The Reredos: St Michael and All Angels, Stewkley
The Stewkley Reredos was designed by GE Street in 1862, a leading practitioner of the Victorian Gothic Revival. The programme began with structural investigations to look at movement and its causes; the decision was then made to extensively dismantle parts of the reredos in order to remove the iron cramps. These were found to be heavily corroded, and no longer adequately supported the backing panels of the reredos, leading to significant structural instability.
The central section had been rendered with a sand/cement mix. This was removed and the original C12 rubble wall revealed. It was damp but soon dried out. Levels of moisture recorded showed the iron fixings having been exposed to moisture, causing the corrosion, volumetric increase and overall loss of structural integrity. Once the fabric and structure had been deciphered the reredos was re-built using stainless steel pins set in Plaster of Paris and with the provision of air gaps to ventilate the reredos.
Close up of repaired crack
Stunning varieties of marble
Elements laid out during conservation