Carved wooden bench ends in St Sampson's Church, 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. A number of the bench ends dating from the time of Henry VIII were retained and incorporated into the lectern, reading desk and pulpit. Those shown in the photograph are the crowned heads of two kings on top of figures like chess castles. Castles figure in the arms of Castile and it is thought that they may represent King Ferdinand of Spain whose daughter, Catherine of Aragon, married Henry VIII in 1509.
Size: 2849px × 4290px
Location: Golant, Cornwall, England
Photo credit: © Steven Sheppardson / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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