Plumbers, abolitionists, steeplejacks and window men: the graffiti community of the roof of All Saints Church, Wath Upon Dearne, South Yorkshire

Abstract

The leaded roofs of the nave and south aisle of All Saints Church, Wath Upon Dearne, South Yorkshire, are covered in graffiti dating from between the early-seventeenth and the twentieth centuries. The graffiti, along with other features such as plumbers’ plaques, was the subject of archaeological recording in 2013. This paper discusses the form of the graffiti, and what information it preserves about the spiritual, folk and community beliefs of those who made it. Its potential for understanding changes to the fabric of the church itself is also examined.