Madonna returns to Bartestree Convent!

On Monday 7th July, Frome Court, the former convent at Bartestree, welcomed home a statue of a Madonna following her rescue by property developer Strand Homes and restoration by Hereford College of Arts.

The 5ft statue resided in a stone ‘Grotto’ in the grounds of the historic Pugin-inspired 19th Century convent, now renovated into luxury apartments, and when Strand Homes temporarily dismantled the structure it was discovered that the Madonna was in a state of disrepair.

“Our plan was to dismantle the grotto and resurrect it stone by stone once the building work was completed to avoid it being damaged during the process,” explains Caroline Mill, Director of Strand Homes. “In doing so we discovered that the Madonna was in a sorry state, particularly her hands and feet which had fallen off, so we contacted the local art college and they kindly agreed to undertake the repair project.”

Steve Bourke, Ceramics Technical Demonstrator for Hereford College of Arts, took up the challenge and, following several months of intricate work which included moulding new hands and feet, producing a new base and re-painting her original pure white and striking blue robe, looked on proudly today as she was carefully lifted back on to the Grotto:

“For the last year she has been pride of place in my workshop and my students have been involved in each stage of her restoration. We actually moulded the new feet from those of one of the students, but the hands had to be carved by hand because they were so delicate.”

“I contacted the Catholic Church to research the history of this particular statue and to ensure that I restored her correctly; they sent me hundreds of photos of different ‘Madonnas’ but it became apparent that this is a one-off which has made it even more rewarding for me to complete her repair. She has been looking over me for a year and I’m sorry to see her go, but I’ll be returning to Frome Court at least once a year to make sure that she stays in good condition and complete any touch-up work that is required.”

The transportation of the statue from Hereford College of Arts to Frome Court was a carefully planned procedure: Wrapped in a protective cover, she was laid on a flat-bed truck and driven as closely as possible to the Grotto, where she was expertly lifted by seven men and manoeuvred into place, watched nervously by Steve Bourke!

Residents came out in the sunshine to welcome the Madonna to her new home in the ‘Garden of Remembrance’ within the landscaped grounds; Mrs Parsons, who moved into a two bedroom top floor apartment last November, was particularly happy to see her return, “I visit these grounds everyday and I’m so pleased that the Madonna is back where she belongs. She has been in repair since I moved in but I have researched her history and have been waiting for her to return, she is a very important part of the convent’s past and its future.”

Strand Homes, who made a donation to Hereford College of Arts in return for their kind efforts, began the renovation of the convent in 2003 and it is now in its final phase with 10 properties remaining for sale from an initial 61. The original features of the Grade II Listed building have been complemented by modern, superior quality interiors, each home individually designed to offer a unique appeal to the discerning house buyer.