Bringing Tudor art back to life at Calverley Old Hall

The discovery of rare 16^th century wall paintings preserved under lath and plaster at Calverley Old Hall was one of the most remarkable moments of this dramatic conversion.  

The scheme of wall paintings has now been sensitively cleaned and consolidated by Opus Conservation, and the room in which they were found has become a simple – and very special – bedroom for two, known as the Painted Chamber. Here, Dr Lizzie Woolley ACR, Director of Opus Conservation, looks back on her ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experience of restoring this rare survival.

Image: Dr Lizzie Woolley ACR at work in the Painted Chamber 

The specialness was evident from the beginning

We first became involved with the project at Calverley Old Hall in March 2023, when we were appointed to conduct a condition survey. Even in their newly discovered state, with the main contractor work still going on (meaning there was temporary lighting, protective Perspex screens in place and an incomplete ceiling), the specialness was evident. It was clear that the scheme was extremely rare and important.

A very rare survival of a domestic scheme

Such extensive schemes are unusual, and many contemporary examples have been heavily restored in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Domestic schemes especially fall prey to changing tastes, vagaries of fashion and building alterations, and although it could be said these influences also played out on the scheme at Calverley, the later panelling was carefully installed and allowed a period of quite benign obscurity which, to a large extent, preserved the paintings - albeit in ‘hibernation’. Once we began looking at the paintings in more detail, it became clear they also had an unusual painting technology, so that is an extra rarity factor.

Local materials and a simple colour palette

The palette is simple (carbon black, red iron oxide, chalk and gypsum white) and effectively deployed. None of these pigments are rare, and it is unlikely that we could discover their source. However, the paintings are on gypsum plaster, which is unusual in this period. We know of only a handful of contemporary examples. It seems gypsum floors were reasonably common in areas with good local sources of gypsum, like the East Midlands. This use of gypsum may indicate that the craftsmen exploited local materials.

The paintings were created by a skilled and confident artist

Through having an extended period of time working closely with the paintings, we really came to appreciate the original painting workshop’s great skill in planning and execution. Usually, a scheme of painting will have evident setting out techniques, such as marks from a cartoon (design), or snapped lines and compass marks. We couldn’t find any setting out marks at Calverley. The iconography repeats, but not exactly, so it was not stencilling work. Our conclusion is that the scheme was largely set out in a confident freehand, by someone skilled at getting designs to fit a space.

Starting the conservation process

The process of conservation begins with looking – hard! As conservators, we’re looking to understand how the paintings were made, what has happened to them over time, what manifestations of damage or deterioration we see and what might be causing them. Our first stint on site was a condition survey, which involved examining the paintings in normal and UV light, discussing this history of the room and building with the surveyor and archaeologist, photographing distinctive features and mapping our observations graphically.

Based on this, we returned sometime later to conduct technical analysis which would help to design further treatments. Around this time, Landmark ran a research event bringing several specialists together to discuss the paintings, which helped to define their significance. We then carried out treatment trials to see what kind of results could be achieved, and to help scope the full conservation. We were then fortunate to win the contract for the main work, so we were able to see the project to completion, which was a privilege - and hugely satisfying.

Repairing the paintings, and new discoveries along the way

During the main works, we cleaned, consolidated and repaired the paintings. Distracting losses and repairs were toned out with conservation-grade paint. Our aim was to stabilise and preserve the surviving sixteenth-century paint, and bring the scheme back together as a cohesive whole by improving the clarity of the original and making losses (in paint and plaster) recede. During cleaning we discovered that the upper register of roundels are differentiated. The consolidation treatment revealed ‘ghosts’ of lost painting. Both discoveries showed the scheme to be even more varied and complete than we’d first realised.

An ideal conservation project

This iterative model of wall painting conservation, interspersing time on-site with time away to research and reflect on findings to better inform the next round of trials and treatment, is the ideal in conservation - and is not always possible due to challenging timelines or other site constraints. We are grateful that Landmark were such sensitive clients.

Some of the Opus team (L-R): Pu Lan, Lizzie Woolley, Camilla Molignano and Samuel Whittaker.

Other team members not pictured: Amarilli Rava, Jack Snape and Ilaria Alessi.

In our line of work, we are privileged to work up close with many and varied wall painting, and no two projects are ever the same. Even within that context, conserving the paintings at Calverley Old Hall was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

A career in wall painting conservation

Feeling inspired? See Dr Lizzie Woolley ACR and other members of the Opus Conservation team share their experiences and advice for anybody wishing to pursue a career in conservation. 

Read all about the discovery of the Calverley Old Hall wall paintings  or explore a detailed history of the paintings. 

The repair and conversion of Calverley Old Hall is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, and a host of other supporters, we have been able to rescue and restore this Grade-1 listed building for future generations.