Royal Coat of Arms Taken Down for Conservation

After a couple of weeks of anticipation, today was the day that the Royal Coat of Arms finally came down from the wall to be taken to the conservator’s workshop to be cleaned and repaired. The scaffolding was build in the church and we watched in admiration as people clambered up to release the fixings on the wall. These turned out to be brackets held to the wall by handmade nails which pulled out quite easily. Six people, two at the top, two in the middle and two at the base took the weight of the frame and gently lowered it down to the floor. It was great to see the painting up close finally and to see it in a better light which made the colours much clearer. We can’t wait to see it cleaned and restored and back in its usual place on the north wall of the church.