Twelve days
The Twelve Days of Christmas was first published as a rhyme in 1780, and the accompanying tune added in 1909. It’s a true Christmas classic, and a source for tricky quiz questions each December.
Just like The Twelve Days of Christmas, churches are richly filled with imagery. But sometimes you have to look closely to find it.
Come on a journey across the UK with us, as we discover church history through each day in this iconic song.
A partridge in a pear tree
OK, we couldn't find a partridge in a pear tree. But a rather good partridge can be found in this church in Norfolk. When the church was restored in 1954, the children's book illustrator Margaret Tarrant designed a delightful set of armrests for the pews, featuring a rich variety of animals and birds. One of the armrests depicts a beautifully carved partridge looking out watchfully across the aisle.
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, West Barsham
Two turtle doves
The dove is common in churches. Often found in stained glass, they are also found in carvings and in the rich embroidery on furnishings and vestments. In St Etheldreda, London, is a statue of St Anne Line, martyred at Tyburn in 1601. Shakespeare wrote his metaphysical poem ‘Phoenix and Turtle’ to commemorate Anne’s burial. Anne is the phoenix, representing immortality, while her husband Roger Line was the turtledove, representing fidelity.
St Etheldreda, Holborn
Three french hens
To find a hen, or at least a cockerel, you need only look at the very top of a spire, where you are likely to see one turning in the wind. If you want to see a particularly splendid cockerel weather vane, visit this Nottinghamshire parish church, whose 18th century cockerel has been gorgeously re-gilded.
St Mary Magdalene, Newark on Trent
Four calling birds
Originally, the song referred to 'colly birds', with colly meaning literally 'like coal'. Among the birds that would have been included in that general description were starlings and you will find a murmuration of starlings carved on one of the superb misericords in Norwich Cathedral, where they are pictured mobbing an unfortunate owl.
Norwich Cathedral
Five gold rings
Inside Belfast St Peter Cathedral, golden colours are hard to miss. Beautiful woodwork, yellow-painted beams and natural light come together to give every visitor a warm welcome. Positioned in an area deeply affected by Northern Ireland’s complex history, this cathedral has witnessed profound transformations in the surrounding community and its proximity to the city’s Peace Wall adds a layer of poignancy to the cathedral’s presence.
St Peter, Hascombe
Six geese a laying
Amongst the many treasures of this Sussex church is a superb set of 14th century carved misericords. One of them depicts a fox, dressed in clerical garb, preaching to geese. Drawn from the folktales of Reynard the Fox, it is a warning against corrupt and hypocritical clergymen who have their own interests at heart and do not practice what they preach.
Assumption of Blessed Mary & St Nicholas, Etchingham
Seven swans a swimming
Between 2008 and 2017, conservationists uncovered a magnificent medieval wall painting of St George at St Cadoc, Llancarfan, in the Vale of Glamorgan. Many aspects of the painting have been preserved well over the years, including clues about the history of the work. A black shield featuring three silver swans that can be found high up on the south wall is associated with the local Bawdrep family and suggests that Sir William Bawdrep might have been the patron.
All Saints, Warlingham
Eight maids a milking
Glastonbury Tor has been a site of religious significance for over 1000 years and is known as being one of the most spiritual sites in the country. As well as its close links to Christianity, its pagan beliefs are still very much celebrated. Above the door on the west side of the tower is a carved panel, depicting a maid milking a cow.
St Michaels Tower, Glastonbury
Nine ladies dancing
The Hospital of St Cross has been described as one of the most beautiful groups of buildings in the country. Founded in the 12th century, it consists of almshouses, a hall, and a magnificent church. It was recently featured in the BBC adaptation of Wolf Hall! Within the church, the wonderful 16th century choir stalls feature figurines of dancing ladies.
Hospital of St Cross, Winchester
Ten lords a leaping
For our Lords a Leaping, we turn to a small Norman church in Shropshire. Astonishingly, the building still has its original wall paintings, which date back to the year 1200 and are almost as clear and bright as the day they were painted. Above the columns on the north side of the nave, two troops of knights clash in combat, their horses leaping and rearing. They are said to represent the battle of the vices against the virtues.
All Saints, Claverley
Eleven pipers piping
The sound of bagpipes is as distinctive as musical instruments get, and in Edinburgh, you will often hear them ringing out through the streets. But if you head into St Giles Cathedral, you can find a special carving. This wooden depiction of an angel playing the pipes is located in the Thistle Chapel, which was constructed in 1911 for the chivalric Order of the Thistle.
Coventry Cathedral
Twelve drummers drumming
Finally, to glorious Beverley Minster in Yorkshire, whose medieval minstrel carvings feature more than seventy images, including twenty different instruments, in wood and stone. It is the largest such collection in the world. In addition to drummers drumming, there are fiddles, trumpets, lutes, cymbals and many more.
Beverley Minster