The stunning 17th century monument to Sir Thomas Wentworth and his wife Grace, is located in the Wentworth Chapel within All Saints’ Church, Silkstone, and is constructed predominantly of white marble and carboniferous limestone.
It consists of a tomb chest with recumbent effigies of the deceased and his wife, and a large ‘reredos type’ surround. An inspection of the monument by Hirst Conservation in 2010 showed that it was in an unstable condition, with fractured and dislocated elements caused by corroding ferrous fixings. To secure the monument, complete dismantling was required so that the ferrous fixings could be removed, and fractures could be pinned using stainless steel dowels. The unstable core was also removed and replaced with medium density Celcon blocks.
Prior to re-building, all elements were cleaned using ammonium carbonate poultices, and a Hypalon damp-proof membrane was installed to isolate the monument from the floor and adjacent wall. Inappropriate repair mortars were also removed and replaced with lime based mortars. The conservation of the monument formed part of a larger phase of refurbishment and improvement works to the church, and has proved to be very popular with the parishioners.