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The 15th century stained glass collection
in Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford
Possibly one of the most interesting features of Holy Trinity Church is its 15th Century Stained Glass. Much of it was destroyed by an invasion of Puritans in the year 1641.
What we have left contains, in the main, friends and family of John Clopton who, with other prominent villagers, was responsible for the rebuilding of the church between the years 1467 and 1484. We know that what you see today was originally in the Clerestory and in the late 1800’s, it was removed and placed in the east and west elevations of the building by the Victorians. During the last war it was protected with straw and boarded up against possible damage. Then in the early 1960’s, it was thought that ultra-violet light might have a detrimental effect on the glass and a decision was made to place it in the north aisle where the sunlight would have least impact upon it.
Nevertheless, the stained glass has been subjected to the ravages of time. Over recent years, investigations and experiments have been carried out to determine how best the glass might be conserved. Canterbury Cathedral Glass Studios have installed Isothermal double-glazing on one window, measured and compared the effects of the atmosphere on the exterior of the glass both with and without the double-glazing. The results clearly show the beneficial effect of the protection afforded by the extra layer of glass. The work needed on each of the eight windows would involve removal, cleaning, repair and conserving of the Stained Glass and finally, the fitting of the Isothermal double-glazing.
The burden of responsibility for maintaining the Fabric of this beautiful church lies with the Parochial Church Council (PCC) and their gratitude extends to those who pledge money to that end, not least including the Friends of Long Melford Church Building Trust who raised in excess of £28,000 to cover the cost of the experimental work. The PCC therefore welcomes the generosity of Melford Music who kindly support our Restoration programme by donating funds from the Summer Lunchtime Recitals to the Friends of Long Melford Church Building Trust (Charity No. 10690008) for the conservation of the Stained Glass.
David Hamand, Churchwarden