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Stanton St Quintin

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On the lych gate at the parish church are twin green men.  As you approach the gate you will see the first, at eye-height on the left-hand side of the gate structure, facing in above the gate itself.  Its twin is diagonally opposite, ahead and on your right.  They are quite tiny figures, and it is likely that many entering and leaving the chuchyard are entirely unaware of their presence. 

These are foliage-spewers, with four acanthus-like leaves issuing from their grimacing mouths.  The features are somewhat sinister, with slanting heavy-lidded eyes, a hooked nose, and prominent cheekbones.    The lych-gate itself is clearly not very old, and seems to date from the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, a time when the Arts & Crafts movement was revisiting the styles and motifs of the mediaeval period.  The green men sit each at one end of a carved border running the depth of the gate structure.  The borders are identical, with the green man at the left end in each case.  The impression is that the gate was designed in kit form, to be slotted together on site.  Nevertheless, the carving is crisp and powerful, and the overall effect well-balanced and satisfying.

Also at Stanton St Quintin

• On the church porch, two biting creatures
• St Christopher in a niche over the porch
• At the west end of the church, Christ with his feet on a dragon
• On the north side of the tower, a little-known Sheela-na-gig

Design by Black Cat Folklore
Page created on 27 May 2007.  Last updated on 27 May 2007