A lot of the stone faces that look out from the tower and walls of St Helen’s Church in Abingdon have been worn away by frost and wind and rain. You can only guess what they looked like, and how long they have been up there.
Other faces are made of sterner stuff. There is a south facing head that continues to look at the River Thames with stern unweathered disapproval.
Up near the top of the tower there is one grotesque that will always be afraid of heights
The Green Man, beneath one of the window arches, continues to spew out leaves year on year. Nothing will stop him.
Could these be the faces of previous Rectors?
Unlike St Nicolas church, where the gargoyles are citizens who were turned to stone because they didn’t hold their nose and hop on one leg while going under the arch.
One spot remains unfilled – so citizens beware!
Ah John, spoken like a true Abingdonian !