Corbels, Grotesques or Gargoyles
The exterior architecture of Romsey Abbey has over 400 carved decorative stone corbels, often mistakenly referred to as grotesques or gargoyles, many appear as animals, human faces, fantasy beasts, vegetation and geopmetrics. A few of the corbels may date back almost a thousand years to the time when this fine Norman Abbey was built from limestone quarried at Binstead on the Isle of Wight.
The corbels are arranged around the Abbey in 56 groups known as 'Tables'. located on the upper and lower external levels of the North and South sides of the Abbey - a few can also be found on the lower level of the East end.
To View the Corbel Collection
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CORBELS (noun - Cantilevered bracket supporting a structure above, often mistakenly referred to as grotesque or gargoyle; the latter being a waterspout used to throw water away from a building)
The Corbel Collection
This website and its photographic collection and location plans has been created by retired designer and photographer Roy Romsey.
A contortionist!
Fearsome
A contortionist!
Stonemasons
Little is known about the army of the stonemasons who over the centuries diligently chipped away sculpting these huge blocks of stone, nor of the background for why such heads, animals, plants and mythical creatures were selected to decorate the Abbey. However...
Abbey Background
A Brief History
The Church:
The Abbey Church of St Mary and St Ethelflaeda (more commonly known as Romsey Abbey), Romsey, Hampshire, England.
Denomination: Church of England.
The Building:
In AD 907 King Edward the Elder settled some nuns on this spot under the charge of his daughter. Ethelflaeda, the nunnery's second abbess, was a saintly woman to whom several miracles were attributed, and whose acts of sanctity reputedly included chanting psalms whilst standing naked in the River Test at night. The present building dates from about 1120 and is a fine medieval building with large windows and a well lit interior reminiscent of larger cathedrals across England. Classic Norman arches in the hard, cream coloured, freshwater limestone known as Binstead stone tower above the large nave.
Rare Birthing Corbel
Click a photo to see gallery of 18 photos
A.F.Ellery 1.6.85 - graffiti presumably added in situ by stonemason Ellery
Bath House, (Nos 91 and 93) Middlebridge Street, Romsey Hampshire. purchased by Stonemasons Thomas Ellery and son Andrew Flooks Ellery in 1874 whereupon they set to in practiceing their craft by adding the carved stone embellishments around the windows, doors and elsewhere.
Detail of some of the stone carvings that stonemason Thomas Ellery and son Andrew Flooks Ellery embellished Bath House Middlebridge Street, Romsey, upon purchasing the property in 1874.
Detail of some of the stone carvings that stonemason Thomas Ellery and son Andrew Flooks Ellery embellished Bath House Middlebridge Street, Romsey, upon purchasing the property in 1874.
This rare birthing corbel is firmly believed to have been sculpted by stonemason A F Ellery, whose name is engraved as graffitti on the corbel's left-hand side along with the date 1.6.85.(or perhaps 1865)
Click for more A.F. Ellery Information and Photos
This birthing corbel is thought to be a play on the name of the Rev Berthon who designed and had the adjacent window installed. The reverend was also a local inventor, engineer and businessman.
The Price of Love
Squire seduces Blacksmith's wife
'An historical and descriptive companion to the Abbey Church, Romsey' - Fourth Edition.
Printed and published by William Chignell, Market Place. Romsey. circa 1830s.
This book refers to a corbel like a grindstone near the north-west corner, which legend has it 'that a man of opulance, having too successfully tampered with the fidelity of a certain blacksmith's wife, was enjoined by the Pope, as a penance, to rebuild so much of the western end of the church as extends beyond this mark, which is interpreted as an emblem of the blacksmith's trade.'
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It is also referred to in Perkins Guide Book of 1907 p31
A Short Account of Romsey Abbey by Rev T Perkin
A legend is connected with a corbel stone near the west end of the north aisle. It is fashioned into the likeness of a grindstone and it is handed down by tradition that once upon a time towards the end of the twelfth century or the beginning of the thirteenth a nobleman ran away with a blacksmith’s wife, but afterwards repented of his sin and had imposed on him as penance the completion of the west end of the Abbey church. The grindstone, emblem of the blacksmith’s calling, was, it is said, placed on the newly erected western bay to commemorate the incident.
The Mason's Mark
The business of Blackwell and Moody Stonemasones, was operated by Thomas Beck until his demise in 1942. It was taken over shortly afterward by his grandson Peter Wheble when he was invalided out of the army. This photo of peter was taken in 2014 - aged 96
This corbel was carved as a portrait of stonemason F.L.'Peter' Wheble by his employee and colleague Harry Burt in the 1960s Harry worked with 'Peter' for 40 years after he left the Royal Navy
Work on the Abbey
In the late 1960s Vokes and Becks, a stonemason company based in Winchester which had proudly undertaken the Abbey's work for ten years, discovered whilst repairing the parapet stones on the South West level, that the corbels were structurally unsound and had to renew them, As the original Binstead limstone from the Isle of Wight quarry was no longer available, it was decided to use a Portland stone; it was sound, available. and economially viable. (£40 per corbel)
Any badly damaged corbels were matched to the originals, but where the corbels had eroded too much, it was left to the stonemasons to create designs of their choosing - as was the tradition.
During the course of the work, stonemason Harry Burt surreptitiously sculpted a portrait of his boss Mr F.L.'Peter' Wheble into a corbel, then incorporated it into Table No 2 on the lower South face of the Abbey. (LS2b)
Mr Brooks was the initial architect, but was later replaced following a change in Abbey management. The new achitects used a different company of stonemasons.
(This account given by Peter Wheble January 2015 aged 96.)
The Binstead Quarry
Supplied stone to built Romsey Abbey, Winchester Cathedral and other buildings.
The following extracts are from a number of google searches.
Binstead is recorded in 1086 in the Domesday Book as Benestede. It became known for the quality of its limestone which led to a local quarrying industry,
One of the earliest recording of quarrying was by the first Norman Bishop of Winchester, Walkelin, who was granted half a hide of land by William the Conqueror. He used the stone to construct Winchester Cathedral starting in 1079. Subsequently the stone was used in the building of Chichester Cathedral, Romsey Abbey and part of the Tower of London. More...
Useful References
This section is currently being constructed
List of website for useful reference
List of website of Historical Documents
Records of Romsey Abbey nuns A.D. 907-1558
Bells Short account of Romsey Abbey
Corbels at Romsey Abbey
painting by Rex Trayhorne
Site last updated 30th June 2020
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