Archaeology of Britain’s Oldest Church Doors

This article is from Current Archaeology issue 433

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For lovers of church archaeology, anything by Warwick Rodwell is a must. His new book covers two subjects: medieval ecclesiastical doors – the Westminster example is pre-Conquest and the Hadstock one a few years later – and the allegedly human hides that covered some of them. Through observation, logic, and scientific analysis, Rodwell dismantles the long tradition that doors were covered with the flayed skins of Danes and thieves, taking us on a fascinating antiquarian and scientific journey along the way.

The chapters on the doors themselves include meticulous dissection of their historiography, construction, and decoration; a detailed gazetteer of early doors; and an array of scientific techniques. Rodwell has studied these doors for more than 50 years, and the depth of his insights shines through the text. The chapters on carpentry and the concluding summary are particularly fine. The book could perhaps have benefited from tidying up its structure, but despite this it is a most excellent study.

REVIEW BY CHIZ HARWARD

Archaeology of Britain’s Oldest Church Doors
Warwick Rodwell
Oxbow, £24.95
ISBN 979-8888572290
Review Chiz Harward