A delicate stained-glass window at Hungerford Town Hall, which could date back more than 230 years, has finally been restored to its former glory, after the pandemic delayed the repair work.
Local glazier Dave Cooper of Hungerford Glass had arranged for a specialist stained glass company to do the repairs in 2019, offering to then refit the window at cost for the Town and Manor.
A combination of the Covid lockdown and a busy workload for the specialists meant the repairs had to be postponed. However, three years on, Dave has finally been able to refit the window in its rightful home, at the end of the Corn Exchange, which is part of the Town Hall building.
The Constable of the Town and Manor of Hungerford, Julie Lloyd, said she and the fellow Trustees were extremely grateful to Dave for his generosity in organising the repair and doing the installation.
Dave offered to waive his labour charges for refitting the window as a very generous contribution to the town and we really appreciate his gesture
The specialists have done a fantastic job on the restoration too and it is wonderful to see such a beautiful element of the Town Hall’s architecture back where it should be.
JULIE LLOYD, CONSTABLE OF THE TOWN AND MANOR OF HUNGERFORD
Dave said that repairing and restoring the glass was an intricate process, as at only 1mm thick, it was incredibly fragile.
Pieces of new glass were cut to the required size and shape, and then hand painted. These pieces were then fired in a kiln to fuse the colours onto the glass, at different temperatures, before being assembled into a lead came. The came holds the pieces in place, while they are soldered and cemented, to complete the design.
