Man About Town - Medieval Grafitti

Beartown Voice - August 2025

By Mark Edwardson

It’s amazing what comes from a casual conversation with a neighbour. Usually it’s a friendly “how are you?”, or a request to put out the bins when you’re on holiday. With a neighbour you’re close to it’s probably something a bit more meaningful. But I didn’t envisage a conversation that’d reveal our Congleton home was once ground zero in a major criminal investigation.

Its title deeds have changed hands at least three times since it was built in 1990. Before that it was a show house for what was then a new housing development.

Recently, in one of those “over the fence conversations” my neighbour, John told me an escaped criminal had made his way to Congleton while the house was a show home. In a bid to escape the long arm of the law I’m told he took refuge in what’s now my son’s bedroom while the sales representative was distracted. The following day, presumably when the rep arrived for another day’s hard work, he appeared. The police were called, they swooped (as only the police can), and he was detained at His Majesty’s pleasure. I’m assured no-one was hurt but I’m guessing the salesperson was a bit shocked.

Anyway, I got me thinking. What unexpected items have other Congletonians found in and around their homes? It seems our houses could be stuffed with masses of odd, bizarre and frankly weird wonders.

I only needed to go back five years to read about a series of unsettling incidents suffered by a Congleton couple. The “haunting” allegedly happened after they hung cursed picture. What followed was broken white goods, persistent bad luck and rapidly escalating disturbances. The TV show, “Most Haunted” even sent a reporter. Opera singer and adopted local, Russell Watson has spoken about ghostly goings-on at his house. I wondered out loud what he’d have found if he was still living in Salford? My wife, who’s from that fair city, rolled her eyes and chuckled, “I shudder to think!”

Many homes in our ancient town have long histories. I was once told Congleton’s ancient graveyard is located behind a row of homes in the town centre. The occupants would be wise to avoid digging too deeply. In another case, a homeowner in Congleton found a hidden door behind a bookshelf, leading to a small, dust-filled room. Within were furniture and papers dating back more than 200 years.

Time capsules were popular with the Victorians. There are many examples of letters, jewellery and newspapers that give us a glimpse in to how the folk, who lived in our homes many years, went about their lives.

Congleton wasn’t an important Roman town. But there’s evidence of their presence in discoveries of pottery and carved sculpture in walls and gardens.

Most fascinatingly for me is the frequent revelation of Mediaeval graffiti on the walls and in the lofts of some of our oldest buildings. Archaeologists believe the builders left them behind as charms for protection or simply as a form of expression as happens today.

Oh my days, Blood! There wuz grafitti artists in the Middle Ages too! That’s wicked, inn’it.

All information accurate as of August 2025.