Marking your event with a stained glass commission can leave a legacy for future generations

Do you have a forthcoming event or special anniversary in your church? An exciting commission in glass would be an excellent way to mark the event and will provide a striking feature for generations to come. Is there a new glazed partition at the back of the church to separate a refreshments area? Could a visual connection be made to the rest of the building by incorporating a newly designed stained glass church window as part of the glazed screen?

Bristol-based AP Stained Glass Design and Restoration undertake repairs of all sorts to church and chapel windows, matching the original as closely as possible.

Proprietor Andrew Patch explains: "With numerous churches and chapels being converted for residential use, I have produced special designs for new windows to suit the wishes of the owners. In one, a new opening was permitted in a thick outer stone wall and a 20 sq ft window was made in three sections and fitted and then supported by stainless steel set into the stonework. This was then viewed 'Grand Designs' style across a new oak staircase and landing and had elements of relatively plain glass so the view beyond could still be enjoyed.

"On another site, the entire large chapel was being converted into numerous apartments and the original diamond leaded windows, although in a bad state of repair, were to be retained. Moving around the building, each window in turn was renovated to an agreed level with new sections being made and fitted to replace badly damaged or missing portions. Various hopper windows were refurbished and converted to plain glass with a hit and miss brass ventilation disc inserted in the middle of the opening portions. The former open triangular side cheeks of the hoppers were glazed to help control draughts.

"Perhaps leaded panels have failed in the interior door(s) of a church and are in danger of collapse. The problem is not always apparent, but we investigate and work to solve it, prior to repairing/re-leading and then improving the support structure for the glass."

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