Carvings on chestnut wood in the church of St Sampson, Golant, Cornwall. SEE DESCRIPTION FOR DETAILS.
Saint Sampson, originally the Abbot of Caldey off the Welsh coast, stayed in Golant while travelling to Brittany, where he became Archbishop of Dol and one of the Seven Saints of Brittany. There was already a hermit at Golant and it is possible that while Sampson was with him he helped build a small chapel on the present church site. The current church to which he gives his name dates from 1509. It was described by John Betjeman as having the most uncomfortable pews in Cornwall. The carvings shown are contained in a panel above the vestry door. That on the left shows the head of christ, crowned and surrounded by the handkerchief with which St Veronica is supposed to have wiped his brow (the original is believed to be in St Peter's in Rome). The right-hand carving shows the wounds of christ - these are the symbols of the passion and the arms of the Guild of St Saviour. There have been suggestions that the carvings were made with wood from one of the ships in the Spanish Armada, although there is no proof for this.
Size: 4197px × 2501px
Location: Golant, Cornwall, England
Photo credit: © UrbanImages / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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