Architectural design inscriptions from the Middle Ages are rare survivals in England. Whilst the country may contain some of the finest monuments to ecclesiastical architecture in Western Europe, this lack of information concerning the design process may be regarded as a significant vacuum in our understanding of medieval architectural processes and construction. In early 2010 a project began to undertake the first large-scale and systematic survey of early graffiti inscriptions in England. The Norfolk Medieval Graffiti Survey has, to date, surveyed over two hundred of the county’s 650 medieval churches, recording many thousands of graffiti inscriptions in the process (WS1). In addition to the recording of more mundane graffiti inscriptions, the survey’s close study of all surfaces within the churches, including stonework, surviving plaster surfaces and woodwork, has resulted in the discovery of a large number of previously unrecorded architectural inscriptions – more than doubling the number of extant examples previously known in England. Many of these inscriptions appear to relate to alterations to the church fabric, in particular the creation of windows and tracery work. Others, however, relate to the design and construction of church fixtures and fittings, such as the monumental rood screens that still dominate many East Anglian churches. This article documents the new discoveries and makes them available for further study and analysis. While some analysis and interpretation of the techniques used to create the designs is presented, it is clear that further in-depth scrutiny would be worthwhile.
Matthew S. Champion (Wed,) studied this question.