Research leads to new understanding of a rare medieval wall painting in Stratford’s Guild Chapel - talk on 14th October

A 600-year-old painting is still offering fresh insights and intrigues into a story practically as old as mankind.

Research by volunteers has led to a new understanding of a rare medieval wall painting in Stratford’s Guild Chapel. The 15th century mural spans the length of the chapel’s south wall. It depicts what happened to Adam in the Bible and his descendants, and prophesies a terrible flood.

Intrigued by this allusion to Noah’s Ark, one of the researchers, Pamela Devine, has immersed herself in accounts of the deluge, and she will be talking about the painting and ‘Noah’s Ark in the Guild Chapel’ on 14th October at 6.30pm (free, no need to book).

Pamela said: “The painting had received little attention until recently when volunteer Rodger Palmer started to investigate. Then, in 2023, the temporary removal of panels that cover much of the wall revealed previously unknown aspects. So we now have new insights into what the painting means and why it mattered to people 500 years ago.”

The Noah’s Ark story will be afloat in the Guild Chapel for some time because auditions are set to take place in November for a new community play, Norah’s Ark. The play, which will be staged in the chapel in 2026, is inspired by the painting and will be directed by Pamela.

Interestingly, other religions have their own versions of the ‘Noachian Flood’. The Qur’an (Suras 11 and 71) also tells a similar huge boat that transported animals amid a worldwide flood. And two older stories exist from ancient Babylonian – including the Epic of Gilgamesh, describing a flood on the Euphrates River.