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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Taxing at St Nicholas

These loggerheads appear over the doorway into the Saint Nicholas Cafe Bar in the Castle Gates area of Shrewsbury town.

When I first noticed them some years ago, they were in a small window in the staircase up one of the turrets (the building being a converted church). At that time, the owner said he thought that the building had been a tax office (or something like that) some decades ago for the local authority - thus we have the town council logo, the loggerheads.  Does anyone know any different theory?

The building is the Victorian neo-Norman church of St Nicholas which I find rather ugly, but, nevertheless, it is Grade II listed. 
It's not clear when it was converted to secular use.

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Sharp militaria

 

A collector of loggerheads pieces is is best off looking at sales of militaria if s/he wants a quick purchase.  The Shropshire Yeomanry regiment didn't always feature the loggerheads in their identification but often enough. Yeomanry collar badges (see pic) are quire common in sales of militaria circles.
Their loggerheads tend to be sharp-eared variety.

Of course, you don't have to buy one to see one.  There are lots of Yeomanry badges at the Shropshire Soldiers Museum at Shrewsbury Castle.

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Golden loggerheads

Following on from the last post, here's another piece by Edwin Cole. His descendant Garen Ewing passed on this photo to me - thank you to him!
The piece is a Battle of Shrewsbury memorial coin - made in 1903, designed by the then mayor Herbert Southam, and actually illustrated by Edwin Cole - to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Shrewsbury.  A number were made, some in gold.

Obviously, the loggerheads, as the symbol of Shrewsbury, were included on the medal, among other heraldic devices.

Interestingly, the newspaper report of the time described Cole as an heraldic artist, not a watercolourist (which I thought he was more famous as).

In theory, one should still be able to see a copy of this coin.
One of the ones made of gold, says a contemporary newspaper report, was placed into one of the links in the town Mayor's chain of office.

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Edwin Cole's glass

 
A very very good friend spotted this rather lovely piece of decorated glass on sale at an arts shop in Shrewsbury. Thank you to her!
It’s been attributed to Edwin Cole, who was born in the town in 1860.
Cole is much better known for his watercolours, so this is a rare find. Which probably explains why it’s quite expensive …!

It’s difficult to tell if this was a commission from the municipality (for an office) or from a private patron (for their home).  Does anyone know?

You’ll find it at Number Sixty One.

(PS if you too have spotted a loggerheads, please let us know!)

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