The Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) has reached its target of £7,000 in public donations to conserve the priceless rood screen panels hacked from Holy Trinity Church in Torbryan in Devon by thieves in August 2013, and later recovered by the police.
In a double blessing for the Devon church, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has also awarded a £47,000 grant for a two-year project to tell the history of the building and the surrounding village and countryside, adding imaginative new on-site interpretation and events.
The rood screen and its panels are one of only a handful of such artworks in England which survived the Reformation. The theft prompted a national media campaign to try to trace the whereabouts of the missing panels, receiving the backing of high profile figures such as Loyd Grossman, Dan Cruickshank and the late Candida Lycett Green. The collector who alerted the police recognised the panels from media coverage of the theft.
A fundraising campaign was launched in May 2015 to pay for vital restoration work after the two priceless 15th century oak panels – bearing paintings of St Victor of Marseilles and St Margaret of Antioch – were recovered by the police with significant damage. Following their theft in August 2013, the panels had remained missing until they were recovered by the Metropolitan Police Art & Antiques Unit after being spotted by a private collector in an online sale.
Crispin Truman, Chief Executive of The Churches Conservation Trust said: “This is truly fantastic news. The theft of the Torbryan rood screen panels in August 2013 was a real blow to The Churches Conservation Trust, but thanks to the generosity of the public, where once we were faced with a tragedy, now we are celebrating victory.
“Not only will the panels now be returned to their rightful place at Holy Trinity Torbryan, but also a community project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund will encourage local residents and schoolchildren to learn their fascinating story. I’m truly grateful to all those who offered their help in restoring this priceless masterpiece, and encouraging the world to enjoy their beauty.”
