The Secrets of the Gravestones - Duloe, St.Cuby's Church
We made a recent return trip to Duloe Church (St.Cuby's), a few miles from Looe. We were photographing the back of gravestones, for a puzzle soon to be seen in Blackenrock. The yard was devoid of people, but the Jackdaws made their presence known, in their usual noisy fashion. Many appear to be nesting in the old Norman tower, the naughty things.
But, why the back of gravestones? Well, the reverse,
unmarked side is perfect for digitally adding your own names, dates and
decorations. It's hard to digitally mimic natural wearing, and the chaos of lichen.
Plus, any excuse for a morning away from the LCD is fine by me!
 |
| Re-layed gravestones in the Colshull Chapel |
The church underwent extensive restoration and repair,
recently, and some of the broken graves have been moved to the inside of the
church, where they have been inlaid on the floor of the aisles and Colshull
Chapel. Laid flat, the gravestones can be studied in their entirety,
meaning the part that would normally be underground is now visible. Which is
where things get interesting…
Many of the stones retain the original stonemason marks,
which are quite common, but some have intriguing 'workings out' and test
typefaces, a few of which appear to be preparation of other stones entirely. The
stonemason also appears to be local, to Duloe, which is rather quaint. Seeing
the mistakes, tryouts and experiments certainly brings you closer to the
craftsmen who worked the stone, over 150 years ago.
 |
| Working on those tricky 'W's', back in the Victorian Era. |
I felt, standing in the church, that there's a great
adventure game puzzle waiting to be created. It's too late for Blackenrock, as
I'm wrapping up work on that one. But, I'm certainly going to try squeezing it
into the already hefty 'The Last Crown'. I love this kind of mystery,
especially when it involves information that has been/is hidden.
Many of the Duloe stones are getting on for two centuries,
so it's information that's been successfully hidden for a long time; a secret
taken to the grave, until the church underwent modern renovations. Could a
centuries old mystery be solved by the discovery of hidden text?
Lastly, in case you are wondering, my trip was successful. I
photographed many gravestones, some of which you will be seeing in the new
game. I rarely need any excuse to meander in a churchyard. I spent many an
afternoon, in the rambling graveyards of Kent, back in my teens. I had a
fascination for stone work and ecclesial buildings (especially Tudor era),
eventually studying the subject at College.
I like to think of a Parish Church as a small museum. Some
are more interesting than others, but St.Cuby's at Duloe is an absolute
favourite. It has much to enjoy and puzzle over. There's the impressive effigy
of Sir John Colshull (second richest man in Cornwall), the pyramid
tower, the 15thC carved Rood Screen, the pre-Christian (pagan, decorated with griffons
and dolphins), the choir stalls (donated by Balliol College, Oxford, 1937), the
beastly gargoyles, the carved slate Elizabethan ladies… phew…
 |
| Duloe from the air, circa.1940. The Stone Circle, visible top right. |
The list could go on. The church is perfect for inspiration,
so I was pleased to find the place still has a few surprises. I know I'll be
visiting St.Cuby's for some time to come. If you happen to pop by, do sign the
Guestbook (I always look at the new entries) and make a donation if you fancy.
 |
| Gravestones produced for Blackenrock - By Matt Clark and Jonathan Boakes |