St. Mary Redcliffe, Bristol

Medieval

St. Mary Redcliffe, Bristol.

A full condition survey, internal and external cleaning of the medieval glass in windows in the  St. John Chapel. Removal and conservation of 3 medieval panels. Environmental monitoring.

In the 17^th century Oliver Cromwell’s men destroyed much of the stained glass at St. Mary’s.  Two attractive windows in St. John’s Chapel contain the fragmentary remains that have been re-assembled and re-leaded in the format we see today.  The west elevation has 14^th century remains of  painted figures, set on largely modern diamond quarry glazing.  The north elevation contains a beautiful collection of glass from the late 14^th or early 15^th century, skilfully composed by Joseph Bell of Bristol in the 1890s, and set in ordered horizontal bands.  Fragments include suns in splendour, crowns, roses set on suns, complex knot patterns, grotesques and the heads of figures.  The effect is fantastic and rich.

HWG has cleaned all of the glass, and after successful  tests for externally vented EPG, a bespoke system was designed, manufactured and installed.

Our stone conservators also carried out restrained cleaning to surrounding masonry.