The recently renovated delicate altar cloth to mark the centenary anniversary of the death of Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley is now on display at Crosthwaite Church where he was a former vicar.
The cloth – known as a frontal – was one of the many beautiful and intricate pieces of needlework produced for the church by Canon Rawnsley’s wife Edith during their time at Crosthwaite between 1883 and 1917. Canon Rawnsley was also a founder of the National Trust in 12 January 1895 along with social reformer Octavia Hill and solicitor and civil servant Sir Robert Hunter.
Edith, who founded the Keswick School of Industrial Arts with her husband, was also a skilled watercolourist and an outstanding designer and teacher of metalwork and woodwork. Many more of her designs can be seen within and outside Crosthwaite Church.
The frontal had become badly damaged over time, particularly the areas of fine silk damask background and the “sun” design which had become almost completely detached.
To complement events that had been planned at the end of May to commemorate the centenary of Canon Rawnsley’s death, the restoration of the Crosthwaite Church frontal was made possible thanks to the generosity of a private donor in memory of his wife, once a textiles curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
This work was completed by Conservator Jacqueline Hyman, MA (Res), ACR of the Textile Restoration Studio in Altrincham, Cheshire, and she is an Accredited Member of the Institute of Conservation, while the studio is listed in its Conservation Register.
The current vicar of Crosthwaite is Revd Andy Murphie, who said: “The frontal is on the altar in the church, but it is currently protected from birds and dust. We look forward to sharing this lovely frontal with everyone in due course when they join us for worship or those simply wishing to visit the church for private prayer.”
