©Bryan Phillips, May 2026

One of our members, Clive Barnes has conducted a targeted personal investigation into the historic graffiti at Milton Abbey Church over several visits between 2024 and 2025. Rather than performing an exhaustive architectural survey, he has focused on identifying anonymous marks and inscriptions that carry historical significance regarding the Abbey’s fabric, internal timeline, and relationship with the surrounding community. The analysis builds upon prior documentation from the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments in England (RCHME) in 1970 and a 2016 glass conservation project. The full report will be available on the Members Section of this website.

Clive notes that the vast majority of historical graffiti in the church was created by adult men—such as masons, glaziers, bellringers, and churchwardens—rather than representing youth vandalism.

Architectural Evolution and Impact on Graffiti

The volume and visibility of graffiti have been heavily altered by the structural history of the church:

• The 1309 Rebuild: Following a fire that destroyed the 12th-century structure, the present church was constructed using salvaged stone.
• 1790 Wyatt Restoration: Under Lord Milton, architect James Wyatt plastered or painted over medieval surfaces, which likely covered up early paintings, texts, and historic graffiti.
• 1865 Scott Restoration: Architect George Gilbert Scott stripped all of Wyatt’s plaster from the walls, exposing the bare masonry visible today.

Key Categories of Graffiti Discovered

Mason’s Marks

The most frequent and earliest inscriptions in the body of the church are mason’s marks (found in the aisles, presbytery, and chancel). These are identified as “banker’s marks”. Rather than being personal signatures, they served as a piece-rate accounting system to calculate how many stones a particular mason had cut for payment. Some appear on ashlar blocks that may have been recycled from the original 12th-century church.

Apotropaic (Protective) and Ritual Marks

• Pentangles: Nine five-pointed stars—traditionally used as Christian symbols to ward off evil or bad luck—were discovered. Four appear on single blocks (likely acting as medieval mason’s marks), while five cluster around the pulpitum arch, hinting at a non-mason ritual use.
• Marian Marks: Traditional crossed-V symbols ($VV$), invoking the Virgin Mary (Virgo Virginum), are located in multiple spots, including the pulpitum stair and misericord seats. Barnes also discovered two inverted variants of the Marian Mark.

Enigmatic & Symbolic Marks

In the ringers’ chamber in the tower, three unique undated marks were found: a sketched portrait profile, a deeply cut line design, and a sequence of 18 punched/drilled holes where the top four distinctly form the sign of a cross.