An update on the Heritage Project

The specialist conservation work continues in the chancel concentrating at the moment on the wall paintings and the heraldic shields on the tombs.

The plan to clean and conserve the stained-glass windows has had to be changed due to the risk of losing the colour on the glass. Instead, the plan is to install new plain glass windows to the outside and reinstate the stained-glass windows on the inside so we will have double glazing in church! This will protect the windows from the elements and secure their future for generations to come.

The conservation team working on the Royal Coat of Arms, now confirmed as Charles II, have also faced a challenge. The painting is so brittle and delicate that it needs more work to back it and to re frame it. They have also discovered that the missing parts were folded round the back so we will be getting a complete and larger Coat of Arms back. The additional work has been approved but is very likely to extend the timescale.

We are also planning additional work to repaint the North Wall, the one the Royal Coat of Arms sits on, so more scaffolding will be in place. We are most grateful to our site staff for all their support and to our congregation for their patience and flexibility as we work around these challenges.

Meanwhile, we have firmed up our 1000 Year/1000 Voices programme of activities, details of which can be found on the website. We are continuing to collect memories from people with a local connection following our Down Memory Lane event in February.