Canterbury Consistory Court; Walker Com Gen, May 1998
A faculty was sought for the repainting of some Victorian paintings on the south wall of the chancel of a Grade II listed church due to the fact that they had faded and become dull. The dullness of the paintings was made more apparent by the contrast of the newly-painted north wall. The paintings had already been repainted on two previous occasions, using the original stencils, and those stencils were available for the proposed repainting. A number of bodies were consulted, and the commissary had regard to the views of the Victorian Society and the CCC that the paintings were of sufficient artistic merit to warrant cleaning and restoration, even though the end result would remain dull. A faculty was granted, subject to the condition recommended by the DAC that the original painting be covered up with a protective skin in such a way that it might be possible, at a later date, to uncover the original painting, and subject to the condition that the original stencils be used. The commissary took the following into account: (a) the pastoral needs of the congregation called for a brighter and more balanced appearance in the chancel which would not be achieved if the paintings were merely cleaned and restored; (b) the principal function of the church was as a place of worship; and (c) the view that the real merit of the paintings lay in the use of the stencils and their design rather than in the application of paint to the walls.
(1998) 5 Ecc LJ 135-136
