The Vault

Durham Cathedral Water Tower (1)

This is a gargoyle on the ancient water tower in the grounds of Durham Cathedral. It is situated in the College precinct between the Chorister School and the former Cathedral Kitchen.

The Bishopric of Durham dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093. The cathedral is regarded as one of the finest examples of Norman architecture and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with nearby Durham Castle, which faces it across Palace Green.

Magdalen College, Oxford (1)

This is a gargoyle at Magdalen College, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

Magdalen College was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester. Regarded as one of the most beautiful of the Oxford and Cambridge colleges, it stands next to the River Cherwell and has a deer park within its grounds.

Todmorden Unitarian Church, West Yorkshire

This is a gargoyle on Todmorden Unitarian Church in West Yorkshire, England. The church is a Grade 1 listed building that was built between 1865 and 1869. It stands in an elevated position overlooking Todmorden itself, a popular market town.

The church is regarded as a particularly fine example of the "Gothic Revival" style of architecture.

Notre Dame, Paris

This is a gargoyle on Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The cathedral is widely considered to be a fine example of French Gothic architecture, and was one of the first buildings in the world to use flying buttresses. Many small individually crafted statues were placed around the outside to serve as column supports and water spouts, including the famous gargoyles. Construction began in 1163 during the reign of Louis VII and was largely complete by 1345.

Lincoln Cathedral

The Lincoln Imp is a gargoyle in Lincoln Cathedral, England, on the south side of the most north-easterly pillar of the Angel Choir. It is the symbol of the City of Lincoln. According to a 14th-century legend, two imps were sent by Satan to do evil work on Earth. After causing mayhem in Northern England, they headed to Lincoln Cathedral, where they smashed tables and chairs and tripped up the Bishop. When an angel came out of a book of hymns and told them to stop, one of the imps started throwing rocks at the angel, but the other imp cowered under the broken tables and chairs. The angel turned the first imp to stone, giving the second imp a chance to escape to Grimsby.

Magdalen College, Oxford (2)

This is a gargoyle on Magdalen College, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford. Magdalen was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester. The founder's statutes included provision for a choral foundation of men and boys (a tradition that has continued to the present day). A large meadow occupies most of the north west of the college's grounds, from the New Buildings and the Grove Quad up to Holywell Ford. During the winter and spring, it is the home of a herd of Fallow Deer.

St Nicolas, Newbury

This is a gargoyle on the church of St Nicolas in Newbury, West Berkshire. The original founder of the church is said to be Ernulf, the lord of forty-eight manors under the gift of William the Conqueror, towards the end of the 11th century. The only trace of this first church is some of the north porch foundations discovered outside the present building. The church was entirely rebuilt, probably between the years 1509 and 1533. St Nicolas is chiefly notable for the consistency of this early 16th-century, late Perpendicular Gothic architecture. It is of unusually large size for a parish church.

St Mark, Mark in Somerset

This is a gargoyle on the east end of the south aisle of the Church of St Mark in Mark, Somerset. The church dates from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. There may have been a chapel in the village from the 12th century however the current church was dedicated in 1268 as the Church of the Holy Cross. The Four Evangelists, each with his symbol, were carved by a Belgian sculptor, André, in 1524 from single pieces of oak. Now in the choir, they were originally from Bruges Cathedral. The North Aisle Roof has many Tudor carvings, while the Nave Barrel Roof features earlier ones including King Alfred and his wife.

Paisley Abbey

This gargoyle is on Paisley Abbey in the centre of the town of Paisley, about 12 miles west of Glasgow in Scotland. It is believed that Saint Mirren (Mirin) founded a community on this site in 7th century. After his death a shrine was established which became a popular site of pilgrimage and veneration. The name Paisley may derive from the Brythonic Passeleg, maning 'basilica'. In 1163 a charter was made for a priory to be set up in the town. Dedicated to Saints Mary, James, Mirin and Milburga, around 13 monks came from the Cluniac priory at Much Wenlock in Shropshire to found the community. It was raised to the status of abbey in 1245. In 1307, Edward I of England had the abbey burned down although it was rebuilt later in the 14th century. William Wallace is believed to have been educated here for some time when he was a boy.

Church of All Saints, Willian

This month’s gargoyle is from the Church of All Saints in Willian, Hertfordshire. The church dates back to Norman times or earlier, and consists of a nave with two bays and a chancel. These date to the 12th and 13th centuries respectively. The tower and south porch are 15th century. The roof is of Welsh slate with coped gables, while the structure is built of flint and ironstone rubble walls with ashlar dressed stone and buttresses. The 14th and 15th century fenestration is in the Perpendicular style. The church's interior has a 19th century timber barrel roof above both the nave and chancel, while the latter still has its original corbel masks and carved seats.

The tower is of three stages with a stair turret and battlemented parapet. There are eight gargoyles.

Church of St Michael and All Angels, Buckland Dinham

This is a gargoyle on the Church of St Michael and All Angels in Buckland Dinham, Somerset, England. A Grade I listed building, the church has a nave, chancel, south chapel and south porch which date from around 1200. The north chapel was added in 1325, a further chapel to the north of the chancel and the west tower being added in 1480. The church underwent restoration in the late 19th century. The tower contains six bells.

Ripon Cathedral, North Yorkshire

This month’s gargoyle is on Ripon Cathedral in North Yorkshire. The “Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Wilfrid”, as it is formally known, was founded as a monastery by Scottish monks in the 660s before being refounded as a Benedictine monastery by St Wilfrid in 672. The cathedral is notable architecturally for its gothic west front in the Early English style, considered one of the best of its type, as well as the Geometric east window. The seventh-century crypt of Wilfrid's church is a significant example of early Christian architecture in England.

Today's church is the fourth to have stood on this site. Saint Wilfrid brought stonemasons, plasterers and glaziers from France and Italy to build his great basilica in 672. The Early English west front was added in 1220, its twin towers originally crowned with wooden spires and lead. The east window was built as part of a reconstruction of the choir between 1286-8 and 1330.

Barcelona Cathedral

The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, also known as Barcelona Cathedral, was constructed from the 13th to 15th centuries in the Gothic style. The roof is notable for its gargoyles which encompass a wide range of animals including mythical ones. In 1046, Count Ramon Berenguer I and his wife Almodis, together with Bishop Guislabert, had built a Romanesque cathedral on the site. This was consecrated in November 1058.

The Cathedral is built over the crypt of a much earlier cross-shaped church dating from the 6th-7th century. The area had actually been a Visigothic episcopal complex. As well as the church, this included a 4th century baptistery, a 5th century basilical hall, and a 6th-7th century bishop's palace.

St Peter's Church, Croft-on-Tees

This month's gargoyle can be found inside St Peter's Church in Croft-on-Tees, County Durham, England. The church dates back to 1130, the aisles and chancel were added in the 14th century and the tower in 1399. There are 3 bells in the tower which date back to 1699. An enormous family pew, built like a theatre box, overlooks the nave; it is made of oak and dates from the 19th century.

In the chancel there is an excellent 14th century stone sedilia. Lewis Carroll's father was rector of the church from 1843 to 1868 and Lewis spent much of his boyhood in the village. This effigy on the sedilia is claimed to be Carroll's inspiration for the Cheshire cat in his book "Alice in Wonderland".

Parliament Hill, Ottawa

This month's gargoyle is a beaver on the Parliament Hill Centre Block in Ottawa. The groundbreaking for the building which would house Canada's Parliament took place on 20 December 1859. Fire destroyed the original Centre Block on February 3 1916. Rebuilding started that same year. The new design was much like the original but expanded in size and pared down in ornament, more in keeping with the Beaux-Arts ethos of the time. There are a multitude of stone carvings, including gargoyles, grotesques, and friezes, which reflect the Victorian High Gothic style of the rest of the parliamentary complex.

Casa de las Conchas, Salamanca

This month's gargoyle is on the Casa de las Conchas in Salamanca, Spain. The building was constructed, in a mix of late Gothic and Plateresque styles, from 1493 to 1517 by Rodrigo Arias de Maldonado, a knight of the Order of Santiago de Compostela and a professor in the University of Salamanca.

The Casa is decorated with more than 300 shells, the symbol of the order of Santiago. Now in use as a public library, the inner court is characterized in the lower floor by arches supported by square pilasters, while the arches on the upper floor are supported by shorter columns in Carrara marble.

St Mary's Church, Colston Bassett

The village of Colston Bassett is noted as being one of only five in England which is authorized to produce Stilton cheese. St Mary's Church lies slightly north-east of Colston Bassett, Nottinghamshire. It dates from 1135 although it lies on the site of an earlier church which was most likely Saxon. A walled-up arcade in the north of the building is certainly Norman while most of the work dates from the 14th and 15th centuries. There are some 18th century windows in the south transept.

Depopulation of the area led to decline and the bells were transferred to St John's in the village itself. Although ruined, #st Mary's was never deconsecrated. It was re-dedicated in 2005 following restoration work begun in 1994.

St Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork

This month's gargoyle is on Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral in Cork, Ireland. The cathedral is located on the south side of the River Lee, ground that has been a place of worship since the seventh century, and is dedicated to Finbarr of Cork, patron saint of the city.  Archaeological evidence suggests the first site at Fin Barre's probably dates from the 7th century, and consisted of a church and round tower which survived until the 12th century, after which it fell into neglect, or was destroyed during the Norse invasions. The present cathedral, constructed in the 19th Century, is mostly built from local stone sourced from Little Island and Fermoy. The exterior is capped by three spires: two on the west front and above where the transept crosses the nave. Many of the external sculptures, including the gargoyles, were modelled by Thomas Nicholls.

Chapel Château d'Amboise of Saint-Hubert, France

This month’s gargoyle is on the Chapel of Saint-Hubert in the gardens of the Château d'Amboise, a castle on a spur above the River Loire. The strategic potential of the site has been appreciated since Celtic times when a fort was to be found there. The medieval castle became favored by the French monarchy and was extensively rebuilt in the 15th century. King Charles VIII died at the château in 1498 after hitting his head on a door lintel. The castle fell into decline during the 16th century and many inner buildings were lost, although some remain along with the outer towers and walls.

Leonardo da Vinci came to Château Amboise in 1515 as a royal guest. He lived and worked in the nearby Clos Lucé, which connected to the château via an underground passageway. The supposed remains of Leonardo were discovered in 1863 at the nearby church of St. Florentin, and were moved to the Chapel of Saint-Hubert.

Ludlow Castle, Shropshire

This month’s gargoyle is from Ludlow Castle, a ruined medieval fortification in the town of Ludlow, Shropshire, near the Welsh border. It stands on a promontory overlooking the River Teme, and was one of the first stone castles to be built in England. It was further extended in the later medieval period with a Great Tower, outer bailey, and additional building. Ludlow Castle was chosen as the seat of the Council in the Marches of Wales, effectively acting as the capital of Wales, and it was extensively renovated throughout the 16th century. By the 17th century the castle was luxuriously appointed, but fell into disrepair following the Civil War. The architecture of Ludlow reflects its long history, retaining a blend of several styles of building. English Heritage notes that the ruins represent "a remarkably complete multi-phase complex" and considers Ludlow to be "one of England's finest castle sites".

St Wulfram's, Grantham (1)

This month's gargoyle is on St Wulfram's, a parish church in Grantham in Lincolnshire. The early Saxon church was completely altered by the Normans; it was then ruined by fire resulting from a lightning strike in 1222. The church was then rebuilt and extended over the next century, and in the 15th and 16th centuries two chapels were added. The church has a library dating from 1598, the first in England to be endowed under a civic authority. Housed above the south porch with a squint window, more than 80 volumes are kept secured by chains. The design of the church, which is built from local limestone, appears to have been influenced by Salisbury Cathedral. The slender crocketed spire stands 282.5 feet high and has been described as the finest in England.

All Saints' Church, Gresford near Wrexham

This month's gargoyle is on All Saints' Church in Gresford near Wrexham. It is mainly of a very fine 15th century construction, and the peal of eight bells is renowned for its exceptionally pure tone. All Saints' has the most surviving medieval stained glass of any church in Wales. Henry VII paid for the large central east window. The church is remarkably large for a small village, and may have been a place of pilgrimage. The church contains some very fine memorials, mostly for the local Trevalyn Hall branch of the powerful Trefor family. There are twelve misericords dating from about 1500. They have strange carvings, including a devil pushing two women into the jaws of Hell, an ape with a urine flask, and a fox with a bucket of excrement.

The church also houses the Gresford Stone, a Romano-British altar which was re-purposed as a building block during construction. It was originally used for offerings to the goddess Nemesis, who is depicted on one side, and was probably once part of a shrine.

Bayeux Cathedral, Normandy

This month's gargoyle is on Bayeux Cathedral in Normandy, France. The seat of the Bishop of Bayeux and Lisieux, the cathedral was built on an ancient ritual site which once featured Roman sanctuaries. The present building was consecrated in 1077 under the Duke, William of Normandy, who had invaded England in 1066 and seized the throne. The cathedral is in the Norman-Romanesque architectural tradition, and was the original home of the Bayeux Tapestry which famously illustrates the conquest.

St. Peter's Church, Codford, Wiltshire

This month’s gargoyle is on St. Peter’s Church in Codford, Wiltshire. It was built in the 13th century, the tower and the south porch being subsequently added in the 15th. Extensive renovation was conducted in 1863. The church contains a finely carved 9th-century cross-shaft and a 12th century font.

Another church, St Mary’s, lies less than half a mile away and is perhaps of slightly earlier construction. The two ancient parishes formed a united benefice in 1930.

St. Nicholas Church, Great Hormead, Hertfordshire

This month’s gargoyle is on St. Nicholas Church in Great Hormead, Hertfordshire. The church was founded in the early 13th century and the corbels in the roof supposedly date from that period. There were many additions to the building over the next 200 years, including the tower which has a peal of six bells. The first bell dates from 1606, and the last one was installed in 1701.

The church was extensively restored in 1873. The chancel was rebuilt, new stained glass windows were put in, and an organ chamber was added to the south porch.

St. Peter's Church in Rodmarton, Gloucestershire

This month's gargoyle is on St Peter's Church in Rodmarton, Gloucestershire. The church was founded at some point before 1291, by which time there was a rectory, and it is known that by the time of Domesday the village had a priest. It is an ancient building made of stone in the Early English style. There is a chancel, with a brass to John Edwards, Lord of the Manor, who died in 1461. There is also a nave, north aisle, a south chapel belonging to the Coxe family, a south porch, and a western tower with spire and 3 bells. In 1897 the advowson of the church was sold to Claud Biddulph, Lord of the Manor.

Thaxted Church, Essex

Thaxted Church, Essex

This month's gargoyle is on Thaxted Church in Essex. There is a long drainpipe emanating from the mouth, which gives the appearance of a giant cigar.

The church was built to resemble a cathedral, and is said to be one of the grandest in Essex. It stands on the top of a hill overlooking the town of Thaxted, and the spire is visible for miles around. Building work started in 1340 and was completed in 1510. There are two side chapels as well as chapels in the north and south transepts. There are also two porches, known as the King's and the Duke's, after Edward IV and Lionel the Duke of Clarence, who provided for them. Both porches are vaulted and have spiral staircases which lead up to a room in a turret. 

The church measures 183 by 87 feet, and houses much ancient stained glass, including a picture of knight in the south transept which dates to about 1341. The image is said to be of Edmund, the Earl of March, who held part of the manor.

Rosslyn Chapel, Scotland

This month’s gargoyle is on Rosslyn Chapel, a 15th-century chapel founded on a small hill above Roslin Glen, in Scotland, by William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness. Its highly ornate gothic architecture is considered to be among the finest in the country. Construction of the chapel began on 20 September 1456 and the decorative carving was executed over a forty-year period. The chapel stands on fourteen pillars, which form an arcade of twelve pointed arches on three sides of the nave. The three pillars at the east end of the chapel are named, from north to south: the Master Pillar, the Journeyman Pillar and, most famously, the Apprentice Pillar. Among Rosslyn's many intricate carvings are a sequence of 213 cubes or "boxes" protruding from pillars and arches with various patterns on them, and there are more than 110 carvings of "Green Men" in and around the building. The chapel has been a burial place for several generations of the Sinclairs; a crypt being accessible from a descending stair. Rosslyn Chapel has become the subject of speculation regarding its supposed connection with the Knights Templar, especially since the publication of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code in 2003.

Villa d'Este, Tivoli Gardens, Rome

This month's gargoyle is in the garden of the Villa d'Este, a 16th-century villa in Tivoli near Rome. Commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este, the villa is renowned for its Italian Renaissance garden and fountains. The land was purchased in 1550 with work eventually beginning in 1560. Vast amounts of earth were excavated and used to build terraces; a variety of arcades, grottos, niches, and nymphaeums were also constructed. The nearby river Aniene was diverted to furnish water for the complex system of pools, fountains, and other water features. In line with the aesthetic principles of the Renaissance, the garden was compartmentalized into units 30 metres across. The villa is a UNESCO world heritage site.

University of Cambridge

This month’s gargoyle is one of many to be found at the University of Cambridge in England. Dating from the early 13th century, Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world. Originally an association of scholars who left Oxford after a dispute with the local inhabitants, it evolved into a collegiate institution which also includes libraries and museums. There are 31 colleges in total, comprising 16 “old” ones founded between 1284 and 1596, and 15 “new” ones founded after 1800. Most of the old colleges are near the centre of the town by the river Cam.

Le Chapelle du Grouanec, Brittany

This month’s gargoyle is on Le Chapelle du Grouanec in lower Brittany. The architectural structure of the church is typical of the region, although unusually it has two fountains, and the bell tower is comparatively recent and modest. The building as a whole dates from the thirteenth to the twentieth century and has excellent panel paintings as well as contemporary stained glass. The ancient nave may actually be prior to the 13th century while the choir is 14th or 15th century, and the porch of the lords of Bouteville dates from the first half of the 15th century. There are 17 statues including the Virgin and Child, and a stone Pietà.

Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester

This month's gargoyle is on Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, UK. The Grade II listed building was designed around 1870 by the architect Thomas Worthington, who recycled various unused designs that were originally intended for the local town hall and a school in Ealing. The court features a huge corner tower, and a chimney stack disguised as a "campanile", or bell tower. Worthington had a trademark "Flemish Gothic" style which he applied in red brick and sandstone. The ornate carvings were provided by Earp and Hobbs.

Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff, Wales

This month's gargoyle is on Llandaff Cathedral, an Anglican cathedral and parish church in Cardiff, Wales. The present building dates from the 12th century although it was built on the site of an earlier Celtic church. Welsh tradition associates the original church's founding with Lucius, the legendary King of the Britons. The northwest tower was added by Jasper Tudor during 1484–95 and is now named after him.

The cathedral suffered extensive damage in 1400 during the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr and then again during the English Civil War. The construction of a new cathedral began in 1734, designed by John Wood the Elder. The material of the church which remains from the medieval period is primarily Somerset Dundry stone.

St Hilary's Church, Spridlington, Lincolnshire

This month's gargoyle is on the parish church of St Hilary's in Spridlington, a village and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. The building dates from 1875, when it replaced an earlier church dedicated to St Hilary and St Albinus. Originally there were two churches in the village, but the site of St Albinus is unrecorded.

The historic Thomas Nicholson organ was renovated in 2007 and re-dedicated by the Bishop of Lincoln on St Hilary’s Day, 13 January 2008.

Magdalen College, Oxford (3)

This is a gargoyle at Magdalen College, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

Magdalen College was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester. Regarded as one of the most beautiful of the Oxford and Cambridge colleges, it stands next to the River Cherwell and has a deer park within its grounds.

Dumbarton Castle, Scotland

This month’s gargoyle is known as “Fause (False) Menteith”, and is found on Dumbarton Castle in Scotland. The castle has been the site of a strategically important settlement since the Iron Age, when it was known as Alt Clut.

From the fifth century until the ninth, the castle was the centre of the independent Brythonic Kingdom of Strathclyde. Following the Viking destruction of the fortress, Dumbarton Rock does not appear on record again until the 13th century. In medieval Scotland, Dumbarton (Dùn Breatainn, which means "the fortress of the Britons") was an important royal castle.

Today not much survives from the medieval castle: the 14th-century Portcullis Arch, the foundations of the Wallace Tower, and what may be the foundations of the White Tower. There is a 16th-century guard house, which includes this face which according to legend is "Fause Menteith", who betrayed William Wallace.

St Ethelbert's, Hessett, Suffolk

This month's gargoyle is on St. Ethelbert's church in the village of Hessett, to the east of Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk. The church was extensively rebuilt in the 15th century, enveloping an earlier tower. The chancel is separated from the nave by a 15th century rood screen, elegantly painted and gilt with friezes of birds. The church has an extensive set of wall paintings which fortuitously survived the Reformation, and its stained glass is of particularly notable quality. At the back of the church is a medieval chest with three locks, the keys for which lost. It remained unopened until the 19th century when a pyx cloth and a burse were found. The pyx cloth was draped over the wooden canopy that enclosed the blessed sacrament before it was raised above the high altar, while the burse was used to contain the host before consecration at the Mass. These are the only surviving examples in England.

St. Nicolai, Luneberg, Germany

This month's gargoyle is on the church of St. Nicolai in Luneberg, Germany. Built between 1407 and 1440 out of brick and in Gothic style, it was consecrated to St  Nicholas in 1409. There is a "star" rib vault of a type unique in Northern Germany. The Gothic Revival steeple was added in the 19th century. The main altar was carved and painted in the 15th century. It was brought to St. Nicholas around 1861 from the nearby church of St. Lamberti. Parts of an earlier altar can still be seen behind the choir, with reliefs and paintings from the early to mid 15th century. The stained glass in the church is modern. 

St Margaret the Queen, Buxted Park, East Sussex

This month's gargoyle is on the church of St Margaret the Queen in Buxted Park, East Sussex. The church was constructed in 1250, the earliest features being the tower and south arcade. The north aisle and chapel were added at the end of the 13th century. This was followed shortly later by the chancel, the remarkable ceiling of which probably dates from the early 18th century. The church was restored in 1858. Steeped in much earlier history, it is dedicated to Saint Margaret of Scotland and has a Yew tree aged over 2000 years old in the churchyard.

The church contains an octagonal limestone font with shields, including an 'RK' monogram probably for King Richard III (a similar font lies in Barnard Castle parish church). There is an incised slab beneath the altar, and a worn 14th century female effigy lies to the north. There are six 13th century cross slabs in the porch including a priest's slab with chalice, book and blessing hand.

Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus in Carcassonne, France

This month's gargoyle is on the Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus in Carcassonne, France. The church is located in the citadel and is a minor basilica in the Gothic-Romanesque style.The original church is thought to have been built in the 6th century, during the reign of Theodoric the Great of the Visigoths. It was then rebuilt in the first half of the 12th century, although no trace of that remains apart from the crypt, before being rebuilt again in the 13th century. The present building essentially dates from this period.The tripartite nave, in romanesque style, is the oldest part of the existing church and there is a Romanesque portal of five receding arches over two doors in the north wall. The transept and choir were rebuilt in the Gothic style, and the stained glass window of the choir, dating from 1280, is one of the oldest in the south of France.

St Mary's Church in Devizes, Wiltshire

This month's gargoyle is on St Mary's Church in Devizes, Wiltshire. The chancel, west tower, aisles and nave are of 12th century Norman origin while the rest of the church was substantially rebuilt in the 15th century. St. Mary's was originally built to serve the town outside the nearby castle walls. The west tower is very fine and dominating, and there are gargoyles and battlements. The south porch is crenellated, and the entrance features reused Norman zig zag bands up the arch. The 15th century body of the church has a fine timber roof. An inscription records the rebuilding of the church by William Smythe who died in 1436.

St Wulfram's, Grantham, Lincolnshire

This month's gargoyle is on St Wulfram's, a parish church in Grantham in Lincolnshire. The early Saxon church was completely altered by the Normans; it was then ruined by fire resulting from a lightning strike in 1222. The church was then rebuilt and extended over the next century, and in the 15th and 16th centuries two chapels were added.

The church has a library dating from 1598, the first in England to be endowed under a civic authority. Housed above the south porch with a squint window, more than 80 volumes are kept secured by chains.

The design of the church, which is built from local limestone, appears to have been influenced by Salisbury Cathedral. The slender crocketed spire stands 282.5 feet high and has been described as the finest in England.

Chapelle Saint-Fiacre de Radenac, Brittany

This month's gargoyle is on the Chapelle Saint-Fiacre de Radenac in Brittany. The chapel may have Templar or Hospitaller links and is understood to have been built on the initiative of the Order of Saint John. Its construction spanned several eras. The main nave, which is in Gothic style, dates from the end of the 14th century. The west facade of the side nave is richly decorated with a semicircular ribbed door, surmounted by an arch with escutcheon and crown. In the transept, fixed to the wall, stands the tombstone of one of the lords of Lantivy in knight's habit. To the north, in the oldest part of the chapel, is an arched door topped by a semicircular tympanum with a bas-relief of Saint Fiacre. A nearby fountain, which dates from the end of the 17th century, was offered by Mgr de Guémadeuc, bishop of Saint-Malo, in thanks for his healing.

St Denys' Church, Aswarth, Lincolnshire

This month's gargoyle is on St Denys' Church in Aswarth, Lincolnshire. The church is dedicated to St Denys (Dionysius), Bishop of Paris (273) and patron of the Kings of France. Aswarby may take its name from the old Danish name Aswarth, which was originally an ecclesiastical parish within the ancient Aswardhun wapentake of the Danelaw.

The chancel was built and the church restored between 1849 and 1850, but parts of the church date back to the 12th, 14th and 15th centuries. The south doorway and font remain from the Norman church which stood during the reign of Henry I in the 1100s. The font is 12th century with a 20th-century lid.

St. James' Church, Normanton-on-Soar, Nottinghamshire

This month's gargoyle is on St. James' Church in Normanton-on-Soar, Nottinghamshire. The church dates from the 13th century and has a frontage directly onto the River Soar, with extensive views over the valley. It is renowned for this setting and is known locally as a "boatman’s Church". A well-used public footpath crosses the churchyard and is  part of a network of paths that run through the village and surrounding countryside.

St James' is cruciform in layout and has a spired central tower. The nave includes a clerestory which was added in the 15th century. The font meanwhile is 14th century, and features tracery panels. The coat-of-arms of King Charles II, dated 1683, can be found above the chancel arch, and somewhat unusually, are made of plaster. They were installed by the Lord of the Manor, Samuel Sanders, whose own arms can be found below along with those of his wife. There are also numerous monuments to the Willoughby family.