Carved Norman Heads

These two carved stone heads are rather mysterious. We don’t know who or what they represent. There is little evidence of their origin or even whether they have always been part of the north porch. We believe that they date from the Norman period (1066-1075). Their style is characteristic of Norman sculpture, however, there is a distinct lack of documentary sources to confirm when they were produced.

In this period, building stone was close at hand from quarries in the Priory Groves, although finer stone for decorative dressings and mouldings probably came from further afield.[1] The Norman church here was progressively adapted and improved, working from the east end westwards, making it likely that these carvings would have been produced in the earlier part of the period.

One of the heads is of especial interest as it models a “Celtic” type of carving. “Celtic” carved heads can be found throughout the areas of Europe once inhabited by the people called Celts, including Wales. The style has a particular continuity, and can be seen in examples dating from the Romano-British period all the way up to the modern day. What do you think? Who could they represent?

[1] Ibid. p. 5.

There are 14 different stories on the trail. You can explore them in any order. Just point your phone camera at the QR code when you spot the Cathedral logo. You can download the trail map here.