A Suffolk church community is celebrating the completion of a £125,000 project to restore a historic church mosaic to its former glory.
The mosaic at the Grade I-listed St Lawrence Church in Great Waldingfield has a fascinating history, with the stones for the artwork brought back from Egypt, Italy, Sudan and the Holy Land in the mid-19th century by two intrepid sisters from the village.
On Sunday 24 May, the community held a special service at the church, with Bishop Joanne, leading the service.
Tee Revd Faith Marsden, Rector at St Lawrence Church, said: “The project, from inception to where we are today took almost 18 months, so it has been lovely to get everyone together to celebrate. The idea was first put forward 25 years ago by one of our churchwardens, Chris Francis. For him, and the rest of the village, restoring this beautiful mosaic is a dream fulfilled. The children from the village school came down to sing and the church was full of people. We are very fortunate to have such a generous community, there were so many people who joined in the project and have been happy to help.”
Phil Judd, who has been researching the history of the mosaic and helped coordinate the project with his wife Dawn, added: “The church was absolutely packed for the celebrations. It was a wonderful day with beautiful weather – all in all it was a fantastic way to celebrate.”
The mosaic was installed in the church in 1869 after Emily and Ann Louisa Baily, sisters of the then Revd Baily, purchased marble stones from river divers in Rome, collected alabaster and syenite from Egypt and granite from Mount Sinai. The adventurous duo sent the stones to Rome, where they were thinly cut and made into the mosaic, before being shipped back to Suffolk.
Funding for the restoration project came through The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Suffolk Historic Churches Trust and local donations.
The mosaic was removed from the church piece by piece and restored by specialists at Skillington’s Workshop in Grantham before it was painstakingly put back together.
The service was a double celebration, as the church as Bishop Joanne also blessed a new White and Gold altar frontal depicting the Tree of Life that, embroidered by ten women from the village taking nearly three years to complete.
Bishop Joanne Grenfell said: "This magnificent result is a tribute to the hard work of so many people, and I was inspired by those who have brought this project to fruition. I was really delighted to lead the service for the community who have led on this project, pulling together to make a difference, giving up their time for such a worthy cause and involving children and adults of all ages. It was a lovely occasion, exemplified by a packed church and joyous singing from the primary school children. This is the very essence of the church, playing a pivotal role in the heart of a community. Everywhere I go in Suffolk I am discovering that churches, parishioners and villagers are shining brightly, bringing light and life to local communities.”