Here be more dragons!

Back in September 2015, after I’d only been in Wales a couple of months, I blogged about the dragons that could be seen all around the city, on lamp posts, in sculpture, as street art, in coats of arms and, of course, on the country’s flag. I promised more and failed to deliver … shame on me! So, as today is St David’s Day, it seems an appropriate time to bring you more Welsh dragons …

The dragon on the left is in Cardiff Castle, the weathervane dragon is on a house in Llandaff

Sculptural decorations at the University of Wales’s Glamorgan and Bute buildings

From a headstone at Llandaff Cemetery

The turret decoration on top of the University of Wales's Main Building

Penarth : the only spire in town

The church spire I can see from my window, the spire that acts as a landmark for me to find my way home when I’m out walking, the spire of Trinity Methodist Church is, in fact, the only spire on any of Penarth’s churches.

I don’t usually set much store by anything I find on Wikipedia, but I was interested to note in the entry on Penarth that it says this is ‘the only spire left in town’ [my emphasis], which implies some of the other churches did once have spires.

I have read, on their Friends website, that there were plans during the Second World War to demolish the 90-foot tower of St Augustine’s Church so the prominent landmark couldn’t be used by German bombers to home in on Cardiff docks. And perhaps that information gives a pointer as to why other church spires might not have survived but Trinity’s has. As Trinity Church sits at a much lower elevation, it is much less obvious in the landscape, at least from the air, and any enemy navigators could more easily use St Augustine’s position as their target.

Whatever the reasons, it’s a lovely spire and, along with the rest of the church and the adjoining hall, is Grade II listed. The British Listed Buildings website describes it as an ‘impressive spire in C19 version of Perpendicular Style’ [the church was built in 1901] and the ‘Pinnacled tower has buttresses and parapet with quatrefoil decoration; three stages surmounted by broach spire with lucarnes [the dormer-type windows]; iron weathervane.’ And a very nice weathervane it is, too, of a Rooster, as is commonly found on many church spires.

Cornwall: St Mawes and Porthscatho

What an intriguing place St Mawes was!

Storm Barbara was making her presence felt with squally showers, waves breaking over the sea wall, and gusty winds, so, after enjoying lunch in a cosy cafe on the waterfront, we didn’t venture far ... up and down the narrow old lanes, along back alleys, back along the seafront, out on to the harbour wall, briefly. It was a picturesque place, to be sure, but I was more fascinated with its interesting bits and pieces. 

Firstly, the equipment from what, presumably, had once been a fully functioning petrol station and/or garage. The old Shell pumps looked almost as good as new, and then there was the superb old Automobile Association sign fixed to the wall. That must be at least 90 years old. I love the precision in those measurements: Tregony 10½ miles and 263¼ miles to London!

The sun wasn’t showing his face this day but the sign outside The Rising Sun Hotel gave a hint of how wonderful the harbour must look on a good day.

There were old post boxes too: a George VI box fixed into the post office wall, and an intriguing, much older letter box, with its own protective cover, set into a house wall. I couldn’t even guess how old that must have been.

The fishing paraphernalia stacked along the harbourside was very photogenic, and the St Mawes Harbour Authority hut on the pier was garnished with a rather lovely weathervane that was straining against the full force of Storm Barbara.

But my personal favourites were the eminently sensible signs along the harbour wall. Perhaps the weather in summer is more conducive to diving and swimming – I couldn’t imagine anyone trying it in winter. And what about this last one? Not only does it tell you not to do something but it also provides a reason. I just love it!

I certainly hope to get back to St Mawes one day when the sun is shining, to enjoy a cruise on that pretty harbour, to check out the castle, to wander and explore more fully this charming little town.

We finished off the day with a visit to Porthscatho, another of Roseland’s coastal fishing villages and another with signage to spare! This was also a place where Sarah had holidayed as a child so we walked from one end to the other as she tried to recall which house her family had rented.

Portscatho must have been a fun place to holiday as a child and, as we drove back to our cottage after a lovely first day out and about, we enjoyed sharing memories of rock pools and seashells and sand castles.

More weathervanes of Cheshire

After a week of much meandering through the Cheshire countrywide – I clocked up 65 kilometres (40 miles) last week, I’ve discovered a lot more weathervanes so thought I’d share a few more of these handsome hand-crafted artworks.

A traditional cock weathervane, found on a farmhouse in Budworth Heath

‘You who travel with the wind, what weathervane shall direct your course?’ ~Khalil Gibran

So cute! The ducks are at a house near Wincham and the robin on an old outbuilding near Budworth Heath

‘Kites rise highest against the wind - not with it.’ ~ Winston Churchill

Is the occupant a hunter? Found at Plumley

‘It was one of those cold nights at the end of October, when the weathercocks, shaken by the north wind, turn giddily on the high roofs, and cry with shrilly voices, “Winter! - Winter! - Winter is come!”' ~ Erckmann-Chatrian, ‘The Child Stealer’

A foxy favourite from Comberbach

‘The wind shows us how close to the edge we are.’ ~ Joan Didion

Very inventive and not a beehive in sight, on the ground. Found near Pickmere

‘The clouds were flying fast, the wind was coming up in gusts, banging some neighbouring shutters that had broken loose, twirling the rusty chimney-cowls and weathercocks, and rushing round and round a confined adjacent churchyard as if it had a mind to blow the dead citizens out of their graves.’ ~ Charles Dickens, Little Dorrit

Any guesses as to the owner's occupation? Found near Marston

‘Through woods and mountain passes / The winds, like anthems, roll.’ ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Prancing horses are popular. These were in Comberbach and Plumley.

‘I’m going to imagine that I’m the wind that is blowing up there in those tree tops. When I get tired of the trees I’ll imagine I’m gently waving down here in the ferns – and then I’ll fly over to Mrs Lynde’s garden and set the flowers dancing – and then I’ll go with one great swoop over the clover field – and then I’ll blow over the Lake of Shining Waters and ripple it all up into little sparkling waves. Oh, there’s so much scope for imagination in a wind!’ ~ L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

My favourite, particularly as it decorates an old rectory near Marston

I’ll finish today with a riddle from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit – can you guess the answer?

‘Voiceless it cries, Wingless flutters, Toothless bites, Mouthless mutters.’

Weathervanes of Cheshire

Atop the Penny Farthing Museum in Knutsford

For as long as we have roamed the earth, humans have been obsessed with the weather – and for good reason. Even today, the weather can shape our lives, direct our actions, cause mayhem and madness, bring happiness and joy.

Weathervanes, weathercocks, wind vanes – whatever you want to call them – are one of the tools we use to keep in touch with the weather, to check for those all-important changes in wind strength and direction. Yet they can also be delightful pieces of artwork.

In a triumph of the creative over the practical, weathervanes can be made to measure. They can advertise a profession, signal a personal preference, pay homage to history and reflect local heritage, or celebrate an object of adoration. They can be used to make a statement about their owner and add distinction to a building.

In May 2014, while I was back living in my native New Zealand, I celebrated the weathervanes of central Auckland in a blog and, ever since, I have kept an eye out for more examples. Here in England, the tradition of owning weathervanes, especially those of bespoke designs, seems to be flourishing, so I am accumulating a veritable treasure chest of images to share. Here is the first of likely several blogs, with a few snappy quotes by famous people to accompany my photos.

A ship in full sail became Runcorn's insignia in 1894 so this weathervane atop the town's
 information centre is entirely appropriate

I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. ~ Jimmy Dean

A gardener and a bird lover perhaps? From Wincham

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. ~ John Ruskin

Another ship design in Runcorn's town centre

The weathercocks on spires and housetops were mysterious with hints of stormy wind, and pointed, like so many ghostly fingers, out to dangerous seas, where fragments of great wrecks were drifting, perhaps, and helpless men were rocked upon them into a sleep as deep as the unfathomable waters. ~ Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son

Found in Wincham

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails. ~ William Arthur Ward

The Grim Reaper seems an odd choice to me but each to their own. Found in Wybunbury

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. ~ Henry Ford

From Pickmere. Not sure I approve of the subject, but it's a fine weathervane just the same.

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~ Charles Dickens

Found near Bollington

If you reveal your secrets to the wind, you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees. ~ Khalil Gibran

Found in Over Peover

Faeries, come take me out of this dull world, / For I would ride with you upon the wind, Run on the top of the dishevelled tide, And dance upon the mountains like a flame. ~ W.B. Yeats, The Land of Heart's Desire

Weathervanes, wind vanes and weathercocks

In an effort to improve my photographer’s eye, I often go through periods when, during my daily strolls, I make a point of looking in a particular direction or hunting out certain things. For example, I might spend a whole week looking down (hence my recent fascination with fungi) or seeking out street art or exploring Auckland’s heritage buildings.

During recent days of looking up, I have discovered yet another fascinating aspect of Auckland’s architecture, the embellishments that adorn the city’s turrets and towers, spires and steeples, and this blog on weathervanes is one result – there will be another, about all the other ornamental turret toppings I've found.

Considering they are used to indicate wind direction, it comes as no surprise that weathervanes (also known as wind vanes and weathercocks) are usually found on the highest points of buildings. According to Professor Wiki, the earliest known weathervane (possibly built around 50BC) was a bronze Triton (in Greek mythology, the messenger of the sea) atop the Tower of the Winds in Athens.

Ferry Building weathervane. This wonderful image was taken by John McKillop and is used with his kind permission.

Ferry Building, Quay Street

New Zealand’s weathervanes have no such claims to fame though one of our Auckland weathervanes did literally stop city traffic recently. On 17 April 2014, the remnants of tropical cyclone Ita swept across Auckland, causing huge storm surges to flood waterfront homes and the weathervane on the top of the Ferry Building in Quay Street to sway rather alarmingly. To prevent potential damage to life and limb if it toppled, the street was closed to traffic, and the weathervane has since been removed. Hopefully, it will be repaired and reinstated very soon.

Though their function was purely practical, many weathervanes are themselves beautiful pieces of art and frequently reflect the buildings for which they were designed. The ship design on the Ferry Building is a perfect example and here is another.

Colonial Ammunition Company Shot Tower, Normanby Road, Mt Eden

In 1885, in response to the threat of war with Russia, the Colonial Ammunition Company established New Zealand’s first munitions factory. At that time, their site was far enough away from the built up inner city to be suitable for the manufacture of dangerous goods. Nowadays, the tower is surrounded by commercial buildings and inner-city housing developments. Though activity at the factory increased during the Second World War, when staff numbers rose from 230 to 900, the demand for ammunition steadily decreased and the company closed in 1982.

As this advertisement from the Dominion newspaper (25 November 1916, p.6) shows, the company was very proud of its 140-foot-high state-of-the-art tower, which was used to drop molten metal to make shot. Luckily, the tower and its oh-so-appropriate rifle weathervane (below, left) have survived the wrecking ball and remain a unique part of Mt Eden’s heritage.

Mt Eden weathervanes: at left, on the Colonial Ammunition Company's Shot Tower; at right, on a local building

Mt Eden Village, corner of Essex and Mt Eden Roads

The suburb of Mt Eden is also home to another rather wonderful and very typical weathervane (above, right). The use of a cockerel in a weathervane is where the alternative name ‘weathercock’ originates and is a classic weathervane design, with its origins possibly in Christianity. Apparently, Pope Nicholas issued a decree in the 9th century commanding all churches to display the symbol of a cock on their steeple or dome (the cock is symbolic of Jesus’ prophecy of Peter’s betrayal, Luke 22:34), but there is some evidence that the cockerel appeared in weathervanes before that time and it may simply represent the rooster crowing at daybreak.

According to Auckland City Council’s ‘Mt Eden Heritage Walks’ brochure, the Mt Eden building:

… was erected prior to 1905. Photos show that this side of Mt Eden Road was almost completely unbuilt, rural land in the late 1880s. Designed in a classic Italianate style, this building was a significant addition to the village streetscape, and reinforced this intersection as the hub of the village.

There is nothing to explain the weathervane, unfortunately.

Corner of Carlton Gore Road and George Street, Newmarket

I’ve also found nothing about this next weathervane (on the right in the picture below) of another cockerel and the archetypal compass points. The building is a modern one, currently occupied by the Personalised Plates company, and the weathervane may just be the ornamental addition of an enlightened architect.

Left: on the Royal NZ Foundation for the Blind workshop building; right, on the Personalised Plates building

Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind Workshop Building, Newmarket

Not far from Personalised Plates is an older example of a weathervane, on what was the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind workshop building. This building, and the adjacent residential school for the blind, were built in 1909, to provide a sheltered environment for blind people to live, study, learn skills and earn a living.

The design on the weathervane, of a man sitting weaving with cane, appears to reflect the fact that craft industries such as cane basket weaving and furniture making were the principal occupations offered at the Blind Institute until well into the 1970s [Greg Newbold, Quest for Equity: a history of blindness advocacy in New Zealand, Dunmore Press, Palmerston North, 2008].

St Mary’s College Hall, New Street, St Mary's Bay

On the other side of town stands the beautiful old hall of St Mary’s College (above), which has atop its tower a combined wind vane and cross. St Mary’s College is the oldest still-functioning secondary school in New Zealand, founded originally on a different site by the Sisters of Mercy in 1850 but relocated to its present site in Ponsonby in the early 1860s. A wooden chapel dating from that era is still in use but this building, the St Mary’s College Hall, was part of a new school, erected in 1929 at a cost of £36,000, in a picturesque Spanish Mission style on the northern side of the property.

Grey Lynn Library, 474 Great North Road, Grey Lynn

My immediate thought when I saw this turret topping was ‘Quidditch Snitch’. However, though the snitch was first introduced to the game of Quidditch in 1269 by Chief of the Wizards’ Council Barberus Bragge, the folks of early 20th century Auckland were not at all familiar with the world of Harry Potter and his fellow wizards so the similarity must be sheer coincidence.

The Grey Lynn Public Library was designed by architect W. H. Gummer, built of brick in the Georgian style, and opened in December 1924 by then mayor Sir James Gunson. The building continues to be used as a public library and the attached building, on which the snitch sits, as the local community hall. Though the snitch is not your typical weathervane, I have no doubt that its wings were intended to show the direction of the prevailing wind. Sadly, the innovative designer’s name remains a mystery – Rowling, perhaps?