St Paul’s Cathedral: Rescuing a lost architectural scheme. The Restoration of James Thornhill’s Tambour Decoration

In the last of our Winter series of Second Tuesday Talks, our Chairman, Martin Stancliffe MA FSA, will discuss the project to restore the lost decorative scheme, carried out by Sir James Thornhill as part of his comprehensive treatment of the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral in the early eighteenth century.

As Surveyor to the Fabric, Martin Stancliffe was in overall charge of the project, executed between 2003 and 2005. Martin will explore the key stages of the project, from archival research and archaeological investigation, and obtaining the required formal consents, to devising a methodology for the selection of a contractor, and organising the execution of the work on site. This included designing access to a hard-to-reach part of the building high above the famous Whispering Gallery.

We hope that you can join us for what promises to be a fascinating exploration of a prestigious restoration project. This event will be of particular interest to practicing professionals, but will also appeal to non-specialists.

Martin’s talk will be followed by a Q&A session chaired by Rebecca Thompson. Participants will be able to submit questions for discussion, and are encouraged to send questions ahead of time, by emailing info@conservationyork.org.uk.

About the Speaker

Martin Stancliffe MA, FSA
Martin Stancliffe is an architect specializing in the conservation of historic buildings and places.  From 1990 to 2011 he was Surveyor to the Fabric of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, and is now Surveyor Emeritus. He founded his own architectural practice (Martin Stancliffe Architects) in York in 1979.  Before his retirement he worked extensively for cathedrals, churches, the National Trust, English Heritage, the Landmark Trust, and major country houses. Extensive works at St Paul’s Cathedral in London were awarded the RICS “Project of the Year Award” in 2009.

Martin has been Chair of the York Consortium for Conservation and Craftsmanship since 2005.