Conservation & Heritage Issue 49 October 2025 - Flipbook - Page 48
Another element of our involvement was the conservation
treatment work on two wonderful Medieval Figures,
believed to be late 14th or early 15th century. They were
discovered during a 19th century remodelling of the
chancel, walled up behind the niches flanking the east
window. This restoration was undertaken by architect James
Edmeston in 1870. It has been suggested that these figures,
because of their small size, were tomb ornaments.
The objects are of a chalky limestone and the taller (holding
a chalice) measures 265H x 150W x 150D (mm) and
the other 250H x 160W x 120D (mm). The taller figure
comprised of five fragments and the other three, both were
poorly aligned and painted with distemper.
Our treatment included careful disassembly, removal of
the adhesive and piecing together with the fracture lines
filled with matching lime mortar. Once pieced together
the overlaying distemper was gently removed in case any
polychrome was present. The removal of the distemper
resulted in the sculptural detail being much more readable
and no polychrome was present.
Both figures, with approximately seven small medieval
tiles, will be displayed in the church in a museum grade
display case.
Hampden Monuments
In summer 2025 we undertook the conservation treatment
of four wall monuments. Two of them: Thomas Kempthorne
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d.1736 and John Hampden d.1743 (by Sir Henry Cheere) are
located on the North wall of the Sanctuary and Chancel.
Richard Hampden d.1662 and Viscount Hampden and his
wife d.1783 located in the North aisle of the Nave.
The John Hampden monument is a very impressive
sarcophagus with two putti seated on top. Above is a big
oval medallion with a family tree emerging out of the battle
scene of Hampden’s death in 1643.
The Thomas Kempthorne monument is pink and white
marble with two oval medallions with portraits in profile.
An urn with garlands is flanking the top. Both monuments
in the Sanctuary are of exceptional quality with multiple
types of architectural coloured marbles. There were some
losses to foliage tips in the embellishments and toes of the
cherubs. The monuments in the Nave were heavily soiled
and displayed loss of legibility of the inscriptions due to a
loss of polychromy.
The cleaning of the monuments was undertaken following
cleaning trials and with care to retain the existing
surface patination. Surface cleaning was achieved using
a combination of dry dusting and gentle wet cleaning
techniques involving organic solvents and solvent mixtures.
Open joints were raked out and repointed with plaster of
Paris. Where legibility of the inscription was compromised,
the repainting in artist acrylics was undertaken.
Marta Sledz Wilson MA (Cons.) MSc (Econ.)
Conservation & Heritage Journal
46
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