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Sacred Heart High School is committed to the restoration and protection of its precious cloister wall paintings, which extend across 130m, depicting the life of Christ. The restoration plan has six separate stages.
Stage 1, a full condition survey and restoration of the Nativity Panel was completed in 2023.
Stage 2, restoration of the two double height panels featuring The Crucifixion of Christ & The Descent from the Cross took place over the summer of 2025, revealing an Italian style background with a castle, mountains and an almost rainbow like sunset. Later additions of brown paint around the eyes of Mary were removed to reveal a clearer and brighter original portrait. Photos taken throughout the restoration can be accessed below.
We now turn our attention to Stage 3, the entrance corridor.
The school is keen to provide opportunities for the public to see beyond the historic high wall on Hammersmith Road, which once acted as a vital protection for the clandestine convent and school which operated here from 1669, when it was illegal to be Catholic. Two Grade II* buildings including the cloister wall paintings, and serene cloister garden remain hidden from view, but these historic areas are now regularly open to the public. The school provides public access at to historical talks and exhibitions through the year, and in in the summer through the London Festival of Architecture.
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The restoration of the Nativity panel was funded by the school and work was undertaken by Opus Conservation with appropriate health and safety controls, during term time so the students could see the gradual transformation and cleaning processes.
As work progressed, a student was overheard: "Look Miss, its a stable!"
We secured the funds needed to restore two double height panels - The Crucifixion of Christ & The Descent from the Cross - though ticket sales to our Historical Evenings, and garden party; the London Festival of Architecture talk and from a series of one off donations towards the project from alumnae and parents.
The result of the restoration work is spectacular although it brings home the need at some point also to address the lighting. The current florescent strip lighting causes glare and we are conscious of the need to improve this. One step at a time.
The Crucifixion of Christ & The Descent from the Cross Gallery
Please note that the gallery images are only accessible to logged in members of Connect.
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We are currently fundraising for Stage 3, the entrance corridor - £12,625.
Some trial patches of cleaning from many years ago are visible at the far end and writing is just discernable beneath each angel. The middle panel copies The Annunciation by Fra Angelico in the Convent of San Marco, Florence (circa 1438-45).
Donations can be made through the button link above and also through events and sales referred to below.
Historical Evening, Thursday 12 February, 7.00pm - 9.00pm in aid of the Cloister Paintings Fund
This event (also open to the public) includes a riveting talk about the extraordinary history of this site from 1669, with refreshments and an exhibition afterwards including also a chance to view the cloister paintings and historic areas of the site close-up.
A full-colour book entitled The Nunnery at Hammersmith, about the history of our site at 212 Hammersmith Road is available to buy at the events and online in the shop on this site. Proceeds from book sales contribute to the restoration fund.
Tickets can be booked through our Event tab, linked here: Tickets
Anybody keen to donate towards the restoration may request to view the paintings by appointment via email to comms@sacredh.lbhf.sch.uk (Alex Dijkhuis)
There are localised areas where the paint is flaking and blistering. Craquelure is common across the paintings and almost all of the panels display a degree of spotting, some much more pronounced than others. The paintings have been varnished at least twice. These are now yellowed and darkened, significantly affecting the appearance of the paintings. Many of the robes appear green but in a small area where the yellowed varnish has chipped off, you can see that they are fact blue! The report recommends, amongst other things, remedial treatment and measures to prevent further deterioration.
The Society of the Sacred Heart moved into the site in 1893 and established a school. They installed our magnificent stained-glass window and were responsible for the wall paintings which extend across the full extent of the cloisters together with two double-height paintings in the same style, in the north western corner.
Painted between 1902 and 1907, the artwork is attributed to Mother Mary Maycock, a sister of the Society. Mary came from an artistic family. She was the daughter of George Bernard Maycock, a successful stained-glass window artist who designed the windows for St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne. Her grandfather, Joseph Hansom, was one of the leading Catholic architects of the 19th century and designer of the Hansom Cab.
Mary travelled to Rome to study wall paintings and scenes painted throughout our cloisters are figurative, from the Life of Jesus; some copied from well-known 15th century paintings by Fra Angelico that she had seen in Rome. The scenes are set within painted frames and architectural detailing. The paintings are significant in their scale and apposite subject matter.
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