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Last chance to see the Herkenrode Glass in Lichfield Cathedral |
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 At the end of July the glorious East End of Lichfield Cathedral will be
boarded up in preparation for the removal of the internationally
important sixteenth century Herkenrode glass to renovation workshops,
and the restoration of masonry which surrounds and supports it. The
medieval pinnacles and buttresses are so weathered that the failure of
any one buttress could lead to a catastrophic collapse of the wall and
roof and the shattering of the glass.
The work will take five years and cost an estimated £800,000 to
complete. So plan your visits now - see the windows in place for the
next few weeks; watch the work on carving and replacing of masonry on
site over the next five years; and keep an eye out for the completion
of the restoration project in 2014.
Michael Wood, the well known broadcaster and historian, and his wife
Rebecca Dobbs, are shooting a ten minute DVD which tells the story of
the glass from its origins in Flanders to its installation in the
Cathedral; the complexities of the restoration; and an exploration of
what the scenes in the glass tell us of the Renaissance mind.
The glass was made between 1532 and 1539 for a Cistercian Nunnery,
founded in 1132, at Herkenrode in Flanders, now part of modern
Belgium. It is thought that the sketches for the windows were produced
in the Antwerp workshop of Pierre Coecke (1502-1550) who having visited
both Rome and Constantinople, is credited with bringing Italian
Renaissance ideas to the Netherlands. Interestingly, scholars identify
Coecke's work by his figures having overlarge earlobes! Still he was
appointed Court painter to Charles V.
The nunnery attracted the nobility whose families gave generously to
sponsor the windows. The subject matter is partly narrative covering
the life of Jesus and partly portraying donors praying before an altar
or image, often with a personal patron saint to intercede. In a very
special way the glass encapsulates the values and practices of life
during the Renaissance period, especially the central role of religion
and culture. The glass was brought to England in 1802 by Sir Brooke
Boothby when Napoleon dissolved religious houses in his Europe and
purchased by the Lichfield Chapter to replace the stained glass
destroyed during the English Civil War.
 For more than 1,300 years Lichfield Cathedral has been a centre of
pilgrimage, discovery and spiritual refreshment. It is Britain's only
three-spired medieval cathedral and an architectural treasure trove of
international importance.
The Very Reverend Adrian Dorber, Dean of Lichfield, comments: 'The
story of the glass, of its ruin and rescue, serves as a powerful
metaphor in this Cathedral Church of the death and resurrection of
Jesus which stands at the heart of the Christian faith. These windows
are breath-taking, and we will miss them. Do come and see them before
the restoration work begins!'
Special tours to view the glass before it disappears are taking place
during the week 22nd to 26th June at 1.00 pm and 7.00 pm daily (except
Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th when there are no 7.00 pm tours).
Plus we are delighted to be able to offer you the opportunity to come
along to a study morning presented by Mr Keith Barley, internationally
renowned in the field of stained glass conservation, Keith will provide
an insight into the likely conservation and restoration processes the
Herkenrode glass will encounter over the next five years. The study
morning will take place on Saturday 27th June.
Tickets are available from Lichfield Cathedral Book Shop at 9, The Close - telephone 01543 306150
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