Image credit: McNeilage Conservation
An ancient stone carving believed by some historians to be the earliest known sculpture of St Thomas Becket is to be blessed this weekend following its cleaning and restoration.
It has been restored to the chancel of St Lawrence Church, Godmersham after cleaning and repair by specialist conservators McNeilage Conservation.
The Purbeck marble relief, depicting a figure seated on a cushion, wearing a mitre and vestments indicating an archbishop, is thought to be either St Thomas or his predecessor Theobald of Bec, and is between 850 and 900 years old.
The church is on the ancient pilgrim route between Winchester and Canterbury and has connections to the author Jane Austen who worshipped at the church while visiting her brother, who lived at Godmersham House.
The newly restored carving will be re-dedicated this weekend in a special service at the church attended by Anglican and Roman Catholic representatives.
“It was worn and fragile and we had been told that it could not join an exhibition at the British Museum some years ago because it was too delicate to move and that we’d need to get it restored and repaired,” said James Russell, former churchwarden.
He added that conservation grants from Church Care, The Pilgrim Trust and Radcliffe Trust had made a ‘huge difference’ in the work to restore and repair the carving.
“We have a lot of visitors because of the Jane Austen connection but there are now increasing numbers visiting because of interest in the possible connection to St Thomas.
“We have discovered that the corbel it rested on while it was at the medieval prior’s house next to the church has been traced to the New York Metropolitan Museum."
The fundraising appeal for the restoration of the carving received £4,000 from grants provided to the Church of England by the Pilgrim Trust and the Radcliffe Trust for conservation work in churches.