Gargoyles and GrotesquesAll SaintsSilkstone Gargoyle 1 Bat

A gargoyle is a waterspout designed to throw rainwater away from the walls of a building. The English word ‘gargoyle’ derives from the French gargouille and in turn from the Latin for throat,- gargula . The term gargoyle has come to include all types of images. Some gargoyles were depicted as monks, or combinations of real animals and people, many of which were humorous. Unusual animal mixtures, or chimeras, did not act as rainspouts and are more properly called grotesques. They serve more as ornamentation, but are now synonymous with gargoyles. The legends behind covering downspouts with elaborate figures are just as varied as the individual figures themselves. It is said that no two gargoyles are alike but no one seems to have a definite reason why!Some say they were meant to ward off the devil, whilst others believe that were meant to remind parishioners of the perils of evil.

‘Ultimately gargoyles and grotesques are a kind of rogue genre of medieval art…it is important to acknowledge their potential for multiple meanings and layers of interpretation, as beloved by the culture that created them… If there is no single definitive answer to the question as to why they are there, then it is because some of the carvings themselves are too full of possible meanings, and paradoxical ones at that, to be comfortably explained – and perhaps that is the point’1

The Silkstone gargoyles range from grotesque figures via Friars, a pilgrim and angels to the recent caricatures of a rose grower, French mayor and a churchwarden. The exact date of the earliest gargoyles is unknown but there are records from the late 19th century to the present day regarding some of the replacement carving.

In the St James chapel you can see the ‘remains of a corner gargoyle from the Tower removed in 1934 restoration and now set on a moulded stone from the 19th century pulpit base’2. This shows just how much of the stone block is left un- carved in order that it can be fixed into the wall

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The start of the tour to view the gargoyles is to the right of the porch at the west end of the church beginning with the gargoyle 1 on the plan. This grotesque of a bat is possibly one of the two

replaced in 1874/53.

In the corner between the west wall and the porch we come to 2 the next of the gargoyles There is a modern drainage spout alongside the figure indicating that it is a grotesque not a gargoyle.What does it represent ? A man in prayer?

33 The next figure is

weathered. 4 Is a bearded man holding a book, the spine and pages are clearly visible. Could this be a bible? see the expression on his face. This grotesque is in good condition and is a replacement

figure. Date unknown

4,5.6 7 and 8 are all very weathered too and not easy to determine what they represent but they all seem to have an animal body.

9 A well preserved example of an animal grotesque – a ram with a broken horn. They were said to symbolise a priest leading his flock able to butt around all obstacles as they faced spiritual challenges.

10 Another well weathered grotesque.

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11,12 and 13 Now we come to three new gargoyles fitted to the south/east facing corner by stonemason/sculptor Steve Ansty of Costock in Leicestershire in 2005 fashioned from Cadeby stone.

The first image captured is Jim Travis then Churchwarden

The two other gargoyles feature the faces of Tom Horsfield, who owns Horsfield's Nurseries in the village, and Dominque Cailluad, who was then the mayor of Silkstone's French

twin town St Florent Des Bois.

These decorative gargoyles were fitted to mark the end of more than five years restoration work to the church.4

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Next we come to the north side of the church starting at the west end. 14 This mythical creature deserves close examination with the face of a dog, a mouth full of teeth

and a scaly body. The grotesques on this side of the church seem less worn than those to the south.

15 This seems to be a Chimera - a creatures that is a mix of different types of animal body parts to create a new creature. Chimeras were said to be a warning to people who underrated the devil !

16 A complete contrast. This is thought by one antiquinarian to be a pilgrim wearing a collar of shells5

17 Completely weathered and illegible man with rams head

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18 Weathered, but a closer examination suggests a tortoise shell on the back of a man. Early 20th century descriptions of the grotesques suggests that this is caricature of a friar

by the Cluniac monks. This was their church!.19 The next figure is mainly a carved head with a rudimentary body. Wearing headress or hood. A monk a peasant or a pilgrim?

20 This is indistinct could be an animal, it has four legs!

21 Figure of king or a knave? A bust rather than complete figure. Like the heads adorning the sides of the west porch?

22 Figure of an angel in prayer complete with cowl and wings.

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23.Comes between T4 and 1 on the plan. Another apparently femine figure. Well carved with girdle and

cloak carrying cross, folds of dress go to wall

Picture of west front of tower. The next four gargoyles are at the string level under the parapet. T2

is on the left T3 on the right and T4 is just seen on the right. T1 is on the north side of the tower, You need binoculars to see them clearly.

T1 This figure seems to be a man in a rather contorted position with his back towards us. Could this be a bawdy image not unknown with Cluniac monks6 There is a similar figure at Ecclesfield called the exibitionist. They are said to represent an insultto the devil. 8

T2 A good example of the medieval figure ‘the mouth puller’. It may refer to the sin of gluttony, or it’s simply got toothache, or it could be just playing a light hearted game of ‘girning,

T3 This dragon-like creature with bulging eyes and wide mouth with vicious teeth could be a replacement in the 18th

century in the Romanesque style. Dragons represented the devil in early times but where later said to ward off the devil.

T4 This creature with wide mouth and bulging eyes seemss to have a bird(?) on its right shoulder. It appears to be one of the original gargoyles from the 1495 rebuild.

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Above the west door is the coat of arms of the Dronfield family - owners of the West Bretton estate in the early 15th century.

Here one of the pinnacles of the tower. As you have gone around the the church looking at the gargoyles you will have seen similar crotcheted pinnacles crowning most of the flying buttresses on the north and south side of the church.

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References1 p 20 Alex Woodcock Gargoyles and Grotesques, Shire Publications 20112 Quinquennial Inspection Report Peter Pace 20123 Silkstone Parish Church Wardens Accounts Easter 1895 4 Doncaster Free press 18 Oct 20055 Ella Armitage Antiquities of Sheffield and Rotherham 19076 p6 Jennetta Benton Holy Terrors Abbeville Press 1997

BibliographyJoseph Prince History and Topography of Silkstone Church 1922Jennetta Benton Holy Terrors Abbeville Press 1997Alex Woodcock Gargoyles and Grotesques, Shire Publications 2011

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Gargoyle taken down in 1934 restoration

Above mounted on plinth in St James Chapel note the amount of the stone block that goes into the wall in

creating a gargoyle

This booklet is produced as part of project ‘Silkstone reflects on the Church Heritage’

November 2012