Hunky Punk Facts

Hunky Punk Fact Sheet

Name: Walter

Location: South side of All Saints Church, Langport

Based upon: Lion/Bird/Goblin

Story:Walter was carved in 2012 to replace one that had fallen from the church. He is named after Walter Bagehot who is buried in the graveyard of the church.

                                                                                     

Hunky Punk Fact Sheet

Name:Vincent

Location: Inside the church, left of the main door.

Based upon: Griffin

Story:This is the Hunky Punk that fell from outside the church that Walter replaced. A griffin is a mythological creature that has the head and wings of an Eagle but the body of a Lion. He is named after Vincent Stuckey who also has dedications, windows and his grave inside the church.

                                                                                     

Hunky Punk Fact Sheet

Name: Holley

Location:North side of the building, facing the road.

Based upon: Griffin

Story:A griffin is half eagle half lion. This hunky punk looking like it has a mane made from feathers! It is called Holley after the Holley family who are buried in the graveyard of the church.

                                                                                     

Hunky Punk Fact Sheet

Name:Tom, Dick and Harry

Location:South side of Church

Based upon: Three human heads

Story: There’s a possibility that the hunky punks with human faces are based on notable people, either vicars or people who’ve donated towards the building of the church, but because they’re unofficial dedications they wouldn’t get recorded in documents. So we’ve guessed and named these triplets Tom Dick and Harry because they could be anyone! Can you find a Tom (Thomas), a Dick (Richard) or a Harry (Henry or Harold) on the memorials in the church?

                                                                                     

Hunky Punk Fact Sheet

Name:George

Location:South side of All Saints Church, Langport

Based upon: Bird

Story: George is based upon a bird and is quite scary looking! He is named after George Stuckey who also has dedications, windows and his grave inside the church.

                                                                                     

Hunky Punk Fact Sheet

Hunky Punk is Somerset dialect for the grotesque carvings found on the side of buildings especially churches. They look a bit like gargoyles, however they are only decorative, whereas gargoyles drain water.

The hunkypunk overleaf doesn’t have a name yet – what would you name it?


                                                                                     

Hunky Punk Fact Sheet

The reason Hunky Punks aren’t gargoyles is because they don’t drain water, but the Victorians punched holes through pre-existing Hunky Punks to create downpipes, so the stone carvings still count as Hunky Punks! You can spot these holey Hunky Punks on the North side of the building (overlooking the road).

                                                                                     

Hunky Punk Fact Sheet

Some people think that the hunky punks are part of the churches design to remind worshipers of the balance of good and evil. This meant that for every good creature such as a saint or an animal to signify purity, there had to be an opposite to bring out the fear of evil!