THE LION IN THE RIVER

Volunteers working on clearing weeds in the River Kennet in the attractive Wiltshire town of Marlborough recently got a big surprise. A large lump of masonry was shifted from its position on the river-bed and they found themselves gazing into the weed-draped, grinning countenance of a stylised medieval lion! The lion is believed to have…

Three lions on a shirt….English football and Richard the Lionheart….

“….He spent little time in England but one very famous king’s emblem is now on the lips of millions in the country he ruled but rarely visited. Football fans across the land are singing ‘Three Lions on a Shirt’ and it’s all thanks to Richard I….” Well, that’s about all for which England has to…

The Traitor’s Arms?

In 1840 workmen carrying out repairs to St Bartholomew’s Church, Ashperton, Herefordshire were collecting stones from the ruins of a nearby manor house when they discovered a heavy stone plaque, carved with an elaborate coat of arms, among the rubble. The stone was taken to the church for safekeeping and has hung on the wall…