Sculpture & Monument Conservation   

 St Peter’s Church, Worfield, West Midlands.                      

Architect: Trevor Hewett Architects, Hereford.
Client:  PCC of St Peter’s Church.

Description: Conservation and repair to several monuments in St Peter’s church.  Including the dismantling, moving and repair of two large alabaster monuments to Sir George Bromley and Sir Edward Bromley. 
Sir Edward Bromley’s tomb is an elaborate English renaissance canopy tomb and that of Sir George is of fine English alabaster with elaborate carving, polychromy and gold leaf.

Work completed June 2004.

 St Peter's Church Carmarthen - Monument Conservation  

Extensive conservation work was undertaken to all the monuments in this beautiful Grade I listed church. St Peter’s hold the largest and most important collection of monuments in Carmarthenshire and some are of exceptional quality.

80 monuments of all shapes and sizes and materials received attention. 

The work included cleaning, dismantling, the introduction of damp proof membranes, rebuilding, re-lettering, minor repairs and microcrystalline waxing.

The scheme of works was supported by the Heritage Lottery fund and CADW. 

Reverend Richard Pritchard, Chancel North Wall. Dismantled and rebuilt. Damp proof membrane installed. Sepiolite poultice and water cleaned. Previous cement repairs replaced with lime mortar repairs. Paint remains discovered.

John Thomas 1731, Nave South Wall Dismantled and rebuilt, damp proof membrane fitted. Poultice, water and steam cleaned. Paint removed.

Index print of monuments. Click on the picture to view full size

(Large picture - slow download - and the reference numbers are upside down)

 St Andrew's Church Old Cleeve                                               

Architect: Robert Chambers
Client: PPC of St Andrew's Church

The delightful detail of this unusual effigy of a civilian dated from the end of 14^th century was becoming obscured by layers of dirt, atmospheric dust and lime wash.  These accumulations on the surface were hiding historic paint layers and diminishing the overall form of the sculpture.  At some stage the effigy had been crudely plastered into the recess which covered original stone surfaces and further decorative surfaces. 

The programme of work included, detailed site drawings and recording, careful cleaning of the surfaces to reveal the historic layers and restore the definition of the sculpture, the removal of the jointing material at the rear of the effigy to reveal hidden details, the removal of the plaster at the front of the base of the effigy to determine the condition of the core and the exact dimensions of the stone surface.  After these initial investigations it was decided to remove the effigy from the recess due to the friable and unstable nature of the core material beneath the sculpture.  Once the base and core had been consolidated all the surrounding areas to the effigy were plastered using a lime mortar and finished with three to four coats of lime wash.  The final cleaning and recording of the previously hidden surfaces of the effigy were completed and the carving returned to its setting.  Building archaeologist Jerry Sampson prepared a fascinating report on the effigy and the surrounding archaeology.

  The Rodney Tomb, St Andrew's Church, Backwell, Bristol   

Cleaning and repair of the Rodney Tomb

Cleaning of the Madonna and child

Conservation of the Reredos adjacent panelling, St Asaph Cathedral, Denbighshire                              

The Reredos was designed between 1867 and 1875, and built as part of the Gilbert Scott restoration of St Asaph Cathedral.  It was completed is 1871.  The Artist commissioned to execute the Procession to Calvary was Thomas Earp.  
The Reredos is constructed of alabaster either from the Trent Valley, by Chellaston in south Derbyshire or the Trent tributary, along the river Dove by Tutbury and Fauld in Staffordshire. These are, historically, the two main areas where alabaster has been quarried.

The choice of alabaster for the Reredos was for its richness of colour, it’s relative softness and ease of carving, it’s facility to polish and it’s translucency.  All of these factors make for an attractive combination for sculpture and architectural design work.  The Reredos is constructed from 260 blocks each weighing approximately five tons.

The iron fixings used in the construction of the reredos had been affected by the movement of moisture instigating cycles of decay and damage within the alabaster.  The specification for the works was to dismantle, remove all rusting iron fixings, provide a suitable damp proof protection and rebuild in its original position.

Dismantling
A scaled drawing was made and cross referenced to the individual courses.  The Reredos was then systematically taken down and the individual pieces wrapped and stored.  It was found on dismantling that the iron cramps which are an important port of the stability of the construction had rusted very badly, some to the point where they were no longer functioning.

Rebuilding
The rebuilding repeated the original fixing system exactly with the iron cramps being replaced with stainless steel grade 316.  The core was built in thermalite blocks fixed in a lime putty and course sand at a 1:3 ratio.  The alabaster was refixed in dental plaster.

Cleaning
Each section of the design was carefully cleaned using an emulsion of white spirit/SymperonicN and water.

Repairs
A number of loose Alabaster fragments were found behind the reredos during the dismantling and some of the plaster repairs were loose.  These were reset with mini stainless pins set in a polyester resin.  Small missing sections were repaired in plaster and coloured in suitable acrylic washes.

Surface
An even layer of micro crystalline wax was applied to all surfaces of the reredos.  The nimbus surrounding Christ was found to have been painted with bronze paint.  It was decided to regild with a pure Italian gold leaf and a two hour gold size.       

Hugh Sexey’s Monument, Sexey’s Hospital, High Street, Bruton, Somerset           

Architect: Llewellyn Harker Architects, Shepton Mallet.
Client: The Visitors of Hugh Sexey’s Hospital.
Description: Repair and conservation of Hugh Sexey’s monument.  Seventeenth Century, attributed to William Stanton of London.
Work completed June 2004.

Romsey Abbey, Romsey                                                            

Architect – Michael Drury Architects
Client – PCC of the Abbey Church of St Mary & Ethelflaeda
Description – Conservation of eight monuments

Monument to Alexander King d.1800

<< Click on the picture to enlarge