mysteriesofmercia
The Crooked Spire of Chesterfield
The twisted spire of the Church of St Mary and All Saints is a familiar site for visitors to the town of Chesterfield. How did it end up...
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mysteriesofmercia
Mar 191 min read
Old Mercia Comes to Life
The town of Tamworth was the seat of Mercian power during much of the Anglo-Saxon era, used by Offa and the Lady Æthelflaed as a royal...
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mysteriesofmercia
Mar 61 min read
A Conversation with Author Andy McGrath - Podcast
I was recently a guest on the Beastly Theories podcast created by Andy McGrath. Andy is the author of "Beasts of Britain" and "Beasts of...
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mysteriesofmercia
Mar 61 min read
The Conversion of the Vikings in Mercia
This tympanum with very dramatic imagery resides inside St Leonard's Church in the Staffordshire village of Ipstones. Looked at in a...
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mysteriesofmercia
Mar 61 min read
Your Local Lockup
The blindhouse, the lockup, the roundhouse, they went by several names. These were small buildings which acted as a cell where unruly...
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mysteriesofmercia
Feb 212 min read
Avebury's Lost Avenue
These two megaliths stand alone in a field almost a mile from the Avebury stone circle. Known today as the Adam and Eve stones, they once...
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mysteriesofmercia
Feb 211 min read
Shobdon Arches - When A Folly Isn't Fake
Shobdon Arches is a rather unique structure that stands on a Herefordshire hill within the Shobdon Court estate. What on earth is it?...
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mysteriesofmercia
Feb 121 min read
The Brand End Stone - A Forgotten Menhir
Mysterious standing stones lie hidden and half-forgotten in the more remote regions of the Midlands. This one stands on a mound near a...
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mysteriesofmercia
Feb 122 min read
A Viking Burial Chamber in England?
A viking burial chamber in England? This is Lanhill Long Barrow, a Neolithic chambered tomb in Wiltshire dating from around 3500 BC....
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mysteriesofmercia
Feb 121 min read
A Tale in Two Countries
This bizarre statue stands overlooking the sea at the Portugese town of Nazarè. I walked past it as the sun went down on my way to see...
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mysteriesofmercia
Feb 121 min read
A Hidden Green Man
This mysterious face peeks out from the underside of a font inside the Church of the Holy Rood in Daglingworth, Gloucestershire. He...
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mysteriesofmercia
Jan 211 min read
Tolkien’s Treebeard?
This man- shaped oak resides in a corner of Cannock Chase, appearing to walk down the slope to grab you - Tolkien's Treebeard?
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mysteriesofmercia
Jan 212 min read
Megalith - or Dog Kennel?
A trip into Wales today and just north of Cardiff lie two very impressive monuments close to each other. Here's St Lythans, a dolmen atop...
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mysteriesofmercia
Jan 211 min read
A Great Night at Script Haven in Worcester
A big thank you to everyone that came out to Script Haven last night for a chat with myself. Some interesting side-subjects came out of...
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mysteriesofmercia
Jan 211 min read
The Murderous Millstones of Hope Bagot
There have been some strange murder trials throughout history, but they don't get much stranger than two stone blocks being charged with...
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mysteriesofmercia
Jan 212 min read
The Knight’s Templar in Tomar, Portugal
When the Knights Templar were abolished, arrested and disbanded in 1307 only one king defied the Papal Bull, refusing to move against...
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mysteriesofmercia
Jan 51 min read
Wolves of Mercia
Anglo-Saxon carvings of various beasts lurk in some of the quieter churches of the Midlands. Here is a wolf and dragon from St Mary's at...
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mysteriesofmercia
Jan 51 min read
The Holed Longstone
This is the Longstone of Minchinhampton which I visited a few months back in sunnier times. This Gloucestershire megalith, made of oolite...
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mysteriesofmercia
Jan 51 min read
The Hangman’s Stones
A ghostly story in the old Christmas tradition - but this one is absolutely true. These unremarkable stepping stones traverse the Sher...
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mysteriesofmercia
Dec 11, 20231 min read
Wrap it up in Time for Christmas
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Stories of Mercia: Blog2
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