Church Monuments Society

What is the Monument of the month?

This page is designed for the general reader and is intended to feature monuments of all types and all ages: those to the famous and to the unknown, those by famous sculptors and those by unknown local craftsmen, the artistically splendid and the simple but beautiful or curious. So far mostly members of the Council have contributed but contributions are welcome from everybody – members or non-members of the Society.

Tell us about a monument

View on map

Effigy of man in late C14 armour, on a modern plinth

Guts in Auvergne, flesh in Montferrand, bones in St-Denis, heart in Dinan: the four tombs of Bertrand du Guesclin, Constable of France.

St Denis, Paris and elsewhere

Monument of the month

Monument archive

Effigy of man in late C14 armour, on a modern plinth

Guts in Auvergne, flesh in Montferrand, bones in St-Denis, heart in Dinan: the four tombs of Bertrand du Guesclin, Constable of France.

St Denis, Paris and elsewhere

Monumental brass above tomb chest

The Gaynesford Tombchest

All Saints, Carshalton

Effigy of woman in late C17 dress, reclining on plinth and reading a book

The monument to Lady Jane Cheyne – a Bernini in Chelsea

Chelsea Old Church

Ledgerstone with chalice, host and shield in centre. Details in text of article.

A priest on the move? The tomb slab of Jan Lenartszoon (d. 1558) in Hoedekenskerke (Zeeland, the Netherlands)

Sint Joris, Hoedekenskerke

Plaque recording the burial of Abraham Markland, d.1706

The Markland Grave Markers

St Cross Hospital, Winchester

Wall monument showing a canon being presented to the Virgin and Child by Saints James and Barbara

The Virgin and Child on a sculpted mural monument

Centraal Museum, Utrecht

Upper body of cadaver effigy showing shroud and snakes

Sic transit gloria: the cadaver monument to Wolfgang von Schleinitz zu Ragewitz (d. 1523), Afrakirche (St Afra’s church), Meissen (Saxony, Germany)

Afrakirche (St Afra’s church), Meissen

Ornate tomb chest with effigies of 2 young children supported by angels

The Tomb of the Children of Anne de Bretagne, Queen of France and Duchess of Brittany.

Cathedral Saint-Gatien, Tours

Shield with arms of Howell impaling Cradock

The monument to Sir John and Lady Elizabeth Howell at St Peter’s, Ightham

St Peter, Ightham

Wall monument: bearded man in lay costume holding mathematical instruments, set in a book-lined tabernacle, surrounded by allegorical figures that carry geometrical symbols.

John Blagrave (c.1561-1611)

St Lawrence, Reading

Of rubble and remains: the Harvey sarcophagus, Hempstead, Essex

St Andrew's, Hempstead, Hempstead

Salviuskerk

The tomb slab of Watze van Ockinga (d. 1575) and his wife Wick van Cammingha (d. 1598) in the parish church of Dronrijp (Friesland, Netherlands)

Salviuskerk , Dronrijp, Friesland