These terracotta caryatids were made in 1819 by John Rossi for architects William Inwood and his son, Henry, for St Pancras, Euston, London N1, the most expensive church built in the capital since St Paul’s. They are modelled on the figures that supported the Erechtheum on the Acropolis of Athens, one of which was put on display in the British Museum in 1817. Each figure holds a funerary jar and an inverted torch
A man roars in discomfiture at the burden of the chancel arch that he notionally shoulders in the parish church of Coombes, West Sussex. This fresco was painted in about 1100 and was uncovered as part of a wider scheme in 1949–52. The depiction of the man’s face is strikingly cartoon-like
Lady Ursula and Lady Isabel Manners pose as caryatids by the Long Gallery fireplace at Haddon Hall, Derbyshire. It’s one of a series of photographs taken of the two sisters in 1933, following the installation of Rex Whistler’s painting of the building, above their heads
A detail of the 1760 saloon fireplace by Lightfoot at Claydon House, Buckinghamshire. It tells the story of the invention of the Corinthian Order as related by Roman architect Vitruvius. Here, the sculptor Callimachus, with his dividers and a broken column, spots a memorial entwined in acanthus to a maid
This corbel of about 1300 in Wells Cathedral, Somerset, shows a man thrusting the foot of a crutch into the mouth of a monster as he nonchalantly supports the spring of the vault with one hand. From the 1390s, it became common to rest roofs on the backs of angels
This story is from the July 15, 2020 edition of Country Life UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 15, 2020 edition of Country Life UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery