The Brentingby Wall Paintings

Two large wall painting were discovered during the archaeological survey that took place at Brentingby Chapel before its conversion to a private residence in 1978. These paintings were situated either side of the door from the nave into the tower on the chapel’s west wall. The paintings were removed and are now with the Leicester Museum Service. They were on display on the ground floor of Leicester’s Newarke Houses Museum for some years.

One painting is of a skeleton holding a spear in its right hand and a spade in its left, standing upon a base that may symbolise fire and flames.  The other figure is of a man wearing a tunic and laced boots, carrying an implement or object over the back of his shoulder. There is a small red bush in the background.

It has proved difficult to date precisely these paintings.  Estimates range from the 14^th to the 18^th century. The footwear on the skeleton figure could date to a design of the early 14^th century, and the second figure’s footwear to the early 15^th century.  A dating of the style of the paintings would confirm a date in the first half of the 15^th century.

The skeleton painting is a `memento mori`, a familiar motif during the late Middle Ages.  It has been suggested that the second figure could be a representation of Time, and that the implement held across the figure’s shoulder is part of a scythe.  However, the figure also bears a striking similarity to the crest of the Woodford family, a `woodman proper holding a club argent and girt with oaken leaves proper.’  This crest occurs at Ashby Folville, at numerous locations in Northamptonshire and as recently as the early years of the 20^th century in Somerset.  The linguistic association of a woodman with Woodford is obvious; the red bush may symbolise a tree as in a wood; the implement carried by the figure could be a type of club.  There are a number of variations to the Woodford crest in which the figure carries an axe, sword and palm leaves in one or both hands.  The figure could be standing on a representation of water, as in a ford.

According to the cartulary, John was buried a Thorpe Arnold, and not at Brentingby. This has led some historians to assume that the Woodford’s manor house was situated at Thorpe Arnold and not at Brentingby. Nichols noted a flat stone in Thorpe Arnold church `round the verge of which were fragments of an inscription for a Woodford, probably that of John.’

A lane running between Thorpe Arnold and Waltham-on-the-Wolds, in the close vicinity of Brentingby, is known locally as Woodfold Lane.  This gated lane leaves the main Grantham Road approximately 1.5 miles east of Thorpe Arnold and leads into Nether Broughton.