Wall paintings at Burton Dasset

walwyn Wed, 06/17/2009 - 21:47
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The church of All Saints as Burton Dassett in Warwickshire dates from the early C12 through to C13. The walls were plastered with 'daub', lime, chopped straw and animal hair and over which various wall painting have been executed.1 At various times over the centuries the paintings have been whitewashed over and replaced with new works. These include from the C13 depiction of the 'Doom' to  highly ornamented texts.2

 

medieval wall painting, burton dassett, depicting censing angel and virgin.

medieval wall painting, burton dassett, depicting censing angel and St. John.

The wall painting above the chancel arch depicts two censing angels the Virgin and St. John which are C14.3 These were painted over an earlier C13 "Doom" (Last Judgment) of which only the bottom portion survives. Originally between the Virgin and St John would have been the Rood. A similar arrangement can be seen at St. Peter's Raunds.

 

Example of over painted fresco One of the three magi, wall painting, burton dassettOther parts of the church, especially where in later times texts were painted over the earlier works, the earlier paintings are beginning to show through. The over painting didn't occur throughout the church in some place, as with the "Three Magi" the original works were left untouched.2

 

Twenty miles away at Ashby St Ledgers in Northamptonshire is another church with contemporary paintings uncovered in 1927.

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