WORLD famous medieval stained glass remains 'at risk' as passionate efforts are made to save the beautiful windows before they are lost forever.
A list of at-risk sites has been published by Heritage England, including the beautiful but imperilled stained glass of Great Malvern Priory.
The Priory Church of St Mary and St Michael, Church Street, Malvern, is a former Benedictine Priory founded in 1085. The church has the largest display of 15th-century stained glass in England.
Anne Eglington, the chairperson of the Friends of Malvern Priory, said: "It's some of the best surviving medieval stained glass in the country, second only to York Minster. If we don't do something about it, it will be lost forever. We are passionate about saving, protecting and preserving the medieval glass at risk in Great Malvern Priory."
The priority now is to apply for National Lottery Heritage Fund to continue the work after the success of the pilot project.
Harriett Baldwin, MP for West Worcestershire, said: “Malvern Priory is one of our most precious historic buildings and I am troubled by news that it has been deemed ‘at risk’.
“The Priory is also a very popular place of worship and tourist attraction and I am sure that people from near and far will be motivated to help out to protect this vital local asset.
“As a friend of Malvern Priory I will of course do everything I can to help out and plan to write to Historic England to get more information on this announcement.”
The Creation Window in particular has suffered because of acid rain, algae and being exposed to the elements.
Malvern's medieval glass is regarded as 'a national treasure' say the friends who have worked to raise funds to protect and preserve it.
The Friends have agreed to support the restoration of the first of these windows, the Creation Window in St Anne's Chapel, as part of a larger Priory Development Plan.
Reinstalling the glass in an environmental protective frame and repairing the surrounding stonework costs £125,000.
However, thanks to many generous donors, many of whom have wished to remain anonymous, together with grants from both the Headley Trust and the Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass, the cost of the project has been fully covered.
Funds of £50,000 are being carried forward towards the cost of conserving a second window in due course. The glass so far restored is expected to be returned in the spring.
York Glaziers will then bring the ancient glass back to Malvern in May 2023 to fit it back into St Anne's Chapel, along with the environmental protective glazing.
Heritage England says overall the church is in fair condition but 'there is a major problem with the stained glass which needs urgent repair'.
Other problems are the high level stonework of the tower and the high level masonry to south windows. The condition has been identified as 'very bad' and subject to 'slow decay'.
The north transept window, depicting the Coronation of St. Mary, was a gift from Henry VII in 1501, and another from the Duke of Gloucester, later Richard III.
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