The Arts Society Welwyn Garden visit to Piccotts End
The Arts Society Welwyn Garden visit to Piccotts End
Spending an afternoon in the hidden gem of Piccotts End, just north of Hemel Hempstead, felt like a true privilege. Co-owner Karen Murphy eloquently shared her passion for and extensive knowledge of the only surviving medieval wall paintings in a domestic setting in the country.
The row of Grade 1 listed cottages has been scientifically dated to 1527 by the study of structural wood, and the paintings were completed very soon after. Discovered by chance in 1953 beneath an original hand-woven linen cover and six layers of wallpaper, the seven panels were a statement of the original owner's allegiance to the royal, political and religious powers of Tudor England, immediately prior to Henry VIII’s Protestant Reformation. This link takes you to a Pathe News reel of a re-enactment of the revelation.
The artwork is captivating and remarkably colourful: four upper panels depict key points of Christ’s life with early popes St Peter and St Clement, below are to be found St Catherine and St Margaret.
Karen’s research into the intricate artwork has revealed identifying details including anchors, a wheel, a camel skin and a dragon. The presence of Tudor roses and the clothing and headdresses of the female saints all clearly reflect the influence of Tudor fashions. The beautiful fauna entwined across the heavy beams and through the paintings generated much debate regarding species identification among our party!
Karen and Janet are to be congratulated on recently achieving charitable status and I feel confident that having enjoyed a delicious lunch, followed by a fascinating presentation, our members can attest to their progress towards achieving their objectives of preserving and restoring the wall paintings and educating the public. Definitely a venue to add to your bucket list.
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