A rare floor has been rediscovered during the restoration of one of a town’s most remarkable historic buildings.
The Droitwich Preservation Trust gave £9,000 for the restoration of the Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart and St. Catherine of Alexandria.
This funding led to the rediscovery of a rare and nationally important Cosmatesque floor in the side chapels.
Cosmatesque is a medieval Italian style of geometric decorative inlay stonework, originating from the Cosmati family of craftsmen in Rome.
The floor is part of a larger £260,000 project to preserve the church’s internationally acclaimed Venetian glass mosaics, which are recognised as among the finest examples in Europe.
The restoration effort also received almost £190,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The church, built between 1919 and 1921 in the style of the ancient basilicas of Ravenna, Italy, is one of Droitwich Spa’s architectural and artistic treasures.
Its spectacular mosaics attract thousands of visitors from across the UK and overseas every year.
Work in the side chapels led to the rediscovery of a rare and nationally important Cosmatesque Floor (Image: Droitwich Preservation Trust)
The restoration programme, completed last year, involved cleaning and conserving the mosaics, and digitising original designs by artist Gabriel Pippet.
The mosaics were created by Maurice Josey and his assistant Fred Oates.
A spokesperson for Droitwich Preservation Trust said: “The Trust is committed to preserving Droitwich Spa’s rich heritage, and we are delighted to support this outstanding project.
“The Church of the Sacred Heart and St. Catherine of Alexandria is not only an important place of worship but one of the town’s finest historic and artistic landmarks.
“We hope our grant will help ensure its remarkable mosaics can be enjoyed by residents and visitors for many years to come.”
A spokesperson for the parish added: “We are immensely grateful to Droitwich Preservation Trust and to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for their generous support.
“This project has enabled us to conserve these remarkable mosaics while opening up the church to even more visitors through tours, exhibitions and educational activities.”
The church is open to visitors on weekdays from 10am to 6pm and on weekends from noon to 5.30pm, subject to services.
