Throughout the Winchester Cathedral’s history, hundreds of people have made their mark on its walls. From the sophisticated to the lewd and rude, Dr Cindy Wood reveals the stories behind the carvings.
When most people see someone’s initials scratched into the wall of the cathedral, the carvings are dismissed as graffiti and vandalism. However, those letters tell a story about the Winchester Cathedral in centuries past and the people that walked under its vaulted ceilings. Is it history, vandalism, or both? Dr Cindy Wood explores the controversial topic.
Cindy is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Winchester and lead on the Graffiti project with Winchester Cathedral. She has always worked with material culture in churches, and other than graffiti, specialises in intercession for the soul in the later medieval period. Cindy teaches a variety of topics including medieval death, the Crusades, food and drink in the medieval and early modern periods, the medieval life cycle and other generic history modules.
Alongside this, she is also a Trustee of the Friends of Winchester Cathedral and Chair of the Friends of Clarendon Medieval Palace in Salisbury.
FURTHER INFORMATION & A CALL TO ACTION!
Earlier this year, Dr Cindy Wood held a lecture with the Churches Conservation Trust about the graffiti project at Winchester Cathedral. The recording of that lecture can be found here.
Do you have any photos of historical graffiti in the Winchester Cathedral or elsewhere in Hampshire? Share it with us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter!
Visit the Winchester Cathedral’s official website.