Visitor Guide 9: Roman and Saxon Stone Carvings

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The north exterior of the Leschman Chantry Chapel is decorated with two rows of stone carvings which are around 500 years old. 

These carvings depict traditional devotional scenes in the upper row including St George and the Dragon, St Peter and St Paul, and a lily – the symbol of purity. 

The lower row , in contrast, includes more playful and irreverent scenes.  These feature; a man playing the bagpipes, a jester, a three-headed figure.  You will also see a fox preaching to geese, a satirical comment on the hypocrisy of the clergy which was popular at the time, showing that humour and politics were a part of religious life centuries ago, just as they are today.

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