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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Thank you to Carisbrooke Castle Museum for inviting me to speak about women in Carisbrooke Castle’s history. Always good to highlight lesser‑known figures, & to share some of my research into Isabella de Fortibus. #womeninhistory #heritage (Image 'The Royal Prisoners' by Charles West Cope, 1855)

Princess Elizabeth lies on a bed under a window. Her head lying on an open book. A soldier and her brother looks on. By the window is an open bird cage.

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

The groaning wooden shelves of J.W.Evans Silver Factory in Birmingham. These are but a few of the thousands and thousands of steel dies that were used with drop stampers to make everything from candelabras to sugar sifters. The now #EnglishHeritage property is an amazing survival. #woodensday

Over stocked wooden shelves full of rows of iron dies. There is the remains of a staircase that the shelves have been built around.

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Woke up early enough to see this beautiful sunrise off the Isle of Wight. The pigeons decided they wanted to photo bomb the image, I'm not complaining! #sunrise #isleofwight

A sunrise reflected onto sea off the Isle of Wight. On the left is the cliffs of Culver Down. On the right is the end of Sandown Pier. A flock of pigeons are flying from into the scene.

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

St Laurence Church, Ludlow Shropshire. In 1540, John Leland described the church as “very Fayre and large and richly adorned and taken for the Fayrest in all these parts”. This sentiment still holds true as you can see by the crossing. If you've not been, it's well worth the trip. #medievalmonday

Looking up at the crossing of St Laurence Church. The 4 arches of perpendicular style frame the central square. This itself has a vaulted ceiling.

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

For those who are on the Isle of Wight and are interested in hearing me witter on about Women at Carisbrooke Castle, it is on Wednesday 7 pm at Carisbrooke Castle Museum Follow link to book.

eventbrite.co.uk

Women through the ages at Carisbrooke Castle

A new talk at Carisbrooke Castle Museum by Therron Welstead

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

It includes the Anglo-Saxon women buried at the site, Isabella de Fortibus & her rebuilding of the castle, Jane Whorwood with her attempts to break the imprisoned Charles I out of the castle, princess Elizabeth who died there, & Princess Beatrice shaping the castle into a place of memory & mourning.

A view of the great hall complex of Carisbrooke Castle, which has been altered and enlarged several times including for Isabella de Fortibus and Princess Beatrice.
The great hall in the centre, with various chambers on the right. In the background is the 12th century shell keep.

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

This evening I’m doing some last minute edits for my Wednesday evening talk on women that feature in Carisbrooke Castle’s history. I genuinely love this talk as it not only includes stories and characters that are not often talked about, but also it touches on a wide range of themes.

Isabella de Fortibus' window.
The 13th century stepped window seat built as part of Isabella's great chamber.

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

For today's #fontsonfriday is the lovely mid-12 century font in St Peter's Church, Cambridge. It's decorated with four mermen, each grasping one end of their divided tails in each hand. A 3d digital model of the font can be found here. skfb.ly/o8v9r A similar font can be found in Anstey, Herts.

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 24/10/2024

I have a joke about Aethelred, but I don't think you are ready for it.

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 23/10/2024

After WWII there were shortages of all sorts of materials including wood. In Britain, to counter this (alongside a need to encourage #bees), there were attempts to make concrete beehives. This one is of a few prototypes that survive. You can see it in Horsham Museum , W. Sussex. (Not) #woodensday

A grey barrel shaped object with a separate domed lid. Image by T. Welstead

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Reposted by Therron Welstead

Matt Gabriele @profgabriele.com · 20/10/2024

ok new list is here! go.bsky.app/6TE7o75

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 19/10/2024

Are you a #PhD researcher looking at #castles? Would you like more people to know about your AMAZING work? If so, please let me know & I can include your abstract in the next Castle Studies Group Bulletin. The bulletin is read by all sorts of castle bods. #Academicsky #Research

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 19/10/2024

Can i be added to the new list please. therronwelstead.bsky.social

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 18/10/2024

Pip 'n' Jay's Church, Bristol (St Philip & St Jacob's) has a lovely square Norman font with a scalloped basin, however its cover steals its thunder. The font cover, dating to 1623, has two rows of open arches the whole topped off with a finial. #Fontsonfriday

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 18/10/2024

Could you add me, please? bsky.app/profile/ther...

bsky.app

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 17/10/2024

Hanging on the gatehouse of Carisbrooke Castle (Isle of Wight) are a pair of 14th-century gates. They are made of oak with vertical boards on the outer face & braced on the inner with wooden bars set at right angles to each other forming a lattice of squares. #adoorablethursday #medievalsky

An open wooden medieval gate. Image by T.Welstead

The other half of the open gate. Image by T.Welstead

Detail of gate including iron knocker and iron rivets. Image by T.Welstead

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 16/10/2024

The nave of St David's Cathedral, (Pembrokeshire) houses an important and stunning 'pendant ceiling': so named due to how parts of it hang down. Each one 1.5m long and 1m wide. Samples of the Welsh oak have been tested and provided dates of the mid C15 to the mid C16. #Woodnesday #History #Wales

The pendent ceiling looking directly up. The pendants fron below look like diamonds. To the right is a wooden crucifixion. Top and bottom the mason arches of the nave can be seen. Image by T. Welstead

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 15/10/2024

Traditionally, the monument is said to have belonged to Owen - who was elected King of Cumberland in AD 920 and died in AD 975. There are several legends built up around these stones, including one that they mark the grave of a boar hunter. 3/3

Image of the Giant's Grave. Either end are tall stones which originally were the shaft a cross with 4 long rounded stones in between. Image by T. Welstead

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 15/10/2024

The Hogback stones (each around 2m in length), as well as the cross shafts, are now heavily worn in places. Originally, each one would have had a different design. The images are sketches by WG Collingwood in 1821. 2/3

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 15/10/2024

Outside St Andrew's Church, Penrith, Cumbria, there is what is locally called 'The Giant's Grave'. At either end of the 10th-century monument is the remains of a cross shaft. In between, there are 4 'hogbacks' stones (so called to their resemblance of the animal's back). #tombtuesday #history 1/3🧵

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 14/10/2024

King Arthur’s Round Table got its name due to a revival of legends associated with King Arthur in C17. Excavations in 1937 found evidence of 2 standing stones at one of the entrances. A long shallow trench was also found near the centre of the platform: possibly where cremations took place. 2/2

William Stukeley's sketch (1770s) of Arthur's Round Table (left of image) and a now lost henge.

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 14/10/2024

King Arthur’s Round Table (Cumbria) is a Neolithic earthwork henge c2000BCIt’s a relatively typical design: a circular platform surrounded by a wide ditch & bank. Originally there were 2 entrances to the central area but one was destroyed when a road was constructed. #skystorians #englisheritage 1/2

A series of earthworks in the centre is a flat circle around it is a ditch with a raised entrance crossing the ditch on the left. Image T.Welstead

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 13/10/2024

Mayburgh Henge is of an unusual design due its large enclosing bank and lack of a surrounding ditch. The bank which stands up to 7.3m in height is largely made of river pebbles stones, probably from the nearby River Eamont. The bank encloses a flat area of near perfect circle of 90m in diameter. 2/2

A panorama of Mayburgh Henge. Image by T.Welstead

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 13/10/2024

In the centre of the late Neolithic Mayburgh Henge (Cumbria) there is a standing stone (2.79m tall). In mid C17, it was recorded that there were 7 other similar stones, but these have since been removed. #StandingStoneSunday #EnglishHeritage #Skystorians 🧵1/2

A standing stone standing a large grassed area. In the background there is a bank, with a couple of trees on, which formed part of the ring around the henge. A flock of sheep eating grass. Image by T. Welstead

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 12/10/2024

When I visited, I had a REALLY short amount of time to explore the church and since found out about several other features that I missed such as a Roman inscribed stone which was used as a millstone and a piscina with an unusual basket work back. Only one thing for it… a return visit somewhen. 6/6

The interior of Bowes Church looking towards the east end. To the left is one of the fonts. Wooden beams in the ceiling and pews can be seen dating from the Victorian restoration.

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 12/10/2024

In grounds of the castle (which itself was built with a Roman fort), a large 3rd century slab was found. The slab is now housed within the church. Adjacent to it is a Roman Altar which was reused as a gravestone with Charles Capsley engraved into it. #romansitesaturday 5/6

A large stone slab with text engraved on its face. Either side are smaller pieces of masonry which formerly belonged to Roman Altars. Image T. Welstead

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 12/10/2024

Nearby there is another C12 font with a zigzag decoration. This font stand on the shaft which probably originally belonged to the C13 font. It has been argued that the separation of bowl and base occurred when the church was ransacked during one of the Scottish raids. 4/6

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 12/10/2024

Within the church are several examples of change and reuse. This includes a C13 font bowl decorated with bands of leaf work. This stands on a part of a Roman altar, this part itself was reused as a C17 gravestone before becoming part of the font. 3/6

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 12/10/2024

The rather worn crucifixion scene on that greets you as you enter the c.1404 south porch is an indication of many features to keep your eyes out for within the church. 2/6

A worn crucifixion scene carved in stone inset above a pointed archway. Image by T. Welstead

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 12/10/2024

Yesterday’s thread was about Bowes Castle (Co. Durham), today we will move onto the adjacent St Giles Church. The nave was built in the mid C12. The church saw several later churches over its long life, incl the C13 chancel, C14 the N & S transepts, & a major C19 renovation. #churchcrawling 🧵1/6

A church on the right with a bell cote. In the foreground is a cemetery. in the background to the left is the ruins of Bowes Castle. Image by T. Welstead

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 12/10/2024

Above the left latrine there is a narrow channel (1 & 2). It may have related to a urinal from the 2nd floor, but it may also relate to a cistern holding rainwater at roof level. If it was the latter, this would have been used to flush the latrine below. A VERY early example of a flushing toilet.6/6

A view looking up at the latrine chutes including the urinal or cistern chute on the left. Image by T. Welstead

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 11/10/2024

One of the features to highlight is the latrine system on west side of the tower which has been exposed due to a partial wall collapse. There are two latrines (3) which were independently accessed from chambers. Both of latrines had their associated chute and outlets (4). 5/6

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 11/10/2024

There seems to have been a second floor, but its exact form is not known for sure, due the partial collapse of the walls. There may have been a gallery overlooking the hall and an addition chamber on the other side (background of image). 4/6

The interior of Bowes Castle. Several people are exploring the castle showing the large size of the rooms. Image by T. Welstead

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 11/10/2024

The tower is rectangular standing on a fine chamfered graduated plinth, on each corner is a clasping buttress and a central pilaster buttress on each side. As is usual, the entrance was on the first floor which gave access the main chambers and hall. The basement was used for storage. 3/6

A ruined castle. There is a round headed opening where the first floor entrance used to be. Image by T.Welstead

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 11/10/2024

Bowes Castle stands was built in the corner of a Roman fort (Lavatae), the line of which can still be seen (image). Like nearby castles of Brough & Brougham (both also built within a Roman fort) was built alongside a Roman road (now the A66) crossing the Pennines via the Stainmoor Pass. 2/6

An ariel view of the castle. A lidar map overlaid highlighting some of the earthworks showing the location of the former Roman fort.

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 11/10/2024

My first thread on Bluesky is looking at Bowes Castle (Co. Durham). A timber castle may have been built c.1136. When the site became crown property in 1171, Henry II had the site strengthened due to threat of attacks from Scottish, spending £100 & a further £324 in 1173-4 #Skystorians #Castle 🧵1/6

A ruined castle. Blue sky with grass in the foreground. To the left is a tree in leaf. Image by T.Welstead

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Therron Welstead @therronwelstead.bsky.social · 06/10/2024

Just returned from a castle conference (Colloque Château Gaillard 32). Fantastic mixing pot of ideas from delegates invited from across Europe & America. There were excursions to castles in Cumbria & beyond incl. (Private) Yanwath Hall. In future posts I'll share some of the highlights. #Castles

Delegates front the coloque standing on a lawn in front of a historic building (Yanwath Hall) On the left of the building is a crenelated tower. (Photo by T.Welstead

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