THE TREDINGTON FOSSIL / ICHTHYOSAURUS

For many decades there has been significant debate about some strange fragments and outlines embedded into the stone of the porch leading into the Church of St. John the Baptist in Tredington south of Tewkesbury. Many people believe that it's the remains of a small marine ichthyosaurus from the Triassic or Cretaceous period.

Architectural dating places the age of the Church to the late 11th Century or early 12th Century.  It still features a  wooden frame and cladding bell tower making it a both beautiful and unusual building.

There has been considerable debate over whether the unusual formation in the stonework is actually a fossil or is merely an optical illusion but it is certainly well worth a look and does appear to be of the correct formation even down to the vertebrae of the tail.  What is more ... the region is well known for its fossil bearing stone.

However, it is also fair to say that at least one pair of archeologists have examined the fossil and declared that it's nothing more than natural fractures in the rock.

An intriguing point is that the entire area is rich in legends about Dragons - particularly the nearby town of Deerhurst. Is it possible that in the past the repeated discovery of fossils such as this one may have given rise to these myths? More on this story in the future. It's also worth noting that the wooden tower was once clad in the tudor style as can be seen in sketch of the building drawn in 1948.