Gainsborough Old Hall Wall Painting Conservation & Access Project
Final Report
(Ref B/3352/4271)
BACKGROUND
This report is compiled by Janet Edmond, District Manager, West Lindsey Heritage & Libraries who
devised the project, applied to the Pilgrim Trust for the award and acted as the project manager. An
award of £10,00 was generously given in October 2011 to support this project. A supporting award
of £38,000 was received from the Trent Vale Landscape Partnership towards the remedial
conservation, analysis and interpretation of the wall painting.
OVERVIEW
The Pilgrim Trust award of £10,000 has been used as part payment towards conservation work on
the 17th century wall painting in the Lower Great Chamber at Gainsborough Old Hall, Gainsborough,
Lincolnshire between 27th February – 30th March 2012. Discovered during building work c. 1974, the
wall painting is an important example of its type even though it is badly damaged by past
interventions. During the conservation work, analysis has shown that the painting was scrubbed
before being over painted with a white layer and rubbed down for each subsequent redecoration.
Conservation work stabilised localised areas of detaching plaster and removed the disfiguring over
paint. Although the painting is so badly damaged and difficult to read , which presents many
challenges for its subsequent interpretation, the conservation work and analysis has yielded
information that was formerly unknown and significantly adds to our understanding of the wall
painting. As a result of the conservation much more of the scheme is now visible and a greater
appreciation and interpretation of the painting is possible and can be enjoyed by visitors to the Old
Hall.
The scheme imitates a textile and originally it would have continued around the Lower Great
Chamber room. When new , the scheme would have been a rich display of pattern and colour. Paint
analysis undertaken as part of the conservation process shows a colour palette with a wide-range of
cheap and mid- priced pigments. Most significant is the identification of the blue verditer pigment
which places the painting into the C17th, much later than originally thought.
The information yielded by the conservation and analysis has enabled a reconstruction
drawing/watercolour to be completed of the original wall painting. In parts this has had to be an
artist’s impression based on historical comparison’s due to the painting’s level of damage, but in the
main it is a good interpretation of what the painting may have originally looked like. A specific area
of the watercolour will be digitised and enlarged into a life size banner; this will hang in front of wall
painting. The design details and paint analysis information that have emerged from the wall
painting conservation have also inspired a group of local women, led by local community artist Ruth
Pigott, to produce a modern 3D textile hanging . This modern interpretation of the 17th century wall
painting along with the banner reconstruction will hang side by side in front of an area of the original
wall painting where detail has been lost. This will give the visiting public a sense of what the original
wall painting may have looked like. An interpretation panel will also accompany the wall hangings to
explain the project.
A ten minute documentary film of the conservation and interpretation project is in the process of
being completed and will be available on Lincolnshire County Council’s “Lincs to the Past” website. A
one minute trailer version of the film will also be available for Old Hall visitors to view on the new
multi media guides.
A detailed project plan was produced before the project started and the remedial conservation
phase of the wall painting was timetabled to take place between February and April 2012, when
Gainsborough Old Hall was closed to the public. This phase proceeded within the specified
timescales. The interpretation phases of the project have taken longer than originally anticipated
due to the complexity of the artist’s reconstruction work. Delays encountered in producing the
watercolour reconstruction had a knock on effect and caused delays with the women’s textile
project, interpretation panel, conservator’s final report and the documentary filming. The
interpretation banners and panel however are due to be installed in place on 21st November and the
documentary film should be completed by the end of December.
The main achievements of this project have most certainly been:
1. Remedial conservation , analysis and stabilisation of the wall painting which have ensured
the on-going preservation of the wall painting as well as its more accurate interpretation
(images of before and after conservation attached (Appendix 1))
2. Interpretation of the wall painting for Old Hall visitors in the form of reconstruction banner,
interpretation panel and documentary film to allow a greater understanding and
appreciation of its importance ( interpretation panel attached Appendices 2)
3. Engagement of women’s group in local heritage as well as the learning of new skills ( Wall
hanging evaluation report attached Appendix 3)
Once the documentary film is completed further work is not anticipated on the project in the
immediate future, however, as a result of the information we now have on the wall painting one
possible future project would be to develop a key stage 3 children’s education module around the
wall painting.
LESSONS LEARNT
The remedial conservation phase of the project worked very well and was completed within the
allotted timescale. This was a tight deadline as the work had to be completed while the building was
closed to the public.
The interpretation phase has been the most difficult to manage as the artist and conservator/art
historian communicated by email rather than meeting on site due to their busy work commitments. I
think this led to unnecessary difficulties and delays in agreeing the way forward with the artist’s
watercolour reconstruction and would have been more successful if a “site meeting” between all
parties could have been arranged. Delays perhaps could have been avoided if a site meeting had
been programmed in during the project planning stage
ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK
The award from the Pilgrim Trust combined with the award from the Trent Vale Landscape
Partnership has enabled this wonderful project to take place which has led to so many positive
outcomes. Once the interpretation is finally in place we hope to receive very positive visitor
comments through our visitor surveys and I have no doubt that the wall painting interpretation will
create a “wow” factor for all Old Hall visitors.
The textile wall hanging project has also proved to be a very rewarding project for the ladies
involved and this had been a very satisfying element of the overall project. A private opening for the
wall painting interpretation is to be organised before Xmas and it is hoped that members of the
women’s group will attend and receive recognition for their work and commitment.
Janet Edmond
Nov 2012