Lightworks Complete Major Restoration and Conservation of Beautiful Stained Glass Collection
Situated well off the beaten track in the village of Balderstone, St. Leonard’s Church is home to a collection of some of the finest pictorial stained glass windows in the North of England, if not the whole of the country. These include very fine examples by such turn-of-the-century powerhouse studios as James Powell & Sons of London, Shrigley & Hunt of Lancaster and Lavers, Barraud & Westlake also of London.
Initial assessments of the condition of the stained glass in general was good. However their masonry settings, in particular the central dividing mullions were suffering from serious structural faults brought about by the continued corrosion of internal metal pins and supporting glazing bars. As such, the decision was made to carry out a programme of replacement of the failed mullions and in order to facilitate this vital work, the stained glass needed to be removed. While initial structural condition of the glass within their settings was deemed as being good, a full scope of works for each of the seven windows, based on the principal of minimum intervention, could only be proposed once each had been removed and fully assessed on the studio bench.
Under the instruction of project architect Tony Keeble of Overton Architects and working closely alongside principal contractor Pinnacle Stonemasonry, removal of the first of the seven windows requiring intervention began in September 2015 with the project split into three phases; Phase 1 being five nave windows, Phase II being the East Window, and the final Phase; the West Window.
An abbreviated account of the work we undertook is as follows:
Phase I: September – December 2015
Window 1: Shrigley & Hunt (1886). A twin lancet on the south elevation featuring “The Resurrection”
Scope of works: Removal, full re-lead and re-installation
Window 2: Shrigley & Hunt (1900). A twin lancet on the south elevation featuring “Jesus calms the storm”
Scope of works: Removal, minimum intervention including replacement of all outer lead cames and re-installation
Window 3: Shrigley & Hunt (1925). A twin lancet on the south elevation featuring St. Dunston & King David”
Scope of works: Removal, full re-lead and re-installation
Window 4: Bernard & Beatrice Walmsley, Cumbria (1934). A twin lancet on the south elevation featuring “A Message of Peace”
Scope of works: Removal, minimum intervention including replacement of all outer lead cames and re-installation
Window 5: Shrigley & Hunt (1931). A twin lancet on the north elevation depicting the passage “Feed my sheep, feed my lambs”
Scope of works: Removal, minimum intervention including flattening, replacement of outer lead cames, re-painting of several pieces of damaged glass and re-installation
Phase II: January – February 2016
The east window by James Powell & Sons of London (1905). A five lancet window on the east elevation depicting the passage “Suffer the little children…”
Scope of works: Removal of the four outer lancets, minimum intervention works including replacement of all outer lead cames and re-installation
Phase III: February – April 2016
The west window by Lavers, Barraud & Westlake (1876). A triple lancet window on the west elevation featuring “The Ascension”
Scope of works: Removal of all three main lancets, minimum intervention works including replacement of all outer lead cames, extensive localised glass re-painting to outer edges and re-installation
As a company, Lightworks remain hugely proud of our involvement on this project and of being entrusted with the handling and care of these beautiful old windows. While we did encounter a number of minor issues along the way, not least having to contend with some of the worst storms experienced in Britain in the last 100 years, each phase was completed on time. Through the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and the hard work of all those involved, particularly that of Project Coordinator and principle driving force John Mather, the life-span of the stained glass at St. Leonard’s has been greatly extended for future generations.
Our images show each of the seven windows following re-installation.
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