Historic Churches 2020

BCD SPECIAL REPORT ON HISTORIC CHURCHES 27 TH ANNUAL EDITION 41 One of the chests surveyed was found to have been coated with a coloured liquid brush-on wax, while another had been coated in a polyurethane varnish. In the hands of a conservator, microcrystalline waxes can protect old timber and metal surfaces without changing their appearance, but household cleaning products, aerosol polishes and other finishes should never be used. Some types of wax can harden to leave white dry residue in the cracks and crevices, while any varnish will yellow over time and flake off in unsightly pieces. Modern finishes may also be difficult to remove, so some damage may be permanent. A micro-crystalline wax or non-yellowing oil mix can be carefully applied to both the ironwork and the timber, but each chest should be assessed individually by a conservator and any treatment should be in accordance with their advice. THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH CHEST From carpenters to laymen, churchwardens to bishops, the church chest held various meanings for people throughout the medieval period. Given that many are consigned to the rear of the church and consistently overlooked, they now hold a very different meaning. It is time church chests received recognition for not only the workmanship that went into creating them, but also their significance as part of the archaeology of the church. An awareness of the importance and significance of the church chest should ensure that they are cared for in a way that will preserve them for future generations. Further Information Eames P ‘Furniture in England, France and the Netherlands from the 12th to the 15th century’, Furniture History , 13, pp 131–303 (1977), available at www.jstor.org/stable/23404068 Geddes J, Medieval decorative ironwork in England , The Society of Antiquaries of London, 1999 Lewer HW and Wall JC, The church chests of Essex , Talbot & Co, London 1913 Morgan FC ‘Church chests of Herefordshire’, Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club, pp 122–143 (1947) Pickvance C ‘The Canterbury group of arcaded Gothic early medieval chests: a dendrochronological and comparative study’, The Antiquaries Journal, 98, pp 149–185 (2018) Sherlock D (2008) Suffolk church chests , Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History RACHEL SYCAMORE has been qualified as a furnituremaker since 1995 and now specialises in furniture restoration (https://sycamore- restoration.weebly.com) . She is currently undertaking an MRes in Medieval Archaeology at the University of Worcester, researching medieval dug-out chests in Herefordshire and Worcestershire for her thesis. Email rachel@sycamore-restoration.co.uk The enormous 14th century dug-out chest at St Mary’s Church, Fownhope, Herefordshire, reverently displayed on its own cabinet ByAppointment to HerMajesty theQueen Decorators andGilders CloughHarris Ltd. CLOUGH HARRIS LIMITED DECOR ATORS, GILDERS & RESTORERS 15 Park Grange, Evegate Business Park, Station Road, Smeeth, Ashford, Kent TN25 6SX Tel: 01233 645555 Fax: 01233 645556 E-mail: clough-harris@btconnect.com www.cloughharris.co.uk CONSERVATORS & RESTORERS

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