Over the last few years, as funds raised by the ‘Friends of the Church’ permit, the nationally famous ‘Passion Series’ and the South Wall, together with most of the North Wall have been conserved by experts.
Below is an account of these recent discoveries, each section is numbered and relates to the buttons in the left hand column. Click these buttons to get an information page which includes a photograph and text suitable for downloading or printing
1 This painted text from Leviticus is Georgian (18c) and can be seen in the N,W. corner of the Nave. This painting was only lightly cleaned in the mid 1900's by the late Miss Anna Hulbert and was fully conserved by Mrs Ann Ballantyne and M/s Andrea Kirkham in 2003 and the elaborate decoration on its left hand side can now be seen in all its glory.
2 This intact painting of the Lord's Prayer, adjacent to the South door, is Georgian (18c), and was in a parlous state before the expert attentions of the Conservator, Mrs Ann Ballantyne FIIC AMUKIC and her team in 2000.
3 The Georgian (18c) wall painting, of the Creed, on the South wall, matches that of the Lord's Prayer and was unknown until the conservation work was done by Mrs Ann Ballantyne and her team in 2000.
4 The painting of the text, on the South wall of "Suffer the Little Children" is Georgian (18c) was discovered by Mrs Ann Ballantyne and her team during the conservation of this wall in 2000. Apparently there is evidence of three earlier paintings beneath.
5 This wall painting from Psalms, is on the East wall of the nave, behind the organ, and was originally done to match the Georgian paintings on the South wall. It was over painted, slightly higher, in Victorian times but still retained the original words direct from the Book of Common Prayer (i.e. Cranmer's). On the right hand side of the painting can be seen evidence of the original arch to the entrance to the long lost Chapel/Chantry.
6 The expensive and intricate scaffolding, which is necessary for Conservators to do their work in safety, in this case working on the ‘Passion Series’, adds considerably to the cost. This work was done by the late Miss Anna Hulbert in the mid 1990's.
Above and adjacent to the Rood Screen, on the Nave wall and Spandrels can be seen the nationally famous two Passion Cycles, dating from the Fourteenth Century:
7 This picture shows a very small part of the Passion Cycle which is situated over the Chancel arch and continues on the spandrels of both the North and South of the central aisle of the Nave. These medieval paintings are in two series; 14c and late 15c and were uncovered by Professor E.W.Tristam in 1927 when he applied a "wax preservative". In the 1960's
the Eve Baker Trust "dewaxed" them and in the Mid 1990's the late Miss Anna Hulbert did conservation work thereon. These paintings form one of the most extensive cycles to be found in this country. Copies are lodged in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
8 This particular section of the Passion Cycle depicts our Lord's entry into Jerusalem.
9 This section of the Passion Cycle depicts our Lord being nailed upon the cross.
See the section other-info to find out how you could help us preserve and discover more lost paintings and texts.
