A medieval education: The stained glass at Fairford

A few years ago I used to live about halfway between Oxford and Swindon. Sometimes I'd have to drive up to the West Midlands for my job and as I cut across the bottom edge of the Cotswolds on my way to the dual carriageway I'd pass through a little place called Fairford. Now two things puzzled me about Fairford; the welcome sign in the edge of town mentioned its "world famous church" and for a few months a year every house along the main road would display the flag of a different country from a pole mounted between the bedroom windows. I never did find out about the flags but I did make time to visit the church and that was a very good move.

It turns out that St Mary's Church in Fairford has pretty much the most complete set of medieval stained glass windows in the country, second only to York Minster. I can't make that comparison as I haven't been to York since I was knee high to a grasshopper but without a doubt the glass at Fairford is a thing of wonder. One thing that you need to bear in mind is that back then - I guess it may still be the case in countries which didn't go through a Protestant reformation - services were conducted in Latin and the bible had not been translated into English so the windows, showing important stories and saints, were the only access to scripture an illiterate and uneducated peasant would have. The windows and their teachings were a primary way for the parishoners to learn the bible and how to behave and therefore avoid eternal damnation. No pressure on the artists then!

Details from Day of Judgement

The end result is extraordinary. Each window, I think going anti-clockwise, shows a key bible story in chronological order finishing with an astounding depiction of the day of judgement. There are bosses on the roof showing saints and devils. The misericords are carved with domestic and nature scenes which have a hint of virtue and vice about them. I don't know how the decorations survived Cromwell's vandalism but they are pretty much an encyclopaedia of the Christian faith.

Day of Judgement

Centre of Day of Judgement