St. Mary’s Church
Love Hearts Graffiti (Part 2)
Around Hitchin appeared some wonderful graffiti such as this one on the wall that forms part of the car park opposite St. Mary’s Church and the River Hiz. I would much rather have this sort of graffiti than the usual crass ‘scribble your name’ type that seems to dominate anywhere that teenagers hang around. Perahps we have a Banksy of our very own.
St. Mary’s Graffiti
Much to the chagrin of the good citizens of the parish of St Mary’s Church in Hitchin, graffiti has appeared (or I should say more has appeared) on the north door. This is not a modern or ‘new’ phenomenon at all. One should look at the pillars of the door frame on both sides, to see lots and lots of carved graffiti dating back to the 1960s, 1950s, 1930s; even back a hundred years. In churches all around the parishes of Britain, one will find similar graffiti (and going back to 1700 say) Things such as names, love tokens or just dates. The Romans did this too, as did the Egyptians, Greeks, Vikings et al. As the expression goes, ‘There is nothing new under the sun’!
Warner’s Almshouses
Detail of the rather grand door in to the Warners Almshouses that were originally the parish Poor Houses. Then in 1760, they were rebuilt by Daniel Warner and then again in 1893 (and enlarged too) by funds left by Miss Elizabeth Ann Lucas, formerly of Hitchin who died in 1860. These Almshouses stood (and still stand) within the grounds of St Mary’s Church in the South East corner, by the River Hiz.
Hitchin Iconoclasts
The beautiful south door of St Mary’s Church in Hitchin shows just how the Iconoclasts did a ‘good’ job and destroyed nine statues that stood in the niches that are part of the doorway. However, they did not get the three figures at the very top. Presumably because they couldn’t be pulled down or chiseled out. Just how much more imposing and beautiful would churches have been with all their statuary around and inside them; including the brightly painted walls with scenes of the saints and from the bible.
Putlog Holes
God or the Clergy didn’t build Churches, rather, Masons did and evidence of the builders of St Mary’s Church in Hitchin are everywhere inside and out. The major detectable traces are ‘Masonry Marks’ on the stone and the scaffolding holes called Putlog Holes. If freestanding scaffolding like today wasn’t used, then the usual ‘Cantilevered Scaffolding’ (Or more commonly known as Falsework) was used. These Putlog Holes above, were where the scaffolding planking passed through the entire width of the wall. (As walls were erected inside and out at the same time, unlike today). When the work was finished, the planking was either pulled out or sawn off, flush to the wall.
St Mary’s Church Font Cover
St Mary’s Church in Hitchin is blessed with a beautiful font cover (Pictured above) Font covers were originally used from 1236 onwards (Ordered by Edmund, Archbisop of Canterbury) as a protection from Sorcery. (“Fontes baptismales sub sera clausi teneantur propter sortilegia”) Some have plain ‘lids’ over the stone fonts or like this one above, very ornate and raised by a cable and pulley system and sometimes counter weights. A lot are kept in this raised position and others actually lowered over the font and only raised for Baptisms. Some font covers did survive the Cromwellian destruction. These iconoclasts were opposed to any ornamentation, decoration or statues. Other font covers are Victorian copies of earlier originals. Whether it is an original or a copy, it is a welcome addition to the church ‘experience’.
Melanic Squirrels
People still think that the Letchworth Black Squirrels only exist in Letchworth. Not so! Much to the chagrin of Letchworth residents, they are also in other parts of Hertfordshire such as Hitchin and Stevenage, as well as Cambridgeshire, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire. The Letchworth name was a bit of a misnomer. Apparently they were rare and were a local adaptation/phenomenon called Melanic Squirrels due to the fact that they have very high levels of the pigment melanin in them and are in fact only a dark Grey Squirrel. They are not as rare as Albino squirrels though. They’re a local variant. Obviously from the Grey squirrel, but are more aggressive and will attack the Greys (and win) giving them an edge over the Greys, therefore breeding more and increasing their numbers and enlarging their habitat.
Retribution I think, for importing the American Grey Squirrel in 1876 into Cheshire, which decimated the native Brown Squirrel. Evolution in progress and nature bloody in tooth and claw. This particular squirrel was photographed in the graveyard of the beautiful St Mary’s Church in the centre of Hitchin itself.
The Triangle Café
The photograph above is of the Triangle Café, run by the ever lovely Maree (Originally from sunny Belfast) Here you will get great wholesome, traditional, well cooked food and good service to boot too. The Triangle Café deservedly winning the ‘Hertfordshire Café of The Year’ award.
The building that the café inhabits, is a timber framed 15th century or early 16th century hall house, much altered and refaced in the 18th century. This building was also used as the vicarage to St Mary’s Church opposite it, from 1731 until 1925, when it then became used for shops and offices.