Dear Reader,
There is a timbered and cobbled passageway between French Row and Christopher Place, once the entrance to the stable yard of the Christopher Inn which was one of the most famous hostels in St Albans. The Inn dates from the 16th century and it had a fine reputation for several centuries but by the 19th it had declined and was described by one commentator as catering for “all kinds of vagabonds and disreputable persons”.
At the end of the Christopher Inn passageway, there is a carved wooden bracket representing a grotesque: a succubus, which in folklore is a demon in female form that appears in dreams to seduce men but is often thought to be a sign indicating a brothel (the male counterpart to the succubus is an incubus).
The Christopher Inn succubus is not in a good state, affected by dampness and crudely painted over, it is in need of conservation. The succubus is owned by St Albans City & District Council, who have given Conservation 50 permission to conserve the wooden bracket. Following advice from Historic England and English Heritage, Conservation 50 is now in a position to approach a conservator, specialising in wooden sculpture restoration. An initial report on its state will cost roughly £400, so we are now seeking funds to carry out this work – I do hope you feel you can make a donation to help conserve our succubus, a unique part of St Albans' heritage. Please contact me and I will forward to you Conservation 50's bank transfer details.
Prof. Tim Boatswain,
Chair of Conservation 50
2 Sopwell Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 1RR
Tel: 07873 586074; E-mail: timboatswain@hotmail.com
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