Retro: Wall painting mystery

David Cliffe • Published 20 Aug 2009 10:00 0 Comments

SOMETIMES, when visiting old churches, I try to imagine what they would have looked like before the Reformation.

The chances are that the sober grey walls would have been covered with colourful images.

Last year I visited the Roman Catholic church of St Giles in Cheadle, Staffordshire - a 19th century church which was intended to look like a pre-Reformation church.

The architect was Augustus Pugin, who also designed St James' Roman Catholic Church in Reading.

When you visit Cheadle, you are asked to put a £1 coin in the electricity meter, whereupon the lights come on and the effect is sumptuous and surprising.

If you want to see the real thing - medieval pictures that escaped destruction - there are some good examples not too far away at Ashampstead.

A few weeks ago, I found myself there while on a country ramble and, by good fortune, the man who was cutting the grass in the churchyard had the key and was able to let me in. One wall has a Christmas sequence of pictures - the Annunciation, the Nativity, the angel appearing to the shepherds.

Another wall has the leg of St Christopher - all that is left of an image of the saint carrying the infant Jesus across some water.

And then, above the chancel arch, is Christ in majesty at the top and the "doom" below, showing the damned being marched into the jaws of hell.

I'm afraid the example of wall-painting in this week's photograph isn't half as exciting and it's probably more recent - but does anyone know where it can be found?

The lower part of the wall is of flint and the upper, plastered part has been painted with a border of scrolled vegetation and the text: "This do in remembrance of me."

I would guess that this is the east wall of a church and that the altar stood up against it, so there would be no need to plaster the lower part of the wall.

When you knelt to receive communion, the command of Christ would be in your line of vision.

Please get in touch if you know the church, call Adam Hewitt on 0118 955 3303 or email ahewitt@berksmedia.co.uk

Tweet

Post a comment

Your Comment:

Registered users log in here

Username or email

Password

If you are registered with us, you can login here. If you are not registered, do so now.
Once logged in you wont have to complete word verification each time you post.

Prefer not to register?

Screen Name *required

Email (not displayed) *required

Usernames must be 4 - 20 characters. Registration only takes a few minutes. Registered users can also take part in competitions and other features of the site.

Word Verification:
Enter the text as shown.

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.

Follow @rdgchronicle