A change in attitudes

As the 2012 Paralympic Games draw to a close I have found it encouraging to see that, quite apart from the excitement of the games themselves, a positive change in attitude to those with disabilities appears to be emerging; a reminder as to what can be achieved by improved awareness.

But what has the Paralympics to do with heritage, you might ask? Benefits to be gained from changes in attitude can have relevance to heritage issues too.

During a recent stay in Devon, a visit to the C13 All Hallows church in Ringmore, near Kingsbridge was an unexpected pleasure. Its setting alone is beautiful; a prominent position in the village, surrounded by picturesque Devon countryside.

Medieval mural at All Hallows, Ringmore, Devon    

Reading about the church’s history I learned that mainly due to the efforts of one former rector in the 1850s, the church was saved from dereliction. Further improvements to the church in the early C20 proved to be ill-judged. The nave was covered with a tin lining and this measure added to the already poor state of the walls. Finally in the 1960s the linings were removed, the deterioration was treated and a fine concrete rendering was applied throughout. Viewing the nave (to my inexpert but critical eye,) not enough care and attention appears to have been taken in completion of the work at the time. The process of applying the render has resulted in a certain amount of the concrete spray “drifting” from the nave walls onto the rare Medieval painted mural on the chancel arch.

Damage to the mural, All Hallows, Ringmore, Devon

Arguably, closer regulation and supervision could easily have reduced the likelihood of this occurring. As it stands, I imagine the damage (albeit to a relatively small area of the arch) is irreversible.

I assume that a major restoration such as the complete re-finishing of the walls of a C13 church would nowadays require stringent planning application and approval by bodies such as English Heritage, with good reason, and occurrences such as the one I have described would be averted. How attitudes towards preserving our heritage appear to have altered in the past 50 years or so.

Last weekend I paid a visit with my eldest son to Lincoln Cathedral. Although I have lost count of the times I have visited and enjoyed the splendour and peacefulness of the building, on each visit I invariably see features that I have not previously noticed. My son was keen to join the “Tower Tour” and was fortunate to book the last available place that day. This meant that I had an hour to fill by myself. The Angel Choir was predictably busy with tourists, craning their necks to glimpse the Lincoln Imp, sitting cross-legged high up between two stone arches.

The Lincoln Imp

Wishing to find some space, I visited the small chapels in the South Trancept and for the first time, noticed the beautiful painted detailing of their ceilings. Moving to the Cathedral’s central crossing I looked up to marvel at the skill and ingenuity of the Medieval masons in building and ornately finishing the interior of the central tower. Whilst there, I was keen to try out a photographic technique that I had recently discovered. In order to photograph the ceiling of a building such as this, placing the camera on the floor, lens uppermost and using the self-timer facility, a shake-free image is more likely to result. After several failed attempts (due to inaccurate positioning of the camera) I finally achieved the result I was hoping for. I have included the photograph here and hope that you think my efforts were worth it!

The central crossing, Lincoln Cathedral

Colin, Heritage Steward