Over the last year the Parish Church has been restoring the Burton Chapel by installing a new roof to stop water ingress. The roof has had new lead sheets and the plaster of the interior walls has been renewed and decorated. The church raised nearly £350,000 to pay for the work. The final task was to conservation clean the important historical monuments and carved wood panelling which was done over a fortnight last month by Skillingtons of Grantham.
The most important of these was the monument erected in 1793 celebrating Thomas Burton.
It was found that extensive black overpaint was present across the marble surface. Paint layers were reduced using EnviroMose Pro-Grade paint stripper, with multiple applications required on flat areas. After a dwell time of approximately 20 minutes, softened residues were removed using deionised water and Synperonic A7 in conjunction with melamine sponges to ensure complete removal of stripping residues.
Close up of monument before treatment
Gilded frame elements and inscriptions were cleaned using a 5% tri-ammonium citrate solution applied with cotton swabs. Localised areas of loss were toned using acrylic paints to improve legibility and visual integration. The monument was finished with two applications of Renaissance wax to provide a protective and unifying surface layer.
Monument after treatment
It reads ‘Hard by lies Thomas Burton, our consummate man of letters and most illustrious founder of the Public School of which, and of the Bridges, he was sole guardian. 1496.
This monument was erected and the original inscription restored by the Guardians of the Bridges in 1793’
Next month the Chapel’s floor will be sanded and sealed and blue pew cushions – including a special one with Ralph Lemygton’s Shield embroidered for the Headmaster’s Chair – will be delivered, so completing the conservation.
The story of the Chapel can be found here
In the next edition of ‘Beyond the Barrier’ the entire conservation clean will be featured.
