We visited historic Wolverhampton church to see the restoration of stunning 500-year-old stained glass - see 15 amazing photos
Megan Barnett is well aware that she holds the history of Wolverhampton in her hands - literally.
"Some of these windows date back to the 15th and 16th centuries," says the Stafford-born glass expert, as she describes the remarkable detail in the windows of St Peter's Collegiate Church. She points out a tiny image of Mary with the baby Jesus, barely bigger than the size of her fingertip.
"It's the most magnificent example you can find from that period," she says. "It's really beautiful, really exquisite, there's lots of detail."
Megan, along with business partner Zoe Harrigan, is leading a seven-strong all-female team responsible for the painstaking restoration of the spectacular stained glass in the chancel of Wolverhampton's main civic church.
Some of the work is comparable to that in Glasgow's world-famous Burrell Collection, says Megan, which is high praise indeed.
Given that some of the glasswork is 500 years old, it is perhaps not surprising that it is need of a bit of attention. But preserving these priceless works of art is not a task that can be taken lightly, and it will probably be a good six months before we see them restored back to their former glory. This week, Megan, Zoe and their team are in the church, delicately removing the glasswork from back of the church. The vast windows will then be sealed up with temporary glazing, and the glass will carefully be transported back to their studio in York, where the restoration process will begin. All being well, it will be finished by April next year, although Megan says there will be a lot of travelling back and forth in the meantime.
The pair set up the Woodside Stained Glass studio about two years ago, after meeting at York University while studying for their MAs. They say their craft is in danger of extinction because of the dwindling number of courses to pass on the skills to the new generation.
