat uncannily marooned in a sea of grass. 2/2

Final hurrah of the school break took us to Ickworth House today - an intriguing place and a huge one. Designed in the after-glow of a Grand Tour, the building is almost Palladian, but you sense that Andrea might have held back from the overmighty scale of this place. 1/2

Others stand on sheep themselves. Merchants' marks and rhyming puns (see the sheep under a bush on the brass to Thomas Bushe) abound. Also found a pair of scissors on the brass to William Scors (whose widow remarried a woolman and became mother to John Fortey).

Northleach today, maybe the ultimate wool church, the nave rebuilt in mid15thC by John Fortey in big, unrepentent Perpendicular. The church is celebrated for its collection of brasses to woolmen, some of whom (as Thomas Adynet here) stand on wool sacks, instead of lions or grassy mounds.

The morals here are that you can't always assume something historic is what it purports on its face to be, and that people were equating *something that looks old* with greater authority longer than you might think. See also the Donation of Constantine! 🤣
Happy Easter weekend! 5/5

The cross of the Abbey of St John of the Abadesses in Girona, which documents survive to attest was a 1388 commission of local silversmith Pere Serra. He had previously repaired the 11thC True Cross relic at the cathedral and would have known (& maybe made) the Confraternities Cross.

A detail of the Cross of St Mary of Vilabertran, the most elaborate of the three Girona crosses.

Maybe the guilds wanted their cross to mimic that older cross. Maybe they recognised that antiquity seemed to bolster authority & saw benefits in enhancing their own credibility this way.
Something worked, bc two more 14thC crosses 👇 were later made in Girona that display same archaic approach. 4/5

This is the Cross of the Enamels in the cathedral treasury.

This is another 14thC cross at Girona Cathedral. It's what most crosses from that time look like - fleur-de-lis ends, enamels not gems.
The Girona Cross is *consciously* archaic. Why? Records attest it was placed alongside a grand gold crux gemmata from 11thC that contained relic of True Cross. 3/5

The cameo on this cross shows the Emperor Augustus

The cross is a 'crux gemmata' or jewelled cross, like these examples: a votive cross from Treasure of Guarrazar (6thC) at Musée Cluny, the Lothair Cross (c1000) now at Aachen, or the Cross of the Angels (9thC) at Oviedo. The Girona cross almost fits the set, except that it's 14thC! 2/5

The roudels show images of the Evangelists in enamel. The cameo at top is Hellenistic and shows Zeus and an eagle, placed with purpose next to the Evangelist John, whose symbol was an eagle.

The back of the cross also shows the Evangelists in the form of their symbols.

The relics were concealed in a void behind the blessing Christ. They were found to be bits of unidentified bone.

This is the Cross of the Confraternities in Girona cathedral. Made of silver-gilt & set w/ gemstones & enamels of the Evangelists in roundels along the arms & a reused cameo. There's a crucifix in the centre on one side & a figure of Christ offering a blessing on the other. Let's decode it! 1/5

Indeed!

Gold star - a corker for alabasters!

I love a document depicted on a tomb! There's an incised slab in Leicestershire that depicts the will of the deceased - one way to make sure it's carried out as wished!

Hope you enjoyed that deep dive into one image. You can do similar with most historic images, which always convey much more than they intend to about the assumptions of the world that made them. Will try to do more decoding in future! /end

Only knives on the table attest that widespread fork useage post-dates this period, esp in a simple setting. But the covered cups look more like something from the Bishop's table than a cup that poor fugitives would have used - see the 15thC Lacock Cup at @britishmuseum.bsky.social. 4/5

Also on the table are peculiar squares, which probably represent trenchers, or simple plates made of hard-baked bread and common throughout the medieval period. We often think of them as round, but they could be cut square as the chap is doing in this 15thC German woodcut in the @metmuseum.org. 3/5

Can you make out the fish on the platters? Three of Gospels suggest the Last Supper was linked to Passover, & might therefore have included meat eg lamb, but a medieval carver would have instantly connected fish w/ a meal during Lent as it's all they were allowed during the penitential season. 2/5

Spotted this 15thC boss of the last supper in the cloister at Norwich Cathedral when visiting recently. It's making wonderfully varied use of perspective but I was most intrigued about the table spread, which says rather more about late medieval England than Roman Judea. Let's decode it! 1/5

Thanks so much to Rachel O'Grady and @news.architectsjournal.co.uk for this generous review - it's deeply rewarding when you've created something to see the audience *get* what you're on about. Review at link below. 👇

We open in Glasgow in another stonking historic building on 1 May - come see it!

To Westley Waterless, with its wonderful 14thC brass to Sir John de Cheke and his wife Alyne. He was Sheriff of Cambridgeshire before dying c1328 - by legend in a trial by combat. A superlative monument in very good condition. Fabulous to spend time with it. /end

Then out along the Icknield Way, five and a bit miles, with what my kids called 'Minecraft sheep', chalk and flints underfoot, and hawthorn blooming. 2/3

A sunny day out, starting in Balsham, home to some superlative 15thC brasses to Rectors - John Sleaford, Keeper of Great Wardrobe under Edward III, and John Blodwell, Welshman educated in Bologna with over a decade in Rome. Also stunning late 14thC choir funded by Sleaford. 1/3

Excellent visit to Anglesey Abbey in the sunshine today for snowdrops and treasure hunting. Really not far off the house I'd create with a practically unlimited oil-money budget. Pity the lack of it!
@nationaltrust.org.uk

My first run this morning since I tripped on steps last October and tore some tendons in my left ankle and foot. Quite a day for it, too - feels like a turning of the page after the winter.

The ‘AHF: 50 Years of Reimagining Heritage’ exhibition is open Weds-Sun from 12-4pm until 18th February.

Pop down to the amazing #AHFsupported Riddel’s Warehouse in Belfast to see it while there’s still time!

📸 Argyll Images

#Heritage #Regeneration #NorthernIreland #Exhibition

Horizon Youth Zone entrance. Credit: Horizon Youth Zone.

Aerial shot of Horizon Youth Zone exterior. Credit: Horizon Youth Zone.

The climbing wall at Horizon Youth Zone. Credit: Horizon Youth Zone.

The 3G kick pitch at Horizon Youth Zone. Credit: Horizon Youth Zone.

The Grade II-listed West Haven Maltings and Migar House in Grimsby have been transformed into Horizon Youth Zone. The landmark site will officially open its doors to welcome in & support children and young people across North East Lincolnshire this Saturday! 🎉

More: ⬇️
ahfund.org.uk/what-we-do/i...

Project of the Week 5.

The exterior of The Court House, Bangor, during restoration.

The exterior of The Court House, Bangor, after restoration.

People queuing up to get inside The Court House, Bangor, which is now alive with activity.

"It’s wonderful to see such a historic building buzzing with life again."

Having once served as a bank & a Court of Petty Sessions, The Court House has now become Bangor's home of live music and the arts.

Discover more about our fifth Project of the Week for #AHF50:
ahfund.org.uk/anniversary/...

Portsoy Old Harbour. Credit: Paul Higson.

The Grant Lodge, Elgin. Courtesy of The Grant Lodge Trust.

The Belmont Cinema, Aberdeen. Courtesy of Belmont Community Cinema Ltd.

Further funding success for three #AHFsupported projects in Scotland! 🎉

Congratulations to the projects that have secured significant grants from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to help progress with their plans: Marbles Warehouse at Portsoy Old Harbour, Grant Lodge, and The Belmont Cinema.

Thanks so much!

The red door of Riddel’s Warehouse opens to reveal the AHF's new exhibition. Credit : Argyll Images.

Heritage display at the exhibition. Credit: Argyll Images.

A person reading the People display at the exhibition.

People are sitting down to listen to speeches and a panel discussion at Riddel’s Warehouse for the launch of the exhibition.

Belfast’s @riddelswarehouse.bsky.social looked incredible for our launch night. The exhibition is open to the public from the 6th until 18th Feb.

If you're in town, come see how we’re supporting heritage across the UK. Don’t miss the start of the tour!

#Architecture #Heritage #Belfast