Two ornate iron lanterns containing mysterious bullet holes have been restored for Christ Church on Julian Road in Bath and will be blessed by the Bishop of Taunton this Sunday.
The lanterns have been a distinctive feature on either side of the main entrance to Christ Church for decades, though no one is sure exactly when they were installed.
However, they were certainly showing their age until a generous legacy from a longstanding member of the congregation enabled them to be beautifully restored. The work was carried out by apprentices from local iron working company Ironart and now it is complete, the lanterns are ready to once again form a distinctive landmark in the Julian Road area.
As layers of old paint were stripped away during the restoration process, two patched bullet holes were revealed.
No one knows when or how these appeared, especially as their relative position indicates that the incident could not have occurred whilst the lanterns were in their current location on the church.
However, they are 7.5-8mm in diameter, a fairly common size for ammunition, although one that was used by both the RAF and Luftwaffe during World War II. If any long-term residents of Bath can shed light on this mystery, Christ Church would be delighted to hear from them.
On Sunday 24th November, the Rt Revd Peter Maurice, Bishop of Taunton, will bless the newly reinstalled lanterns as part of a special 10am service to mark the 215th anniversary of the consecration of Christ Church.
