Madonna’s restoration complete

1:00pm Saturday 19th July 2008

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A STATUE of the Madonna has returned to its Herefordshire home after restoration work by county students.

Hereford College of Arts students have worked to bring the five foot statue back to its former glory and it has now been returned to Frome Court, the former convent at Bartestree.

The Madonna was in a state of disrepair when the convernt was being developed by Strand Homes, which contacted the college to see if it could help.

The statue's hands and feet had fallen off but, after a year of intricate work, it was carefully placed in its new position.

Steve Bourke, ceramics technical demonstrator at the college, said: “For the last year she has been pride of place in my workshop and my students have been involved in each stage of her restoration.

"We actually moulded the new feet from those of one of the students, but the hands had to be carved because they were so delicate.

“I contacted the Catholic Church to research the history of this particular statue and to ensure that I restored her correctly.

“They sent me hundreds of photos of different Madonnas but it became apparent that this is a one-off, which has made it even more rewarding for me to complete her repair.”

The work also involved producing a new base and re-painting the original pure white and blue robe.

The statue then had to be wrapped in a protective cover and lifted by seven men, who carefully manoeuvred it into place to ensure its safe arrival in the Garden of Remembrance.

Strand Homes, which has made a donation to the college, began the renovation of the convent in 2003.