A Sermon in Stone

Introduction

This post shows the poster boards that were produced for an exhibition at All Saints church in Oakham which opened in April 2026. The exhibition highlighted the elaborate stone carvings on the nave capitals in the church. The posters contained photos by Richard Adams, and text based on an earlier blog post by the author that can be found at The good, the bad and the grotesque – the decorated capitals of All Saints church in Oakham. 

The posters

Note on Poster 6

In an earlier version of Poster 6, I queried what the third scene – the one that depicts Adam and Eve for asecond time, was meant to depict. This has also puzzled other writers in a range of church histories since the early 1900s. At the opening of the exhibition on April 18th, on viewing the large scale photo below, Prof Elizabeth Tingle, Professor Emerita at De Montfort University, made what I am sure is the correct identification. The scene represents the Harrowing of Hell, with Christ on the left holding the pennant or banner of the resurrection, leading Adam and Eve out of Hell, represented by the serpent at their feet. As such the three scenes are a representation of the Trinity – God the Father holding the orb as he crowns Mary, God the Holy Spirit coming to Mary in the Annunciation, and God the Son leading Adam and Eve out of hell between his death and resurrection. They thus form a fitting conclusion to the overall story of salvation shown on the Capitals.