Restoring 17th-century wall paintings in a Flintshire church
Cyllene Griffiths, director, Council for British Archaeology Wales, presents examples of listed buildings casework from the council’s files
Hope’s parish church is set in a large circular enclosure (a typical Celtic Llan) in the centre of a small village near Wrexham. It’s dedicated to the fifthcentury St Cynfach and the sixthcentury St Cyngar, but is thought to have been founded in early medieval times, with the original timber construction being replaced with masonry by its first mention in 1254.
It is a grade I listed building. Its many features of archaeological and architectural interest include part of an early sepulchral slab with incised Celtic cross, 15th-century stained glass, an impressive seven-bay collar truss roof of around 1500, some rare 16th-century wall paintings and a fine octagonal Jacobean pulpit. It was extensively restored in 1859 and again, by J Oldrid Scott (son of Sir George Gilbert Scott), in 1884–85.
Before the Scott restoration, according to The History of the Diocese of St Asaph by the Venerable DR Thomas (1908), “The Churchwarden's boxes rose majestically to the height of seven feet [2m], and some large holes cut in the front through which the head might be emerged were the only means by which the occupants could obtain a satisfactory view of the outer world.”
The wall paintings were reported in the local paper as being discovered during restoration works in 1953. This work is thought to have revealed a date of 1533 on one of the roundels, presumably associated with reconstruction work undertaken by Lord Stanley (3rd Earl of Derby) who also reputably built the “particularly fine” tower.
Under the ecclesiastical exemption (see Casefiles, St Catherine’s Church, Pontypridd, Nov/Dec 2017/157), the cba received a faculty application for works to conserve the wall paintings, and was pleased to support the opportunity to conserve these fascinating and rare – in Wales – examples and to better present them to the public. The aims of the project, put together by the Friends of Hope Church, were to clean and conserve the paintings, to improve their appearance and ensure they are stable for the future, and possibly to enable identification of the texts and the sequencing of the schemes.
The paintings consist of two in situ coloured roundels with Gothic style lettering located high on the arcade facing into the nave of the church, and a number of separate fragments presented in a boxed frame. These fragments are noted in the 1953 newspaper report as part of a “Large Saint… [discovered] in the corner of the tower arch and opposite the Norman doorway leading to the vestry”, said to be “about ten feet high [3m]” and thought to be St Christopher. Unfortunately, the painting was in very poor condition because of a damp wall and past restoration. The fragments were “collected and pieced together and cemented to a wall for preservation”.
Andrea Kirkham, a specialist wallpainting conservator, inspected the site in support of the application for works. She concluded that the date of 1533 was unlikely for the paintings, preferring a post-Reformation origin. From the initial inspection she describes the paintings in some detail:
“Two irregular-shaped areas of postReformation text survive on the arcade facing into the nave. A palimpsest of layers survive in each area, at least two, possibly three, schemes. The layers will be much clearer when a scaffold
is available and conservation work is carried out. Text a is further east than b.
One phase consisted of texts in roundels with exuberant scrollwork in red and yellow ochre, as in text a. Lettering is in black with rubricated initials. Parallel lines have been drawn to register the lettering. Further west is an oblong shaped text ( b) also with a frame in red and yellow ochre. Lettering is in black. A segment of the earlier roundel can be seen beneath the lettering. Probably both schemes are c17th.”
Extensive conservation works to the building in 2000 mean that the structure is now stable and dry, enabling conservation of the paintings. They had been difficult to “read” and were heavily discoloured due to the application of a surface coating of wax, probably an early attempt at preservation, and the muddle of different layers of overpainting. There were some localised areas of detachment, movement and hollow sounding plaster, inappropriate modern plaster repairs and drips of white paint from modern painting of other areas of the church. The “St Christopher” fragments were “in appalling condition… [and] scarcely decipherable”.
Five samples were taken for paint analysis: three from text a and two from the “St Christopher” fragments. The analysis of the paint from the text identified a pigment range which includes carbon black, red ochre, yellow ochre and red lead. A mix of red lead and vermilion was used for a rubricated letter in text a.
The analysis identified that “all the paintings are in a secco technique, that is, pigments are bound in a medium and applied to dry plaster. The pigments used to paint the texts were probably mixed in an aqueous-based medium and carried on a lime and sand plaster. Limewash grounds separate the paint layers and provide a bright white surface for the new scheme.”
The faculty was granted, and works have been carried out over the course of several weeks. The results have been quite outstanding. The recording by the Royal Commission notes the texts as illegible, but cleaning and conservation have successfully revealed more text and made it far more easy to read. A likely identification can now be made to biblical quotes:
“… [Lay] aside all mali… and all… and hypocrisies and… en… evil speaking… desire the sincere milk… thereby…“is from 1 Peter 2:1–2: “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby”, and
“… Lord… the evil and the good Saith… Solomon… Prov…” is from Proverbs 15.3: “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Beholding the evil and the good.”
As archaeologists, we recognise the significance of this conservation project – we can perhaps imagine the richness of the crowded interior with a now mostly literate population reading the teachings on the walls, and imagine their reactions and sentiments, giving us a unique insight into the post-Reformation world and a strong sense of connection to its society. The Friends’ next project for new interpretation about the paintings will allow visitors to Hope parish church gain a new understanding of the building’s history, and make their own connections with the people of the past.