SPAB Spring 2024

Scotland’s church sales

What does the future hold?

MEMBER REPAIR PROJECT

A new chapter for The Crooked House, Lavenham

BUILDING IN FOCUS

The rich history of Charing Palace, Kent

A HEAD FOR HEIGHTS

Exploring rope access conservation

5 Welcome SPAB Director, Matthew Slocombe,

importance of the Society’s campaigning role

6 News and views

The latest from the SPAB and the sector

15 Scholars and Fellows

Announcing our 2024 Scholars and Fellows

24 Education & Training

Elaine Byrne explores the Education & Training team’s work

62 Book review

The latest read reviewed

65 Technical notes

Douglas Kent on Roman cement

72 Building in focus

Charing Palace, Kent

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We must take these lessons and apply them to the planned sell-off of churches in Scotland, which is set to be a campaigning theme for us in coming years

ome members may recall the fast-revolving ‘flapper’ sign board at east London’s Liverpool Street station. It was part of the station’s last major refit and survived until 2007 when it was deemed outmoded. This revamp of the station was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991. After a mere 40 years, and with many highrise buildings now lining adjacent Bishopsgate Street, low-rise Liverpool Street has again been deemed ripe for redevelopment. A new scheme seeks to over-sail the station site with a 21-storey block. Although outside our usual date range for casework, we have commented on this application as it threatens to set a dangerous planning precedent.

The last Liverpool Street station makeover had its origins in 1985, when a development contract for neighbouring Broadgate was signed. The SPAB’s HQ is very close to Broadgate, but in that year the organisation’s focus was rural. As Secretary Philip Venning wrote in his summer editorial that year, ‘the enthusiasm of the public response to the [SPAB’s] Barns Campaign should be evidence that the Society has chosen the right campaign at the right time’. He added: ‘Whatever its outcome, it is already clear that the issue is being treated more seriously at official level.’

Many lessons can be drawn from the Barns Campaign. The first, perhaps, is that one organisation alone cannot expect to turn the tide. Residential barn conversions became increasingly common from the 1980s, despite SPAB objections, and dominated our casework throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. What we were able to do successfully was improve outcomes, with the best examples of barns protected, design guidance introduced and repair and maintenance grants secured.

We must take these lessons and apply them to the planned sell-off of churches in Scotland, which is set to be a campaigning theme for us in coming years. The Church of Scotland has lost around 80% of its attendees since the 1950s so the closure of some churches is inevitable. Sale of a significant part of the portfolio has already begun. A change of use for many Scottish churches seems certain, but we are working with partner organisations, including Historic Churches Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland, to demonstrate good maintenance practice, new mechanisms for management and sympathetic forms of re-use. We may not be able to keep all churches in their original use, but we can make a difference to the way in which they are treated.

THE SPAB MAGAZINE

SPAB STAFF

Matthew Slocombe Director

Jonathan Garlick Special Operations Manager

Chi-Wei Clifford-Frith

Director’s & Projects Team Assistant

Douglas Kent Head of Technical & Research

Mary Henn Technical Officer

David John Technical Officer

Catherine Peacock Technical & Research Administrator

Christina Emerson Head of Casework

Joanne Needham Casework Officer

Rachel Broomfield Casework Officer

Elgan Jones Wales Casework Officer

Merlin Lewis Casework Support Officer

Elaine Byrne Head of Education & Training

Philippa Soodeen Fellowship Officer

Catharine Bull Scholarship Officer

Skye Stevenson Education Officer

Catherine Rose Training Officer

Rohwana Ogunbiyi Archive Officer

Richard Mullis Head of Operations

Margaret Daly Office Manager

Shahina Begum IT Manager

Neil Faulks IT Advisor

Kate Streeter Head of Development & Communications

Rachel Stoplar Communications Manager

Lauren Wilson Digital Communications Officer

Louise Simson Property List Officer

Michael Nelles Membership Manager

Sophie Clay Membership Assistant

Kimberly Gordon Grants and Legacies Officer

Silvia McMenamin Mills Officer

Lucy Stewart SPAB Scotland Officer

Deirdre Keeley SPAB Ireland Officer

EDITORIAL

Tessa Wild Editor

Rachel Stoplar Associate Editor

Matthew Slocombe, Douglas Kent Editorial assistance

Denise Burrows Sub-editor, Cabbells

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A climate of change

Climate change seems more evident than ever with the Met Office confirming that average temperatures for 2022 and 2023 were at a record high and that rainfall across the UK was up by 11% (with an even higher percentage rise in England and Northern Ireland). The serious flooding that hit many parts of the UK at the end of last year made the change apparent.

We take climate change extremely seriously, but often find that measures proposed for historic buildings are based on inadequate research; have limited, if any, long-term benefits for carbonreduction; or have hidden carbon-costs in transportation and manufacture.

We were pleased to see a fresh statement from government in January 2024 – Adapting Historic Homes for Energy Efficiency: A review of the barriers – which was supported by Historic England research and based on ‘round table’ meetings in which the SPAB had been involved. This was therefore refreshing in offering a much better understanding of the issues than we have often seen. The document acknowledged, for instance, that the fabric of historic buildings performs differently to that of modern structures, and that Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) have significant weaknesses. We have welcomed the announcement, but we have also urged government to provide greater support for our Technical Advice Line, which is mentioned in the statement, and for further SPAB research to help owners, occupiers and managers of period properties to better understand how beneficial change can be made.

At the end of 2023, we also offered detailed comment on a consultation draft of Historic England’s new advisory note (HEAN) on climate change and the historic environment. This document includes much valuable thinking and information, but in its first draft it perhaps placed excessive emphasis on alterations and products for retrofitting. Retrofit

certainly has a role to play, but we feel that consideration of the ways in which buildings are used, and related lifestyle choices, can have an equal or even greater effect in reducing carbon emissions.

Broxtowe Council approves insensitive Willoughby Almshouses scheme

We are disappointed to report that Broxtowe Council’s Planning Committee has voted to grant planning and listed building consent to an insensitive development of the Grade II* Willoughby Almshouses in Cossall, Nottinghamshire, covered in recent issues of the SPAB Magazine (Summer and Autumn 2023).

This consent has been granted despite our objections and those of many others in the heritage sector: Historic England, Historic Buildings and Places, and the Council for British Archaeology. The consent also goes against recommendations from Broxtowe’s own conservation and planning officers.

There is still a glimmer of hope for the almshouses as we understand the Council has referred the case to the Secretary

SPAB Fellow

Samantha Peacock wins award

of State for DLUHC (the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities), Michael Gove. He has the right to ‘call in’ the application for his own determination and a potential public inquiry, as he did recently with the M&S department store on Oxford Street, London.

Although the fate of the Willoughby Almshouses remains in the balance, our fight to save them secured an important victory for other old buildings at risk when the High Court upheld our right to be notified. Broxtowe had initially granted listed building consent without consulting the National Amenity Societies which all councils have a statutory duty to do.

Thank you to all our members and supporters who wrote to the council, lodged objections and supported the campaign.

Congratulations to 2012 SPAB Fellow and stonemason Sam Peacock who received a commendation at the Duke of Gloucester Awards. Sam was particularly recognised for her work on Wells Cathedral’s West Front and iconic medieval clock. The awards were presented in partnership with the Worshipful Company of Masons.

Honouring Mark Girouard

The Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain (SAHGB) has announced the creation of The Girouard Fund for Publications which will be used to support publications in architectural history. This new fund is in memory of Mark Girouard (1931–2022), one of Britain’s finest architectural historians. Girouard was the Architectural Editor of Country Life and author of many influential books. These include the Biographical Dictionary of English Architecture 1540–1640; Elizabethan Architecture: Its Rise and Fall, 1540–1640; The English Town; The Return to Camelot; and Life in the English Country House: A Social and Architectural History. Girouard was also committed to building conservation and, in 1976, became the founding Chairman of the Spitalfields Trust which was crucial in preserving Georgian streetscapes, including Spital Square where we are based. He wrote about this in his book, The Saving of Spitalfields. More information on the fund can be found online: www.sahgb.org.uk/ sahgb-girouard-fund

Should abandoned churches be saved?

Former SPAB Co-Chair Rachel Morley made an impassioned case for saving historic churches on a Sky News segment over Christmas. In ‘Are Britain’s Abandoned Churches Worth Saving?’, reporter Saskia Lumley interviewed Rachel, the Director of Friends of Friendless Churches, following research estimating that around 6,000 church buildings have closed in the last 60 years. You can watch the segment on YouTube: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=V-gQyKpUQ3A

Photo Philip Venning

Photo Rachel Stoplar

Above Flood markers, King’s Lynn Minster

Above Willoughby Almshouses, Cossall

Photo Gavin Gillespie

Above Award-winning stonemason Sam Peacock at the Boxley Working Party in 2023

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A window on our Old House Project

At the end of 2023, minor revisions to the consent for the Old House Project (OHP) were approved by Maidstone Council. This cleared the way for the remainder of the work to proceed in 2024. Still left to complete are an opening and ancillary structures at the east end, new services including solar panels and a heat pump, internal works including insulation and secondary glazing, and landscaping and boundary work to fulfil a planning condition. The last phase of repair to the exterior, at the end of 2023, involved the installation of windows.

When St Andrew’s Chapel was first built in the 15th century, glazed windows were expensive and unusual. We can never know exactly what the building’s windows looked like originally, since the chapel’s full-height east window was infilled in the 19th century and its squints are now no more than empty openings with indents where ferramenta once stood.

Nonetheless a sense of the medieval still remains in the west side first floor window of the priest’s lodging. This retains its wrought iron bars, though like the squints, the opening may have been shuttered rather than glazed when constructed. The ground floor south stone-mullioned drip moulded window to the timber-framed bay is of 15th century form, but its stonework is, we believe, re-used from nearby Boxley Abbey, as the window now forms an infill under which the jetty once sat.

Most existing windows to the chapel date from the late 19th century, although they have a 17th century appearance with ovolo moulded mullions. There are fragmentary remains of their original 19th century diamondpattern leaded lights. This fancy glazing was perhaps intended to heighten the building’s picturesque qualities. The Boxley Abbey estate, of which the OHP

then formed a part, changed hands in 1890. This seems certain to have been the catalyst for a change of fenestration, as part of a refit of cottages on the estate. Firm evidence for the 1890s re-windowing emerged during recent works when a date of 1892 was found crudely inscribed on a lintel.

When we acquired the house in 2018, we found its windows in a very sorry state. Some were missing, while others

Most existing windows to the chapel date from the late 19th century, although they have a 17th century appearance with ovolo moulded mullions

Interior of window above stair

Light through new glass in priest’s lodging on the first floor

New window above staircase

Detail of copper wire and soldered joint

Consulting Civil & Structural Engineers - Historic Building Specialists - CARE Accredited & Chartered Personnel

were vandalised with glass broken. An attempt had been made by the previous owner at repair, with single panes of float glass inserted and held in place by silicone sealant. A few of the diamond-paned leaded lights survived and the oak mullioned windows of the 1890s were generally in reasonable shape. We carried out emergency protective work using timber or wire mesh, but in some less vulnerable areas glass was replaced for us by Kent-based glazier Robert Croudace.

Robert has now returned to assist with the permanent repair, kindly using the opportunity to demonstrate the glazing repairs needed at our OHP window courses and last summer’s Boxley Working Party. The 2023 Scholars and Fellows also spent a week at Robert’s studio and were able to repair several casements that now adorn the building. For Robert, the building’s recovery has mirrored his own, since he was involved in a very serious road accident in the period following his original involvement with the house. The OHP has formed part of his return to work and his expertise has proved invaluable to the project and the SPAB’s educational objectives.

Robert has worked with craftspeople from main contractor Owlsworth IJP, including Jim Whitbread and Paul Sellwood, as well as architect Mal Fryer, to achieve the window repairs. Much thought was given in advance to the approach to be taken. The initial plan was to use simple, modern float glass for all windows, as an honest repair. In the end, the case for championing traditional glazing craft skills won the argument and the 1890s treatment has been followed, re-using the surviving old glass wherever possible. After timber repair, the gap between the 1890s oak window frames and the surrounding masonry has been filled with a traditional burnt sand mastic, made from kiln dried silver sand and linseed oil.

A significant amount of new glass was needed to complete the job. For this, after consideration of all options, we decided to use mouth-blown glass from Lamberts factory in Bavaria. Lamberts is one of very few firms in Europe now producing mouth-blown window glass in any quantity. Sadly, there is no equivalent in the UK. Lamberts’ glass has

a character and beauty resulting from surface imperfections and undulations. Within its leaded lattice, Robert’s work has allowed Lamberts’ glorious glass to glint and ripple in the sunlight.

The glass and leadwork has had to be templated to accommodate the variations of the iron casements in which the glass is housed. In some cases, these casements were made 10 mm or more out of square to allow for settlement in their stone surrounds. Lead cames for the new work follow the section of those surviving from the 1890s. Robert constructs the leadwork lattice in

methodical fashion, building it up in T-shaped sections that add strength to the panel. The glass and leadwork panel is then attached to the iron saddle bars of the casement with precisely twisted and positioned copper wire, soldered in place. Each window will be subtly marked to distinguish old glass from new and to acknowledge Robert’s work of 2023. With each reinstated window the house has taken a step closer to revival. The glass has not only brought closure to the external phase of work but has lent a new brilliance to its exterior and given the building back its eyes.

Proud to have helped restore and conserve Ancient Buildings and Monuments for over 130 Years

Hibbitt & Sons (Masonr y) Ltd was established in 1890

We are one of the oldest and most trusted companies in Cambridge employing and direc ted by S.P.A.B fellows. Pride and qualit y is in ever ything we do.

Traditional stonemasonr y sk ills passed down through nine generations in the craf t, are combined with cutting edge technology to better enable us to carry on look ing af ter the masonr y fabrics of our historic buildings.

New window with burnt sand mastic fill below

Northern squint window with damaged modern glass

New window, west end ground floor

Hibbitt Masonr y,

Covering Cambridgeshire, Suffolk , Nor folk , Essex, Bedfordshire, Lincolnshire, Rutland, Nor th & East London

All photos Matthew Slocombe

SEASONAL MAINTENANCE

A good time for a spring clean

As winter eases into spring, here are some simple maintenance tips to ensure your building stays in good condition.

Check that gutters and downpipes have not been damaged by frost. Using a hand mirror is an easy way to look behind rainwater pipes as splits and cracks here are easily missed. Keep an eye out for any staining on brickwork or plaster as this may indicate that water is being discharged onto the walls.

Spring is a particularly good time to clear leaves and debris from gutters and rain pipes. Remove silt and debris to ensure water discharges freely.

Drains should be cleaned and rodded out if they overflow during wet weather.

Consider fitting bird/leaf guards to the tops of soil pipes and rainwater outlets to prevent blockages.

Check your roof for frost or wind damage. Debris on the ground from broken slates or tiles can indicate a problem.

If you have an attic and you can access it, carry out an inspection from there, looking outside with a pair of binoculars. Inspect lead flashings and mortar fillets at chimneys and roof wall abutments for signs of decay. This could involve holes or splits in the

lead work and erosion of mortar fillets. Make sure that windows open and that ventilators are working. Lubricate windows and door fittings. If you have airbricks, ensure they aren’t blocked by grass or debris. Please be careful when working at height; use a ladder and always have someone with you.

If you need any advice on maintenance or building care, we’re here to help. Visit our website www.spab.org.uk/advice or call our Technical Advice Line on weekday mornings, 9.30am–12.30pm on 020 7456 0916

CONSERVATION OF THE CRADLE TOWER -TOWEROFLONDON

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Working nationallya sP ri nci pa l and Spe ci alist Contractors, our projects span acros st he pu blic, private, commercial, ecclesiastical and transport se ctors

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• Facade Cleaning & Restoration

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Photo Rachel Stoplar

Above SPAB Scholar Lewis Hobbs clearing gutters at the Boxley Working Party in 2023

SCHOLARS AND FELLOWS

Announcing our 2024 Fellows and Scholars

Every year, a handful of conservation professionals and craftspeople embark on two completely unique learning experiences: the SPAB Fellowship and Scholarship. Forget lectures, exams and box-ticking curricula – these programmes are all about learning through site visits and facing conservation dilemmas head-on, guided by experienced conservation professionals.

The Scholarship gives architects, engineers and surveyors the opportunity to get away from their desks and onto some real old building sites, while the Fellowship broadens the skills and

experience of craftspeople involved in historic building repairs. For Scholars and Fellows, the end of their nine-month programme is just the beginning of their lifelong conservation journey and SPAB connection. Many are among the leading conservation experts in the UK, Republic of Ireland and overseas, looking after a wide range of historic buildings and sites using the skills and approaches they learned during their Fellowship and Scholarship year. We’re excited to announce our 2024 cohort and can’t wait to share their adventures with you when they kick off in March – and in the years to come.

Our 2024 Fellows are:

n Ellie-Jae Dobson, bricklayer

n Marlène Lagnado, stonemason

n Jim Brearley-Ratcliffe, carpenter

n James Bull, carpenter and this year’s Millwright Fellow

Our 2024 Scholars are:

n Hannah Bass, architect

n Chloe Chambers, architect

n Sarika Jhawar, architect

n Jen Langfield, architect

Many thanks to all the supporters who make the Fellowship and Scholarship possible.

Ellie-Jae Dobson

Hannah Bass

Marlène Lagnado

Chloe Chambers

Jim Brearley-Ratcliffe

Sarika Jhawar

James Bull

Jen Langfield

Photo James Bull

Photo Jim Brearley-Ratcliffe

Photo Marlène Lagnado

Photo Ellie-Jae Dobson

Photo Hannah Bass

Photo Chloe Chambers Photo Sarika Jhawar

Photo Jen Langfield

AWARDS

SPAB Heritage Awards return in 2024

The biannual SPAB Heritage Awards are returning with a bang this year, with an awards ceremony at the Barbican Centre hosted by SPAB Ambassador Kevin McCloud. We’re delighted to be working with Storm Bespoke Secondary Glazing again as our headline sponsor.

The event will take place on Thursday 14 November during National Maintenance Week, our annual campaign encouraging and supporting people to undertake simple maintenance tasks to keep their buildings in good working order.

AWARDS

n The Best Loved Award celebrates the care and attention given to buildings in the UK and Ireland to keep them

well-maintained – and the winner is chosen by you, our members and supporters, by public vote.

n The Sustainable Heritage Award, sponsored by Keymer Handmade Tiles, for a project that showcases the best new design when upgrading old buildings or adapting them for new uses.

The Building Craftsperson of the Year Award, sponsored by Owlsworth IJP, for the best up-and-coming craftspeople and builders working with traditional materials and methods.

n The John Betjeman Award for conservation in faith buildings.

n The Philip Webb Award for architecture students or recent graduates for design schemes that champion the sympathetic reuse of old buildings.

All awards are open to projects and

www.spab.org.uk

applicants from the UK and Ireland. The closing date for entries is 31 July. Interested in applying or nominating a project or craftsperson? Visit our website for more information: spab.org.uk/ get-involved/awards

Could you sponsor a SPAB Heritage Award?

If you would like to find out more about sponsoring an award and supporting the SPAB, please contact Kate Streeter, Head of Development and Communications, at awards@spab.org.uk

Above Kevin McCloud at the 2022 SPAB Heritage Awards

Photo Ralph Hodgson

FUNDRAISING

Georgian furniture goes under the hammer to raise funds

After many decades on display in National Trust properties, a selection of antique furniture, textiles and porcelain belonging to the SPAB is looking for a new home. Could they be yours?

If you’ve ever been to Lyme Park in Cheshire, the Treasurer’s House in York or Hatchlands Park in Surrey, chances are you will have admired one of these pieces. Now that they have been returned to us, we are putting the items

up for auction on 27 March at Chiswick Auctions. This is your chance to acquire a beautiful piece while supporting our work giving old buildings a future. The furniture dates from the late 17th to the early 19th centuries and is predominantly Georgian. The pieces to be auctioned include a Regency sideboard, a cabinet, several tables, a pair of Meissen candelabra and two Aubusson wall hangings. They were generously bequeathed to us by Evelyn Stannus in 1939. Now, 85 years later, it’s time for the next chapter in their story because we have no suitable place to store or display them.

You can bid in advance or on the day of the sale: 10am on 27 March at Chiswick Auctions, 1 Roslin Square, London W3 8DH.

Find out more at chiswickauctions.co.uk

All photos James Bly

Above Pieces up for auction to help raise funds for the SPAB include Meissen candelabra and furniture dating from the 17th-19th centuries

SPAB IRELAND

Podcast celebrates Irish vernacular buildings

SPAB Ireland’s podcast series, Heart to Hearth: Chats about vernacular Irish buildings, has been running for the past three years, thanks to funding from the Heritage Council of Ireland.

Each year, a 10-episode series has been released, hosted by committee members Tríona Byrne, Róisín Beirne and Livia Artibani. Every episode features a guest who is passionate about vernacular buildings. Feedback from audiences, including homeowners, conservation professionals and building enthusiasts, has been overwhelmingly positive.

All guests are asked the same two questions: What is their favourite vernacular structure? And what can be done to help ensure a future for vernacular buildings? Answers to this second question have been insightful and constructive about ways to preserve these important parts of our built heritage.

Education and training has been a strong theme. Including the proposal that apprenticeships for all trades, from bricklayers to electricians, should have a module on

improvements to help make these buildings into comfortable family homes and establishing a ‘vernacular watchdog’ – a state agency with a long-term remit – which is not part of a department that changes with every government, to ensure there is a consistent ongoing approach.

Specialis tConservator s

Architectur al Stone work

Statuaryand Monuments

Architectur al Cer amics

Decor ativ ePlas terwork

Mosaics

historic buildings, as renovation of existing buildings will be such an integral part of battling the climate crisis. Alongside this, encouraging more apprenticeships and training in traditional skills to ensure there are enough skilled people to repair vernacular buildings has been proposed. Recent suggestions have also included making a concise database of funding available to vernacular homeowners; highlighting examples of good quality

More soberingly, one guest proposed that there should be a focus on preserving good examples of vernacular buildings in every county, as it is not feasible to protect them all. Another suggestion was to take direct action and mothball derelict buildings without the funds for repair. This could be done by installing corrugated sheet roofs, for example, so they remain viable options for future repair if funding can be secured.

Educating people about the importance of maintaining buildings is a vital part of our remit and one which we are proud to champion. The podcast is one small part of a resurgence of interest in vernacular buildings in Ireland over the past few years, with increased grant funding available each year and more public awareness of these valuable links to our past. Long may it continue!

The next podcast series will start in August 2024. To listen to all three series, visit https://heart-to-hearth. simplecast.com/

The ne wlyres tored Shrine of St Amphibalus at St Albans Cathedr al. Recons tructed from sections of the original 14thcentury one withnew carving to fill thegaps, by Skillingtons team 2019-21.

Above A traditional Irish house

Illustration Gissella Renolfi

Photo Richard McLoughlin

Above Hearth sketch

THERE WAS A CROOKED MAN… AND his story started here. Built in 1395, The Crooked House in Lavenham, Suffolk, is said to be the inspiration for the old English nursery rhyme, There was a Crooked Man. Today, it is home to two ‘Crooked Men’ – my husband Oli and me, following our move here in 2021.

It all began back in December 2018, before I’d even met Oli, when I was on a day trip from London to Lavenham, Britain’s best-preserved medieval village. While exploring the winding streets, I stumbled upon The Crooked House, which was a tearoom at the time. Its wonderfully wonky façade, cheery orange hue and warm glow through the windows drew me inside… and I fell in love.

Like stepping into a fairytale, this ancient house captured my imagination and, right then, I made a promise to myself to come back and live here one day. Of course, this was pure fantasy. With a busy job and life in London, living in a quaint country village was a remote dream for later life. But fast forward two years and life in lockdown London was very different.

It was during the Covid-19 pandemic that Oli and I met online. Over hours of video calls, we discussed our hopes and plans for a life together, with the mutual dream of making a home in an ancient place. Remarkably, the dream house then came up for sale, The Crooked House, and it was perfect for us.

Within five months of getting to know each other we had an offer accepted and this magical 14th century house was our new home. ‘New’ is the wrong word. There’s nothing new about this 600-yearold house and that’s why we love it.

A WOVEN HISTORY

The surviving wing of a medieval Hall House, The Crooked House was built for a rich wool merchant as the wool trade rapidly made little Lavenham one of the wealthiest places in England. Indeed, in the 14th, 15th and early 16th centuries, the small village of Lavenham paid more tax than the cities of Lincoln and York, all thanks to the popular ‘Lavenham Blue’ cloth produced here. What today is The Crooked House would originally have been the Hall House’s kitchen and pantry, with a weavers’ workshop upstairs

There was a Crooked House

Left main The Crooked House today, with Alex and Oli KhalilMartin, its current custodians

Top Roof repairs in the 1980s

Above Broken beams, before repairs in the 1980s

Above right An ancient door in The Crooked House

Its wonderfully wonky façade, cheery orange hue and warm glow through the windows drew me inside… this ancient house captured my imagination

– the beating heart of the village’s prosperity. But if our wool merchant was so rich, why is his house crooked?

The Crooked House is the embodiment of Lavenham’s story. As the wool money poured in, our merchant wanted a grand house quickly but the wood he used to build it wasn’t given sufficient time to be fully seasoned. As it dried out once constructed, this timber framed house twisted and contorted, resulting in a very strong but also very crooked house. However, by the time this happened, Lavenham’s wool industry was in dramatic decline. Fashionable weavers moved to nearby Colchester and onceprosperous Lavenham fell into centuries of decline. With no money to rebuild, the Hall House was divided into several dwellings, creating the wonderfully wonky house we see today.

OUR HOME FOR LIFE

We are passionate about preserving and protecting this magical place that we’re lucky enough to call home. Fortunately, the house was significantly repaired in the 1980s, with the original medieval layout sensitively re-instated, alongside structural repairs to the roof. Throughout this work, traditional materials and techniques were used,

which respected the building’s age and historic significance. Since moving here, our primary objective has been to continue this approach with careful, gentle repairs, helped by Lavenham’s army of expert traditional craftspeople. We have furnished and decorated the house to reflect its 600-year story. Antique furniture, tapestry wall hangings and Elizabethan ironmongery bring to life the glory days of Lavenham’s wool wealth. Elsewhere in the house, thin plank doors, worn elm floorboards and bullseye glass windowpanes reflect Lavenham’s impoverished years, when life in this once grand house was crowded and harsh.

Letting these layers of history live is crucial. Yes, we love The Crooked House’s Tudor heyday (we’ve even had Tudor costumes made which keep us remarkably warm in winter) but its whole 600-year story – with all the highs and lows – is important to us.

The Crooked House’s most recent ‘low’ was the 1960s, when the building’s back wall was covered in concrete render. At the time this was thought to be protective, but in reality the render is trapping in moisture and causing the house’s ancient oak frame to rot. Our next major repair project is to remove this render and replace it with traditional lime plaster. We’re raising the funds through a series of supper clubs, house tours, events and experiences, connecting our passion for sharing this ancient place with our desire to protect and preserve it for future generations.

Our ‘Crooked Club’ black tie dinners, tours and ‘Crooked Life’ experiences have brought together a wonderful community of people from around the world – all enjoying this historic house and helping secure its future. We’re hugely appreciative of everyone’s support and love meeting so many interesting people in the process. For us, this is our home for life, and we couldn’t have found a more perfect place.

There was a Crooked House, and it is very, very loved.

Find out more at crookedhouselavenham.com and on Instagram @crookedhouselavenham

Alex Khalil-Martin recounts the rich history of The Crooked House in Lavenham, Suffolk, and details recent work and vital future plans for its on-going repair

Photo James Davidson

Photo James Davidson

Photo Mike Hodges

Photo Mike Hodges

Learning with the SPAB

Elaine Byrne, Head of Education & Training, introduces her team’s vital and varied work

EDUCATION AND TRAINING ARE

central to our work and purpose at the SPAB. As a charity, we exist to educate and inspire people to look after old buildings, so our educational and outreach work sits right at the heart of all our activities. Through our courses, talks and community engagement, we help homeowners, conservation professionals, craftspeople, students, volunteers and others to care for our precious built heritage. Our handson courses and Working Parties ensure that we, as a society, don’t lose knowledge of traditional skills and materials – an increasing risk in a world where trades are rarely passed down through the generations.

With the training we deliver and the advice we share, we enable those who care about the past, present and future of old buildings to be strong advocates for them. Our learning programme takes place on site and online, in workshops and lecture halls, in classrooms and conference venues. Long-established programmes such as the Repair of Old Buildings Course, now in its sixth decade, and the Scholarship and Fellowship (see News page 15), run alongside exciting new events and activities.

Everyone learns differently and we’ve been able to cater to even more people, not only by moving courses online but also by providing self-paced options for learners to fit around their busy schedules. Moving many established courses and talks online has also allowed greater access to participants around the globe and significantly increased our reach. We’re delighted that online versions of our courses mean buildings

as far afield as Italy, the USA and Japan will benefit.

PRACTICAL TRAINING

While our online offering has been a great success, it remains clear that hands-on and in-person training are essential to fully appreciate many aspects of building conservation. Observing and learning by doing makes theory tangible – something we put into practice in our practical training. Recent workshops at our Old House Project in Kent have been hugely

popular. We’ve maximised educational opportunities at this live repair project, creating numerous courses that reflect the programme of works underway on site. Among the sold-out events already held, there were workshops on glazing, carpentry, plastering and stonemasonry, as well as a specialist training day on engineering solutions. We’re excited to be working on a further programme of courses at the Old House Project this spring – watch this space!

Our Working Parties are another significant example of where practice and philosophy meet. They are unique, offering participants of all levels and experience the opportunity to learn on real building sites from highly skilled professionals across a range of disciplines and materials. Look out for a Working Party near you this summer as events are currently being planned in England, Wales and Ireland.

REACHING A WIDER AUDIENCE

Our work is also key to bringing more people into the world of conservation. In recent years, we’ve developed key learning opportunities for students at both secondary and tertiary level, recognising the need to increase awareness of conservation and repair on building courses, as well as to share

Above Lime Plastering course

Left 2019 SPAB Fellow Matt Wilson giving a careers talk to sixth form students at Harris Aspire Academy, South Norwood

Below Carpentry and joinery at the Old House Project

the distinct messages contained in our SPAB Approach.

An annual project with first year Interior Design students from London Metropolitan University (School of Art, Architecture and Design) has been a positive step towards raising awareness of our work among students and emerging professionals in this field. We’re also contributing to the development of a new course for recently qualified building surveyors and surveying students in

Yorkshire, which aims to raise awareness and introduce the skills needed to survey traditionally constructed buildings. We provide training to other building charities, community groups, local authorities and independent professionals. In 2023, two highlights were delivering a tailored version of the SPAB’s Old House Eco Course for the Suffolk Preservation Society and a series of bespoke building maintenance courses and talks for London Historic Buildings Trust (LHBT), as part of their High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) projects with the London boroughs of Croydon and Tower Hamlets. Working in partnership means we can share our message of old building care and repair with new audiences, helping them look after their old buildings more effectively. Other successful partnerships in recent years have been with Historic Royal Palaces, the Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance and the National Trust.

DELVING INTO THE ARCHIVES

The hands-on work of the Education & Training Team takes a very different form in our archive work. Located at our Georgian headquarters in Spitalfields, London, we have an important archive of historic material – including paper files, books, photos, maps and drawings –primarily focused on buildings associated with the SPAB since our foundation in 1877. It also contains notable acquisitions and documents, such as the bound volumes of George Robertson’s paintings, dating from the 1780s, which are currently undergoing conservation and digitisation as part of a grant-funded project. The extensive archive catalogue can be found online via our website so do check that out if you’re working on, or interested in, an old building – chances are, SPAB caseworkers will have been there before!

We’re a small charity, but with our training work we can have a big impact.

We provide training to other building charities, community groups, local authorities and independent professionals

Whenever you see sensitive repairs and careful alterations to historic buildings, you’re seeing the SPAB Approach in action. The biannual SPAB Heritage Awards (see News page 17) celebrates old buildings and the people who care for them. We look forward to sharing more behind-the-scenes insights from our team in these pages in the issues to come.

Photo Conor Meehan

Photo SPAB

Photo Glenn Foster

Above Repointing a wall at Boxley Working Party

Above Master Plasterer and SPAB plastering tutor Sean Wheatley at Coleshill Open Day where we run our Lime Plastering courses in association with the National Trust

Above Studying brickwork at Hampton Court Palace

Photo Rachel Stoplar

Photo Rachel Stoplar

Photo Iain Boyd

CASEWORK

ST MARY’S CHURCH

STEVINGTON, BEDFORDSHIRE

Christina Emerson

In its casework the SPAB gives advice to planning authorities, owners and professionals. Cases arise from information received about neglected buildings or planning proposals. Councils in England and Wales are obliged to notify the SPAB of applications involving demolition work to listed buildings. We also hear from parishes, dioceses and cathedrals when certain works to listed churches are proposed. Casework is one of the key ways the SPAB campaigns for the future of historic buildings.

Those familiar with our conservation approach will be aware that we are not necessarily supportive of the reinstatement of lost historic fabric. Reinstatement to recreate historic design

or decorative detail will in most cases be at odds with the SPAB Approach. However, there is an exception that proves every rule, and a recent case presented the Casework Committee with something of a philosophical conundrum.

St Mary’s Church in Stevington dates largely from the 14th century but has a 15th century clerestory with a fine nave roof bearing figures holding shields with the emblems of the Passion. The west tower is Saxon below belfry level and the Diocesan Chancellor recently sought our advice in relation to repairs to one of the Saxon window heads. The case rapidly

revealed itself to be more complex than expected, with the works already carried out and the triangular form of the window head obliterated in the process. Unfortunately, the parish had not been made aware of the requirement to seek appropriate consents. Given the exceptional significance of the window (apparently one of only five in the country with a pointed head) a faculty should have been sought, which would have allowed proper consideration of the matter, including the option of repair rather than replacement.

Above View of the altered Saxon window

A Committee member kindly paid a visit and was able to report that the window in question is prominent externally, being perfectly framed by crenelations as you pass through the churchyard gates.

The Committee agreed unanimously to object to the destruction of the arch and the resulting loss of the Saxon fabric. We felt that this was an exceptional case where re-instatement was highly desirable and appropriate. In arriving at this decision, the Committee took into account the national historic and architectural significance of the window and the inappropriate nature of the replacement, the design of which was conjectural. We agreed wholeheartedly with the view expressed by the Diocesan Advisory Committee archaeological advisor, that a rare detail of high significance had been irretrievably lost, and that the confused design of its replacement could not sufficiently replicate that significance.

The Committee also advised that the information required for a reinstatement should be extremely precise. Detailed research should be commissioned from an experienced architectural historian to serve as a foundation for archaeological-level drawings and any archaeological recording carried out prior to the recent works should be used to inform an accurate reinstatement. A suggestion of a lime mortar mix was also offered.

All photos Paul Robertshaw

Left St Mary’s, Stevington

A PA SS IO N FOR HERI TA GE

Sally Strachey Historic Conservation Ltd

Award-winning, specialists in the conservation of historic buildings, monuments, sculpture and decorative surfaces.

We provide a full range of services –from survey and consultancy to the delivery of complete projects as a specialist main contractor.

ALL SAINTS CHURCH LYDIARD MILLICENT, SWINDON, WILTSHIRE

Rachel Broomfield

In our Autumn 2023 issue, we reported on the proposals to re-order the attractive Grade II* listed church of All Saints, Lydiard Millicent. The church has early origins but changes over the centuries have left a characterful interior with a largely Victorian feel, although earlier fabric and fixtures can still be seen.

As with many churches, the parish wants to expand the use of the building. It proposed a second toilet, a new kitchenette, replacing the pews with chairs, installing underfloor heating, improving storage, a new draught lobby and replacing the organ. We cautioned that it was vital to ensure that any changes were justified and did not come at the expense of the things that make this church worthy of its Grade II* listing.

The parish, to their credit, made some compromises which were generally welcomed, but following a meeting it became apparent that the new floor, underfloor heating and removal of the pews remained contentious, especially as the pews form a significant part of the church’s internal character.

In conjunction with other consultees, we encouraged the exploration of alternative options which, although a compromise, would allow the retention of more pews. We agreed with Historic England who said: “The pews were designed for the church with a perpendicular end to compliment other features of the church. They bring coherence to the space. Specifically, these need to be in the nave to retain the processional area and the current experience of the church. Without the nave pews the sense of order will be diminished. It is currently stylistically congruent.”

As the south aisle is partially clear, we suggested that it could be fully cleared and there was potential to remove further pews from the west end. However, we wanted to see the retention of a meaningful block of pews within the nave. Unfortunately, the parish did not agree and felt this would cause significant issues preventing them from turning the congregation to face north (the reason for which was not clear). After suggesting a compromise which the consultees considered unacceptable, the parish made it clear that any further retention of pews would not be possible. The petition was then passed to the Chancellor for determination.

Unusually, the petitioner then made a further submission to supplement the Statement of Need declaring that if they could not implement their plans in full, they had little reason to continue with the reordering and the church would be likely to close. The Chancellor could not take this into account as the threat of closure is not part of the test for granting a faculty.

The church has early origins but changes over the centuries have left a characterful interior with a largely Victorian feel...

church. It described a vision they had of the church’s interior with bean bags, comfortable seats, a coffee area and kitchen. The other was a further Statement of Need including another vision of the re-ordered church by the petitioner. Although interesting, neither were supported by evidence so the Chancellor could not give them particular weight.

Overall, the Chancellor felt that the underfloor heating and new floor would be acceptable in this case, but he did not approve the removal of the pews. He agreed with the amenity societies that any alterations to the interior must be sensitive and evidence-based, and he did not feel that the evidence provided had been substantial enough. He also noted that the parish had not been willing to compromise or explore alternative options.

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The Chancellor also received two further documents from the petitioner for consideration. One was an anonymous handwritten report by someone who had stopped attending

Although we are obviously pleased with the Chancellor’s decision, we hope that the parish will reconsider their proposals and we would be delighted to work with them to find a more suitable way of creating the flexible space they desire.

Above and below All Saints Church, Lydiard Millicent

Detail from The Colquhoun Chapel, Brookwood Cemetery: During 2019 SSHC undertook a full programme of conservation cleaning repairs, replacement masonry, re-plastering and fabrications – internal and external.

Photo Alessandra Perrone

Photo Nigel Cox

AN UPDATE ON RECENT CASEWORK

Merlin Lewis, Casework Support Officer

The constructive and expert advice which is at the core of our Casework Team’s remit is an integral part of our efforts to protect historic buildings and ensure they are sustainable for the long term. The Casework Support Officer is responsible for reviewing requests for advice when they first arrive and providing comment to guide caseworkers in their examination of cases.

We have received a marked increase in consultations from local authorities following our intervention in relation to the case of the Willoughby Almshouses, Nottinghamshire, in spring 2023 (see News p. 7). The Listed Building Consent was declared invalid following a judicial review, having been awarded without proper consultation of the National Amenity Societies. The judgement offered an effective reminder to local authorities of their responsibility to notify us of qualifying Listed Building Consent applications.

Since then, the Casework team has received on average 77 secular and ecclesiastical consultations weekly, which it considers alongside requests for advice from SPAB members, the public, and professionals working with historic buildings.

Within an ecclesiastical context, the Church of England’s

goal to become ‘net zero carbon’ by 2030, and the £30 million it released last year to support churches and cathedrals in achieving this goal, has been a major impetus for change. Most cases include proposals for more environmentally friendly heating and energy systems, or reordering schemes which are responding to modern styles of worship and/or aimed at encouraging greater community use.

Such cases can sometimes cause a degree of harm which is not commensurate with the Church’s demonstrated requirements. Where this occurs, caseworkers will generally encourage parishes to submit a more robust statement of needs based on an activity audit and an appraisal of the options for delivering those needs.

Where secular casework is concerned, we regularly request improved impact assessments as the Heritage Statements required by the National Planning Policy Framework can tend towards the descriptive rather than the analytical, often failing to assess the impact of proposals on the historic asset.

A frequent consideration is the suitability of new materials. Issues such as breathability are not always fully understood and detailing is often overlooked, particularly when the addition of insulating fabric will alter a building’s form. For example, poorly considered adjustments to eaves can impact a building’s ability to shed rainwater. A strong understanding of how traditional buildings perform allows us to make an appreciable impact in this increasingly relevant area.

BUILDINGS AT RISK

Laura Polglase, Volunteer Buildings at Risk Officer

In November, Historic England (HE) published its annual Heritage at Risk Register. This identified sites most at risk of being lost due to neglect, decay or inappropriate development.

Grade I and II* buildings in England and Grade II in London are included, as well as scheduled monuments and conservation areas. Inclusion on the Register brings welcome publicity to a site and can encourage owners or funders to find a solution for the future of the building.

Some places, such as the Grade II* listed Bentley Hall Barn near Ipswich in Suffolk, have languished on the Register for many years. The Barn formed part of the Bentley estate, originating from the medieval manor of Bentley held by the Tollemache family from around 1200. The Hall was rebuilt to act as the dower house for Susanna, on the marriage in 1581 of her son, the 1st Earl of Dysart. The 54 m long Barn formed part of an impressive group of buildings, which created an Elizabethan ‘seigneurial landscape’ with the main residence approached through a park by a broad avenue flanked by ostentatious outbuildings.

The Barn is among the largest and most impressive Tudor structures in Britain and, although masonry barns of comparable scale survive, it may be the longest timberframed barn of the period in the country. The survival of the decorative treatment of the close studding and brick nogging is unusual and illustrates the high status of the structure. The legible plan form indicates the various functions it may have supported, including use as a ‘court-hall’ for court sessions and harvest celebrations for tenants. In the medieval period

these activities would have been held in the Hall, but during Elizabethan times they were increasingly held in a distinct building away from the main house. In the late 20th century, ownership of the Barn separated from Bentley Hall, and it now lies empty with limited options for re-use. It is structurally unstable with water penetrating its walls in some areas, accelerating the decay.

One of our great strengths as a campaigning organisation is our members who notice local buildings at risk and bring them to our attention. In some instances, not even the local authority has been aware of the deterioration of designated buildings in their area. In this case, one of our members drew it to our attention, confessing that they wished they had mentioned it 30 years ago.

When we first learnt about the Barn in 2021, we carried out research into its history, ownership and what had been done in recent years. We engaged with the local authority, Babergh and Mid Suffolk, and HE, who have been keen to ensure that protection is given to the structure while a longer-term solution can be found. During our communications with them, we were encouraged to learn that internal scaffolding is supporting sections of the Barn and that the roof is pretty watertight. Nonetheless, further repairs are necessary, as specified in the Urgent Works Notice.

The Barn is unlikely to be suitable for residential use, although there is apparently considerable interest from potential purchasers. This is a longstanding and difficult case and many organisations have been involved over the years. We are pleased that we could raise our members’ concerns for the site and support efforts to save the Barn for future generations.

Do let us know of any ‘at risk’ building in your local area which may need championing.

Above Bentley Hall Barn

Above Sherborne, Dorset

Photo Simon Mortimer

Photo Rachel Stoplar

Cathy Slessor explores the careful balancing of old and new in Wright & Wright’s recent work at St John’s College

A Story of Stone Libraries and the Canterbury Quadrangle

The completion of the decade-long redevelopment and conservation programme at St John’s College culminated with the Canterbury Quadrangle and the historic Old and Laudian Libraries

IN OXFORD, THE CANTERBURY

Quadrangle at St John’s College is one of the city’s most illustrious architectural ensembles. As the eminent architectural historian Howard Colvin once pronounced: “It is difficult to envisage St John’s without the Canterbury Quadrangle.” Like other Oxford architectural icons – Magdalen’s tower and New College’s chapel – it has become emblematic of St John’s, its architecture representing a compelling synthesis of historic medievalism and the more cosmopolitan tenor of Renaissance classicism, which had taken root at the court of Charles I.

The conservation of Canterbury Quad by Wright & Wright Architects, combined with new design, represents the final phase in an ambitious 10-year redevelopment programme for St John’s, which also involved the remodelling of its historic library buildings and the design of a new Library and Study Centre. With considerable experience of working in the Oxford milieu – ongoing projects include a Passivhaus library opening later this summer at Corpus Christi College and teaching facilities for All Souls College – Wright & Wright’s design approach balances historical and contemporary elements within an evolving architectural narrative. New and old combine to generate unexpected synergies and sensitively reanimate historic assemblages of buildings.

HISTORY

Founded in 1555, St John’s was established by Thomas White, Master of the Merchant Taylors’ Company, at a time of intense political and religious upheaval. As Protestantism was reestablished, the College came to prominence through the patronage of William Laud, the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury under Charles I. Laud was an influential figure in church and state, who enjoyed the confidence of the monarch. President of St John’s between 1611 and 1621, he added a grand new quadrangle, the Canterbury Quad, which persuasively proclaimed his ideals of royalism and High Anglicanism. To mark its completion in 1636, a lavish banquet was held for Charles and his

All photos unless stated

Hufton + Crow; Wright & Wright Architects

consort, Queen Henrietta Maria, whose statues by French Huguenot sculptor Hubert Le Sueur adorn the Quad at its east and west portals.

The Civil War abruptly put an end to such extravagances and Laud, who had hitherto adroitly negotiated the treacherous currents of Jacobean politics and religious affairs, was accused of treason and beheaded at the Tower of London in 1645. He is buried in St John’s chapel, along with College founder Thomas White. The Canterbury Quad remains largely as Laud left it, a ceremonial space of great subtlety and sophistication, one of the most impressive Baroque set pieces in England.

Laud also left his books and manuscripts to St John’s and his legacy formed the basis of the College’s world-renowned library and special collections. The library has always been at the physical and intellectual heart of St John’s. Old Library was first constructed in 1596 and subsequently extended by Laud as part of the Canterbury Quadrangle. Over the centuries, the College’s accumulation of historic manuscripts, printed books and personal papers has grown into an inestimable cultural resource, attracting significant scholarly engagement from around the world, as well as donations from alumni and other benefactors.

Both Old and Laudian Libraries remained intact as part of the now Grade I listed Canterbury Quad, occupying the upper floors of its south and east ranges respectively, but over time, internal and external remodelling contrived to compromise the original architecture. Library resources were also dispersed to

Wright & Wright’s design approach balances historical and contemporary elements within an evolving architectural narrative. New and old combine to generate unexpected synergies and sensitively reanimate historic assemblages of buildings

Above left Works to Canterbury Quadrangle underway in July 2022

Left The completion of the decadelong redevelopment and conservation programme at St John’s College culminated with the Canterbury Quadrangle

Above Old Library represents a critical moment in architectural history as it was the first college library to be equipped with shelved bookcases or presses instead of low lecterns typically found in medieval libraries. Conservation work has been undertaken to conserve these rare 16th century bookcases

other sites and the northwards expansion of St John’s in the mid-20th century shifted the College’s centre of gravity away from Canterbury Quad, which became more a haunt of tourists than students. The College’s redevelopment programme was designed to address these disparities and plan for the future.

A 10-YEAR PROJECT

Unifying both the collection and the buildings that house it, Wright & Wright’s new Library and Study Centre opened in 2019. A state-of-the-art archive increases storage provision while a dramatic new reading room forms a tranquil enclave for study and contemplation. The new building is both an end in itself and a component in a larger formal and spatial sequence, creating an active connection between Canterbury Quad and the more modern parts of the College to the north, strengthening links between different eras.

Within Old and Laudian Libraries, Wright & Wright restated key elements, rationalised circulation, improved access

and upgraded study facilities. Readers’ desks were reconfigured to create more privacy and new, bespoke furniture added, together with improvements to lighting, fire protection and security. The pivotal space at the intersection of the two historic libraries was remodelled as an exhibition and display area with bespoke vitrines, and the enfilade of rooms on the ground floor of Old Library reinstated as teaching spaces. A beautifully detailed staircase of oak, bronze and stone connects the Laudian Library with a refashioned entrance area on the ground floor, which in turn links through to the new Study Centre.

The exemplary conservation of the historic spaces is the result of close and productive relationships with Historic England, the City Planning and Conservation officers, the College community and specialist conservators who, together with the Wright & Wright project team, questioned and challenged all decisions to ensure they would achieve the best possible outcomes. This team included stonework specialists Szerelmey, specialist joiners at Owlsworth IJP, and NBJ, as well as decorative arts conservators Cliveden Conservation.

Overall, the phased programme of work has taken around a decade, with the final chapter completed in September 2023, involving the conservation and restoration of Canterbury Quad. Here, the repair and replacement of its historic stonework presented very specific technical and aesthetic challenges within the wider context of St John’s 17th century architecture.

Designed to proclaim the unity of church and state, for which both Archbishop Laud and Charles I would pay with their lives, the Quad’s east and west fronts each comprise an arcade of round arches on Tuscan order columns, supporting an upper floor lit by Gothic windows. An elaborate frontispiece is framed by pairs

Above Wright & Wright oversaw a comprehensive programme of masonry repairs, including to parapets and mouldings, as well as the Quadrangle’s two ceremonial frontispieces and intricate decorative frieze

Enduring for centuries, slowly transforming with the patina of age, the use of stone at St John’s epitomises the edict of John Ruskin: ‘When we build, let us think that we build forever’

of Doric and Ionic columns, surmounted by curved pediments.

Following a comprehensive survey of the historic fabric, it was found that the Tuscan columns required replacing. Extensive technical analysis revealed that, over time, the 2.5 m high stone shafts had developed numerous fissures, some serious. The columns were carved from local Bletchingdon marble, but this proved unavailable as the original quarry had closed. Wright & Wright worked with a team of stone experts, including a petrologist, quarry consultant and stonemason, to source a suitable stone for the replacement columns, eventually alighting on Swaledale Fossil, a carboniferous limestone from a quarry near Barnard Castle in County Durham.

SET IN STONE

The design process involved extensive laboratory testing for resistance to compression, weathering and frost, to achieve the reassurances that would satisfy

Top left In the entrance to the new Library & Study Centre (2019), a rediscovered passageway from the 16th century was re-established to link the historic libraries with the new building.

the College, the City Conservation officers and Historic England. As it was for the 17th century master masons who first gave shape to Canterbury Quad, the quality of stone was a critical consideration.

“Our use of materials reflects an understanding of their inherent characteristics which informs the structure, function and meaning of our buildings,” says Wright & Wright founding partner and project lead, Sandy Wright. “We look at what materials can do, and we also embrace a culture of craft and making. How things are made influences our architectural response, and the creation of signature details captures and enhances the spirit of the place.”

Following testing, it was decided to cut the stone for the bases and capitals on-bed and the shafts off-bed. Even though the shaft stone was off-bed, it is far stronger, so will last much longer. Containing myriads of tiny fossils, the Swaledale limestone also polishes up to a supremely smooth finish. The intricate surface pattern of lustrous

Left The early 17th century Laudian Library was challenged by overenthusiastic Victorian restoration, cluttered and cramped. Inobtrusive adjustments to the layout, creation of additional study space, and reinstatement of the architectural authenticity of the space has realised an inviting space that maintains historic integrity

Above The east portico of the 1635 Canterbury Quadrangle. The colonnades supporting the cloisters and the stone paving have been replaced as part of a comprehensive programme of historic building conservation and repair

fossils animates the columns and enriches the architecture of the Quad, extending St John’s long tradition of skilled working in stone.

The language and historic significance of the site’s stonework also inspired a specially commissioned bas relief by contemporary artist Susanna Heron on the main external wall of the neighbouring Study Centre. Executed in panels of creamy Clipsham limestone, Heron’s design abstracts and transmutes the Baroque floridity of the Quad in a compelling modern language. Ornate,

“The completion of our 10-year-long programme of work marks the end of an extraordinary project, and the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the history of the College. St John’s has been a remarkable and far-sighted client – carefully balancing its responsibilities as custodians of historic buildings and spaces with a willingness to embrace contemporary architecture and a pioneering approach to environmental sustainability.”

organic motifs ripple across the stone panels, casting a changing constellation of shadows over the wall.

Enduring for centuries, slowly transforming with the patina of age, the use of stone at St John’s epitomises the edict of John Ruskin: “When we build, let us think that we build forever.” Combining old and new in a richly resonant dialogue, Wright & Wright’s restoration of Canterbury Quad represents the final phase in St John’s recent evolution, putting Archbishop Laud’s historic Quad back at the very heart of College life.

Sandy Wright, founding partner and project lead, Wright & Wright

Photo Dennis Gilbert; Wright & Wright Architects

A head for heights

Highlife Rope Access is a forward-thinking rope-access company specialising in heritage projects. Tessa Wild spoke to Director Alex Haslehurst about the varied nature of the firm’s work, his love of historic buildings and future plans

Tell us about Highlife Rope Access – what do you do and where do you work?

We are a heritage-specific rope access company, and undertake a wide range of repairs, surveys, maintenance and consultancy work on a broad range of structures from churches and castles to historic houses. We set up Highlife Rope Access in 2019 and there are three directors: me, Ben Silvestre and William Oates. We also have Steve Hogarth, 2022 SPAB Fellow, on our team. We’re based in Eryri [Snowdonia] in North Wales but work all over Wales, the North West, the Peak District and Somerset. In the past year, we’re pleased to say we have taken on interesting projects across the country after word-of-mouth recommendations.

How did you become specialists in rope access and building conservation?

Will, Ben and I all moved to North Wales independently to pursue rock climbing as a hobby and a potential job. If you want to live the rock-climber life and travel around the world and climb, then rope access is a very good way of being able to take on contract work and have the opportunity to climb in between contracts.

We all did this for a while and met on rope-access jobs. Together we have worked across diverse fields that use rope access, including on turbines, in civil engineering, on skyscrapers, industrial buildings, camera rigging, and the construction and heritage industries.

This experience opened our eyes to the versatility and potential of rope access, and we undertook a few jobs in the heritage

sector working for Colin Brooks of Skyline Abseil Access. Colin was a well-established rope-access conservator whom we knew through climbing. We essentially served an apprenticeship with him and learned a huge amount.

This culminated in us delivering the final phase of his project to conserve the two huge copper birds on the Royal Liver Building in Liverpool. We were fired up by the challenge and the complex, nuanced nature of the work and, as he was about to retire, Colin encouraged us to set up on our own and passed on a few contacts. Alongside this, I followed up various contacts I had at Cadw [the Welsh Government’s historic environment service] and our firm was launched.

When we first started working in this field, complicated rope-access techniques were our main interest, but we have all become passionate about heritage skills and different crafts.

This is now our primary interest and the exciting and challenging part of the job. We are all good problem solvers, relish a challenge and are so comfortable with ropes that it is second nature to us.

When we first started ... complicated rope access technologies were our main interest, but we have all become passionate about heritage skills and different crafts

Above Declan Cahill surveying the southwest tower on Swansea Castle

Our long-established heritage team provides afullrange of conservation engineering services covering the inspection, assessment and repair of historic structure and infrastructure of all periods.

With national coverage we can help you manage the special challenges presented by historic buildings and maximise opportunities for their future use. Our team includes chartered structural &civil engineers, conservation accredited building surveyors and members of the conservation accreditation register for engineers (CAR E) whichidentifies specialist engineers skilled in the appraisal and repair of historic structures and sites.

London 020 7700 666 6

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Your work is highly skilled and not without risks. What qualifications and training are essential for someone wanting to work in this field?

IRATA – the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association – provides training courses at three levels of operator, and Will, Ben and I are all at the highest level. We re-validate and re-do the assessment every three years. A thousand hours of work are required at each level to progress through the three stages and it is a rigorous training process with stringent safety standards. Safety is

paramount and the systems we use are so well considered that there would have to be serious user errors for us even to have a near miss. On any job, our role is to anticipate and mitigate any risks and we have active risk assessments as the work progresses.

On the heritage side, we have learned a lot on the jobs we have done and have invested in our own training in specialist craft skills. We have partnered with heritage building surveyors and engineers and learned a lot about building pathology and techniques from these collaborations too.

www.spab.org.uk

Left Alex installing a lead cap to St Rhuddlad’s Church, Anglesey, having removed the spire tip

Top William and Ben inspect the tower of Holy Trinity Church, Horwich, Greater Manchester

Above William at Raglan Castle, Monmouthshire

Your website details a range of impressive buildings you have worked on that will be familiar to many SPAB members. What buildings have particularly stood out for you?

The Royal Liver Building was the first time we appreciated that we could go from looking at the brief and specifications for a job to realising that we knew how best to implement this for the structure. We could see straight away the nuances and omissions and things that needed to be adapted to be functionally possible. We loved the complexities of the rigging and problemsolving aspects and found the

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Left The soon-to-be HLRA team on the Royal Liver Building with Skyline Abseil Access Ltd.

Below Alex installing a smokedetection system, Shrewsbury Cathedral

conservation work fascinating. It was also exhilarating to be up on the roof of such an iconic building.

In 2023, we worked on the spire of St Rhuddlad’s Church, Llanrhyddlad, Anglesey, Wales. The spire was in a precarious state and had slipped on its bed and needed to be made safe before the winter weather set in. Our brief was to investigate why it had slipped and work out how to dismantle the spire to a safe point, and then add a lead cap to protect the truncated base as a temporary repair until the complete conservation of the spire can be undertaken. We worked on this project with conservation engineer David Wiggins of Clach Conservation Engineering and, as always, it was a very positive collaboration. When we reached the top of the spire, we discovered there was a corroded ferrous disc in the bed where the movement occurred. Deconstructing a spire with such substantial masonry sections is no mean feat and this type of work is traditionally done with a full scaffold. We like a challenge though, and established that we could design a bespoke solution using a chain hoist to winch the stones from the top of the spire and gently lower them to the ground with a roped lowering system. In effect, we created a carefully controlled zip line along which the stones travelled. The church is quite close to the coast and by the time we were welding the lead cap in place in the late evening, we were being buffeted by onshore winds. We are really proud of the work we achieved and very glad to

We loved the complexities of the rigging and problemsolving aspects and found the conservation work fascinating

Photo Jess Hutchinson

have been able to do it so cost-efficiently and with minimum intervention to the fabric of the building. We look forward to being involved in the next phase and the repair and reinstatement of the top of the spire.

You cover a broad range of specialist areas from inspections to emergency repairs. Are there more aspects of building conservation you plan to add to your repertoire? Our biggest investment over the next few years is training and the development of additional and more in-depth skills. The great thing about heritage rope access is there is such a range of skills to embrace, and it is very satisfying. We are always up for learning something new, or – if it is

Above William and Ben on a church inspection

Right At Neath Abbey, South Wales for Cadw

outside our skill set – collaborating with another specialist professional who has those specific skills. This year, four members of our team are doing NVQ Level 3 – heritage leadwork course and heritage stonemasonry. We have particularly identified leadwork as an area for upskilling. We do leadwork already, but we are keen to become registered with the lead sheet trade association and move beyond repair work to more complex jobs on site. It is a constant round of investment and training.

Your work gives you a unique perspective and the opportunity to view generations of past craftsmanship up close… It is a novelty that never wears off and it brings a smile to your face when you connect with work that a former craftsperson has done particularly well or even badly, and it is fascinating to think yourself into their shoes. We are often in awe of the skills and tenacity of those who have gone before us, especially as they were working without ropes.

We are often in awe of the skills and tenacity of those who have gone before us, especially as they were working without ropes

What advice would you give to someone wishing to explore a career in rope-access conservation?

It’s an investment first and foremost and you need to take the time and have the right training to gain confidence and familiarity with ropes.

The most important thing is to have an aptitude for both aspects of the work – the detailed and rewarding conservation side and the ability to work at height with ease.

We are keen for more women to work with us in rope access as they are under-represented in this sector. Interestingly, women are more wellrepresented in rock climbing, and we have worked with many wonderful building conservators, so we hope they seize the opportunity to translate their skills over into the rope-access sector.

What’s next?

One of our major aims for this year is to raise awareness of where to use rope access well within heritage work. We are doing continuing professional development modules for various architectural practices to help them understand when and where to specify rope access, what we can do on ropes and the parameters within which we work.

Lots of people don’t know when the changeover is possible between scaffolding and rope access. We’re able to gain access very efficiently and with minimal intervention on site, often at a fraction of the cost of scaffolding. So, if rope access suits the nature of the work required, we are keen to be involved.

Inevitably there are areas where scaffolding is necessary, but we are being approached more and more about localised structural defects or

We can see many more opportunities for ropeaccess work and need to spread the word

water ingress issues, or specific weathering or similar issues, where we can tackle the work with surgical precision and without the additional substantial cost of scaffolding.

We can see many more opportunities for rope-access work and need to spread the word. We also have a hit list of buildings we dream of working on and this helps guide our business and keeps us motivated to develop our skills and contacts within the heritage industry. www.highliferopeaccess.com

Scotland’s Churches in Crisis: What are we doing, and what does the future hold?

Lucy Stewart, SPAB Scotland Officer, assesses the current situation and highlights the collaborative work being undertaken to offer informed and pragmatic solutions to church sales

CHURCH ATTENDANCE IS A RAPIDLY reducing activity, and nowhere more so in the UK than in Scotland. The numbers are stark – peak membership in 1957 was 1.32 million, this had fallen to 920,000 members in 1982 and just 270,300 members in 2023 – a rapid 70% decline in the last 40 years. Of those members, less than half

attend regular Sunday services and the average age is over 60.

This throws up many questions for the wider church and its place in society, but most pressingly for the buildings and property in its care: there are simply too many church buildings in Scotland for the number of attendees. Even before the

decline, there were many more church buildings than one might ordinarily expect due to the various splits in the established church. It is well known that the Church of Scotland needs to sell buildings. Indeed, this has been happening for decades at a low rate, but the scale of the sales proposed for the coming years is taking

Above William takes time to enjoy a view of the Lake District

Photo Lucy Stewart

Below Lundie Kirk, Angus, after being burnt out in 2022

Church. The future of the window is uncertain as plans for its removal to another local building are still to be determined

everyone by surprise. This isn’t a dozen a year anymore – it is around 100 per year, for four years. That’s two church sales per week. In comparison, at the height of the loss of country houses in 1955, one per week was lost to fire or demolition. It did not take long for architectural historians to realise the tragedy, and within 25 years, The Destruction of the Country House was a major V&A exhibition.

Already one newly sold church has been lost to fire, and many more risk falling into disrepair in this limbo period between owners, or while permissions may (or may not) be granted. This is a serious threat to the cultural heritage of Scotland, and the UK, as these buildings are often of

architectural importance or contain fittings of great repute. I sincerely hope we do not see a similar exposé in the 2050s about the ‘Loss of the Scottish Church in the 2020s’.

HOW CAN SPAB SCOTLAND HELP?

We need to start at the beginning – if churches are being closed because there are too many, then why are there too many? What happens to the remaining churches? What about the ones that no one wants to buy? Who looks after all the fittings and objects in the church? And how on earth can a community get enough money to buy their local church?

We wanted to help people understand

the origins of the problem, and identify some of the proposed solutions, and so the Scotland’s Churches lecture series was born. The five lectures were aimed at those who might have heard about the sales, but didn’t quite understand the reasons or implications, and who wanted a simple way to find more information. These have proved to be very popular and will be available again online until May 2024 to watch on demand.

The first lecture focused on the ‘History of Closure’, with Simon Green from Historic Environment Scotland (HES) giving an overview of the scale of church building in Scotland. Many splits and factions within the church have resulted

Already one newly sold church has been lost to fire, and many more risk falling into disrepair in this limbo period between owners, or whilst permissions may (or may not) be granted

Left For sale, St Marks Church, Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen

Below left In a new use: St Margaret’s Church, Braemar, hosts Classic FM’s 30th anniversary concert, 2022

COMMENT

I lead on the Places of Worship (POW) Project for Historic Environment Scotland (HES). The purpose of this project is to understand the expected scale and impact of closures and where possible to put in place supporting structures which reduce these negative impacts and maximise potential benefits as they transition to new uses. Key objectives of the project include ensuring HES’s responses strategically reflect the wider issues, working with existing organisations engaged in the issue to maximise a joined-up approach, and ensuring that relevant guidance for managing change in POWs is available and well signposted.

The Historic Environment Policy for Scotland acknowledges that change can be necessary for places and communities to thrive. For changes to individual buildings, the local authority is the decision maker, and HES will offer advice in some instances. We have guidance on the ‘Use and adaptation of Listed Buildings’ which gives specific advice on how adapting buildings to new uses can affect their cultural significance. The underpinning principle of this advice is that proposals that keep buildings in use, or bring them back into use, should be supported as long as they do the least possible harm. Where possible, HES will work with applicants through the pre-application process to identify ways to avoid or reduce impacts on cultural significance.

Craig Stanford is Strategic Heritage Project Officer, Historic Environment Scotland heritagepolicy@hes.scot

in each group building anew. The unusual instance of four mighty churches on one crossroads in Edinburgh, known locally as Holy Corner, is a case in point. It is understandable now why there is an excess of buildings when attendance has also declined.

In the second lecture, we heard from representatives of the Church of Scotland, about their ‘Vision for the Future’. This is for a slimmed-down Church with funds from sales going directly to the new congregation, thus potentially boosting the coffers for the repair and maintenance of remaining buildings. Their approach to repairs in future will be critical and we will be watching closely, offering

help where we can in the form of church maintenance training.

Historic Churches Scotland gave the third lecture and spoke about ‘Rescuing the Unloved’: the buildings the church no longer wants. These have gone from an uncertain future under Church ownership to being ‘super-loved’. They offered some wonderful and heartening success stories of buildings becoming focal points in the community with vibrant new uses.

The fourth lecture addressed the critical pre-sale moment which is a delicate point in the story of a church. Scotland’s Churches Trust have been working hard to develop systems for recording fittings, fixtures and other objects in the building before sale.

Below A window by Henry Holiday in the former Kilbarchan Parish

Photo First Photographics

Photo Historic Churches Scotland

Photo Moira Malcolm, Rainbow Glass Studio Ltd

A window by Henry Holiday in the former Kilbarchan church. The future of the window is uncertain as plans for its removal to another local building are still to be determined. Photo: Moira Malcolm, Rainbow Glass Studio Ltd

This is not as straightforward to arrange as one might hope and relies heavily on the goodwill and skill of volunteers.

‘Funding for Communities’ was our final talk, looking to the future and finding positives in a difficult situation.

COMMENT

In the autumn of 2021 Ailsa Macfarlane, CEO of Built Environment Forum Scotland, asked me to consider becoming the Chair of the newly established Places of Worship Forum (POWF). My connection with places of worship spans most of my career as my first heritage job was Churches Officer at the SPAB and I subsequently delivered the Faith in Maintenance project and set up the Maintenance Co-operatives Project.

As an Ayrshire lass, I’m also personally connected with Scottish ecclesiastical heritage and therefore it has been a privilege to support and champion the work of the POWF over the last couple of years. The Forum plays a vital role in responding strategically

The Heritage Trust Network has created a brilliant advice document for those thinking about taking on their local church, with guidance on fundraising, planning, and developing a strong community of people to support the process.

to the current challenge of church disposal; around 400 Church of Scotland churches are potentially going to be closed and sold in the next few years. POWF brings together policymakers, funders, charities working to preserve ecclesiastical heritage, civic bodies and community support organisations with the aim of trying to ensure the best outcomes for our historic places and their communities. One of our tasks is to offer guidance to those involved in the processes of sale and conversion; the recent conference for conservation officers is a fine example of the way that POWF is collaborating with the SPAB and others to collectively address a fast-moving situation.

Sara Crofts is Chair of Places of Worship Forum, a SPAB Guardian and 2003 SPAB Scholar

The series will continue later in 2024, with new lectures focusing on materials, repairs, maintenance and other practical considerations. Please join us for these online.

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE –CPD DAY IN GLASGOW

The point of sale is often the most vulnerable time in a building’s life. This is the moment that planning applications are submitted, demolitions proposed, new additions requested, knowledge lost and a new layer of paint gained. The first line of protection is the planning system, and it is apparent that planning departments in Scotland are woefully underprepared for the influx of church applications they are about to receive.

At SPAB Scotland, we are proactive and try to give a practical solution to a developing issue. Our joint event with the Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS) was specifically aimed at planners and conservation officers. We brought together speakers from all sides, members of the Places of Worship Forum (POWF) and specialists in stained glass and church fitments. The urgency of the situation was well articulated, and much concern was expressed about the potential for rapid decay of the fabric of the building in the

Above For sale, Kirkmabreck and Monigaff Church, Galloway

Photo James Crawford Photography

transition period between being ‘chosen for sale’ and being employed for a new use. Examples were cited of buildings being sold multiple times as successive planning permissions failed to be obtained. The most dramatic example of a building suffering damage during this process is Maybole Old Parish Church in Kilbarchan which was gutted by fire in 2015.

Our event was expertly chaired by Sara Crofts, 2003 SPAB Scholar and chair of POWF. Feedback was very positive, and this may become an annual event to update the wider heritage community on progress.

CHURCH WORKING PARTY –TIBBERMORE, PERTHSHIRE

So, what next? We’ve had the lectures, we know the background, we’ve got many of the right people in the same room –what now?

Something practical, of course! That is what we do best. We are organising a church Working Party at Tibbermore in summer 2024, jointly with the building owners, Historic Churches Scotland. We have had plenty of recent success with Working Parties, and so this year we are collaborating with an established church charity with a view to making this a positive experience for other community groups to visit and learn from. We hope to use this event as an exemplar for new owners of church buildings about how to undertake simple repairs and maintenance. We will have plenty of experts on hand, and lots of opportunities to mix mortar, try plastering, repair stonework and understand basic surveying techniques. The building has

COMMENT

For the past 20 years I have lived in Scotland where we need a body like the Churches Conservation Trust (the Scottish Historic Churches Trust is not supported by the Scottish Government) and we need a publiclyaccountable process for dealing with the treasures of art, history and religion coming out of churches which are being slated for closure by the Church of Scotland.

Encouragingly there are many

a rich history, being near the site of the Battle of Tippermuir in 1644. We will also have an open day, to share knowledge more widely and give participants the chance to discuss the work that has been undertaken. The future is uncertain for many of the 400 properties that are due to be sold, but we hope our efforts will go some way to ensuring prospective buyers are well prepared, and that they have the best chance of success in creating a new life for these precious heritage buildings.

organisations, largely voluntary, rooting for churches. I believe many closed churches will find cultural and practical uses which will enable them to survive as ‘landmark buildings’ and many will find new ways of serving their local communities.

However, I feel strongly that both the Scottish Government and the UK Government should pay much more attention to the preservation and conservation of churches than they do. Our churches embody so much of our archaeology, history, art and architecture. The Scottish Government

Resources:

Find our watch-on-demand lectures and book our upcoming events at www.spab. org.uk/whats-on

For ‘Your church, Your community’ guidance: https://dtascommunityownership.org. uk/resources/coss-publications/yourchurch-your-community

If you’d like to get involved with church recording in Scotland please contact Dr DJ Johnston-Smith at Scotland’s Churches Trust – director@ scotlandschurchestrust.org.uk

has too long ignored a report prepared for it by the short-lived Historic Environment Advisory Council for Scotland (HEACS). We should look to the Scandinavian countries for ways in which churches can be better served by their national and local communities.

Peter Burman is a former SPAB Guardian and holder of the Esher Award. He is a member of the Episcopal Church of Scotland’s Provincial Church Buildings Committee and Convener of the Scottish Steering Group of the UK-wide National Churches Trust

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Protecting the future preserving the past

Conservation at its finest: As CARE Conservation Accredited Engineers, we are impassioned about cherishing our shared heritage.

Comprehensiveheritage services: Whether it’s conservation design, structural appraisals, feasibility studies, adaptivereuse, or planning advice, our services ensure your heritage asset is protected, enhanced and celebrated.

Nationally recognised: Appointed to the Associate Model of the National Trust, our expertise stands distinguished.

Award-Winning excellence: We’re not just engineers, we’re multidisciplinary professionals celebrated with multiple awards including acoveted Civic Trust Award.

Proven track record: Our extensiveportfolio boasts projects spanning from personal residences. to intimate places of worship, commercial, city heritage, scheduled monuments, to museums and grand estate homes. Our work reflects our deep commitment to SPAB principles, quality,and sustainability

Above and left 2024 Working Party site, Tibbermore Church, Perth –interior and exterior in 2023

Waterloo House, 207 Waterloo Road, London SE1 8XD

SCAN ME

Photo Lucy Stewart

The changing fortunes of Bradenstoke Priory

Kevin Smith explores the rich history of the Priory and the village's Tudor houses

FOR CENTURIES, BRADENSTOKE WAS

on the main road from London to Bristol and was not bypassed until 1887. It is now a quiet village notable for its surviving historic buildings.

The Augustinian Priory was founded on 13 April 1142 by Walter FitzEdward, Earl of Salisbury, on a high ridge near a spring known as ‘Holy Well’ that still exists today. There is evidence that there may have been an earlier chapel on the site dating from the reign of Henry I. On his wife’s death, ‘Walter took the tonsure and wore the Habit’ of the canons. Taking ‘the tonsure’ meant that he partially shaved his head as a sign of religious devotion. Walter died in 1147 and was buried in the Priory by the choir. His religious example may have

inspired his granddaughter Ela, Countess of Salisbury, who became a nun and founded Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire, in 1229.

A PRIORY OF WEALTH

Between 1450 and its dissolution in 1539, Bradenstoke had considerable wealth because of its location on the ridge on the London to Bristol road. The Priory controlled the toll gates between Dauntsey and Bradenstoke and hired out teams of horses to merchants and travellers, to assist the long haul of wagons up Clack Hill. The income from the toll ensured the growing wealth of the Priory.

After the first wave of the dissolution of the monasteries, William Snowe, the Prior, wrote to Thomas Cromwell in November

Left and below Bradenstoke Priory in 1924

Above Nos 93 &94 Bradenstoke today

Above The Prior's Room

1536, thanking him for his great kindness in preserving the Priory, adding that: "The Convent and people of the neighbourhood were praying for him." With his letter, the Prior sent the yearly fee (it was recorded as 90 Shillings in 1532), and a 'poor present'. Less than three years later though, the Priory was supressed as a religious institution and surrendered to the King by William Snowe and his 13 canons on 17 January 1539. At the time, Bradenstoke enjoyed a yearly income of £270 10s 8d. The Prior received a life pension of £60 per year and was appointed Dean of the new cathedral in Bristol in 1542.

Although many parts of the Priory were subsequently plundered for building stone, a large range on the west side of the cloister survived. In The Natural History of Wiltshire,

the antiquary, John Aubrey, described the remnants of the Priory as 'very well built, with good strong ribs' noting too that ‘the very fundations [sic] of this fair church are now, 1666, digged up, where I saw severall freestone coffins... and severall capitalls and bases of handsome Gothique pillars. On the west end of the hall was the King’s lodgings, which they say were very noble, and standing about 1588 ’

In 1929, what remained of the Priory and its ancillary buildings were sold to an unknown buyer. There was a great deal of secrecy about the identity of the new owner and work began immediately on its demolition. By 1930, the Priory, the Prior’s lodging, the guest house and the tithe barn had been dismantled and transported to

St Donat’s Castle, Llantwit Major in Wales, which the newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hearst, had purchased in 1925. Hearst was the secret buyer, who acquired Bradenstoke Priory solely as a source of stone and historic features with which to embellish and extend his medieval castle. The 14th century double collar beam roof from the Priory became the roof of the newly created Bradenstoke Hall at St Donat’s and various other elements have been identified including a chimneypiece from the Prior’s lodging which is in the breakfast room. Hearst’s vision for aggrandising St Donat’s led to a spate of architectural salvage and re-purposing of medieval and later elements on a grand scale with elements taken, following purchase, from St Botolph’s church in Boston, Lincolnshire, and a Staffordshire manor house. The tithe barn was not re-

erected at St Donat’s as planned and was eventually sent to Hearst’s American home, Hearst Castle, San Simeon, California, where it remained in storage crates until it was sold to Alex Madonna in the 1960s.

As far as is known, the barn is still in the Madonna family’s ownership and in store in California.

Following this wholescale demolition, all that stands above ground today is the 14th century undercroft and a tower.

The current landowners, Mark and Vicki Thomas, have undertaken a significant conservation project to stabilise and repair the ruins and the site was removed from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register in 2020. Mr and Mrs Thomas provide access to the ruins of the Priory on the first Sunday of every month and tours are given by a knowledgeable local guide.

THE TUDOR HOUSES –NOS 92, 93 & 94 BRADENSTOKE

Although many parts of the Priory were subsequently plundered for building stone, a large range on the west side of the cloister survived

The three Tudor houses known locally as ‘the Medieval Houses’ are Grade II* listed. They were originally one significant ecclesiastical building that was probably a monastic guest house for pilgrims and monks from the west, travelling to Canterbury Cathedral and other religious sites in the east. The original two-storey building comprised of three rooms and cross passage with an attic space and is

Photo Kevin Smith

Conservation Protection

01993 833 155

thought to date from the early 16th century. Dendro-dating of the main beams has revealed the latest felling date of the timber to be 1525. The three rooms were the parlour, now in No 92, the hall, now in No 93 and the kitchen now in No 94. In the 16th century, it was converted into a house and was possibly used as an inn before being divided into three separate houses in the 18th century. Nos 93 and 94 are very little altered and retain much of their Tudor character. No 92 is in separate ownership and was extensively modernised in the 20th century. The façade of the house is jettied with close studding. The timber bressummer moulding runs the whole length of the original single building. There are mortices cut into either side of the front door which suggests there was once a much larger door and possibly a porch. The east end of the building – now No 94 – was found to be sinking in the 1960s, and a buttress was added at the southeast corner. The stone to build this came from a house opposite which had recently been demolished. In 1982, it was re-roofed, using surplus stone tiles from a medieval barn at the end of the village. Among the finds from the house and around the site are several crested ridge tiles, some of which retain remnants of a green glaze. The two sizes of thumb-pinched crests that have been re-discovered suggest the roof was originally stone with an ornamental decorated ridge.

16TH CENTURY LIVING

The hall of No 93 had a significant fireplace to heat its expanse which survives with a paved hearth and a small stone seat in the left-hand recess adjacent to the fire. The original timber lintel is of a low arch type supported by two stone double ogee moulded jambs. The initials R and B are found at either end of the decorative carving. In the 19th century, a pragmatic decision was made to introduce a small, functional hob grate which survives in the centre of the much wider open hearth. The stairs leading up to the first floor are a later addition and block off an earlier doorway leading into No 92. The room above was originally a single space that was later divided into two chambers. Striking 16th century wall paintings with geometric patterns and ecclesiastical symbols, were discovered hidden behind later panelling in the front chamber during conservation work. No 94, which housed the kitchen, retains

Top Small Tudor fireplace in No 93

Above Stairs leading up to the first floor and blocked door

Above right 17th century cockshead hinge on a blocked door

Right Tudor wall paintings on the first floor at No 93

PA YE.NET

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Hearst was the secret buyer, who acquired Bradenstoke Priory solely as a source of stone and historic features with which to embellish and extend his medieval castle

Left Large Tudor fireplace on the ground floor at No 94, 11'6 lintel dated 1553

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a massive stone fireplace. Its oak lintel is 3.5 m across and has several apotropaic protection marks scratched into it. This beam has been dated to a felling date of 1553. The fireplace runs the whole length of the room, and it is possible to stand up inside and look to the top of the chimney. On the exterior, the impressive stone chimney is often mistaken for the end wall of the house.

The first floor is again divided into two rooms. The room above the kitchen has a stone fireplace with a flat arch with a daisy wheel protection mark inscribed on the lefthand end of the lintel.

In the 1990s it was discovered that the houses were spreading out at the front, due to the excessive weight of the stone roof tiles that were introduced in 1982. The 19th century outshuts at the rear were supporting the back wall and the chimney stack braced the end wall, but the front was in dire need of stabilisation. Several organisations were consulted, including English Heritage and

All photos Kevin Smith

Below Large external chimney stack for the fireplace in No 94

Bottom left Small stone fire surround on the first floor at No 94 with daisy wheel apotropaic mark

the Wiltshire Historic Buildings Trust, alongside various specialist consultants. In 2007, a reinforced steel joist was installed in the attic, from front to rear, to provide bracing and to prevent any further spreading. Additional support was provided in the form of wooden blocks and steel bracing bars to the beam joints upstairs, and a buttress was built to support the end of the exterior bressummer beam at the southeast corner.

In 1966, Spencer Rutter bought Nos 93 and 94. He recognised their historic importance and chose to conserve and not alter the houses. Along with his sister Marilyn, he is in the process of establishing a charitable trust and the two houses will be left to the village. The Rutters have sensitively furnished the houses with period furniture and objects to give a sense of domestic life in Bradenstoke. They are currently open to visitors and tours are given by a group of dedicated volunteers.

Following wholescale demolition, all that stands above ground today is the 14th century undercroft and a tower... the site was removed from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register in 2020

Bradenstoke Priory and the SPAB

Alongside others, notably the Wiltshire Archaeological Society, we strongly opposed the demolition of the Priory and ancillary buildings at Bradenstoke from 1929–30. A R Powys, the then-Secretary, published letters in The Times in 1929 and 1930, decrying the wilful destruction of important historic buildings and raising awareness of the threat to our heritage. There are also letters in our archive from Powys to William Randolph Hearst, and from Miss Alice Head, Managing Director of the National Magazine Company Ltd in reply. Powys wrote asking to meet Hearst to ‘lay the views of the Society before you in person, in the hope that you will find our pleading for old buildings justified’. Head’s response on behalf of Hearst was not conciliatory. She wrote: 'Mr Hearst and I are quite aware of your views… you must

allow us to hold our own opinions. As soon as the Castle [St Donat’s] is finished we shall be delighted to entertain… the Society down there to praise or damn the work that has been done, just as they feel inclined.'

Bradenstoke Priory was a pivotal case for us and a poster campaign featuring photographs of Bradenstoke before and during demolition ran throughout the London Underground to ensure maximum coverage and garner support. The original slogan on the poster was ‘Bradenstoke, Wilts, before and during demolition for the sake of old materials’ but this had to be amended due to the threat of a lawsuit and the words ‘for the sake of old materials’ were pasted over on all the posters. Although demolition of Bradenstoke Priory went ahead, questions were raised in Parliament and our campaign to halt its destruction led to greater awareness and ultimately to better protection for historic buildings.

Above SPAB campaigning poster, displayed on the London Underground c1930

Photo SPAB

Traditional Brickwork: Construction, Repair and Maintenance

By Terrence Lee The Crowood Press

£18.99

In the true spirit of William Morris, this book should not only be on the shelves, but also in the hands of all members of the SPAB. It will be of great practical value to homeowners wishing to understand and repair their brick buildings, but it should also be on the syllabus in training colleges to enthuse and inform those wishing to go beyond modern volume building.

Over the last decade there have been several excellent technical handbooks on aspects of brick conservation and repair including Historic England’s Practical Building Conservation: Earth Brick and Terracotta (2015); Historic Environment Scotland’s Short Guide Scottish Traditional Brickwork (2014) and several works by Dr Gerard Lynch – the Red Mason – on the history and repair of gauged brickwork.

All the above and many other erudite historic volumes on this wonderful and versatile building material are primarily aimed at architectural historians, architects, surveyors and conservation officers. Lee’s book will reach another audience: those who are doing the work. Lee is a practising conservation bricklayer and experienced educator with both craft and academic qualifications, so his book is highly practical

A chapter on the characteristics of traditional brick is followed by a useful reminder of the knowledge and skills required for conservation, which is enhanced by a photographic gazetteer of the tools and equipment needed for the task

as well as informative. With excellent illustrations throughout the handy volume, Lee concentrates on handmade low-fired brick and lime mortars and does not venture into the realm of machine cut, high-fired bricks and Portland cement. The manufacture and use of brick to the end of the 18th century is described in sufficient detail to set the scene for the subsequent chapters.

A chapter on the characteristics of traditional brick is followed by a useful reminder of the knowledge and skills required for conservation, which is enhanced by a photographic gazetteer of the tools and equipment needed for the task.

A comprehensive description of the materials which might be used – ranging from differing aggregates to rabbit skin glue, and from hemp to hessian – and a clear survey of the types of lime follows in chapter six. A focus on assessment and defects of brickwork in the next two chapters shows Lee’s level of experience.

The hand of the craftsman comes to the fore in chapter nine with practical advice and an easy-to-follow guide on the construction and repair of traditional brickwork. Gauged brickwork arches are described in chapter 10, but for those with a particular interest, this specialism is covered in greater detail in Lynch’s works on gauged brickwork. The book concludes with helpful pointers for the continuing maintenance of brickwork and some troubleshooting tips if problems arise with the use of lime mortars. Working with lime is a skill that must be learnt by many brick practitioners and enthusiastic repairers alike.

Throughout the book, one is aware of Lee’s passion for his craft and the hope that others will follow his guidance of appropriate repair for our many wonderful brick structures in Britain.

HARRIET DEVLIN MBE IHBC

Architects

All photos Terrence Lee

Top Jointers for lime pointing

Left A pipe stem inside a handmade brick

Restoration

NOTES

The SPAB’s technical advice, publications and research are at the heart of its work to protect old buildings. Douglas Kent, SPAB Technical and Research Director, highlights our technical and related news

Spring2024 | SPAB | www.spab.org.uk Restor ing Great Br itish Ironwor k enquir y@toppandco.com •+44 (0)1347 833173 Please see our website forgalleries of our work and much more-www.toppandco.com ©The Tr ustees of the Natur al Histor yMuseum, London

Above

RAISING AWARENESS OF ROMAN CEMENT RENDER

CONTEXT

an old building is not of special interest, even if it

We are concerned about a lack of awareness of Roman cement, which is leading to its indiscriminate loss from rendered fa Ç ades where its retention should be the first consideration.

Our Technical and Research Committee is exploring how it might promote a better understanding of

www.spab.org.uk

Roman cement and its effective repair.

Photo Douglas Kent

however, advocates like-for-like repairs and a more nuanced approach.

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and south coasts of England. Roman cement products are typically pinkish brown to dark brown in colour. Although Roman cement is not readily obtainable today as a standalone product, it is possible to replicate the original material and carry out like-for-like repairs or new work.

HISTORIC USE

Roman cement was an important construction material during the

19th century and used more widely than generally realised. It was valued for its rapid set, water-resisting properties and exceptional bond. It was favoured where its attributes conferred benefits over lime, which was less expensive, or offered superior performance to the early Portland cements available. In addition to use for rendering faÇ ades and pointing masonry, it was also employed for engineering structures. Without it, the advancement of the Industrial

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Revolution would have been impeded.

For render, Roman cement was often lined out to resemble ashlar, with false mortar course lines incised into the plain surface and the whole then painted to appear as finely jointed masonry. The fast and strong set of Roman cement was also helpful for the imitation of rusticated stonework, where the edges of stones were cut back but the rest of each face left rough or projecting. Thicknesses and projections could be built up quickly,

Above A septarian nodule

Photo Jonny Garlick

which was not possible with earlier lime renders. For decorative finishes, the quick set of Roman cement enabled and assisted all moulding methods, particularly hand-modelling, cast work (using moulds) and run work (involving pushing a forming tool along wet render). The original surface finish was usually a paint with a colour selected to replicate the appearance of stone.

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Roman cement has stood the test of time as examples in sound condition from 200 years ago testify. Where paint is compatible with the render, which is usually the case with early coatings, the render is less likely to have deteriorated. Later paints and surface finishes, though, are sometimes impermeable and have trapped moisture, causing damage to, and loss of, render over the long term. Deterioration may also be due to excessive and continuous water ingress from inaccessible and defective rainwater fittings.

Where a surface finish is failing or some areas of render are suffering from severe water damage, it does not necessarily mean that all the Roman cement requires removing. Most of it may be perfectly sound. All defective paint, impermeable finishes, mould growth and dirt will need to be taken off though, to confirm the extent of sound and defective render and decorative work. Sometimes Portland cement has been applied as a skim coat over original Roman cement. In this instance, the later coat can be removed using a power tool (such as a Festool surface-restoration grinder) but only in experienced hands.

Localised areas of Roman cement may sometimes require patch repairs or replacement with matching material where damaged or missing. The composition of the existing render is established by taking samples for scientific analysis to assist the formulation of new mixes. There will be different mixes for each coat of render as well as run work and cast mouldings. The original material can be matched by combining an available natural cement product with a free lime constituent, such as pure or natural hydraulic lime.

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES

We have found that Roman cement renders are commonly being removed from faÇ ades under the misconception that all cement is detrimental or that they comprise damaging Portland cement. Roman cement renders are then being replaced at considerable expense with softer lime-based equivalents that are also often limewashed. Such measures are obliterating significant visual clues about the history of buildings and their style of construction.

We are keen to hear from practitioners who have either repaired or reinstated a Roman cement render. We have also undertaken trial burning of septaria at our Old House Project to gain an improved understanding of Roman cement production. The trial can be viewed on our short video,

The Old House Project: 2021, a year in review on our YouTube channel. We will be publishing a series of case studies indicating the range of options available for those working on buildings with Roman cement and, ultimately, further guidance on repair or renewal where this is required.

The views expressed on these pages should be seen as contributions to ongoing debates and we welcome comments. Please email any feedback on the technical issues covered to Douglas Kent at douglas.kent@ spab.org.uk.

To contact us about other technical matters, please call our free Technical Advice Line on weekday mornings between 9.30am and 12.30pm: 020 7456 0916. Thanks to Historic England for partfunding this service.

Above Roman cement used decoratively

Left A trial septaria burn at the SPAB’s Old House Project at Boxley in Kent

Photo Douglas Kent, with thanks to Barker Associates

Photo Jonny Garlick

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CONSERVING TRADITIONAL BUILDINGS

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Charing Palace, Charing, Kent

Claudia Suckling, buildings historian, former head of Building Projects for the Spitalfields Trust and CEO of the William Morris Society, highlights the historical beauty of Charing Palace

Nestled in the northeast corner of the medieval village of Charing in Kent lies Charing Palace, its high flint perimeter wall, mural cottages and gatehouse forming the north flank of a now tradeless marketplace. Formerly an important manor of the See of Canterbury, it was visited by both Henry VII and Henry VIII, and in an earlier incarnation an alleged favoured residence of Thomas à Becket. The Palace has bided its time since the dissolution as a farmhouse of gently diminishing status, each quiet step downwards reflected in its fabric.

The site is of national significance; a rare example of an almost entire archepiscopal manorial complex, developed between the late 13th to late 15th centuries. Extensive material evidence of pragmatic adaptation and reuse both before and since survives above and below ground. Yet despite these attributes it has teetered at the top of the Buildings at Risk register for decades. It is a Scheduled Monument within which most of the buildings are listed but plans for its repair repeatedly failed due to the complexity of the site, as recognised by the Society for many years (see SPAB Magazine, Autumn 2015).

HISTORY

The Palace is at once set apart from and forms the very hub of this largely medieval settlement: discrete, dignified, dishevelled but in every respect a delight. Proceeding through the two-centred arch beneath the flint and stone gatehouse one enters a large courtyard. This impressive entrance was created in the early 14th century by diverting the main thoroughfare, a former Roman road now submerged beneath

one’s feet, to enlarge the courtyard and build the gatehouse and a perimeter wall encircling close to 25 acres of grounds, which survive largely intact.

The north side of the courtyard is formed of the archbishop’s private apartments. The earliest standing fabric is the late 13th century ruins of a great chamber, inner chamber and chapel of flint with stone dressings and quoins. These wrap around the west and north side of early 14th century additions of similar materiality, which are topped by a disused late 15th century/early 16th century upper floor extension in diapered red brick. This upper storey is now only accessible through an external first floor doorway precariously reached by ladder, a solid-tread stair beyond that hazardous entrance suggests an earlier upper storey was once in place.

A pentice joins the lodgings to the high end of the former Great Hall of 1300–1340, which forms the eastern side of the

courtyard. Originally single span, and now with a high, double pitched tiled roof, it is unusually large indicating the former status of the site. A two-storey porch and the remains of a large tracery window face west onto the courtyard with a service block to the south. Within there remain carved corbels for roof trusses – one of which currently resides in a plastic bucket – the vestiges of the back of the archbishops’ throne at the high end and a mural passage at the low end. The courtyard is completed to the west by a lodgings block of similar date and materials to the hall. Trefoil lancet windows and remains of the garderobe are visible between stalls and mangers that betray its long-term use as stabling.

2024 AND BEYOND

Like a piece of much loved and well-worn clothing, the palace has gently subsided from ‘Sunday best’ to an oft-patched, much

Above Traces of its former status as guest lodgings survive in the stable block

Above inset A weathered door

The Palace is at once set apart from and forms the very hub of this largely medieval settlement: discrete, dignified, dishevelled but in every respect a delight

darned garment, softened and somehow made more beautiful by many alterations, rather than diminished by them. To lose this patina, this rare survival that wears its scars with such dignity and grace, would surely be a tragedy. It is to be hoped that any new use or rebuilding will be sensitive to this precious quality and will work to enhance rather than to obscure or destroy it.

Although bishops’ palaces remain throughout England, the church has divested itself of them steadily since the dissolution, with their component parts often dispersed into different ownership, decreasing the legibility of many of the sites. Charing represents an exceptional example of a largely intact and relatively untouched archbishops’ manorial complex, representing a unique opportunity to research and record the constituent elements to better reveal the way in which such manors functioned.

The Spitalfields Historic Buildings Trust purchased, rebuilt and sold the longruined gatehouse and one of the mural cottages between 2014–20, buying the remainder of the site in June 2023 with the assistance of an Architectural Heritage Fund loan. Thanks to a substantial grant from Historic England, urgent repair works to the Great Hall should be assured, stabilising one of the most vulnerable parts of the complex.

The Trust intends to spend 2024 devising a master plan for the entire complex, including the Great Hall, and it is on their good judgement and that of their advisers that these precious buildings must now depend.

Above The early 14th century hall, with large tracery window and Tudor stair turret

All photos Claudia Suckling

Above A late 18th century/early 19th century oast inserted into the Great Hall

Top The Bishop’s Lodgings and Great Hall seen from the courtyard

Above The former guest lodgings, now stables

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