Stained Glass Windows

As mentioned in the Architecture section, Moccas Church has 4 major medieval windows situated either side of the Nave and Chancel, which date from the early C14th. Of these, two still retain some of their original stained glass. The remainder presumably being destroyed in the C16th during the Reformation, removed or stolen.

In early 2012 following concerns as to the deteriorating condition of these windows, the Moccas Parochial Church Council (PCC) commissioned Jim Budd Stained Glass, Gladestry, Kington, a local specialist in the restoration of stained and leaded glass windows, to carry out some restoration work to these windows.

The aim of the work was to:

“To protect the glass and its painted surface decoration from further deterioration by improving its protection from the wet or humid conditions surrounding the glass. To remove accretions of surface dirt and biological growths”.

Jim Budd in his report highlighted the importance of these windows stating that:

“The work is … from the same studio responsible for the Great East Window at Gloucester, the Tewkesbury choir windows and the Jesse tree windows at Ludlow, Tewkesbury and Bristol as well as the local churches at Madley and Eaton Bishop. The exact nature of this workshop is by no means fully understood, but it is thought to be in the West Country or the West Midlands and to have French influence in its work. The windows by this studio all date from 1330- 1350.

The glass was restored and possibly re-ordered in the nineteenth century when a large number of ‘patinated’ restoration pieces were added”.

The conservation work was carried out between January and June 2012 by Jim Budd and his team of Amy Hall, Peter King and Tim Littlar and included the following work:

  • the erection of scaffolding
  • wax rubbings of the stained glass panels
  • the removal of the perimeter pointing
  • the taking of detailed measurements
  • the removal of the quarrie glazing leaded lights
  • the removal of the stained glass
  • the manufacture and fitting of protective weatherproof outer glazing (made of 3mm horticultural glass) for the stained glass
  • the re leading of the leaded lights
  • the fitting of patinated brass bars
  • some adjustments to the stain glass panels to fit back into the masonry (involving some minimal reshaping of the original glass)
  • the establishment of 10mm ventilation gaps at the top and bottom of the stained glass panels to ensure that a controlled air flow in the space between the layers of glazing
  • the careful cleaning of the stained glass panels, their framing in 10x 12mm manganese bronze frames and their fixing to the inner reveals of the masonry

They also carried some additional work in the church which included :

  • the provision of passive ventilation in the Nave with the introduction of 20 no. stainless steel mesh quarries
  • the painting of the medieval window ironwork
  • the cleaning of the plain glass leaded lights

The full details of the conservation work carried out on the windows can be viewed by clicking the link below.

Moccas Church Information Sheet IX – C14th Stained Glass Windows – Restoration Report 2012 (author Jim Budd)