Interesting Old Digs

Banbury, England ~ February 15, 2010

Whately Hall

We stayed in this former coaching inn from the 17th Century for a couple of nights. I loved the old building (and cheaper than most Holiday Inn Express Hotels). We got to chat about history with some of the staff, but I vowed to carry my own blankets next time. Under a featherbed comforter, you roast. Throw it off and you freeze. I'm used to layering covers, and I never got the hang of how to sleep Old England Style. Any hints?

By the way, I'm re-thinking my blogs, and I intend to make "Tapirgal's Daily" a daily blog again. Or close enough. It will help when I get my used photos re-named with the date first so I can tell quickly if I've already used a photo or not. Apologies for any you've seen before.

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Antique Loo

Banbury, England ~ February 16, 2010

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The Old Wine House

Banbury, England ~ February 16, 2010

The Old Wine House, dated 1537

There are two dates on this old building: one says 1537 (below the image to the left of the SH Jones & Company sign), and one says 1910 (in the same location to the right of the sign). Banbury is a fascinating ancient market town (see Wikipedia). British Iron Age foundations date back to 200 BC, and a castle (no longer standing) was built in 1135. The building in this photo apparently survived a disastrous fire in 1628, and seems to have had a facelift to some degree in 1910. To see the dragon designs on the eaves of the dormer, follow the link to yesterday's post on my Animal Art Along the Way blog.

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Dragons on the Dormer

Banbury, England ~ February 16, 2010
See the rest of the facade

Originally built in 1537

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No Birds

Banbury, England ~ February 16, 2010

Lion atop a Yorkshire Bank building

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Symbols

Banbury, England ~ February 15, 2010

OF YOUR CHARITY

PRAY

FOR THE SOUL OF

THE VERY REV. GEORGE ABRAHAM

BRABAZON V.P.

FOR 32 YEARS PRIEST OF THIS MISSION

WHO DIED JULY 15TH 1929

AGED 60 YEARS

If anyone knows about the interwoven "S" symbol, please give us a clue! It was on a number of the markers, or at least more than one.
February 28: Several of you found helpful information.
Renee said, "It's actually three letters: I, H and S. And it is Latin for "In hoc signo vince” or in English, “In this sign you shall conquer.”
Francisca sent this link: http://newenglandoddities.com/2008/06/02/headstone-symbols-in-hoc-signo-vince/
VP gave us this link: http://www.christiansymbols.net/
And Stan Hollenbeck sent a long, descriptive e-mail:
I am assuming that this was an Roman Catholic Church graveyard and believe the symbol to be a graphic representation of the christogram "In Hoc Signo".
Legend has it that the Emporer Constantine was marching with his army when he looked up to the sun and saw a cross of light above it, and with it the Greek words "εν τούτῳ νίκα" ("by this, be victorious!", often rendered in Latin as In hoc signo vinces) and decided it meant he must convert to Christianity. In Hoc Signo (IHS) became a common symbol for Roman Catholics and remains so to this day. I've attached a jpeg of a simpler but similarly themed grave marker.
The ribbon-like details are a part of the clerical vestment known as the stole, called a epitrachilion in Orthodox churches, which is a long, narrow garment that is worn around the neck so that it hangs down in front of the wearer’s legs, ending below the knees. They came into the church, probably as a cloth that the celebrant could use to clean the Communion ware as part of the service, and for that reason, the stole became a Eucharistic garment.
The four interlaced stoles form an I-H-S and probably indicate that those who lie beneath the marker were clergy of the Roman Catholic faith.
Thanks to all of you - we've learned something!
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