Panels dating back to Henry VIII to have a new Chichester home
A set of paintings which were created when Henry VIII was on the throne will soon have a new home in Chichester.
The Worthy Women, also known as The Amberley Panels, are painted on oak and show eight heroines of antiquity. They date from c1526 and are to undergo two years of vital conservation work before being displayed at the Novium Museum.
During a district council meeting on Tuesday (November 4), cabinet members agreed to take £191,300 from reserves for the conservation work, and another £57,250 to set up an environmentally controlled space for their display at the museum.
John Cross, cabinet member for culture, sport & place, said: “For those people lucky enough to have seen these panels up close, they are truly magnificent and very beautiful works of art.
“These panels are extremely rare survivals and are exceptional examples of their kind because they can be confidently attributed to a named painter and patron. As a significant part of our national and local heritage, it’s vital that they are conserved fully – and as custodians of these panels, we have a duty to ensure that they are cared for properly.
“The panels are nationally and internationally significant and once conserved and displayed, have the potential for a huge amount of local pride.
“Unfortunately, due to their age, materials and fragility, they now require urgent conservation work.”
The panels were commissioned by Robert Sherborne, Bishop of Chichester, and were the work of artist Lambert Barnard (c1490-1567). They were bought by the council in 1983 for £6,500, with the help of a £4,000 grant from National Heritage.
They are thought to have been specially painted for the ‘Queen’s Room’ at Amberley Castle, where Katharine of Aragon – Henry VIII’s first wife – was meant to stay on a visit with her husband during his Royal Progress through Sussex.
While she never made the trip, it is thought very likely that the King saw the panels.
The process will see special crates built to move the panels from the Bishop’s Palace to specialists at the Hamilton Kerr Institute in Cambridge.
In the meantime, the museum will work to try to secure grant funding to help with the cost of keeping the panels.
Coincidentally, councillors heard that the government had approved a backdated business rates refund of more than £1.3m for the museum in 2025/26.
Before reaching the decision to conserve and keep the panels, the council approached other museums to find out if they would be willing to take them. But none would do so unless the conservation work was completed – so the panels will stay in Chichester.
Mr Cross said: “I have no doubt that once the panels go on display at The Novium Museum, they will become a huge draw. Having them on display also means that the museum will be able to develop activities for schools and the local community to complement the current learning programme.
“Being such rare and significant works, these are sure to be bring many visitors to the museum which will help boost tourism and the local economy – I view this as a very exciting opportunity.”