Church project in running for award
A PROJECT aimed at conserving a unique series of medieval church wall paintings has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award.
The Lakenheath Wall Painting Project, which began a year ago, has been selected as one of the finalists in the Awards for the Presentation of Heritage Research 2010.
The 54,000 project, funded by organisations including the Lottery, Lakenheath Parish Council and Forest Heath Council, began with the aim of carrying out important conservation work on a series of medieval wall paintings in St Mary's Church, the earliest of which is believed to date back to the 13th century.
They were originally discovered during restoration work carried out on the medieval church in 1864 and show scenes from the life of Christ, angels, birds and local saint King Edmund.
They are thought to be unique among surviving English wall paintings.
The lime wash, which had covered these colourful examples of medieval art since the reformation, was removed to reveal at least five individual and unique painting schemes.
Having been exposed to the elements for over a century, urgent work was needed to maintain the stability of the paintings and the plaster on to which they were painted.
The conservation work was undertaken by a team of expert conservators from the Oxfordshire-based Perry-Lithgow Partnership and took five weeks to complete.
Father Robert Leach, the vicar of St Mary's, said: "To be a finalist in a national award programme is a real recognition of all the hard work put into the project by the conservators, church-wardens and people of Lakenheath."
Project manager Matthew Champion said: "Being shortlisted for this award really emphasises that the project isn't just about relics from the past.
"These fantastic images were originally paid for and created by the local community. The project has tried to bring local people back into their church to rediscover their own parish heritage."
All the projects that have been shortlisted for the award will be presenting their findings to a public audience at the British Museum next month which will be invited to help the panel of judges choose the winner.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Newmarket
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
