They have graced the exterior of one of the most beautiful medieval churches in England for 500 years. But carvings at St Mary’s in Beverley, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, have become unrecognisable fragments, eroded by centuries of weather.
Now the crumbling stonework is to be replaced by nine carvings celebrating the achievements of women. Eight are historical figures from the fields of maths, science and engineering. The ninth, pending confirmation from Buckingham Palace, will be the Queen.
St Mary’s, which dates from 1120 and is Grade I listed, is undergoing a restoration project to repair and restore the building’s stonework. Last year, the Yorkshire church installed 14 handmade stone sculptures representing mythical creatures from The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis.
“The Narnia sculptures reflected our interest in children’s literature and young people’s imagination. This project reflects the world today and the way we talk about history,” said Roland Deller, the director of development at St Mary’s.
The new carvings are of Mary Wollstonecraft, the 18th-century author of A Vindication of the Rights of Women; the aviator Amy Johnson; the pioneering nurse Mary Seacole; the scientists Marie Curie and Rosalind Franklin; the astronaut Helen Sharman; the mathematician Ada Lovelace; and the engineer Hilda Lyon.
Each of the women had “played a significant role in relation to the advancement of science or human knowledge”, Peter Collier, the chancellor of the consistory court of the diocese of York, said in his consent to the church’s application to undertake the work.
In the case of the Queen, the global impact of her reign was beyond question, he added. “‘In my judgment it is entirely appropriate to celebrate these lives for their human achievement.”
Becky Lumley, the vicar of St Mary’s, said: “We have chosen these women for the work they have done which has either inspired or enhanced the lives of others.
“Wherever we see the development of human society working to bring about the common good, we want to celebrate it and acknowledge that each person is made in the image of God with the capacity to do great works.”
The existing carvings were “almost completely lost”, said Deller. “They are weird forms, little knobbles and lumps of stone. Any conservation project faces a dilemma over what to repair and what to replace, and we grappled with that.” But with no record of what the carvings originally were, there was no possibility to restore them.
The proposal for the new carvings has the backing of Historic England, which said the new additions would “enhance [the church’s] aesthetic, historic and communal heritage values by drawing visitors to engage with the building”.
Inclusivity had been “fundamental” to the decision to install the new carvings celebrating the achievements of women, Deller said. Earlier this month, the Church of England issued guidance on how local parishes might tackle heritage that celebrated or commemorated people with links to slavery and colonialism. Its aim was to ensure churches were welcoming and inclusive to everyone.
In its application for permission to install the new carvings, St Mary’s wrote: “The contribution of women to humanity isn’t always properly recognised in the telling of history, and throughout history women’s voices have been silenced.
“We take seriously the church’s role in battling inequality and injustice. And so we hope that this project will help highlight the remarkable achievements of these women, and provide hope and inspiration for future generations.”