• Artefact Conservation,  Entries,  Glass,  Materials,  Stained Glass

    Radiant Roundels: working wonders with glass, paint and light

    Roundels are small glass wonders which display detailed draughtsmanship and rich subject matter. They use light as the main medium for enriching an interior and are a delight to behold in any setting. Over the years I have been lucky enough to work closely with collections of these artworks and help preserve them for future generations. Netherlandish-style stained glass roundels are different from regular stained glass windows or panels. While stained glass windows usually use the whole space of the window, multiple pieces of glass and sometimes a building-wide scheme to create scenes, tell stories and depict figures within an architectural framework, roundels have a whole scene depicted on one piece…

  • Ceramics,  Entries

    A visit to Rockingham Potteries!

    Visiting the demolished site of the Rockingham pottery factories in Swinton, South Yorkshire, has been on my to-do-list for a few months. Earlier this year, when I conserved three beautiful Rockingham vases, I found out quite a lot of interesting history and information about the firm. Most notably I discovered that although the majority of the factory buildings had been destroyed by 1910, the Waterloo kiln, a gatehouse and the pottery ponds can still be seen today. These remains can be found quite easily in Swinton, on Blackamore Road (S64 8UX), there is a small car park which is open for use by visitors. Following a public footpath at the…