The church of St Benedict at Glinton is a beautiful, striking, structure with its 140 foot needle spire dominating the flat landscape for miles around. The "Peasant Poet" John Clare lived in the village, in a charming white thatched cottage and immortalised the church in his poem "Glinton Spire". The other thing that this church is famous, or infamous, for is the mooning gargoyle. This can be found on the south wall of the nave. There is a row of conventional gargoyles, and one that is reversed at the end of the line. This gargoyle is baring his buttucks, with an upside down face leering in between his legs. It is said that the stonemasons of the day were paid in accordance with how their bosses viewed the quality of the work. It is suggested that the stonemason in question was unhappy with what he had been paid, so carved this gargoyle as a personal comment, expressing his discontent so to speak, and aimed it so that its buttucks were pointed in a direct line towards Peterborough Cathedral. There are one or two of these about, most notably at Easton On The Hill, high up on the tower. Urban myth, possibly but a good story nonetheless!
The church of St Benedict at Glinton is a beautiful, striking, structure with its 140 foot needle spire dominating the flat landscape for miles around. The "Peasant Poet" John Clare lived in the village, in a charming white thatched cottage and immortalised the church in his poem "Glinton Spire". The other thing that this church is famous, or infamous, for is the mooning gargoyle. This can be found on the south wall of the nave. There is a row of conventional gargoyles, and one that is reversed at the end of the line. This gargoyle is baring his buttucks, with an upside down face leering in between his legs. It is said that the stonemasons of the day were paid in accordance with how their bosses viewed the quality of the work. It is suggested that the stonemason in question was unhappy with what he had been paid, so carved this gargoyle as a personal comment, expressing his discontent so to speak, and aimed it so that its buttucks were pointed in a direct line towards Peterborough Cathedral. There are one or two of these about, most notably at Easton On The Hill, high up on the tower. Urban myth, possibly but a good story nonetheless!
