'Hereford loggerheads' in south Shropshire

The East Window at Church Stretton St Laurence Church carries a number of heraldic panels, including these in this photo.  The arms on the left side carry the 'Hereford Diocese loggerheads' - three leopards' heads upside down with fleur-de-lys issuing from the top.  These upside down loggerheads are an integral part of the arms of the ancient see of Hereford.
Church Stretton is in the part of south Shropshire that is in the Diocese of Hereford.

The origin of the Hereford loggerheads is shrouded in mystery. 
The upside-down leopards' heads appear on the arms of the Bishop of Hereford Thomas de Cantilupe (died 1282) - but no one seems to know why the Cantilupe family had adopted them. If you do, let us know!

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Earl Roger the overlord

The tomb of Earl Roger de Montgomery in Shrewsbury Abbey is one of the town's most precious heritage assets.  Earl Roger was the Norman lord who was installed as the first Earl of Shrewsbury by William The Conqueror following the Norman invasion of England in 1066.

It's said that the reason that the traditional colours of loggerheads/Shrewsbury are gold & blue is because there were Earl Roger's colours. In fact, though Roger's wife and his son seemed to have arms of gold & blue bars, I can't find a direct link between Roger himself and any gold & blue colouring.  Can anyone help me find out more about this?

The gold & blue colours-combination has persisted for nearly one thousand years in Shrewsbury.  Today, the town's football club play in these same exact colours!

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JMW Turner's view

 
When you're an inveterate loggerheads-spotter, even the slightest sighting can be exciting!
In this watercolour painting, the famous artist JMW Turner has depicted 'English Bridge', Shrewsbury's largest bridge... including its loggerheads.
It's impossible to see much from my photograph, but, ...believe me..., Turner has made sure he's included the decorative pediment which was on the balustrade of the bridge when he painted it (and it is still there now) - and which consists of the three loggerheads...!

What's nice to report that this painting is now on permanent public display at Shrewsbury Museum.  The only way that it was safe to do this was to ensure that it had proper protective glass - to save it from the effects of light as much as anything else.  Now, thanks to a donation from a local art-dealer, the painting has the glass it needed - so members of the public can now see it in the museum anytime.

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Panther-esque?

 

The Shropshire Carvers group was at the Shrewsbury Food Festival last weekend. Some of the work was truly amazing; the skill and patience that must go into making the pieces is hard to imagine.

This particular piece drew my eye of course.  The faces sorta reminded me of The Pink Panther (as portrayed in the cartoon series), and that made me smile.

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Loggerheads out for the Jubilee

 
Good to see the loggerheads out in full force on the town's high street, alongside Union Jacks, for Shrewsbury's Jubilee bunting decorations. The Queen celebrates her seventieth year on the throne this weekend.

As the ones above are placed inside a chevron, that also associates them with Shropshire loggerheads; by contrast, Shrewsbury loggerheads run free traditionally, i.e. without a chevron shape (as depicted on another set of bunting - see right).
These ones, specially designed for the occasion, do seem surprisingly aggressive though.  The staring eyes! The sharp teeth!
Or, is that just me?

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Sad story

 

A sad story to tell is that of the death of a young man, who drowned this month. Nathan Fleetwood's body was found in the Severn, the river that flows around Shrewsbury town.

His many friends made a giant memorial-site out of the Greyfriars Footbridge, which passes over the river not far from where he was found.
The loggerheads, as the symbol of Nathan's favourite football team, Shrewsbury Town, were everywhere. 

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Henry Tudor was here

 
In Shrewsbury, one of the most ornate tracery carvings (in a town where there are plenty anyway!) is part of a first-floor window, in an ancient  building which lies on a stretch known as Wyle Cop – the street which leads to the ‘English’ Bridge. 

The building is named Henry Tudor House, because, reportedly, Henry of Richmond stayed the night here, on his way to the battle that was to see him become Henry VII, the first Tudor king of England.

The house has been recently lovingly restored by its latest owners, and is now a rather special bar & restaurant.  We were fortunate to gain access to the exclusive dining room, where we saw these splendid casement windows featuring heraldic designs, including a loggerheads.

No one quite knows when the loggerheads window was put in.  In fact the whole window row seems to have been unremarked until it was accidentally discovered during the last century, having been hidden under plaster!
The archaeological description says the house can be dated to the 1420s, but the window itself is extremely unlikely to go back that far...

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