Latest News
HISTORIC FIND AT YARMOUTH THEATRE
01.02.2012 / Heritage / 0 Comments
300 year old decorative features found in St George’s
Restoration work at St George’s Chapel in Great Yarmouth has uncovered “lavish and unique” original paint finishes dating from the early 18th century.
A team from the University of Lincoln discovered the 300-year-old still intact finishes hidden under many layers of paint. The chapel is being restored by a local trust in preparation for its relaunch as a performance venue
Michael Crick-Smith, a senior research fellow at the University said: “What makes this find so exciting is the exceptional quality of these finishes. You would normally only find such work in Royal Palaces and, in addition, we have found very unusual application techniques were used. We consider this to be a find of national importance.”
Historian Stephen Heywood said the find significantly added to the historical understanding about the building. He said: “St George’s has recently been recognised as one of the most important examples of Baroque church architecture outside London. These rich decorations – which would have involved great expense – demonstrate the great wealth and ambition of the Borough in the early 18th century.”
“Yet it was probably only a few decades before changes in the church towards a more radical Protestant ethic led to all these decorations being washed off or painted over. It is wonderful to discover that such an important element of the original scheme has survived.”
English Heritage and the St George’s Trust are now consulting with the architects to decide whether to reveal all or some of the original columns.
“This is a difficult decision” said Yarmouth Borough Council’s conservation officer Darren Barker. “While it would be great to reveal the columns in their original state for the public to see, we also need to consider how this can be blended into a working performance venue. We must ensure the long term protection of the finishes, and of course cost may in the short term be a factor.”
St George’s Trust General Manager Chris Moore said: “Inevitably with a project of this scale in such a historic building, things are going to crop up. This is an incredibly exciting find and we will look at how best to preserve and highlight it in the weeks ahead.”
Comments (0)
Leave a comment
Make sure you enter the * required information where indicated.
TaitMail
You can now get TaitMail direct to your inbox.