Stained Glass In York In The Mid-Sixteenth Century: Analytical Evidence For Its Decay

Specimens of medieval stained glass recovered from the site of York's Gilbertine Priory (destroyed c.1540) have been examined using light microscopy, SEM/EPMA and FTIR microspectroscopy. Differences in the morphology of the corroded surfaces of the glass enabled effects caused by long term weathering in the atmosphere to be distinguished from those subsequently produced by exposure to soil and groundwater.