Sleeping figures

These days, retired clergy are needed to conduct weddings and I've got a few requests in the pipeline for the summer. I made a foray into one of the churches where I'm to officiate in a couple of months: a little gem called St Andrew's, Brympton, built in warm hamstone and nestling just on the edge of the town of Yeovil. Next to it is a medieval manor house, now used as a wedding venue. There are stone effigies in a side chapel of the church, including this priest and nun; the priest holds a chalice of wine, used at communion, while the nun clasps her hand in prayer. Lovely peaceful faces, yet strangely modern. They were originally sculpted in the 14th century, but were discarded in the churchyard. Thomas Carew, who worked on London's Nelson's Column, was employed to do some restoration work at Brympton in the 1800s, and it was he, apparently, who gave the effigies a make-over. And very successful his face lifts are.