• Chair
• London Bridge
• Westminster
• Earliest Britains
• Brain Teaser

No.59 April 2004 | Contex HOME

LECTURE REPORT

The care and conservation of Westminster Abbey

ROSE BAILLIE

Our November lecture was by John Burton, Surveyor of the Fabric of Westminster Abbey, the 17^th since Sir Christopher Wren, to hold that post. He also oversees the repair of Canterbury Cathedral and buildings in the Crown Estate. It is apparent that he has one of the most responsible conservation jobs going, but one full of interest and colourful events; from the visit by President Bush on the previous day, to the annual presentation of a fish to the Dean of Westminster by the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers.

Westminster was originally a Benedictine monastery; Edward the Confessor re-endowed it and built a great Saxo-Norman church that was consecrated in 1065, but he died a few days later and was buried behind the High Altar. A year later William the Conqueror was crowned there, establishing it as the place for coronations. After the Confessor’s canonisation Henry III decided, at the age of 12, to have a magnificent shrine built for his remains and rebuild the church in the new Gothic style with Henry de Reyns as architect. Numerous kings and queens came to be buried around the royal saint and the tradition of Royal patronage continued, with notable chapels built for Henry V and VII. After the Dissolution and a brief period as a Cathedral under Mary I, Elizabeth gave it its present constitution as a ‘Royal Peculiar’ Collegiate Church, under a Dean and Chapter, of which our speaker was a member.

Canterbury Cathedral has an equally venerable history, going back to the mission of St Augustine in 597AD. The Saxon cathedral was rebuilt in Norman style by Bishop Lanfranc. The outline of the early cathedral and tile impressions from the Norman floor were found when the present floor was taken up. A fire and the canonisation of St Thomas à Becket, led to another major rebuild in 12^th Century style, with William of Sens in charge. After William was killed falling off scaffolding (an occupational hazard), the work was completed by William ‘the Englishman’. Henry Yeveley, who held the same two jobs at Westminster and Canterbury as our speaker, oversaw further major additions in the late 14th Century. Nonetheless traces of the earlier building still survive, such as the Norman turret rediscovered during the installation of a disabled access lift.

Both great buildings had evolved over time and had repairs in the past – not always in the style or material that would now be adopted. Damp, air pollution and war damage have taken their toll. But they are busy places that our speaker wanted the public to visit and enjoy; therefore he was not too worried about daily wear and tear. It was important to ensure that structural elements were complete and sound, but erosion on other stones merely showed the buildings’ age. The aim was to slow down the processes of decay and replace parts that are no longer viable.

Much of the original stonework was in Caen stone, which is not currently available in large blocks, so a similar limestone called Lepine is now used. Erosion is often due to the effects of rain. Limestone is slightly porous and absorbs moisture. It blisters if bonded with impervious cement, as was used in some past repairs, but deteriorating surfaces can be consolidated with limewater. When new carvings had to be made a skilled team of masons come into play. There are Setting Out masons who prepare templates, Sawyers, the Banker masons who cut the blocks to fit the templates and the Carvers who carve special features like leaves on capitals. We saw slides of very precise, mechanical Victorian reproductions of Norman mouldings. Today’s masons get bored with mere copying and are encouraged to produce a more individual effect, in the spirit of the medieval craftsmen. As a consequence a number of pet dogs are now portrayed among the pinnacles of Canterbury. When all is ready, Fixer masons mix the mortar and bond the stone into place.

Generations of soot also require removal as it forms a greasy impervious layer that stops the stone breathing. A number of methods are available from a soft brushing, to water and a paper ‘nappy’ with a little ammonia. Tough cases can be treated with a special form of air jet with a fine powder that is extremely sensitive and can be used on lime-washed surfaces.

The Surveyor of the Fabric does not have a totally free hand to conduct work on our major churches; church authorities, English Heritage and the SPAB all get involved in approving major projects. Hopefully all that expertise will keep our most historically important churches in good working order for many centuries to come.