Conservation students on Work Placement at Westminster Abbey

Students carried out a deep clean of the Chapel of Elizabeth I on the North side of the Lady Chapel. The clean was in preparation for celebrations to mark the 450th anniversary of Elizabeth’s accession to the throne in 1558. James I commissioned the tomb, which also contains the body of Mary I. It was carved in marble by Maximilian Colt and erected in 1606. As well as removing a thick build-up of dust from the monuments and architectural detail, the students also cleaned and waxed the floor ledgers.