In the medieval church of All Saints in Newland, Gloucestershire, is a small, rectangular brass 1 foot (30cm) long. It is fixed to a late medieval tomb slab to which it does not appear to have any connection. It is known as the Miners' Brass and shows the helmet, mantling and crest representing a free miner of the Forest of Dean. The miner is holding a pick and has a hod on his back and a candle holder between his teeth. The juxtaposition of this working man and the heraldic devices associated with the nobility is an odd one, and underlines the status of the free miners of the Forest.
photos © T. Boughen Camera: Nikon Z 5
