Hunting Hares in Selby

Two days after Branscombe, I was in Selby, Yorkshire.  Not directly en route from Leeds to Bristol, but close enough for a detour.

Having left Daughter Number 1 to the tender mercies of Son Number 1 as she recovered from a hypo in the car, I slipped into the lovely Abbey.  I couldn't, in all conscience, linger to explore properly, but as it happens, I was on a mission anyhow, to bag their example of the three hares, a symbol I’ve long pursued around the south-western peninsula, but never encountered outside of Devon or Cornwall.  It didn’t appear to feature in the guide book or on any of the souvenirs on sale, but I soon spotted it high up in the rafters in the form of a roof boss. 

Getting a decent photo was a challenge too far for my camera, so I’m posting one of Chris Chapman's, taken for the Three Hares Project.

I really like this carving. What distinguishes it from the West Country examples is the addition of a fourth, smaller hare to one side.  Maybe it’s an apprentice, studying how they do that thing with their ears.

I fell into casual conversation with the volunteer manning the trestle table of merchandise.  The profile of the hares is obviously much lower than in the south-west, as he’d never heard of them, so I gave him a potted history and pointed out the boss.  He liked Dru’s and my cards very much but the person responsible for deciding what was selected for sale had just gone on holiday for three weeks (this is starting to sound familiar!) so I left one of each with him. 

Just time for a quick maraud and then back to the car park and the long drive south and west.  Soon, Three Hares country for real.  Can hardly wait.