East Anglia’s Medieval Rood Screens: Conserving Sensitive Painted Artworks in Uncontrolled Church Environments

ABSTRACT

England’s East Anglian region has c.550 late-medieval screens still in their original churches, one of Northern Europe’s most significant in situ collections of medieval panel painting. The churches are managed by non-specialist volunteers and are not museums. In many, congregations are shrinking and long-term sustainability will involve varying uses of the building. The buildings and their collections are at risk from, among other factors, weather, groundwater, fire, heat, moisture, light, pollutants and pests, as well as vandalism and theft. The same threats affect screens, causing flaking paint, microbiological growth, insect damage and photodegradation. A collaborative programme was forged between the Hamilton Kerr Institute, University of Cambridge, specialists in medieval panel painting conservation, and Tobit Curteis Associates, specialists in environmental deterioration in historic buildings, supported by the Church of England’s Cathedral and Church Buildings Division. This project aimed to bridge the gap between the conservation of sensitive artefacts and the conservation of the buildings in which they are situated. A methodology, utilising materials analysis, environmental monitoring and building and object surveys, was devised for the assessment of the deterioration of screens and their churches to produce holistic recommendations. Through a pilot study, solutions that are passive, cost effective, innovative and sustainable are being implemented.

KEYWORDS:

• Churches
• preventive conservation
• conservation treatment
• roof screens
• medieval panel paining
• building environment
• environmental control
• conservation heating
• building performance

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to the Steering Committee of the East Anglian Medieval Screens pilot survey project and in particular Dr Pedro Gaspar, formerly Senior Conservation Officer for the Church of England’s Cathedral and Church Buildings Division. This project was generously funded by the Headley Trust under grant number HED5618.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Identified by Lucy Wrapson using X-ray fluorescence analysis (Bruker Tracer III).

2 The bottled ‘Calor gas’ typically used in portable heaters in the UK comprises approximately 90% propane, 8% propyne and 2% butane. Each kilogram of gas burned produces around one litre of water. Pers. comm. Calor Gas Technical Services.

3 Measurements were taken with a Trotec T3000 handheld unit.

Additional information

Funding

This project was generously funded by the Headley Trust under grant number HED5618.