Historic Churches 2022

14 BCD SPECIAL REPORT ON HISTORIC CHURCHES 29TH ANNUAL EDITION There was another separate but very significant part of the project. The former refectory above the Undercroft, College Hall, now used as a school hall, retains on its east wall an astonishing sculpture, not widely known but of great art historical significance. It depicts on a huge scale Christ in Majesty seated within a mandorla (or, as it is four-sided, a quadrilobe) surrounded by symbols of the evangelists and set within a decorative rectangular framework of friezes containing now empty crocketed niches. Were it intact it would be one of the wonders of medieval sculpture in the country, but at and after the Reformation it was attacked by iconoclasts and severely damaged. Nevertheless it still displays carving of a very high quality, particularly of the drapery on the figure of Christ. It is a piece of two periods, the main figure of Christ and the evangelists of the early 13th century, and the surrounding setting of the 14th century. The circumstances of its transformation over these two centuries are still unknown. It was painted and extensive remains of pigment survive, enough to understand the decorative scheme and its development over two main phases. A careful programme of investigation and conservation of this monumental sculpture has been the second part of the project, carried out by Ruth and Torquil McNeilage, and now largely finished. A virtual reconstruction of the original polychrome is being considered. What remains to be completed is the full interpretation for visitors of both the history of the Undercroft and the Christ in Majesty, particularly in the context of their place in the Benedictine life of the Cathedral, whose principles of teaching, welcoming and caring for visitors continue to be enacted here. This was not an easy job. Introducing modern services into historic fabric and achieving modern environmental standards is never straightforward, let alone to a building below ground level, of limited size, and furthermore one partly shared with a quite separate institution, the school. And that is before the complications engendered by the Covid pandemic. Other specialists whose expertise underpinned the project are Andrew Waring the structural engineer, Chris Reading the services engineer and Tobit Curteis whose programme of monitoring enabled an understanding of the challenging environmental conditions. Camilla also wants to acknowledge the collaborative support from Historic England, the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England and the Fabric Advisory Committee. The outcome is a great tribute to the skills and teamwork of all involved. JUDITH LEIGH is a Member of Worcester Cathedral Fabric Advisory Committee and a former member of the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England. The Undercroft may be visited on Open Days and it is hoped to arrange opportunities to visit the Christ in Majesty in the school hall. Worcester Cathedral website will provide information. The medieval sculpture of Christ in Majesty on the east wall of College Hall, severely damaged by iconoclasts following the Reformation (Both photos: Andy Marshall) College Hall with College Green to the left and the cathedral cloister behind: the round-arched windows at the bottom let light into the undercroft.