Repair of St Andrew's Historic East Window

The early 14th century East Window in St Andrew’s Church, Bere Ferrers, is reputed to be the oldest in Devon except for one or two windows in Exeter Cathedral.. The window contains panels of reordered 14th and 15th century painted fragments with 19th century additions and two remarkable donor portraits of Sir William de Ferrers and his wife Matilda, who extended the church in c.1332.

The description in italics below is an excerpt from Rev A J C Beddow: A History of Bere Ferrers Parish, 1986, 7-8:

On the left hand side of the window is depicted Sir William de Ferrers (Lord of the Manor c.1281 – 1337) holding a church with the inscription in Latin stating “Sir William de Ferrers made me”. He rebuilt parts of the church 600 years ago (…). On the opposite side is Lady Matilda, his wife. In the centre is Christ reigning in Glory with his hands outstretched and his feet on a rainbow.

Below Jesus is a figure in a pilgrim’s hat and wallet. In the background is glass showing oak leaves and acorns. In the middle ages many pilgrimages were made from these parts of Devon to St. James Cathedral in Compostella in Spain. Also in this window is the Virgin Mary dressed in blue. This may refer to the annunciation (…) possibly the angel Gabriel’s salutation to Mary. Yet in another part of the window is a woman dressed in blue and gold standing behind a young girl in a pink dress; the girl is pointing to a book lying on a reading desk; this is surely St. Anne, instructing her daughter, the young Virgin Mary. At the time when the window was put in, Bishop Grandisson of Exeter introduced the cult of St. Anne into the diocese. Above the main stained glass are nine little circles of glass (…) one of these is a picture of a king, crowned holding an orb. It may be Edward the confessor (…). Another shows the tiny hands and head of the Christ Child. Six other figures are painted black on a grey-white background; they are naked or draped in a winding sheet with faces filled with terror. These are proof that here was once a “Doom” scene depicting the Last Judgement.

According to tradition the glass was removed in Cromwellian times and replaced at the restoration of Charles II. By 1845 it had again been taken out (…) and put back in 1871. Once again the glass was taken out in 1940 and put in the rectory cellar, being replaced on All Saints Day 1946 and rededicated by the bishop of Plymouth.

A report from the specialist company asked to survey the window reported as follows:

The window is structurally stable however poorly supported on the current saddle bars which are rusty and have damaged the masonry. Replacement of the ferrous bars with 316 marine grade stainless steel would prevent further expansion related damage to the jambs and mullions.

The medieval glass exhibits surface corrosion on both the interior and exterior faces with areas of deep pitting and surface loss. There is some associated deterioration of the glass paint which should be considered very fragile, but the overall appearance and legibility of the detail remains fairly good.

The window is dirty and hygroscopic crusts and algae are obscuring some of the figures, especially in the tracery. The presence of algae indicates that the window and its immediate environment is regularly wet and for prolonged periods of time, therefore careful cleaning, removal of microbiological growth and improved moisture management at the perimeters and sills is recommended. In order to achieve this safely, the figurative panels and tracery should ideally be removed and cleaned under a microscope.

The purpose of this survey in the first instance was to advise on appropriate methods of cleaning for the historic glass. Given the extent of deterioration found and the ongoing nature of the mechanical and atmospheric damage related to its current position within the church, we strongly recommend the installation of an internally ventilated protective glazing system (EPG). This window contains notable examples of medieval painted glass which have historical and religious significance as well as outstanding artistic merit.

We have obtained the necessary Faculty to proceed with the work, which we hope will start in July 2026. The cost is high and we are researching possible grants and will also be fundraising. Watch this space for more details!