Then & Now

Manticora – Then & Now

John Drew Manticora
John Drew points to the Manticore

March 1966 – John Drew indicating position of ‘the Manticora’ carved on the wall which sits opposite the castle’s modern gift shop. A manticore is a Persian legendary creature similar to the Egyptian sphinx. It has the body of a red lion, a human head with three rows of sharp teeth, sometimes bat-like wings, and a trumpet-like voice.

The picture below, also taken in 1966, shows a close-up of the manticore with a ruler for scale:

The Manticora
The Manticore

More details on the origins of the manticore and is use in English heraldry can be found on Wikipedia.

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