Church of St. John the Baptist, Muston

Exterior Carvings

St. John the Baptist is a simple rural parish church, without elaborate gargoyles or carvings. On the outside of the building there are small carved heads on the ends of the mouldings round the windows.

Label-end carving. Head of a woman.

Label-end carving. Head of a woman.

Many of these are very eroded.

Eroded carving of man's head

Eroded carving of man’s head

Most are faces, some serene,

Label-end carving, Muston. Head of a man.

Label-end carving, Muston. Head of a man.

some distorted.

Distorted Face

Distorted Face

A few are images of unidentifiable beasts.

Head of a Creature.

Head of a Creature.

There is a band of carvings around the tower, barely visible from below.

The band of carvings around the tower is barely visible from ground level

The band of carvings around the tower.

The medieval masons obviously thought this was a chance to have some fun.

Some of the tower carvings.

Some of the tower carvings.

There can be little doubt of the comic intention here.

Gurning faces

Gurning faces

Sometimes the message even seems a touch subversive.

Who is he poking his tongue out at?

Who is he poking his tongue out at?

 

This page was added on 30/10/2014.

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