An unusual feature of Milton is the scattering of small pieces of sculpture which adorn a number of properties throughout the village.
Our latest exbition in the Wychwoods library in Milton celebrates many of these fascinating and unusual adornments.
The exhibition is on until mid-October, and coincides with the release of updated research on these curiosities.
About the Milton Sculptures
We are never going to rival Florence in our sculptural adornment, but these little sculptural fragments illustrate a sometimes-overlooked theme in the history of the village. Almost all of these carvings have been relocated from unknown original settings.
Usually, sculptures in small rural villages in the Cotswolds and elsewhere, are to be found on and within the local parish church in the form of architectural ornament or funerary monuments. However, almost all the ones in this exhibition are scattered among the domestic buildings of Milton. That is unusual.
Most of these survivors are a legacy of the presence of Alfred Groves and Sons in the village. Many are probably salvaged features from the demolition or restoration of other buildings in the region by Groves, or sample pieces undertaken by apprentices.
There are other pieces of sculpture and ad hoc bits of carving inside a few properties within the village, which are not on public view, but are also a legacy of the presence of masons in the village.
Updated Research
The updated research on these curiosities , developed from the original 2020 publication, is available to read and download here:
