The easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions granted me the opportunity to assess the altar furnishings of Campion Hall in Oxford, an invitation extended by historian Peter Davidson and Fr Matthew Dunch.
As a frame-conservator, my task was to evaluate these sacred artifacts and offer insight into potential restoration efforts. We convened outside Campion Hall on a sunny day, gathering around a garden table adorned with wooden crosses and candlesticks in various sizes. These altar-furnishings, once gleaming in gold, had since been painted bronze and darkened over time.
During the assessment, I observed fourteen candlesticks and four crosses, discovering beneath the paint layer an abraded gold surface. It was unanimously agreed that these treasures should be restored to their original golden glory, particularly given their significance as designs by the esteemed architect Edwin Lutyens. Lutyens’ influence extended beyond mere architecture, the craftsmanship and attention to detail were hallmarks of his work. Unsurprisingly, he was a member of the Art Worker’s Guild and elected Master in 1933, tasked with safeguarding the interests of craftsmen for the benefit of the community. The Guild is strongly linked to the Arts and Crafts movement; the philosophical foundation was laid by John Ruskin and translated into design by craftsmen like William Morris, renowned textile designer, and Lutyens, a master architect of the movement.
In his architectural style, Lutyens infused into design his own artistic personality to create buildings of charm and warmth, exemplified by structures like Overstrand in Norfolk and the Bois des Moutiers in Normandy, France. The Art and Crafts movement emphasises a direct connection between art and nature using natural materials, as exemplified by gilding directly onto the wood.
The outbreak of World War One significantly altered Lutyens’ practice and style, culminating in the creation of the Cenotaph—a solemn monument, characterised by its abstract, simple geometric form—a modern design parallel to his altar furnishings for Campion Chapel, crafted in 1935/6. His sense of geometry is evident in the triangular-shaped base, a symbolic connection to the Holy Trinity, and set on spheres atop a brass disk, providing balance and strength to all his crosses and candlesticks, except for two meant for handheld use in processions.
The creation of Campion Hall’s altar furnishings was not without its challenges; financial difficulties, compounded by slow payments, posed significant hurdles for the project, which significantly impacted the makers of Lutyens designs, the firm W.D. & J.H Gough. The father and son team made the crosses and candlesticks from lime wood. Part of the work involved wood turning and preparing the surface for gilding, using the finest ‘English’ gold and silver leaf.
Entering Campion Chapel, the eyes of visitors are immediately drawn to the altar in the antechapel, captivated by the glass-fronted cross and candlesticks positioned atop the altar. Behind them, a small mural by the artist Daphne Pollen depicts scenes of English and Palestinian landscapes. The figure of Christ, meticulously wood-carved by Daphne’s husband, the sculptor Arthur Pollen, exemplifies modern craftsmanship harmonizing with the chapel’s surroundings.
The restored golden altar furnishings stand as a testament to Lutyens’ enduring legacy, seamlessly integrating painting, sculpture, and architecture, reminiscent of medieval traditions. He utilizes the inherent depth of materials such as glass, symbolizing the concept of rebirth, and gold, connecting to the divine realm. In line with this tradition, Lutyens’ golden altar furnishings are strategically positioned on the high altar, as well as in the Lady Chapel and the upstairs Sick Chapel within the chapel complex, enriching the spiritual experience of worshippers and visitors alike—a fitting tribute to Lutyens’ visionary genius
