The Quinquennial inspection of 2019 noted some minor flaking in the famous mural of St. Christopher on the north wall of the church, the original work of Sir Ninian Comper. Following the inspection, a great deal of other work was carried out in the church, including among other things, re-plastering the inside of the tower walls, and major refurbishment of the windows. These works improved dryness in the whole building and considerably altered the airflow and general atmosphere. Unfortunately the changes also affected St. Christopher, whose condition deteriorated rapidly, accelerating the flaking, so that we felt we might be in danger of losing the mural altogether. It became apparent that urgent action was needed to save it.

At the same time, since conservators were to be on the premises, we took the opportunity to order the repainting and conservation of the two armorial shields on the south doors, which were both cracked and faded. The shields respectively bear the arms of the Paston family, and of Bromholme Priory (where the doors originated); the latter carries the legend of the Priory, and had become totally illegible.

Because of the unique status of the mural, the process of commissioning (several) reports, obtaining the Faculty, the involvement of Historic England, and finding grant funding, all took a very long time. The work was finally completed in May 2025. St. Christopher looks magnificent, and it is now possible to read the Bromholme shield again.

Our thanks to Claudia Fiocchetti and her colleague Elise Fascia for there skilled and sympathetic work. It was a great pleasure to meet them both and to learn about the work they were doing for us. We are also greatly indebted to Round Tower Churches Society, Suffolk Historic Churches Trust, the Belstead Ganzoni Charitable Settlement and the Church Buildings Council, all of whom gave us their generous financial support for this work.