GROTESQUE NORMAN HEADS

GROTESQUE NORMAN HEADS

Leeds

Church Lane

What's over 850 years old and has approximately 100 grotesque heads? It's St. John the Baptist Church in Adel, one of the most complete – and eclectic – Norman churches in Yorkshire. Housing an active parish, this 12th-century structure is built along a road once travelled by Romans and Saxons. There’s a royal connection, too. In 1946, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge’s grandparents were married in this very same spot. The building’s fanciful arches are decorated with intricate carvings, including a bow and arrow-wielding centaur. Be sure not to miss the Sanctuary Ring, a bronze door-knocker depicting a man inside the head of a lion. The one on show today is a replica, after the original was stolen in 2002.
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