Project Start

10th February 2015

Project Start

Scaffolding arrives. Start on Monday!

Day 1

9th March 2015

Day 1

Conservators on site. Richard Lithgow, Bianca Madden and Mark Perry. The Doom project is underway.

Day 2

10th March 2015

Day 2

Thanks to Julian Barbour for helping with tactful siting of the “facilities” for the conservators.

Day 3

11th March 2015

Day 3

As expected, the work of preserving the Doom will not show visible signs of progress for quite a while. Delicate work is in very small patches, with precision tools to match.

Day 4

12th March 2015

Day 4

There are 3 people working here. each on a separate small area. But despite scaffolding and ladders etc of a building site, it’s very quiet when you walk in.

Day 5

13th March 2015

Day 5

Initial cleaning of the surface already shows dramatic improvement in overall appearance.

Day 6

17th March 2015

Day 6

Injecting filler behind plaster that has separated from the stonework to secure it before further work can continue.

Day 7

18th March 2015

Day 7

Another area of “blown” plaster that will require attention.

Day 8

19th March 2015

Day 8

A single eye peers out at us from the fragile plaster.

Day 9

20th March 2015

Day 9

Cleaning an area with a very small swab to avoid damage to the surface

Day 10

21st March 2015

Day 10

The first fortnight of the scheduled 9 week project – and what great results there have been! The first basic water clean immediately brought back light and life to the surface (see Day 5) and very quickly previously invisible painted details from the Doom started to become evident. Most prominent are eyes and faces (see Days 5 and 8), but hands and even feet (see Day 7) were also uncovered. Although they look large in the pictures, they may only be very small parts in relation to the whole painting. Hopefully they will be distinct when finished and visible from below. Other features are more difficult to identify – angels’ wings, coffins, shrouds and fountains are all typical of Doom paintings. We will need the experienced eyes of our conservators to uncover these and show us how they fit into the Doom. To end Day 10 – another new face, this time with parts of the body showing as well.

Day 11

24th March 2015

Day 11

A figure from the “Heaven” side (left hand side) of the Doom, possibly one that was being carried by an angel.

Day 12

25th March 2015

Day 12

Praying hands, with the figure seemingly looking heavenward.

Day 13

26th March 2015

Day 13

Concentration, a steady hand and a scalpel – surgeon or conservator?

Day 14

27th March 2015

Day 14

Here you can clearly see the shaft and blade of a spear and the vague shape of the figure holding it.

Day 15

28th March 2015

Day 15

This bearded figure has been keeping an eye on the congregation for hundreds of years.

Day 16

31st March 2015

Day 16

Top half of a figure showing shoulder, neck and hand.

Day 17

1st April 2015

Day 17

Richard Lithgow thinks this area may be a representation of an angel blowing a trumpet – possibly a bit like the outline sketch in the corner. Work continues to see if better detail can be uncovered.

Day 18

3rd April 2015

Day 18

This picture clearly shows the plaster that had been skimmed over the painting at some earlier date, and which our conservators are slowly and carefully removing to reveal further details.

Day 19

4th April 2015

Day 19

Despite some sunshine during the past few days, the temperature in the church has still been very cold , and so it was usual to meet our conservators in their coats, woolly hats and fingerless gloves! Work during the past four weeks has progressed very well, and Richard Lithgow is very pleased with what details of the painting have been uncovered so far.Easter is time for a some reflection and well earned break. Hopefully the weather will warm up the fabric a bit and make the inside just a little more comfortable. Services will of course continue as scheduled over this period.

Day 20

8th April 2015

Day 20

Our conservators believe this item (jagged edge in black) to be a saw – the attribute of St Simon.  In art, Simon has the identifying attribute of a saw because he was traditionally martyred by being sawn in half!

Day 21

9th April 2015

Day 21

This is an Angel’s wing – we hope we can uncover a bit more

Day 22

10th April 2015

Day 22

A figure peers out from a shroud (recognisable by the gathered top above the face).

Day 23

11th April 2015

Day 23

Some indications of another , as yet, unidentified part of the painting. This picture though is a good example of the fragile state of the paint bearing plaster on many parts of the chancel wall.

Day 24

14th April 2015

Day 24

As well as working on the painting, Richard Lithgow is using his experience to trace around fragments of faces and itmesso that we can understand more fully where they fit into the overall painting. This will be invaluable when we come to prepare display boards and leaflets.

Day 25

15th April 2015

Day 25

Now cleaning is compete and most detached plaster has been “fixed” back to the wall, some of the larger cracks can be filled. The white plaster will be toned back with lime wash of an appropriate shade when dry.

Day 26

16th April 2015

Day 26

This shows the painting representation of a piece of the hair coat worn by John the Baptist

Day 27

17th April 2015

Day 27

Another small face and hands start to appear.

Day 28

19th April 2015

Day 28

Something that was unexpected – this is a skull! Even though it does not have a very distinct outline, it’s easy to see the eye sockets, nose and mouth.

Day 29

20th April 2015

Day 29

A major crack before and then part way through repair.

Day 30

21st April 2015

Day 30

The blade of the spear is (as shown on day 14) is now very clear.

Day 31

23rd April 2015

This representation of a plant on the south side of the chancel arch is not part of the “Doom” painting, but is certainly part of the history of the wall paintings in the church and will be cleaned and conserved. We will try and find out what it represents.

Day 32

24th April 2015

Day 32

The bottom right hand corner of this photograph shows part of the “boundary” between heaven and earth, that souls would cross to enter into heaven. This probably would have stretched the full width of the painting.

Day 33

28th April 2015

Day 33

These two faces have always been just visible. Now they are clear, better defined, and much more expressive.

Day 34

29th April 2015

Day 34

Here you can see the outline of a scourging post with crossed staves leaning across it – one the spear and the other with a sponge on the end.

Day 35

30th April 2015

Day 35

What was previously only a disembodied hand is now clearly identifiable as a kneeling figure.

Day 36

2nd May 2015

Day 36

The Scales of Justice (with a necessary plaster repair going through the middle).

Day 37

3rd May 2015

Day 37

He’s back!! (see day 15).

Day 38

8th May 2015

Day 38

This looks like the final week of this project and at this stage our conservators do not think that there are any more “finds” to make.So work will concentrate on the final tinting and sympathetic matching of ares of new lime plaster that have been necessary to make crack repairs as shown in this picture.

Day 39

9th May 2015

Day 39

Some parts of the religious texts and writings still remain although most were removed during earlier uncovering of the painting. Here is a memorial to a previous church warden, dating from 1822, which on close examination still shows the guidelines drawn by the signwriter.

Day 40

10th May 2015

Day 40

These figures on the north wall of the nave formed part of the overall painting scheme but could have come form an overpaint at a later date.

Day 41

11th May 2015

Day 41

A final find! This headless figure (the dark red area) appears to be wearing a sort of doublet and is on the right hand side of the painting – i.e. that area that represents Hell. As it is quite a large figure it could show a stylised devil.

Project Complete

12th May 2015

We hope that you will be able to come and visit and see this preserved painting and all the other wall paintings at some time – visitors to our church in its delightful setting are always welcome. Please note that we have an Open Day on June 6th (10am – 5pm) when the conservators will be around to explain and answer questions, All are welcome!