Friends of the Guild Chapel
Stratford upon Avon
The Wall Paintings
The impressive Doom, painted above the chancel arch, is one of the largest surviving versions of its kind in Britain. It is the largest surviving fragment of a series of frescoes, painted in the late fifteenth century, which lined the wall of the chapel, depicting, among other religious topics, the legend of he Holy Cross, St George and the Dragon, the martyrdom of St Thomas Beckett and the Dance of Death.
Covered over by layers of whitewash after the Reformation, the paintings were rediscovered during building work in 1804 and recorded by the antiquary Thomas Fisher. Few survived the renovations of the nineteenth century, but in 1955 when the gallery was removed, those surviving came to light. Many are protected by the panelling in the nave, and an extensive “Mememto Mori” at the base of the tower arch is occasionally revealed behind hinged panels.
Covered over by layers of whitewash after the Reformation, the paintings were rediscovered during building work in 1804 and recorded by the antiquary Thomas Fisher. Few survived the renovations of the nineteenth century, but in 1955 when the gallery was removed, those surviving came to light. Many are protected by the panelling in the nave, and an extensive “Mememto Mori” at the base of the tower arch is occasionally revealed behind hinged panels.
