General Synod of the Church of England Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England ADVISORY NOTE 1 GOOD PRACTICE FOR THE CARE OF LEDGER STONES AND OTHER FLOOR ‘MEMORIALS IN CATHEDRALS: Issued by the Commission January 1997 Due for Revision Circulation: Deans and Provosts Fabric Advisory Committees Cathedral Architects Cathedral Archaeological Consultants English Heritage National Amenity Societies Department of National Heritage"The Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England from time to time issues Guidance Notes on matters relating to procedures under the Care of Cathedrals Measure. Following discussion with interested bodies, the Commission has decided to issue this current document as an Advisory Note since it covers matters of technical good practice rather than procedures under the Measure. It arises from requests by one or two individual cathedrals for advice in the area covered. Further occasional advisory notes may be issued in response to requests or circumstances.GOOD PRACTICE FOR THE CARE OF LEDGER STONES AND OTHER FLOOR MEMORIALS IN CATHEDRALS 11. 1.2. INTRODUCTION Cathedral churches are not museums but buildings in daily use for worship, in continuity with the purposes for which they were first created: the floors of such buildings are accordingly there to be walked upon. Nonetheless, cathedrals contain many important monuments and memorials, some of which were set into the floor, whether wisely or not, by their original designers. Some of these memorials are of historic importance and beauty, but are being eroded by the passage of feet and other causes. Recognizing this dilemma is a first step towards caring for floor memorials. ‘This Advisory Note seeks to point to ways, not of resolving the dilemma, but of finding practical ways forward, It is not intended to be prescriptive, but to provide general advice to those responsible for the care and conservation of ledger stones and other floor memorials in cathedrals and comparable churches. It outlines the issues that will need to be considered when drawing up detailed proposals relating to the recording, assessment, management and conservation of such memorials. In every case the suggestions made here will need to be related to the specific circumstances of individual cathedrals. THE IMPORTANCE OF LEDGERS AND FLOOR MEMORIALS ‘The ancestry of the ledger stone can be traced back to the Middle Ages, from the 11th century (and earlier) carved lids of stone coffins through to the incised stones of the 14th and early 15th centuries. Relatively cheap and easy to fashion, compared to more elaborate monuments, they were favoured by the middle classes as grave-markers within church buildings. More prestigious and expensive were stones with inset brasses, which first appeared in the 13th century, though in many cases only the stone settings of such brasses have survived. ‘The ledger of polished black or white stone, reciting the name, age at death and, in some instances, the social quality of the deceased was a popular form of commemoration between c.1625 and c.1850. Also, there was a brief period in the 18th century when ledger stones of variegated marble were used. Ledgers were considered by many as monuments in their own right, though during the 18th century they were frequently laid in association with a neighbouring mural monument. The traditional brevity of the information given allowed for a number of commemorative inscriptions on each stone, recording the contents of the brick grave which the ledger stone capped. Frequently, chipping around the edges indicates their uplifting to facilitate further deposits. Ledgers remain as silent witnesses to the 12.3. 3.2. 3.2.1. 3.2.2. 3.2.3. 3.2.4, middle class occupation of village and town in Early Modern England through to the beginning of Queen Victoria's reign. Since ¢.1850, when intramural burial ceased as a result of the 1852 Burial ‘Act, memorial stones have continued to be set into church floors as a form of commemoration detached from the actual place of burial, though in more recent years cremated remains have sometimes been deposited beneath them. A wide variety of materials have sometimes been used, and many stones bear important examples of the letter cutter's art up to the present day. RECORD AND ASSESSMENT ‘A record of the ledger stones and other floor memorials in a cathedral forms ‘an essential part of the overall record of the cathedral fabric. This record is an important management tool for the administrative body and its professional advisers in caring for the fabric of the cathedral. It may also form part of the Inventory of the cathedral, required under the Care of Cathedrals Measure 1990. The record should comprise several aspects. ‘Survey When a record of the ledger stones and other floor memorials is being considered, a decision will need to be made as to whether this should form part of a comprehensive archaeological survey of the floor as a whole or simply a record of individual slabs and their locations. The appropriate Jevel of detail for recording should be decided on only with the advice of the Cathedral Archaeological Consultant and the Cathedral Architect. In general, a comprehensive survey is desirable if the floor itself is ancient or multi-period, with the memorials forming only one element within the archaeological record. Where the memorials are set or reset in a comparatively recent and uniform floor, an overall archaeological survey is jess likely to be necessary; but it is always essential to record the precise location of every slab recorded. All surveys of floors and floor memorials should be related to the three- dimensional co-ordinate reference system recommended in the publication. Cathedral Fabric Records (CFCE and English Heritage, 1995). Where a comprohensive archaeological survey of an entire area of flooring is being undertaken, the Cathedral Archaeological Consultant with the Cathedral Architect, should establish the standard and specification for this, to be in accordance with the best archaeological and surveying practice. ‘Again, where a survey is being made of ledger stones and floor memorials only, the Cathedral Archaeological Consultant with the Cathedral Architect should establish an appropriate standard and specification.3.26. 3.2.7. 3.2.8. 3.3. 3.3.1. . It may be appropriate to consider the use of non-destructive remote-sensing survey techniques to record the location of vaults, brick graves or cavities beneath the floor and their physical relationship to memorials on the floor. (The location of such subterranean spaces also has a health and safety relevance to heavy loadings on the floor.) Where appropriate, the recording of individual memorials may, in addition to standard surveying and recording techniques, include the making of rubbings, casts and squeezes to produce a three-dimensional record. However, such contact methods may cause damage to delicate surfaces and conservation advice should be sought. In future the laser scanning of information into a computer data system will more often bo the safest and most accurate method of recording three-dimensional surfaces. The future storage requirements of all three-dimensional records should be considered. Photographic recording, which may include rectified photography and photogrammetry, should be carried out to archival standards. All prints, for example, should be on acid free paper and negatives should be stored in archival quality transparent holders. Further advice may be obtained from the National Monuments Record at RCHME, Swindon. The storage of all surveys and records should follow the recommendations of Cathedral Fabric Records. Inventory of all relevant facts The survey of ledger stones and other floor memorials should be accompanied by an inventory of factual information, which includes the following: i the dimensions, form and description of the slab, including the precise transcription of the inscription; ii. the geological origin and nature of the stone or other material; iii, the precise present location and any known previous locations; iv. historical information, with regard to the persons commemorated; y. relationship to vault, burial or wall monument and any other associations; vi. _ the description and interpretation of heraldry; vil. the meaning of inscriptions or references within them, including translations where necessary; viii. dates;3.3.3. 3.3. 3.3.5. 3.3.6. 34. 3.4.1. 3.4.2. ix. the style and character of lettering and decorative carving; x. the name of the artist, craftsman or workshop, if known. The format of the Cathedral Inventory should be followed in assembling this material. Expert advice will be needed to make correct geological. identifications of materials. ‘The Cathedral Archaeological Consultant and Cathedral Architect should be asked to advise on appropriate sources of such advice. . In order to prepare an accurate record of heraldic ledgers, a knowledge of heraldry is essential. Advice should be sought from a local person with such knowledge. Historic floor plans, published or unpublished, exist for many cathedrals. ‘Any such plans should be sought and consulted. If an unpublished plan is discovered, duplicate photographic copies should be made for security (if these do not already exist). Much relevant historical information may be located in the Cathedral Library. Lists of burials and of ledger stone inscriptions frequently exist recording the position of ledger stones at earlier periods; they may be incomplete or incorrect in certain details, but they are always useful. It may be possible to fill in missing details of ledger stone inscriptions from such lists, published or otherwise, or from the inscriptions on associated wall monuments. Merit Assessment In order to make sound judgements and decisions about ledger stones and other floor memorials, it will be necessary to have not only straightforward factual information about them, but also a reasoned assessment of the architectural, archaeological, aristic and historic merit of each individual memorial. ‘Assessment of the merit of an individual ledger stone or floor memorial should take account of the following criteris i. the historical importance of the person or persons commemorated, nationally, locally and in relation to the cathedral; ii, the archaeological integrity of the ledger stone in relation to the floor as a whole and to the ground beneath it, to any associated vault, burial or wall memorial;3.5. 3.5.1. 3.5.2. iii, the geological interest or rarity of the stone or other material from. which the memorial is made; iv. _ the art historical significance of the design and workmanship of the stone; association with a known artist, craftsman, workshop or school; the quality or interest of the layout, carving or letter cutting; and rarity, or comparability with other stones of the period; vy. the age, condition and legibility relative to age of the stone; the overall aesthetic quality and evident beauty of the ledger stone or memorial, in its context in the floor. Condition and Risk Assessment Also important to good management and to planning the proper care and conservation of floor memorials will be an assessment of their current condition by a competent professional. The Cathedral Architect should exercise judgement on the extent to which this assessment is an architectural matter and the extent to which the advice of a specialist conservator is required. The Museums and Galleries Commission, Conservation Unit, maintains a register of competent conservators in different specialities. Condition reports on each memorial should identify the following: in tho general artistic/aesthetic integrity and legibility of the memorial, in comparison with its original or intended design; missing, defaced or obscured original features should be noted; ii. the structural stability of the memorial and its relationship to the condition of the surrounding floor: right-through cracks, tilting slab edges, subsidence, conditions of any joint fillings, ete. should be noted; iii. the general integrity and condition of the stone itself (including any inserts); superficial cracks, efflorescence, mechanical damage, etc. should be noted; iv. surface wear, abrasion or staining of the stone; v. the existence of any wax or other surface coating applied as a maintenance treatment or for any other reason; vi. _ the existence and condition of any inlaid brasses or indents from which brasses have been lost, and of any letter fillings, brass or other metal letters, or painted letter fillings;3.5.3. 3.5.4, viii. ix, the visk of mechanical damage or other surface wear to which the stone is exposed by virtue of its position on a traffic route, in the centre of an aisle or close to a doorway, in relation to chairs or other furniture, under or partly under rugs or other coverings, in the line of piano trolleys, staging or access platforms, or for any other reason; any evidence of causes of efflorescence, migrating salts or moisture, whether from the ground, condensation, wet feet, leaks or unsuitable cleaning practice; any tendency of sedimentary stones to delaminate; the rate of deterioration, by reference to records when they exist, otherwise by judgement; including any evident risk of catastrophic damage or failure or accelerating decay The Cathedral Architect (and conservator) should also identify relevant factors in the state of the fabric of the cathedral that might be affecting the condition of the monuments or putting them at risk. The Cathedral Architect (and conservator) should also identify relevant factors in the current patterns of daily use, cleaning and maintenance of the cathedral that might be affecting the condition of floor memorials in general or putting them at risk, for example: is iii. iv. the moving and placing of altars and other liturgical furniture, candle and flower stands and rugs; the moving and placing of musical instruments including chamber organs and pianos, music stands and lights; the setting up of staging for functions and special events, including provision for film and television crews; the management and routing of visitors, including the siting of shops, displays, and candle stands, the positioning of ropes and barriers and the control of pushchairs and trolleys, unsuitable footwear, chewing gum, etc. the placing of pews and chairs, including the setting out and removing of stacking chairs; the management of routine floor cleaning.4.2. 4.2.1, 4.2.2. CONSERVATION Conservation is action to secure the survival, or preservation, of anything of acknowledged value, Action to secure the reasonable survival of cathedral ledger stones and floor memorials inchudes management to minimise risk, a considered approach to routine floor maintenance to protect and prevent decay, and well directed intervention when circumstances require, Following the gathoring and analysis of information described in section 3, the next essential step is the formulation of a Conservation Plan. ‘This will seek to balance the legitimate requirements of the use of the building and of the preservation of ledger stones and floor memorials in a practical plan, covering management and maintenance as well as active conservation, to be implemented by all cathedral personnel in their appropriate spheres. Management to Minimize Risk Management of a cathedral church must have regard to many things, among which care for ledger stones and floors in general may not seem a high priority. With awareness, however, that floors and the memorials within them are part of the ancient and historic fabric of the building, and are more than just a surface to walk on, management to reduce risk and to minimise damage need not be too onerous. ‘The cathedral management team should consider the following: i. the placing of pews and chairs, liturgical furniture and furnishings, rugs, ete. with regard to the position and condition of ledger stones; ii, the need to ensure that vergers and cathedral staff responsible for setting out and moving chairs, heavy furniture and equipment, contractors and works staff with access platforms, scaffolding, barrows, etc. are instructed in good practice for the prevention of daraage to floors in general and ledger stones in particular; iii, the need to ensure that ledger stones are considered in the management of special events involving staging, scaffolding, heavy musical instruments, stands, lights, cameras, cables, etc.; iv, the management and routing of visitors to minimise and avoid unnecessary foot traffic on vulnerable ledger stones through the careful positioning and moving if necessary of barriers, ropes and signs. The provision of suitable matting at entry doors and the control, as far as possible, of footwear likely to cause damage, trolleys, ete.43. 4.3.1, Maintenance to Protect and to Prevent Decay Maintenance of cathedral floors is principally a matter of keeping them clean. However, inappropriate cleaning methods are a common cause of damage. Cleaning staff play a vital role in preventive conservation and in the early detection of damage and decay. It is important that their duties and the methods they employ should be carefully specified, and that they should be properly trained, instructed and supervised. ‘The Clerk of Works and those responsible for routine maintenance and cleaning should establish, in consultation with the Cathedral Architect (and the Consultant Conservator), a cleaning policy and routine, which should have regard to the following: iv. vii. viii. the need for care to be taken in the moving of furniture, rugs and equipment to avoid damage or scratching; the importance of keeping entrance matting clean. It has been shown that three metres of such matting may remove up to 95% of foot borne dirt and grit particles. the objective of prevention being better than cure, by keeping floors clean and free of abrasive dust and silica; the desirability of cleaning as gently, as infrequently, without chemicals or proprietary materials, and with as little water, as possible; that current recommended practice is that floors should be cleaned by dry vacuuming using domestic sized cylinder cleaners without rotating powered brushes. that cleaning by scrubbing with soap and water or by sprinkling and brushing wet sand - common practices in the past - besides being abrasive and laborious are not recommended; the need for training of cleaning staff and discussion to agree what, constitutes the normally clean surface of the slabs, including patina of age - otherwise there will be a danger of over-cleaning; the need for cleaning staff to take an interest and pride in the surfaces for which they are responsible. They should therefore be encouraged to draw attention to cleaning problems and to any evidence of change, damage or decay in the stones, which they look at more regularly than anyone else;44. 441. 442. ix. where a wax protection system exists, the need always to follow the manufacturer's instructions for cleaning; over-waxing attracts grit, while water used to wash off dust will emulsify the surface coating and cause unpleasant white staining; x the need for any exceptional cleaning problems and any question of sealing or consolidation, damage or decay to be referred to the Cathedral Architect, who might seek the advice of the Consultant Conservator. Active Conservation. Active conservation of a ledger stone or floor memorial may be necessary when a stone is considered to be of significant merit, when preventive conservation has failed to protect the stone from damage or rapid decay and when it is considered that only professional intervention will secure its survival or preservation for the future. When the Cathedral Architect becomes aware that a particular stone may require active conservation, as a result of an inspection of the cathedral fabric, or because his or her attention has been drawn to it, he or she should recommend to the administrative body appropriate intervention, including a preliminary recommendation on whether a consultant conservator should be consulted. In making recommendations, the Cathedral Architect (with the Consultant Conservator) should take the following into account: i no intervention should be initiated in the absence of a proper record; ii. any intervention should normally be at the minimum appropriate level, should allow maximum existing material to remain in situ, should be harmonious, modest and identifiable, should be directed or undertaken by a properly trained conservator and should be properly recorded, should where possible be reversible and should not prejudice any further intervention; iii, cleaning with de-ionised water, stencil brushes and cotton wool swabs should be undertaken only where dry brushing and vacuuming is evidently ineffective, and when the composition and condition of the stone are such that wet cleaning may seem reasonable; iv. removal of a ledger stone for treatment in a studio or workshop should only be considered when it has become clear that effective treatment cannot be undertaken in situ; y. rebedding, grouting and repointing should be undertaken using mortar carefully matched to the original and expertly tailored to the particular situation;vi. _ the application of wax or other protective or consolidant coatings is only recommended in exceptional circumstances, and then only under good professional direction; vii. the effect of any intervention or treatment should be monitored by the Consultant Conservator, and any results or significant conclusions published, or made more readily available; any stone showing evidence of dampness, efflorescence or salt migration should be assessed professionally and treated accordingly. FURTHER OPTIONS Where careful management, maintenance and active conservation cannot provide a satisfactory solution to the erosion of ledgers and floor memorials, other options may need to be considered. ‘The first option is to do nothing: that is, to take a deliberate decision to allow the memorial in question to wear away. This might be appropriate in cases where it does not seem justified to take more radical action (see below) on the grounds that the memorial in question is of limited interest and merit. Such a decision should only be taken where it can be shown that none of the procedures described above can offer a solution. Alternative options might include moving the stone to another part of the floor, where it would be subject to less wear, or to a museum, display or store. The stone would become divorced from its original or historical context, but its preservation would be secured and if its intrinsic merit were considerable such action might be justified. The removal and resiting of slabs does not remove the need to continue monitoring their welfare in the new site. Conversely, a stone whose principal merit was its authenticity as a record might be preserved in its original context by being tured over or buried in situ. This option would result in the original inscription being concealed, and could only be justified on the basis of its preservation for the interest and benefit of future generations. If a stone were to be removed from the floor, turned over or buried, to secure the preservation of its surface in its present state, for display or otherwise, consideration might be given to maintaining the inscription by cutting new lettering into the reverse of the same stone, or into a replacement stone. New lettering might follow the original design in layout and style, or it might be to a completely new design. In either case the new work should be fine craftsmanship in its own right. 105.6. Where there is considerable public interest in the inscription or in the person commemorated, and where the artistic merit of the stone is not great, it may be reasonable to re-cut or reinforce the cutting of the original stone. There will be a loss of authenticity and artistic integrity when this is done, but there is ample historical precedent for such action and it may in some cases be justified. A decision to re-cut should only be made after careful consideration, particularly where there is heraldry or other carving in addition to lettering, and any such ro-cutting should be carried out: with skill, care and aesthetic judgement. 5.7. In evaluating whether any of these options should be followed, the merit assessment and the condition and risk assessment recommended above (sections 34. and 3.5.) will be key documents. But it should again be emphasised that these radical options should only be considered where routine management, maintenance and active conservation cannot secure a reasonably assured future for a particular memorial. BIBLIOGRAPHY Care of Cathedrals Measure 1990, HMSO Cathedrals Fabric Commission, Directions for the Form of the Inventory of a Cathedral Church and supplemental Advisory Guidelines, 1992 English Heritage and Cathedrals Fabric Commission, Cathedral Fal London 1995 ic Records, J. Bertram (ed.), Monumental Brasses as Art and History, Stroud 1996 C. Boutell, Christian Monuments in England and Wales, London 1854 K. A. Esdaile, English Church Monuments 1510 to 1840, London 1946 Jane Fawcett, Cathedral Floor Damage Survey: veys of the Historic Floors of Cathedrals and Greater Churches in England and Scotland, unpublished report by ICOMOS UK, London 1991. Jane Fawcett, Historic Floors of Europe, Butterworth-Heineman and ICOMOS, forthcoming. F. A. Greenhill, Incised Effigial Slabs, 2 vols., London 1976 nuJ, Litten, The English Way of Death, London 1991 W. Rodwell, Church Archaeology, London 1989 L. Weaver, Memorials and Monuments, London 1915 OF ADDRESSES CathedralSRabric Commission for England, Fielden HouseLittle College Street, London SW1P 3SH. English Heritage, 23 Savile Row, London W1 ICOMOS UK, 10 Barley Mow Passage, Chiswick, Lon 4 4PH. Museums and Galleries Commissj ‘The Conservation Unit, 16 Queen Anne's Gate, London SW1H 9AA. rents Record, ‘ission on the Historical Monuments of England, rive, Swindon SN2 2GZ. In addition to these national bodies there are several specialist societies which, through their local members, may be willing to help or advise: the Church Monuments Society, the Monumental Brasses Society, the Heraldry Society, the Geological Society of London. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ‘The Commission is most grateful to all those who have contributed to the preparation of this note, especially James Simpson, Jane Fawcett, Julian Litten and Duncan Boddy. 12