Victorian Art in a Medieval Church
Restoration of rare Victorian wall paintings was cause for celebration in May at the little North Downs church of SS Peter & Paul in Luddlesdown. This unique collection of Pre-Raphaelite church art is an unusual survival of high quality when so many of its contemporaries have fallen victim to fire, obliterating whitewash and aesthetic disapproval.
The 13th/14th century church had suffered serious fabric damage in 1865 with a roof fall, but initial plans to rebuild it as a 19th century church were eventually modified to restore the church substantially, incorporating most of the original fabric in situ.
The decoration began in 1870, when a triple lancet east window with seven panels depicting the life of Christ replaced a single lancet. Three years later a single lancet was added to the south-east of the chancel. Both were the work of Heaton, Butler and Bayne, leading practitioners of church décor, particularly noted for their stained glass. In the mid-1870’s, further decoration was prescribed on an allocation of £830, and Heaton, Butler & Bayne were again contracted for the work. This was begun in the nave, with biblical inscriptions at ceiling height and a dado of sunflowers on a red ground to pew height.
In 1877/8 the west wall was decorated with five cusped arches and floral panels, and a charming grisaille, Children Being Presented to Christ (fig 1), was added to the south wall of the baptistry.
The murals show clearly the Pre-Raphaelite influence. During the morning of the first day of a celebratory weekend, Valerie Woodgate, art historian of the Tate Gallery, interpreted some of the religious significance in the paintings, particularly in the floral motifs (fig 2). Tom Organ of the Wallpaintings Workshop, Faversham, gave a slide presentation describing the delicate and sometimes difficult work of restoring the original media, which took five years to complete. Mrs Eiley Bassett, a local historian, had earlier outlined something of the history of the church and the circumstances leading to the decoration.
The last murals to be added were two fine paintings occupying the north wall of the chancel, Presentation of the Keys to St Peter and Pentecost.
The survival, in as near as possible to their original condition of a complete church décor, is remarkable, and is probably due in large part to the patronage of the Wigan family. John Alfred Wigan of East Malling acquired the patronage in 1836, installing his son, Alfred, in 1856 as Rector. The family donated the chancel paintings in memory of him. The overall work was initiated by the Reverend Alfred Wigan, and much of the cost was almost certainly met by him. The last member of the family to live in Luddlesdown was Miss Eleanor Wigan, who died in the mid 1950’s.