Don't stop us now

20 years of conservation at Church of St John the Baptist, Inglesham

The interior of St John the Baptist is dripping with inspiring wallpaintings from the 13th - 19th-centuries. In some places there are up to 21 layers of different images.

Conservation work to the extensive wallpaintings has been running for over twenty years, and in 2010 we started to offer on site training with our conservator, Jane Rutherfoord.

Read what has happened so far

Looking ahead

This year, with more students able to join us, we will, for example:

• Continue to take off the layers of wax that were applied in the 1920s by well-meaning conservationists, but which continue to damage the wallpaintings beneath. This is mostly in the chancel
• Continue the ‘grouting’ (lime plaster infilling) of damaged sections of wall in the north aisle in order to consolidate and protect the wallpaintings there
• Continue to stabilise the Medieval and 19th-century wallpaintings in the north aisle, most especially dealing with the flaking of the latter
• Uncover and stabilise a part of the Medieval wallpainting in the north aisle - this will be very limited

The wallpaintings here are so extensive and in need of much care that this conservation project could, and possibly will, continue for many years - provided funding is available.

Find out what we would like to do next

To find out more about on site training at Church of St John the Baptist, please visit our training and education section.

Visit this church

  Find out more about the wallpaintings at Inglesham