Maddy Aldis-Evans

St. Michael. Guilsborough has a huge number of fantastic carvings including a set of roof bosses indicating the 7 ages of man. Also, another pair of Green Man and Lady as arch stops into the chancel

Green Man chancel arch

 

 

 

Arch stop in the chancel

Mary the virgin. A rather dusty Green Man window stop in the South aisle

 

Spencer family memorial in the chancel. A Green Lady. The symbolism of rebirth and rejuvernation must have been a comfort to the family

 

. The side of a misericord in the chancel. Broad leaves come from the sides of his mouth. Notice he has two very prominent front teeth

. Green Man or not? A roof boss in the nave. Obviously a bishop, but with gold-leaved leaves around his head

St Denys/St Dionysius. A water spout at the back of the church. A beautiful carving

Corbel in the nave

 

A second stunning corbel in the nave

All hallows. A fascinating find! What looks like a lump of stone under a table by the door, turned out on further investigation to be a Green Man carving, on what would have been a water spout. Although his mouth is broken, the leaves coming up the sides of where it would have been are clear to see

St. Peter with Paul. Rather threatening looking with his tongue poking out and showing his teeth

A wooden corbel. Showing his teeth, with his mouth wide open, this Green Man is quite fierce looking. He warns us to respect the power of nature.

Much more benevolent, this roof boss in St. Peters is interesting as the nose forms a tree trunk from which branches emerge, forming his brow and eyes. It is such a shame it is so covered in cobwebs!

 

A third roof boss, similar in style to the second

The arts building of Oundle school is right next door to the church. There are large number of green Men around it's exterior

 

 

 

All saints. In the porch. Rather decayed and difficult to see. This is similar to the carvings in Finedon, with twisted vines of foliage coming from his mouth. The head is to the left of the photo, with the foliage coming out to the right

St. Peter with Paul. Corbel

Part of the corbel table on the exterior of the church

Cheerful looking Green Man roof boss in the nave

A second more sinister looking wooden roof boss, showing his teeth and sticking his tongue out

A third wooden roof boss. Compare this Green Man to the Bugbrooke wooden carving

The frontage of the Natwest bank has a huge number of Green Men carvings

 

A wonderful foliate head

 

 

St. Andrew. Corbel in nave

Wooden Green Man roof boss

A wonderful poppyhead on a pew end

An early Green Man on the easter sepulche in the church (St. Nicolas)

St. Michael and all angels. Beautifully serene Green Man in the porch

Opposite the other corbel in the porch. Another Male / Female pairing

 

Corbel in the church. Quite different in style from the Green Men in the porch

Font. Elaborate foliage emerges from the top of his head. The symbolism of rejuvernation and rebirth is apt on a baptism font.

 

All saints. Two capitals in the nave

 

 

 

St. Martin. A lead box behind the church has a relief Green Man carving

St. Mary. Capital in nave near to bell tower

St. Mary. Capital in nave near to bell tower

Blessed virgin Mary. A beautiful little Green Dragon on the back of the church. He obviously has been moved here and is much older than most of the church, which fell down the hill in the 1700s.

Of the old church only the tower remains. There are Green Men and other carvings all the way around the corbel table, each carving linked by foliage coming from the mouth or eyes.

Another example