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St. Oudoceus - Llandago

Conservation of decorative scheme

This Victorian gothic church replaced an earlier one dating from the 16th century – it is the only church dedicated to St. Oudoceus, the 6th Century Bishop of Llandaff. As part of the new church, the chancel was extensively decorated with both freehand and stenciled motifs to a design by Seddon & Pritchard.

The medium for the paints was oil mixed with a number of mostly earth pigments (red and yellow ochre, green, black). Due to condensation within the church and, in particular, damp penetration through the walls, much of the paint was powdery and flaking. The whole appearance of the painting was dirty and stained – a combination of dust, gas lighting, condensation, etc.

Before any cleaning could take place, the paint was consolidated using Plextol B500 which was applied through Japanese tissue.

The surface was then cleaned using small cotton wool swabs and distilled water. Some areas required retouching and this was carried out using acrylic paints. Joints were repointed, areas of decay capped with hydraulic lime mortar and the plinths painted with a Keim mineral microporous paint.

Finally, the clean appearance of the painting made the tracery of the windows appear very dirty and so this was also cleaned.

Client: PCC of St. Oudoceus, Llandogo
Grant aided by: CADW