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West Front Appeal Update
Thanks to the money raised so far through Newstead Abbey's Adopt-a-Stone appeal and funding from Nottingham City Council, work is about to commence on the repairs to the Abbey's iconic Virgin and Child statue, which is a rare survival, not only for the Abbey and Nottinghamshire but nationally too.
The Virgin & Child sculpture is one of the City Council's most important cultural assets and is a carving that is iconic of Newstead Abbey and its association with the poet Lord Byron and the Romantic Movement
As you know, the statue sits high in a niche on Newstead's 13th Century West Front and over the last 100 years, has seen more decay and weathering than at any other time during its 700 year history. The cumulative effective of acid rain, freeze-thawing, vegetation growth and salt deposits have begun to wreak destruction.
The West Front has been identified as displaying medieval stonework of the highest order. It is a building that inspired Lord Byron and it gloriously remembered in his magnum opus 'Don Juan' and has been a place of inspiration and pilgrimage since Byron's untimely death in 1824. Sadly unless remedial works are carried out urgently extremely significant details of masonry will be lost forever, including the virgin & Child
The restoration works carried out will make the stonework and mortar more secure and watertight before fixing a fine steel mesh across the niche to protect the statue from more damage by jackdaws nesting behind it. At the same time, Conservation contractors, Torquil McNeilage and his assistant, Carolyn Robinson (who are among the best stone conservators in the country) will also examine the stonework for any microscopic traces of paint from Medieval times when sculptures painted their work in glorious colours.
Torquil and Carolyn have worked on many prestigious projects through Britain and across Europe, to include the conservation and mortar repair to medieval polychromed statues in Exeter Cathedral, and the cleaning and conservation of the medieval sepulchral effigies at Bedale parish church, Norfolk.
On this occasion Torquil and Carolyn are working working under the direction of Nick Durnan, the principal contractor. Nick is probably 'Mr' medieval sculpture having working extensively on many of Britain's finest cathedrals; Salisbury, Canterbury, Peterborough. Nick was also a prime consultant for Wells cathedral's fabulously decorated west Front.
General Manager Gillian Crawley says that "This is a great opportunity to reinforce the importance of the West Front Appeal and to make people aware that a lot of repairs still need to be done to ensure the continuation of the Abbey in years to come".
The West Front has been identified as displaying medieval stonework of the highest order. It is a building that inspired Lord Byron and it gloriously remembered in his magnum opus 'Don Juan' and has been a place of inspiration and pilgrimage since Byron's untimely death in 1824. Sadly unless remedial works are carried out urgently extremely significant details of masonry will be lost forever, including the virgin & Child
The restoration works carried out will make the stonework and mortar more secure and watertight before fixing a fine steel mesh across the niche to protect the statue from more damage by jackdaws nesting behind it. At the same time, Conservation contractors, Torquil McNeilage and his assistant, Carolyn Robinson (who are among the best stone conservators in the country) will also examine the stonework for any microscopic traces of paint from Medieval times when sculptures painted their work in glorious colours.
Torquil and Carolyn have worked on many prestigious projects through Britain and across Europe, to include the conservation and mortar repair to medieval polychromed statues in Exeter Cathedral, and the cleaning and conservation of the medieval sepulchral effigies at Bedale parish church, Norfolk.
On this occasion Torquil and Carolyn are working working under the direction of Nick Durnan, the principal contractor. Nick is probably 'Mr' medieval sculpture having working extensively on many of Britain's finest cathedrals; Salisbury, Canterbury, Peterborough. Nick was also a prime consultant for Wells cathedral's fabulously decorated west Front.
General Manager Gillian Crawley says that "This is a great opportunity to reinforce the importance of the West Front Appeal and to make people aware that a lot of repairs still need to be done to ensure the continuation of the Abbey in years to come".
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