Dacre Bears

Dacre, Cumbria

dacre_bear_1.jpg: dacre_bear_1 (93kB) - view original 774kB
dacre_bear_2.jpg: dacre_bear_2 (99kB) - view original 822kB

The Dacre Bears are four stone 'bears' in the churchyard at St. Andrew's Church, Dacre. Nobody knows when they're from but they pre-date Dacre itself which was first mentioned by Bede in AD731. They're probably not actually bears, I think that name comes from the fourth creature below which does resemble one from a cetain angle.

dacre_bear_3.jpg: dacre_bear_3 (94kB) - view original 782kB
dacre_bear_4.jpg: dacre_bear_4 (83kB) - view original 648kB