Salisbury Cathedral restores stained glass treasures by Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris | Art

Sam Kelly admitted there were some sleepless nights as he led the two-year restoration of Salisbury Cathedral, a stained glass window designed by Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris.

“It would be a mistake to say that I did not sleep at times,” said the chief glazier. “You’re building something very valuable and when it goes down, it can be very bad.”

Fortunately, the 6.5-meter (21ft) tall “Angelo” window did not hit the ground. The restoration has been hailed as a huge success and this week the artwork will be celebrated and presented again at an evensong event.

The window was made in the late 1900s by a Pre-Raphaelite artist Burne-Jones and Morris, textile artist and poet.

In the century and a half since then, water intrusion, melting and deterioration of many of the painting’s details have necessitated restoration.

Kelly, who began teaching at the church 40 years ago and now oversees the maintenance of all of its stained-glass windows, said the first job in February 2024 will be the removal of the large, richly decorated window above the south aisle. “It was not stable and you have to be careful not to damage it again,” he said.

When the window successfully arrived at the workshop, it was carefully recorded, in part to coordinate the restoration program and as a document so that future conservators of the church’s glass windows would know exactly what work had been done.

The liver shows “ministering angels” and “angels are praisings“- serving and praising angels Burne-Jones made angels, Morris design of decorative pages.

Kelly and her colleagues Vicky Pearce, Kate Kersey and Alfie Durrant carefully washed the glass to help restore the original colors. “That made it better,” Kelly said.

As for Burne-Jones’s chalk design, he recovered the lost material on the 2mm “back glass” instead of adding anything to the original site. “Nothing has been done to the original glass other than a little cleaning,” Kelly said. “All extras are in the rearview mirror.”

Protective glazing and oak frames have been added to prevent damage.

Kelly said she was happy with the results. “We’ve learned a lot about the history and functionality of this window and it’s great to know that the work we’ve done will allow future generations to enjoy it.”

The Dean of Salisbury, the Rev Nicholas Papadopulos, praised the renovation work. “This team has restored the look, feel and quality of 19th century art through their hard work.

“We are proud that the art has been preserved and enhanced with modern technology.” “The light of the sun will shine again on the Burne-Jones angels, and their beauty will inspire us and revive our hope for many years,” he said.

The window can be seen on the south side of the quire aisle and will be presented again at evensong on 7 May at 5.30pm.