Finchley’s rose window blossoms once more

In the Summer of last year Essex-based stained glass restorers AuraVisions were engaged to repair a large rose window at Christ Church in North Finchley. The window was made by Clayton and Bell in around 1870 and sits high in the west gable of the church. It consists of eight large cinquefoils (five-leaved designs), eight spokes and eight outer triangles, plus a central quatrefoil (four-leaved) light.

The geometric vine pattern, with varied multi-coloured floral motifs, swirls around the window with handmade glasses, giving a sparkly and intense kaleidoscopic feel. The window was restored as part of a major project to repair the whole of the west wall of the church, which involved extensive repairs to the stonework and tracery.

Some of the large cinquefoils had distorted due to their age, high winds and the use in the past of Portland cement in the glazing grooves. The internal and external glazing bars were only secured with four or five tie wires – grossly inadequate for the width of the panels – and the restorers at AuraVisions replaced them with up to 15. Some of the panels were releaded while others were cleaned and flattened.

Many of the painted glass pieces were broken – some requiring repair while others needed to be completely replaced. The number of broken pieces can be judged from the picture below of just one of the three panels of the cinquefoils, which were 1,450mm in circumference.

Templates were made to ensure the glazing fitted easily into both the new and old stone. The project was completed in March this year.

AuraVisions work mostly with ecclesiastical and historic glass, ranging from Victorian to mediæval, but are occasionally called upon to repair 20th-century stained glass windows – usually damaged through vandalism. All are treated with the same care – as director Susan McCarthy says: “Today’s Victorian is tomorrow’s mediæval”.

For more from this company visit their website www.auravisions.co.uk