Introduction

Roughly 1,200 carved and moulded medieval stones are piled against the walls and piers of the east end of the crypt at Christ Church cathedral, Dublin. This material was removed from the fabric of the building during G.E. Street’s restoration of 1871-8. For the time, Street was remarkably careful in the way that he kept and partially fitted together some of the stones. This preservation may, at least partially, have been a response to criticisms of the manner in which the restoration of the building was carried out, demonstrating his care for the past, and the ‘faithfulness’ of his restoration work.

Current State of Research

As well as the preservation of some of the stone, drawings were made of some of the worked stone found during the course of restoration. These drawings are of particular interest as they hint at the existence of pieces consistent with English material of the late 11th century – suggesting the possibility of a stone building on the site prior to the traditional date of the 1170s/80s.

Since the 1870s, little serious systematic research has been carried out on the fabric of the building. During the 1970s and 80s a small number of articles were published, dealing with particular aspects of the cathedral’s architecture. However, none has included more than a cursory reference to this material, the richest source of information for the period, partly because of its inaccessibility, but also because of the enormity of the analytical task of interpreting it. A brief report on the architecture and monuments was prepared by Professor Roger Stalley in 1992. This included an environmental assessment of conditions in the crypt by Grellan Rourke B. Arch., Senior Architect with the National Monuments and Historic Properties Service. Amongst the recommendations made in this assessment were that the architectural stone kept in the crypt should be recorded and moved to more suitable storage.

The cathedral is currently formulating a ten-year strategy for the maintenance of the fabric and further development of visitor facilities. A significant part of this development will include conservation work in the crypt and its preparation for the housing of an exhibition dealing with the history of the fabric. These developments further highlight the urgent need for the recording and adequate care of the carved stone.

Questions Posed by the Project

Street used much of the carved stone in question as the basis for his nineteenth century design of the cathedral. The manner in which Street partially sorted and stored the stone has the potential to facilitate an understanding of Street’s methodologies, and to assess the thinking behind the nineteenth century restoration work.

The visible fragments date principally from the late 12th and early 13th centuries but also from later medieval periods. The manner in which the stone is presently stored however, excludes a full assessment of its forms. The sorting of the stone has the potential to provide valuable information regarding the original form of the medieval parts of the building, which are now all but destroyed.

During cataloguing, the technical processes used by the medieval craftsmen will be examined. Evidence of clamp holes, bench marks and different tool marks will be recorded. These are of particular significance in Christ Church, as it can be regarded as the harbinger of the Gothic style to Ireland. A study of technological, as well as stylistic advances is thus crucial, and greatly facilitated by the fact that much of the stone is in extremely good condition.

Objectives of the Study

The aim of the project is to create a descriptive and analytical catalogue of the architectural worked stone in the crypt. The compilation of such a catalogue will facilitate a more informed examination of the complex issues surrounding the cathedral’s history and its relationship with contemporary buildings on both sides of the Irish Sea.

The comprehensive cataloguing of the material will also allow for its timely removal to more satisfactory storage. At present the dust in the crypt is having an abrasive effect on the surface of the stone, and the piling of stones is also causing damage. The crypt is currently open to the public. The issues of theft and the unauthorized movement of the stone, although as yet not a large problem, are ones that must be addressed with some urgency, and thus the transfer of the moveable stone to a more secure setting is desirable.

Personnel

Project Manager
Stuart Kinsella, Hon. Secretary, Archives & Information Committee, Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.

Project Supervisor
Rachel Moss, Part time lecturer, Department of History of Art, Trinity College, Consultant supervisor, Dúchas National Inventory of Carved Stone.

Volunteers
Marie Betts, History of Art Undergraduate, Trinity College Dublin.
Sue Hemmens, Music Librarian, Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.
Lesley Rue, Archives & Information Committee, Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.

Consultant Stone Conservator
Jason Ellis, Stone Conservator, Dublin.

Consultant Buildings Archaeologist
Roger Stalley, Professor of the History of Art, Trinity College Dublin.

Research Methodology

It is envisaged that this project will form the first and most important part of a phased study of the crypt and materials stored within.

Prior to the commencement of work in the crypt, a conservator will be consulted as to the necessary requirements for the conversion of an area of the crypt  into a suitable stone store, which can be secured from public access. In addition to this, a datafield structure for the survey will be set up. In its establishment, the database will follow guidelines set out by the Getty Core data index inventories of movable material, to ensure compatibility with other inventories being carried out on similar material.

The project will commence with a thorough photographic survey of the stone as it is currently stored. At present the stone is in 12 distinct piles, and as it is moved each stone will be marked on an unworked surface with a letter (from A-L) to indicate the position in which it was placed by Street. The moveable stone will then be laid out on the floor of the crypt and sorted according to form and function. Pieces of stone, which were cemented together by Street, will be left in situ for the time being.

Once the material has been thoroughly sorted, an architectural historian or buildings archaeologist will verify the sorted groupings, and at this point it may also be necessary to consult with a stone conservator with regard to material at particular risk of decay.

The stone will be cleaned using soft brushes to remove the excess dirt and will then be marked with a four digit numeric identifier on the most unobtrusive face.

Once numbered the stones will be recorded by text description, inputted directly into a searchable database. Moulding profiles will also be taken of representative pieces using a moulding comb, and rubbings taken, where appropriate, of tool marks and mason’s marks. A photographic survey of representative pieces will also be made. They will then be placed in storage.

The database will include limited text fields for maximum dimensions, function, material type, presence of secondary substance, location prior to recording and free text fields for description and technical detailing.

On completion of the project, a short report will be produced outlining the findings of the study. The searchable database will be held in the cathedral library for consultation by interested parties. The sorting of the stone should also make a significant contribution to the volume on the history of the buildings of Christ Church by Prof. Roger Stalley (forthcoming, Autumn 1999).

It is proposed that there would be at least a further two phases to the crypt development plan. The next phase would be the dismantling of the mortared architectural fragments and conservation work on the fabric of the crypt. The final phase, it is hoped, will see the installation of an exhibition in part of the crypt space.

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