SPAB Winter 2023

THE SPAB MAGAZINE WINTER 2023

A Living Medieval Legacy Vicars’ Close, Wells

FLADBURY MILL

Its history and generous bequest to the SPAB

HERITAGE ACTION ZONES

London partnership to enhance our high streets

BUILDING IN FOCUS Talhaiarn’s church St Michael’s, Tremain

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Rodney Melville + Partners CHARTERED ARCHITECTS HISTORIC BUILDING CONSULTANTS

Contents THE SPAB MAGAZINE

FEATURES

REGULARS

5 Welcome SPAB Director, Matthew Slocombe, on Clandon Park

38 The power of philanthropy The history of Fladbury Mill and its bequest to the SPAB

SIR JOHN SOANE’S MUSEUM

6 News and views The latest from the SPAB and the sector

MODEL ROOM

17 Scholars and Fellows Oz Osborne reflects on his experiences as a SPAB Fellow

Bruce Castle Museum

Building Conservation | New Design | Conservation Planning Contract Administration | Feasibility Studies | Disaster Management Materials Science | Sustainability | Funding Advice | Strategic Planning Leamington Spa | London | Bristol T 01926 881 311 www.rmpuk.com

A R C H I T E C T S

LLP

No 95 KINGSLAND ROAD LONDON E2 8AG TEL + 44 (0) 20 7729 5111

22 Member repair project

24 Courses and Events Booking online now

The revival of Manchester House

WWW.JULIANHARRAPARCHITECTS.CO.UK

69 Old House Handbook The perfect Christmas gift

47 London’s Heritage Action Zones

26 Casework

A partnership programme with LHBT, supporting the maintenance of the capital’s high streets

The Church of St Lawrence, Lechlade, Gloucestershire

72 Building in focus St Michael’s Church, Tremain, Cardigan, Wales

s hip b er m e m as A B st m e S P i s Chr i v i G th

Buy online at: www.spab.org.uk

THE PROPERTY LIST Visit the members’ area of the SPAB website to view our online property list.

VIS spab.org.uk

Architecture | Conservation | Award Winning Design Research and Analysis | Historic Building reports | Repairs Creative Reuse | Feasibility Studies | Options Appraisals Specialist Consents Advice | Historic Interiors CDM Advisor | Heritage Management

www.donaldinsallassociates.co.uk @insallarch

Winter 2023 | SPAB | www.spab.org.uk

32 Vicars’ Close, Wells 54 British Hydraulic Lime The most complete, continuously occupied medieval street in the UK

A medieval inheritance and a call for its reintroduction www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

IT OUR WEBS ITE

5 Consulting Structural Engineers Consulting Civil Engineers

Our long-established heritage team provides a full range 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 (CARE) which identifies specialist engineers skilled in the appraisal and repair of historic structures and sites.

London

020 7700 6666

design@conisbee.co.uk

Norwich

01603 628074

www.conisbee.co.uk

Cambridge 01223 656058

@conisbee_london

THE SPAB MAGAZINE

Welcome

W

hen I was young, I was fortunate to visit lots of old buildings. At the time it seemed like torture, but the effects slowly seeped in. In comparison, it was sobering to hear that many of the less advantaged young people involved in Historic England’s Rejuvenate pilot project had never had the opportunity to see beyond their immediate urban environment.

The project, led by Historic England’s Linda Monckton, Head Matthew Slocombe, Director of Wellbeing and Inclusion Strategy, and Mark Harrison, Head of Heritage Crime Strategy, has worked with groups of extremely marginalised The project’s encouraging young people including some message is that access within the criminal justice system, ignites interest and that offering them access to and work at archaeological sites. The project’s this interest fosters encouraging message is that wellbeing and social access ignites interest and that re-engagement this interest fosters wellbeing and social re-engagement.

As a young visitor, I expect I would have been briefly impressed – but then quickly bored – by the Marble Hall at the National Trust’s Clandon Park, Surrey. My attention might have been held longer if I’d been able to explore and understand the nuts and bolts of its construction. Tragically the Marble Hall is now largely gone, denying enthusiasts of classicism the chance to enjoy its ravishing detail. But despite the disaster, all is not lost. The perfectly proportioned space remains, as well as the chance to study its surviving detail and construction in a way not usually possible.

Fire-damaged Clandon Park has been much discussed in the press this year, with some stinging criticism of the National Trust’s planned approach to repair. The SPAB has argued strongly that the general approach adopted by the Trust is actually the right one for the house. This is not to say that we are unthinkingly supportive of the Trust; despite an association stretching back to its foundation, the SPAB challenged its restorationist approach to fire-damaged Uppark in 1989.

At Clandon we feel the Trust’s aims are better considered, with an appropriate range of responses to the varying degrees of damage within the house. Work will span conservation, reinstatement of lightly damaged areas, and new design to facilitate re-use in parts where damage was extensive.

Windows and the roof will be reinstated, but the Marble Hall will be conserved in its well-proportioned and beautifully fragmentary fire-damaged state. It will rise from the ashes – different but no less interesting.

www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

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 and Research Administrator Christina Emerson Head of Casework Joanne Needham Caseworker Rachel Broomfield Caseworker Elgan Jones Wales Caseworker 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 Officer Silvia McMenamin Mills Officer Lucy Stewart SPAB Scotland Officer Deirdre Keeley SPAB Ireland Officer EDITORIAL Tessa Wild Editor Matthew Slocombe, Rachel Stoplar, Douglas Kent Denise Burrows Sub-editor, Cabbells SPAB The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, 37 Spital Square, London, E1 6DY T. 020 7377 1644 E. info@spab.org.uk W. spab.org.uk @SPAB 1877 ISSN 2051-4239 A charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales.

Company no: 5743962 Charity no: 1113753 Scottish charity no: SC039244 Registered in Ireland: 20158736 Letters: letters@spab.org.uk

ADVERTISING Hall-McCartney Ltd, Heritage House, PO Box 21, Baldock, Hertfordshire, SG7 5AH 01462 896688 admin@hall-mccartney.co.uk Published and printed on behalf of the SPAB by CABBELLS Alban Row, 27-31 Verulam Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL3 4DG T. 01727 893 894 E. info@cabbells.co.uk W. www.cabbells.co.uk

ART DIRECTOR Peter Davies E. peter.davies@cplone.co.uk SENIOR DESIGNER Daniel Swainsbury E. daniel.swainsbury@cplone.co.uk Reproduction of content of this magazine in whole or in part is prohibited without prior written permission of the SPAB. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the SPAB or the publishers. Products and services advertised in this magazine are not necessarily endorsed by the SPAB. You should make your own enquiries into products and services and seek professional advice where appropriate. © SPAB 2023

When you have finished with this magazine please recycle it.

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7

NEWS

NEWS GUARDIANSHIP

Heritage Open Days at Kibworth Harcourt Post Mill

Photo Chi-Wei Clifford-Frith

We welcomed over 60 visitors to Kibworth Harcourt Post Mill for Heritage Open Days in early September.

Our friendly and knowledgeable local volunteers treated visitors to guided tours of the oldest windmill in Leicestershire. They learnt about the history of the site and saw the working mechanisms of the mill, historic graffiti dating from 1711 and burn marks and witch marks added to ward off evil spirits.

We were delighted to reach new visitors who hadn’t previously heard of the SPAB or its Mills Section. We were able to demonstrate the value of Kibworth in particular, mills in general and building conservation more broadly.

As one visitor put it: “I didn’t know much

Rory Young was an artist, craftsperson, conservation builder, dedicated supporter of the SPAB and a significant founder of the ‘lime revival’. He inspired a generation through his life and work.

Following Rory’s death in February 2023, surveyor Marianne Suhr, who is involved with the SPAB as a consultant course leader and James Howley are trying to preserve his Cirencester home by forming a Collective Guardianship. They are seeking private loans of £50,000 or more to be committed for a period of five years to raise £700,000 to cover the purchase of the house, workshop

about the mill beforehand and now I am really interested in it as something worth preserving.”

Huge thanks go to our team of local

volunteers in the village, led by Graham Watts. With their help, we look forward to opening the mill up to more visitors in the future.

Photo Max Varvill

Rory Young: Preserving his legacy

Above: The first floor sitting room and associated costs. All loans will be returned at the end of the five-year term and the house and workshop will be sold if a successful trust has not been found to acquire the property.

CAMPAIGNING

PROJECT

The Old Vicarage, Weech Road, Dawlish, Devon

National Trust members vote in favour of SPAB Approach to Clandon Park

Photo Heritage Council

Left to right: David McFerran, SPAB Ireland Committee, Deirdre Keeley, SPAB Ireland Officer, Katarina McNabb, mill owner, Dr Martina Moloney, Chairperson The Heritage Council, Virginia Teehan, CEO, The Heritage Council, being presented with their award at Gloster House, County Offaly

In October, SPAB Ireland won The Heritage Council’s Sustainable and Climate Award for their Working Party at Rothaí Mill in Cavan during Heritage Week 2023.

This year, the theme of Heritage Week was Living Heritage. The working party gave building professionals, craftspeople, students, homeowners and buildings enthusiasts the opportunity to learn more about traditional conservation skills through hands-on experience on site at the 200 year old water mill, miller’s cottage and kiln. The mill has two water wheels, each powered by a different water source, making it a unique feature in Ireland. The mill stopped operating over 50 years ago and fell into disrepair.

The site is now being conserved and repaired by its new owners.

The Sustainable and Climate Award

Winter 2023 | SPAB | www.spab.org.uk

recognises ‘an event or project that made a special effort to incorporate environmentally-friendly practices to reduce our carbon footprint and impact on the natural world or an event that provided education on the impact of climate change and good sustainability practice’.

Deirdre Keeley, SPAB Ireland Officer, said: “The owners of Rothaí Mill, Katarina and Christopher, have a fantastic approach to the conservation of both built heritage and biodiversity on this unique site. It was a real pleasure to host our working party there this year, with such enthusiastic hosts who are so supportive of the SPAB Approach, and we hope that the work which was carried out has proved to be of assistance to them in their conservation journey.”

Photo Jonny Garlick

AWARD

SPAB Ireland wins Sustainable and Climate Award at National Heritage Week Ceremony

Crucially, the Collective Guardianship scheme - which is independent of the SPAB - will keep the house intact while a longerterm solution is explored. Over the five-year duration, investors will be able to enjoy short stays in the house on a ‘timeshare’ basis.

Their intention is also to complete Rory’s Court of Memory project with the works being carried out through the training of craftspeople in his name.

If you would like further details about becoming part of his unique legacy, joining a timeshare with a difference or simply to offer support, please contact, Marianne Suhr and James Howley, at marianne@oldhouseconsultancy.co.uk and james@hhcarchitecture.ie

Alongside a concerted local campaign by the Vicarage Residents Group, we have been seeking to secure an Urgent Repairs Notice and a viable future for the Old Vicarage.

This Grade II listed building is formed of a late 17th/early 18th century range and an attached Victorian wing. The ground floor to the earlier range is built of stone; the upper floor of cob. The Victorian range is of stone construction. At the rear of the site is a detached building known as The Gig House (part stables, part carriage store), which is also constructed from cob and was originally thatched.

The condition of all these structures is very poor. In the past, there have been several applications proposing complete demolition or significant loss of historic fabric, two of which have been dismissed at appeal. Part of the site is now held by

the Crown Estates. Despite enforcement notices from the local authority, no works to protect the structures have been undertaken by the owner, resulting in the unnecessary loss of more historic fabric.

Rachel Broomfield, Casework Officer, said: “We have been raising the alarm about the Old Vicarage in Dawlish for several years. We recently wrote to Teignbridge District Council urging them to take action to prevent these important historic buildings from suffering further deterioration. We’ve also reiterated our offer of help in finding a solution for the future of these buildings. We would welcome the opportunity to work with the Council, the owner and the Crown Estates to find a way forward for this significant vernacular building for the benefit of the people of Dawlish.”

www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

At the National Trust AGM on 11 November, its members voted in favour of repairing rather than restoring Clandon Park – an approach we have advocated for and supported since a fire ravaged the building in 2015.

Clandon’s ornate Speakers’ Parlour survived remarkably well and will be repaired, but where the damage is more severe, surviving fabric will be conserved in its fire-damaged state. This is the SPAB Approach in action: telling the full story of the building, including the sad chapter of the fire.

With its layers peeled back, Clandon is revealing the secrets of how it was built, offering an unrivalled training opportunity for heritage professionals. We look forward to continuing our involvement with this fascinating project and discovering more about the building as repairs progress.

Photo National Trust

EVENT

9

NEWS PROJECT UPDATE

Old House Project: Winter 2023

The new stones will have a strong visual impact where they sit within the old wall, but they are honest additions, expertly carved

Photo Matthew Slocombe

Our Old House Project is rescuing and repairing a Grade II* building ‘at risk’, but it is the education and training, and the opportunity to demonstrate the SPAB Approach to building conservation, that give it added value for us. The skilful work carried out by the many craftspeople involved in the project so far has exemplified SPAB principles. That most recently undertaken by Owlsworth IJP and their subcontractors adds to the range of materials and techniques on show.

The project’s overall aim, in line with the SPAB Approach, has been to minimise loss of building fabric. Where necessary, St Andrew’s characterfully weathered stonework has been consolidated with mortar or tile repairs.

In a few areas though, where there has been greater structural need, our architect and 2002 Scholar Malcolm Fryer, working with engineer Ed Morton, has decided that a replacement stone is required. For this, new ragstone has been obtained from Gallagher’s nearby Hermitage Quarry – the one site in south east England still producing ragstone for building. It is a hard stone, known for being difficult to carve, but mason Jim Whitbread has produced beautiful work.

The new stones will have a strong visual impact where they sit within the old wall, but they are honest additions, expertly carved. When finally fixed, using the chalk-lime mortar we have burnt on site, they will be unmistakeable as new work but part of the structural whole.

Above The new lead hopper

www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

Minsden Chapel Ruins Hitchin

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NEWS Work has also occurred to the windows – in situ wherever possible – with wonderfully well-crafted repair carried out by Owlsworth IJP. Glazing is being undertaken by Robert Croudace, a local Kent-based specialist.

Owlsworth IJP has also resolved a problem in an area of the house that has suffered for decades, if not centuries. An awkward roof junction has previously caused water penetration problems in the north west corner of the building’s 15th century timber-framed section.

Evidence that the problem in this corner has been present over a long period is shown by the past replacement with a brick pier of a main timber post to the frame – probably around 100 years ago.

The junction has now been reworked with a lead hopper introduced to collect water from the valley. It should help the building’s roof and rainwater drainage system perform more satisfactorily in this area.

Specialist contractor for conservation and repair of historic buildings, period properties and heritage sites since 1984 Photos Matthew Slocombe

CONSERVING TRADITIONAL BUILDINGS operating in Hertfordshire, West Essex, North London

Above A newly carved ragstone

Above Detail of a window repair

Winter 2023 | SPAB | www.spab.org.uk

wwww.betweentime.uk.com 01920 877 822 info@betweentime.uk.com

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NEWS

TRAINING COURSE

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

In September we held a training course on the Routine Care and Maintenance of Places of Worship in Wales. This followed the launch of a series of five short Welsh language videos on church maintenance, and the success of similar training events held last year in north Wales.

The sold-out course was delivered in English and Welsh and was led by 1996 SPAB Scholar and architect James Innerdale, assisted by casework team members Christina Emerson and Elgan Jones. It was held at the beautiful Grade I listed St Crallo Church in Llandaff Diocese. The course was aimed at those directly involved in the maintenance of church and chapel buildings in a

Photos Christina Emerson

The Routine Care and Maintenance of Places of Worship in Wales

Above James Innerdale delivering one of the practical sessions voluntary capacity such as Parochial Church Council (PCC) members, Fabric Officers and members of Fabric Committees.

The course covered a wide range of maintenance topics including how traditional buildings are constructed,

how they work and can decay, and how to spot and tackle common problems.

Attendees also learnt how maintenance differs from repair and the value of carrying out regular checks and simple steps to keep buildings in good condition. A wide range of printed learning materials in both English and Welsh were available to take away, including The SPAB Approach.

A practical exercise in the afternoon gave attendees the chance to test their new knowledge by looking at the host building inside and out to identify maintenance issues and areas of vulnerability. The day also provided an opportunity for those attending to discuss with course tutors the challenges and experiences they had encountered in maintaining their own places of worship.

The course was well received with attendees commenting that it was “well worth the journey” and provided “a wealth of relevant leads”.

Hibbitt & Sons (Masonry) Ltd was established in 1890 We are one of the oldest and most trusted companies in Cambridge employing and directed by S.P.A.B fellows. Pride and quality is in everything we do.

Traditional stonemasonry skills passed down through nine generations in the craft, are combined with cutting edge technology to better enable us to carry on looking after the masonry fabrics of our historic buildings.

Covering Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Bedfordshire, Lincolnshire, Rutland, North & East London

Above The beautiful St Crallo Church who kindly hosted the course

Winter 2023 | SPAB | www.spab.org.uk

The course was aimed at those directly involved in the maintenance of church and chapel buildings in a voluntary capacity

Hibbitt Masonry, 126-128 Victoria Road, Cambridge CB4 3DZ Tel:- 01223 354556 info@hibbittmasonry.co.uk | www.hibbittmasonry.co.uk

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NEWS A PASSION FOR HERITAGE Sally Strachey Historic Conservation Ltd

Coping with the impact of the winter weather

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

Regular checks and maintenance tasks can make a huge difference to a building’s condition, lifespan and energy efficiency.

When carrying out maintenance checks this winter, make sure to wear protective gloves, and if you’re climbing ladders or accessing high places have someone with you.

As the cold weather sets in, here are some steps to protect an old building against winter conditions.

Photo Madeleine Clark

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

SEASONAL MAINTENANCE

HOW CAN I REDUCE FROST AND SNOW DAMAGE TO A BUILDING? Remove moss from roofs and keep rainwater fittings clear. If your property has valley gutters, clear them of snow to prevent melt water rising above them and causing dampness internally.

Ensure that when paths and roads are gritted, the salt does not spread onto the bottoms of walls. Salt contamination can significantly hasten the decay of mortar joints, brick and stone.

If possible, dry windows in the morning where overnight condensation has formed to prevent moisture damage to paintwork and timber or metal frames.

HOW DO I PROTECT HEATING AND WATER PIPES FROM FROST? Avoid localised flooding from pipe or tank bursts by insulating pipes, especially outside and in unheated areas.

When a building is unoccupied for a few days, programme the heating to run continuously at a low level (about 5ºC). Additionally, open the loft hatch fully to keep the roof space above freezing point.

Check stop valves periodically for ease

of operation in case of an emergency and consider installing a pipe leak detector with an automatic shut-off.

Thaw frozen pipes gently using warm clothes or a hot-air gun (not a blowtorch).

NEED MORE INFORMATION? Search our online resources spab.org. uk/advice or call our free helpline on weekday mornings 020 7456 0916, which is generously supported by Historic England.

EVENT

Photos Marianne Suhr

New dates for historic windows conference

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. www.facebook.com/sshconservation www.twitter.com/sshconservation www.instagram.com/sshconservation

T+44 (0)1458 832441 office@sshconservation.co.uk www.sshconservation.co.uk

Balancing the needs of heritage conservation and climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing the sector today.

The SPAB is therefore pleased to support Through the Looking Glass: A Future for Historic Windows. This

two-day conference will focus on the history, repair and retrofit of historic windows and the design of new joinery and glazing for older buildings. This event will be of special interest to all those working in the heritage, conservation and retrofit sectors.

www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

There will be over 25 presentations by experts in the field, practical demonstrations, and a guided walk around Cirencester to see historic windows in situ. The conference, previously announced in the Spring 2023 edition of the SPAB Magazine, has been re-scheduled for 27–28 June 2024 and will take place at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester. Tickets are from £295, and a limited number of bursary places are available. www.tickettailor.com/events/ subopheventsltd/873461

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NEWS FELLOWS

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: the SPAB Fellowship I now realise though that I had not previously truly understood elements of the historic context of all the work that I have undertaken. My experience as a Fellow has changed all that and I can now draw on a much deeper knowledge of the techniques, materials and philosophies involved.

In 2021, I took a leap into the world of self-employment, moving from a large conservation company in London to Shrewsbury, where I set up my own blacksmith conservation workshop, Z Forge. I started with small objects that needed conserving like the local church

gate. This quickly grew to include larger architectural conservation projects.

Working on church doors, metal windows and recreating missing details like tricky angled handrails has enabled me to use my craft to expand my skills and my desire to make a greater contribution to architectural conservation.

I decided to apply for the Fellowship so that I could develop my knowledge and experience to further my practice. I can tell you now that the Fellowship is quite the journey. I knew it would be impactful and rewarding but I have learnt more

Photos Daniel Cheetham

Oz Osborne, one of the four 2023 Fellows, reflects on the invaluable insight and experience he has gained from the SPAB Fellowship.

I am a conservation blacksmith and one of this year’s Fellows. I began smithing 16 years ago and completed my BA in Artist Blacksmithing and my MA in Contemporary Crafts at Hereford College of Arts. For the last 10 years, I have been increasingly involved in the conservation world and have been very lucky to have worked on some amazing conservation projects in some wonderful places.

Above At Holy Well Glass, Wells

Above Stone carving at Salisbury Cathedral

www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

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NEWS

Fine Conservation & Historic Building Consultancy

Photo Daniel Cheetham

Photo Daniel Cheetham

than I could have imagined over the last few months.

Since March, the Fellows have driven the length and breadth of the country, from the beautiful Isle of Wight to glorious sunny Scotland and everywhere in between. We have visited and been welcomed by so many different craftspeople and practitioners, from thatchers, stonemasons and carpenters to stained glass makers, architects and engineers. With each new site visit, I’m amazed by the kindness and generosity of the SPAB community. Their willingness to take time out of their busy schedules to teach us their craft and share their personal experience is invaluable. You could never learn all this from a book or an internet search.

There is also information I’ve gleaned that I never thought I would use as a blacksmith. Yet here I am, months later, having discussions with like-minded people about bricks and lime and, crucially, what type of sand will be going into the mix. I can honestly say I’ve loved every minute of the Fellowship.

In November, I started the third block of the Fellowship. This is tailored to my area of expertise as a conservation blacksmith. Without necessarily realising it previously, I am now aware that I am always around brick and stone, whether that’s conserving metal work that is fixed to stone on a historic building or something much smaller. I am re-visiting stonemasons, blacksmiths, bricklayers and architects with the aim of gaining further in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience in these areas.

It will be sad going back to normal

Photo Oz Osborne

With each new site visit, I’m amazed by the kindness and generosity of the SPAB community. Their willingness to take time out of their busy schedules to teach us their craft and share their personal experience is invaluable

Top Fellows and friends at Oz’s wedding

everyday life and the end of this epic UK conservation adventure, but it will also be exciting to put my newfound knowledge into practice. I’m very proud to be part of this diverse and committed heritage community and very grateful for the opportunities the Fellowship has given me.

Winter 2023 | SPAB | www.spab.org.uk

Above Brick rubbing at Hampton Court Palace with Emma Simpson Left At Holy Well Glass, Wells

www.hirst-conservation.com 01529 497449 enquiries@hirst-conservation.com @HConservation

surveys & consultancy • environmental monitoring • paint research conservation of fine art  painted & applied decoration  stonework analysis • fine art • wall paintings • painted and applied decoration historic plaster  wall paintings  monuments & memorials Stone • plaster • monuments • memorials • mosaics • timber mosaics  architectural paint research  surveys & consultancy

Courses and Events

Training to be a

PROFESSIONAL

LIME PLASTERER

The route to working in general construction is fairly prescriptive with a range of recognised qualifications on offer as well as apprentiships. But getting started in Heritage construction is still difficult and often costly.

Each year between September and December we welcome up to 8 eager students through our doors to start their carers as Heritage Plasterers.

For many it’s a much-needed career change, for others it’s an opportunity to add to their skill set. What they all share is a passion for traditional buildings and the desire to learn the practical skills to maintain them professionally.

During the four month programme students undertake extensive practical training, looking at different mixes, substrates, aggregates and finishes.

Each week they take part in a theory session in which they look at traditional construction and current thinking as well as the business skills they will need to work as a plasterer.

All this training culminates in a live job, with a real client and real timescales.

Applications for 2024 students will open in Spring and will include a number of funded places.

Funding available

If you are interested in applying for next years programme contact Kate at info@carringtonlime.co.uk

upcoming short courses Lime Plastering - 6th - 9th Feb FULL COURSE Lime Plastering - 24th - 25th Jan PART 1 22nd - 23rd Feb Lime Plastering - 28th - 29th Feb PART 2 Lime Pointing -

31st Jan

Understanding Damp

Spring

find your local lime plasterer It can be difficult to find tradespeople who you can be sure have the appropriate knowledge and skills to work on your traditional home. Many of our professional students now have their own businesses and we are proud to be able to recommend them to homeowners.

To find additional contacts, head to the Trade Contacts page on our website.

Visit: carringtonlime.co.uk/trade-contacts

Lime Plasterer passionate about heritage and contemporary properties covering the Cotswolds, Bath and Wiltshire area.

CONTACT JOHN 07709 266 325 info@crescentlime.com crescentlime.com

Lime plastering, rendering, pointing and an extensive range of decorative services.

Covering Bristol, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Monmouthshire.

Lime Plasterer covering Gloucestershire and surrounding areas.

CONTACT MARCUS

limerenovations.com limerenovations@gmail.com

CONTACT CHRIS

07946 735 168 royalldecoration.co.uk

Traditional lime plaster specialists based in Surrey.

Lime Plasterer currently studying on the Princes Foundation Building Craft Programme. Covers Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

CONTACT KATIE & SIMON

CONTACT KAREN

07311 300 979 info@heritagerestorers.co.uk

kasheritagelime@hotmail.com

07759 836 460

Lime Plasterer covering Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.

CONTACT SARAH 07453 745 555 sarah@sarahsarah.co.uk sarahsarah.co.uk

carringtonlime.co.uk | info@carringtonlime.co.uk | 01452 762 029

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23

MEMBER REPAIR PROJECT

MEMBER REPAIR PROJECT

When I acquired the house, I knew I would have to do something with the façade as I could not live in a property with ill-fitting plastic windows let alone the unfortunate door! produced plans and obtained planning consent to repair the shop front, including lime rendering the walls.

Colin Lewis Joinery, whose workshop is in Talgarth, made the replacement wooden windows and door and the work to install them and carry out the rerendering and painting was organised by local builder Elwyn Jones.

All photos Virginia Brown

Above The gloss-painted staircase

IN 2018, I BOUGHT MANCHESTER House in Talgarth and quickly realised that there were several issues I would need to address to remedy harmful changes and make it a comfortable home.

I had previously lived in rural Wales and in Devon, and had repaired houses before. This lifetime of experience has stood me in good stead with Manchester House, enabling me to envisage what it could be returned to with a thoughtful and considered approach.

I enjoyed researching the history of the building and its neighbours and trying to piece together the incremental development of the High Street. The house is within a conservation area and is included in the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority Local List for Brecon and Talgarth as a building which contributes to the local significance of the town.

Today, Talgarth is a small town in mid-Wales with a scattering of shops. By contrast, before World War I there were more than 80 shops and businesses.

In 1921, Daniel Davies, a draper and outfitter, sold Manchester House to Daniel Jenkins, who also had the same occupation, for £700. Many towns in the UK have a Manchester House as it is a common name for shops that acquired wares from Manchester, the centre of the cotton industry in the 19th century.

Above The main elevation with new timber windows and reinstated render

The revival of Manchester House Virginia Brown recounts the story of recent work to her home to remedy problems sympathetically

THE PROJECT BEGINS It is a fascinating property, part of a terrace in the High Street, and was originally connected to the adjacent dwelling to its right, which was formerly Winter 2023 | SPAB | www.spab.org.uk

a shop and Post Office. Doors on the ground and first floors between the two houses are now blocked and I don’t know when the separation occurred.

I think the property on the other side was originally several outbuildings which were converted to a dwelling.

More building on either side has filled in the terrace but I believe Manchester House and the properties to either side originally stood alone. My research is ongoing and there is more to be discovered about the history and development of the buildings.

When I acquired the house, I knew I would have to do something with the faÇade as I could not live in a property with ill-fitting plastic windows let alone the unfortunate door! The exposed stonework on the street elevation had originally been rendered but at some point this had been removed leading to internal dampness. I felt I had to tackle this as a matter of urgency.

Graham Frecknall, of Graham Frecknall Architecture and Design,

Top Under scaffolding during reinstatement works Middle The delivery of the ground floor window frames Above Part-way through the project Left The house when I acquired it with its unsympathetic windows and lack of render www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

FUTURE PLANS IN THE PIPELINE The work was completed in 2020 and was a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding experience. Elwyn Jones erected a floor-to-ceiling barrier on the ground floor to contain dust as I carried on living in the property while work was underway. I was delighted that all the craftspeople were based locally and that all the lime products and breathable paint came from Ty-Mawr Lime Ltd in Brecon.

I have a limited budget and am saving to have the staircase repaired, including the removal of gloss paint from the handrail. Poor Manchester House has in the past been subject to work not in line with the SPAB Approach and I am aware that more could be done to reveal the original fabric, including uncovering the original lime-plastered walls hidden behind later dry lining. There was also another staircase in the back of the property that was removed by my predecessors 10 years ago.

I hope that I will have the opportunity to reveal more in the future. In the meantime, as I approach my 80th year I am delighted to have been able to give Manchester House back its dignified street elevation and to have remedied past alterations so that it is once again a lovely place in which to live.

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COURSES & EVENTS Check the What’s On section of our website and sign up to our e-newsletter to get all the latest events straight to your inbox. www.spab.org.uk/whatson

Plain Lime Plastering course participant

Old House Project Pay-to-View Talks ONLINE TALK Price: £5 per talk Photo Phaedra Howard

Repair course delegate on site visit

St Peter-on-the-Wall photographed by previous workshop participant

Photographing Old Buildings Photo Ralph Hodgson

ONLINE WORKSHOP Date: April – June 2024 Price: £110

The Repair of Old Buildings IN-PERSON COURSE Date: 20 – 24 May 2024 Venue: Museum of the Home, London Price: £895 Join us for a thought-provoking week exploring British and international approaches to the conservation of old buildings. With lectures on everything from vernacular architecture to timber repairs, you’ll gain an in-depth knowledge

of the SPAB’s philosophy of repair and maintenance. You’ll also see how this approach is put into practice or not through case studies and visits to live building repair projects.

Whether you’re considering a career in building conservation or looking to deepen your professional knowledge, you’ll come away with a better understanding of the repair, maintenance and conservation of traditional buildings, and with 40 RIBA and IHBC-accredited CPD hours under your belt.

Winter 2023 | SPAB | www.spab.org.uk

This practical course is perfect for both professional plasterers and homeowners or tenants of old buildings. Over two days, you’ll cover the mixing and application of lime plaster to lath, masonry and modern substrates, including pricking up and base coats, float coats and setting coats. You’ll also get a brief introduction to running a cornice in situ. The tutors are knowledgeable lime plasterers with decades of onsite experience.

Whether you photograph old buildings for work or as a hobby, join us on this always-popular four-step course with experienced professional photographer Ralph Hodgson. Receive guidance on techniques and composition to develop your appreciation of the space and light of old buildings and to boost your confidence in photographing their textures, details and features. Spaces on this workshop are limited to allow for small group discussion. You’ll need some familiarity with DSLRs or mirrorless cameras and a few photography basics.

Certificates of attendance for CPD purposes are available on request.

Watch the recordings of this year’s online talks about our Old House Project – the former St Andrew’s Chapel, a Grade II* building at risk in Kent, which stood empty for 50 years. When we bought the building in November 2018 it was hidden behind an overgrown garden, vandalism had left the site vulnerable and parts of the roof were leaking.

An Introduction to the Old House Project This talk introduces the fascinating history of the former chapel – which once housed a relic of St Andrew, was owned by Tudor poet Thomas Wyatt and acted as a local post office in the 20th century.

Find out why we bought this ‘sleeping beauty’ to embark on a repair project greater than we had ever worked on before.

Director, Matthew Slocombe, and Special Operations Manager, Jonny Garlick, talk about the steps involved in getting the project off the ground, describe the early remedies required to secure the medieval building and reveal some of the site’s longforgotten secrets.

work undertaken at St Andrew’s Chapel from 2019 to 2022, starting with a series of small test pits dug around the perimeter of the building. Graham explains how early finds have fed into our interpretation of the building’s history and its connection to nearby Boxley Abbey.

Photo Daniel Bridge

Join us for an introduction to the care and maintenance of period properties, ideal for homeowners and tenants of old buildings.

This modular, self-paced online course features six pre-recorded presentations and a live Q&A session. It introduces the SPAB conservation approach and offers guidance on how best to tackle common problems and maintain the character and value of your home.

Expect practical advice on maintenance, dealing with dampness and improving the energy efficiency of your old building.

Presentations include a beginner’s guide to lime, explaining its use in the construction and repair of old buildings. We will also help demystify the legal framework that building owners and custodians need to be aware of when carrying out work to their property and will offer advice on working with professionals and local authorities.

If you live in or look after a period property, or are a professional who needs to brief their clients on understanding their old building, this course is ideal for you. Certificates of attendance for CPD purposes are available on request.

Research, Repairs and Restrictions at the Old House Project This talk highlights how we made progress on the project during the height of the Covid pandemic and overcame other early problems and restrictions. Director, Matthew Slocombe, and Special Operations Manager, Jonny Garlick, discuss our

approach to tackling vital roof and chimney repairs to this unique building, as well as the structural stabilisation of the west wall.

They also introduce the research applied by the project team to better understand local lime used in early repairs to the site.

Photo Daniel Bridge

ONLINE COURSE Date: February – March 2024 Price: £95 early bird special until 14 January 2024, then £115

IN-PERSON COURSE Date: 26 – 27 April 2024 Venue: Heritage & Rural Skills Centre (National Trust), Coleshill Home Farm Price: £499

Photo Rachel Stoplar

Understanding Your Old Building Course

An Introduction to Plain Lime Plastering

Archaeology at the Old House Project Presented by archaeologist Graham Keevill, this talk introduces the archaeological

www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

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CASEWORK CAMPAIGNING

CASEWORK CAMPAIGNING

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CASEWORK CAMPAIGNING

Exterior view of St Lawrence Church, Gloucestershire

Photo Michael Garlick

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.

Above Interior view of the nave in St Lawrence Church, Lechlade

CHURCH OF ST LAWRENCE, MARKET PLACE, LECHLADE, GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Photo Philip Pankhurst

Rachel Broomfield

Winter 2023 | SPAB | www.spab.org.uk

We first became involved with the striking Grade I listed church of St Lawrence in September 2021 when we were asked to comment on pre-application proposals for re-ordering, including external works.

St Lawrence was completely rebuilt in the 15th century but has later additions such as the 16th century North Porch. It was partially re-ordered in 1828 by Richard Pace, and extensively re-ordered by Frederick Sandham Waller in 1882. His almost complete Victorian interior is now considered to be of great significance and provides the overwhelming character of the church’s interior. In casework, we normally defer to The Victorian Society on proposals affecting Victorian interiors; however, we were so concerned by the potential harmful impact of these proposals on the church that we took the decision to comment on this occasion.

The proposed scheme is for an extensive re-ordering and while we agreed that the church would benefit from accessible toilets, improved kitchen facilities and some additional flexible space, we had strong reservations over the way in which these were be accommodated. The proposals would result in the removal of much of the Waller work, including the pews and floor (to install underfloor heating), and repositioning of the rood screen, effectively obliterating the Victorian phase of the church’s history and returning parts of the building to their assumed pre-1880 appearance. In our view, this would have a highly damaging impact on the church’s interior and would

require exceptionally robust justification.

Our initial comments were comprehensive and encouraged the parish towards a less harmful scheme. There are alternative ways to achieve a more sensitive re-ordering and we asked that these be explored, including the possibility of making better use of an adjacent cottage which the parish owns. This option could potentially lessen the impact on the church by providing some meeting spaces and toilets.

Apart from the removal of significant parts of the Waller scheme, we were particularly concerned by the proposed large, glazed gallery at the west end of the church, under which would sit a kitchen, toilets and meeting rooms. It was not clear why so much additional space was necessary and we were not convinced that there was a justifiable need. The church previously had a gallery, removed in 1882, so we suggested a smaller one might be acceptable, but the scale would need to be significantly reduced.

The external proposals were less extensive but included new air source heat pumps positioned very visibly by the tower, reinstating the north porch as the main entrance, the removal of the Georgian porch gates, alterations to the cobbled path, moving a stained-glass window, a new access ramp and poorly designed storage sheds in a highly visible location.

We were re-consulted by the Diocesan Advisory Committee in May 2023 and shortly after by the local authority. Very few changes had been made to the proposed interior, so our objections remained. However, in September the Council received amended drawings showing revisions to the external proposals. We have welcomed these changes but advised that there remain a number of issues still to be addressed.

We continue to offer our assistance and support in the hope that a more appropriate and less harmful solution can be found.

www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

CASEWORK CAMPAIGNING

Photo www.beenthere-donethat.org.uk

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Above 5-6 Market Place, Whitby, is the cream rendered building on the right of this image

5-6 MARKET PLACE, WHITBY, NORTH YORKSHIRE Jo Needham

Dormer windows (such as those to the properties in the lefthand side of the image above) are not an uncommon detail in the north east of England. They can be seen ‘peppering’ many of the distinctive rooflines of the beautiful villages and towns in these areas. Given their established place in the vernacular of these regions, why then might we feel unable to support a proposal for a new dormer (and balcony) to a listed building in Whitby’s historic marketplace?

Our response was informed by three key factors: a lack of sufficient information to fully understand the significance of the building and the potential impact of the proposals; that the proposals would result in harm; and that there was no clear and convincing justification for that harm.

Though a Heritage Statement had been provided, this did not include sufficient analysis of the age and significance of the fabric affected and the external form and appearance of the building. Similarly, no structural report or analysis was provided. It was therefore not possible to understand the extent, nature and consequences of past alterations to the roof structure which were alluded to in the Heritage Statement.

Crucially, it was also difficult to assess the potential further consequences of the proposed roof works required to create the proposed dormer and balcony, including the truncation and removal of additional roof members.

In addition to our concerns regarding the potential impact on the building’s structure, we considered that the proposed dormer and balcony would look incongruous both on the building and in the wider context of the marketplace. While we recognise that dormers are part of the vernacular in Whitby and the surrounding areas, in our view the proposed addition would look awkward and uncomfortable due to its size, design, position, materials and the form and appearance of the host building, and would detract greatly from the building, surrounding heritage assets and the conservation area.

We also advised the local authority that no clear and convincing justification had been provided for the harm that would result from the proposals. Though it was stated in the application that ‘the proposals seek to create a more economically viable use for the building by improving the attractiveness of the Asset for habitation’, no additional information was given to support this argument in terms of the existing accommodation’s provision, layout and condition, or the occupation and marketing histories of the building.

We therefore registered an objection to the application and suggested that the applicant consider withdrawing it and engaging with the Council’s Conservation Officer to seek advice on any potential works and how to bring the upper floors of the building back into use. We also detailed what information would be required to support a similar proposal were one to be forthcoming again in the future. If the current application is not withdrawn, however, and remains unaltered and without clear and convincing justification, we advised the local planning authority that it should be refused.

www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

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CASEWORK CAMPAIGNING

PARK FARM BARN, SEVENOAKS Christina Emerson

This interesting case is a good illustration of how approaches to insulation can vary and how a simpler solution can be the best one for the building.

Park Farm House is a 17th century, Grade II listed building with an adjacent barn of a similar date that is of sufficient interest to be separately listed Grade II. The weather-boarded barn has five bays and a high-pitched tiled roof which extends to a catslide over an aisle to the west. Internally, the original timber framing with its arch-braced tie beams is largely extant.

We recently considered a proposal to convert the barn and adjacent later stable range to residential accommodation.

While the approach, steered by helpful guidance from the local authority Conservation Officer, was generally sympathetic, we were concerned that the proposals for insulation did not represent conservation best practice and might have a detrimental impact both visually and on historic fabric. After consultation with our Technical and Research Team, we advised that a simpler conservation-led approach could be adopted which would employ materials with greater breathability, would require less build up and would allow the retention of the deflected roof form that makes a significant contribution to the character of the historic building.

We recommended that tongue and groove wood fibre cladding should be employed instead of the proposed Oriented Strand Board (OSB). The flexible nature of the tongue and groove would allow for the retention of the roof deflection in a way that the proposed rigid OSB would not. We pointed out that the tongue and groove could be battened and counter battened to provide an air gap. We also advised that the nature of the material has the advantage of rendering a membrane unnecessary as it is natural, breathable, very good at regulating extremes of temperature and prevents cold bridging.

Internally, we recommended that the gaps between the studs be insulated using batts in a natural material such as wood fibre or cotton and hemp. A compatible plaster carrier board (available in breathable materials such as clay and wood fibre) or natural lathing material such as reed could then form a basis for lime plaster. This would provide a finish that is more in keeping with the agricultural origins of the building than the plasterboard and modern plaster proposed in the application.

It would also ensure a high level of breathability essential to the long-term health and performance of the building.

We also referred the applicant’s agent to the excellent upto-date advice on the retrofit of traditional buildings available from Historic Environment Scotland and invited them to phone our Technical Advice Line with any further questions.

We are pleased to report that the Council subsequently added conditions to the granting of permission which comprehensively addressed our concerns and recommendations.

Specialist Conservators Architectural Stonework Statuary and Monuments Architectural Ceramics Decorative Plasterwork Mosaics

Photo Mr Richard M. Brown Historic England Archive

The newly restored Shrine of St Amphibalus at St Albans Cathedral.

Reconstructed from sections of the original 14th century one with new carving to fill the gaps,

by Skillingtons team 2019-21.

SKILLINGTON WORK SHOP LTD • TEL: +4 4 (0)14 76 56567 1 • WWW.SKILLINGTONS.CO.UK • ON FACEBOOK

Winter 2023 | SPAB | www.spab.org.uk

SKILLINGTONS

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VICARS’ CLOSE

VICARS’ CLOSE

A medieval street singing through the centuries

WELLS CATHEDRAL IS A PRIME example in England of the early English Gothic style, dating from the late 12th century. It is surrounded by a residential close which is set on sloping ground at the bottom of the Mendip Hills in Somerset. From the north transept, the Chain Gate bridge with its famous stairs leads to Vicars’ Close, with the Vicars’ Hall at one end and the Vicars’ Chapel at the other. In September 2023, The Guardian reported a Which? survey on UK tourist destinations and Wells was the clear winner. The article was illustrated with a photograph of Vicars’ Close.

The close is famous for being the most complete, continuously occupied, medieval street in the UK, and probably in western Europe. What’s more, it is still occupied by the Vicars’ Choral – the altos, tenors and basses of the Cathedral Choir – in a remarkable example of continuity over the centuries. Running gently uphill from the Vicars’ Hall to the chapel are two terraces of 26 houses. They present a united symmetrical front to the close, characterised by coursed rubble stone walls, plain tiled roofs and tall ashlar chimney stacks set on the main front eaves. Most of the buildings in the close are Grade I listed as buildings of exceptional architectural and historic interest, and they are included in the Wells Conservation Area.

Recently, the SPAB’s Casework Committee has considered proposals for the conservation and repair of the exteriors and stained glass, the improvement of public access and for a new museum and visitor centre.

Photo Wells Cathedral

Henry Russell, member of the Casework Committee and SPAB Guardian, discusses the Committee’s involvement with the Vicars’ Close project in Wells

HISTORY There is some debate about the age of the close. The Vicars’ Choral is mentioned in early cathedral statutes of the mid-12th century, and their role was to deputise for the canons. Bishop Ralph of Shrewsbury initiated a scheme to house the vicars, and it is believed that the Vicars’ Hall was the first building to be completed in 1348, the year of the Black Death.

The timber expert, Cecil A Hewett, author of Historic English Carpentry, wrote: ‘The dates of the various

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VICARS’ CLOSE

VICARS’ CLOSE

yard, and there may have been a latrine under the staircase.

Interesting uses of perspective adjustment by the designers of the close have been discovered. The width of the terrace narrows from south to north so as to accentuate the length of the close when you enter from the cathedral end.

This is reinforced by a gradual reduction in the height of the eaves and ridges of the roofs from south to north. This is not obvious to the eye but is visible in drawn plans and elevations of the terraces. We are accustomed to seeing such tricks played in classical buildings of all ages and in the layout of grand landscapes, but it is rare in buildings of this period.

Photo Wells Cathedral

Above The 13th century ‘filing cabinet’ in the Treasury

Photo Iain McLeod Jones

THE TERRACES The houses are arranged in two terraces, facing each other across the road which has a modern paving of Pennant sandstone setts. The gardens in front of each house are believed to be a later addition, the road originally being the full width between the terraces. The walls of the houses are generally of rubble stone from a variety of local Somerset sources, such as Doulting, Draycott and Chilcote. The pitched roofs are almost entirely slate on the front pitches and clay pantiles on the rear pitches, with some exceptions. According to the Conservation Management Plan prepared by Ingram Consultancy, the roofs were stripped and re-laid in a major programme of repairs in the late 1970s.

One of the defining features of the close are the tall, octagonal ashlar chimneys which are set on the front eaves wall. They have a similar arrangement to the almshouses at The Hospital of St Cross in Winchester, where the houses are arranged around a courtyard.

The houses present a unified face to the close, but there have been changes over time. The most obvious is the classical frontage on No 16, with its roof raised above the level of the adjoining ones. This house was almost entirely rebuilt in the 18th century. Other changes are more subtle replacements of casements with sash windows. The backs of the houses are a different matter altogether. There is no architectural harmony here, as alterations and

Photo Iain McLeod Jones

buildings of Vicars’ Close are problematical, although three documents exist which suggest that a fair number were finished and in use by 1348.’

These documents are all from the mid-14th century and mention the existence of new building. Hewitt cites other evidence, notably that the inverted windbracing in the Exchequer roof was inspired by the inverted arches in the cathedral, and was a device favoured by a Wells carpenter between 1420-50.

Further research is needed to assist in dating the construction of the houses in the close. It is possible that Vicars’ Hall was constructed first and the houses followed some decades later.

Top The interior of Vicars’ Hall

Above The exterior of No 22, which retains much of its medieval character Winter 2023 | SPAB | www.spab.org.uk

Inset A room in No 12

additions have been made in different ways at different times. Similarly, the interiors have been altered to suit individual circumstances. According to the list description, each house would have had a ground floor hall of approximately 6 m x 4 m, with a winding stair to an upper chamber. Both rooms have a fireplace on the front wall. Each property had a rear door through a squinch opening to a small, enclosed www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

THE PROPOSALS Vicars’ Close as well as Vicars’ Chapel, Vicars’ Hall and Treasury are part of a scheme funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund called ‘Vicars’ Close: A Medieval Street Singing Through the Centuries’. It consists of a programme of conservation and repairs to the exteriors of most of the properties, and to Vicars’ Hall and Vicars’ Chapel where the works will be more comprehensive. No 12 is to become a visitor centre, No 22 is to be a museum, and the Chapel, Vicars’ Hall and Treasury rooms will have public access and interpretation. The gardens of Nos 12 and 22 will become medieval physic gardens. The current cathedral offices (No 27) are being considered as a ticket office, exhibition and gathering space with a flat on the upper floor.

There are some access issues affecting the exterior parts and some hard landscaping works are proposed.

Fellow Casework Committee member Kirstie Robbins and I, accompanied by caseworker Rachel Broomfield, visited Wells in July 2023, and met the representatives from the cathedral and project architects benjamin + beauchamp, who provided a tour and summarised findings from the detailed survey work undertaken by the design team which underpin the extent and nature of current proposals. Our visit enabled us to gain a much clearer understanding of the rationale behind the details of the scheme.

The principal object is to provide a much richer experience for visitors

VICARS’ CLOSE

VICARS’ CLOSE

Photo Iain McLeod Jones

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Above The Vicars’ Chapel Right The interior of Vicars’ Chapel, looking east

Photo Wells Cathedral

Above The gate and garden wall of No 22 Winter 2023 | SPAB | www.spab.org.uk

22 to become the museum. The passages are narrow and uneven, so there will be access issues. There is a proposal to reopen a blocked passageway, and we felt more detail was needed to justify this intervention.

No 27 serves as the cathedral office and is situated beside Vicars’ Hall at the entrance to the close. It has a large addition at the back, attributed to J H Parker in the 19th century. The interior has a corporate office-like character, as a result of 20th century adaptations. This building will become a ticket office and exhibition space. We have concerns about the design of external ramping to deal with some complex level changes in a confined space.

Vicars’ Hall was one of the first

buildings to be constructed in the close and was the dining hall for the Vicars’ Choral. It adjoins the Treasury, which has some rooms of wonderful character, and the furnishings include a 13th century document cabinet – a medieval filing cabinet! More public access is planned but there are difficulties of levels, narrow doorways and lack of escape routes in case of fire.

Vicars’ Chapel sits at the north end of the close and was probably the last major building in its development, dating from about 1430. The chapel is on the ground floor and above it is a room which once served as a library.

There are areas of the proposals which have not been specified in detail, and it is proposed that they are made www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

Photo Iain McLeod Jones

Left The chapter room ceiling, probably designed by the 19th century architect William Burges

Photo Wells Cathedral

by opening up more buildings. This creates a challenge of managing visitor numbers through small buildings, some with difficult access as there are narrow passages and varying floor levels. The proposals mention the formation of floating floors, but it is not possible to assess the impact of these without further detail. There will also be a consequent impact on the need for fire protection and management.

Before the visit it was not clear why the two houses were selected for the visitor centre and museum, but this became apparent during the visit. The locations of the two houses enable visitors to be spread more widely over the close, and the two houses represent different phases of its development.

The repair programme principally affects the exteriors of the houses of the close, with the exception of the three buildings which are part of the enhancement for visitor access. In these houses the interiors will see changes, repairs and adaptations.

The repairs will consist of stripping existing tiles and re-tiling with upgraded insulation. Rainwater drainage will be improved, with major works to the below-ground drains which run behind each terrace. Walls faced in stone and render will be conserved. External joinery – windows and doors – will also be repaired.

No 22 is one of the least altered of the houses in the close and is significant for that reason. It has a slightly later two-storey rear addition. It retains its small iron casement windows on the front wall which have not been replaced by larger sash windows. The interior plan is relatively unaltered but has a contradictory character. On the one hand, it retains the plan form of the original house, but this has been compromised by 20th century alterations and decorations. The Victorian architect J H Parker was a tenant and he engaged William Burges to advise on the interior decorative scheme. This house will be part of the museum experience.

No 12 combines two houses – they were joined together in the 18th century and were one property by 1790, with ground floor rooms lined in dark oak panelling, and an 18th century staircase with a slender balustrade. The plan is for No

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subject to planning conditions.We have some reservations about this, because so much of the repair programme will not be detailed before consents are given and will result in a complex set of conditions for the local authority to manage. We discussed this at length and remain unconvinced that this is the right approach.

THE FUTURE Overall, we support the general principles of the development. More investigation into the history and archaeology of the close is desirable and we look forward to learning more in due course.

We wish Wells Cathedral every success with the scheme.

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The Power of Philanthropy Fladbury Mill, Worcestershire

Photo Rachel Stoplar

Matthew Slocombe explores the history of Fladbury Mill and its bequest to the SPAB

THE SPAB’S EXISTENCE TODAY IS the result of supporter generosity. This generosity is shown in many ways – through subscriptions, donations, gifts in kind – with many of the greatest contributions being legacies. The most substantial legacy of recent times has come from the late David Wynn, SPAB member and owner of Fladbury Mill in Worcestershire.

David Wynn was an extraordinary man. He was an architect and engineer whose 6’ 8” frame required him to stoop beneath the heavily beamed ceilings of Fladbury Mill. He had come to England from New Zealand in the 1960s – reputedly with only a rucksack on his back. In London he met his future wife Angela, who was an earlycareer estate agent.

The Wynns gradually acquired a small property portfolio before Angela moved into a new career organising art exhibitions. Her personal collection included sketches by significant British artists such as Laura Knight and Duncan Grant. In architectural practice, David’s work encompassed the care and repair of churches. Later life led him in a new direction when he set up a tour business, escorting American visitors around the country to see historic sites. By all accounts the Wynns were a formidable team, with Angela in the lead role.

A LASTING LEGACY The Wynns moved to Fladbury in mid-life to occupy Virginia Cottage, left to them by Angela’s mother. There they made an important new friendship. Jack Crabtree was a member of the SPAB Mills Section and a mills enthusiast. He had run the family’s well-known firm in Walsall, manufacturing electrical products and fittings, and he loved collecting mechanical objects. Around 1957, he added to his collection a large new item: Fladbury Mill. Jack Crabtree’s daughter Katherine believes that he saw it, aged then about 40, as a future place to retire, but that her mother was less keen since she disliked the combination of “water, young children, and the rather Dickensian character” it had then.

Instead, Jack Crabtree used the mill as a base when visiting Ironbridge Gorge Museum, where he was a trustee, and a repository for his burgeoning collection.

Eventually he installed the Blair-Fish family as custodians, and when Hilary Blair-Fish died in the mid 1970s the Wynns took over. Shared interests in engineering had drawn David Wynn to Jack Crabtree and together they carried out a range of projects at the mill including the installation of a new water wheel, turbine replacement and general repairs and alterations. When Jack Crabtree died, the mill, with his family’s agreement, passed to the Wynns.

Winter 2023 | SPAB | www.spab.org.uk

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Photo Matthew Slocombe

FLADBURY MILL

CONSERVATION AND REPAIR OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS

01935 83923 daedalusconservation.co.uk

ELECTRICITY COMES TO FLADBURY In 1957, when Jack Crabtree had first acquired Fladbury Mill, it had been near derelict. The mill and its opposite number across the weir at Cropthorne were both on ancient milling sites of Domesday date or before. Like most mills they had been successively rebuilt, with most of Fladbury Mill’s standing fabric dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries, with hints of something earlier in the stonework around one mill pit. Fladbury Mill had been used for grinding corn and the site had also been used for making cider, but more remarkable was the use to which it was put at the end of the 19th century.

This was the earliest era of domestic electricity and in 1888 the water wheel was modified to produce power rather than flour, with an electrical connection provided for nearby Fladbury Manor and two other houses in the village. In 1899 a company was set up with the aim of increasing supply to the village. The water wheel was replaced by two

Photo Fladbury Mill Collection

Above The mill and turbine house, viewed from a small island in the Avon

Above The mill house and mill in the last era when it was a working site www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

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Photo Fladbury Mill Collection

FLADBURY MILL

Above Cattle in the mill pond, in the early 20th century Armfield 40 ‘British Empire’ turbines in the following year, each rated at 25hp maximum output. These produced sufficient electricity to light the village’s main street. Fladbury became at this point one of the first villages in England to enjoy an electrical supply. Villagers could pay to have their own electric lighting, with power supplied in the early morning and evening for a charge of 10 shillings a year per lamp. Late night village events were lit by special arrangement, with beer and sandwiches supplied to the turbine attendants.

The initial electrical business was a success but not sufficiently profitable and in 1927 was sold to the Shropshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire Electric Power Company (SWS), which existed until nationalisation in 1948.

The mill had largely ceased traditional milling operations by the time that SWS took over. It was boarded up during World War II or before. A school headmistress, who had grown up in

Fladbury, later remembered how during this period she and other children would break into the mill through the boarding to enjoy its atmosphere, despite the dangers. After the war the mill became a small toy-making factory, until Jack Crabtree’s acquisition.

By this time the original turbines had long fallen out of use. In 1980-81 Jack Crabtree and David Wynn removed them and introduced a salvaged successor. This turbine dated from 1937 and had been manufactured by the specialist hydro-engineering company Gilkes. The firm had been founded in 1881 after acquiring Williamson’s, who had manufactured the pioneering turbine for Cragside in Northumberland – the first house in the world to be lit by water-powered electricity and now in the care of the National Trust. The installation of Fladbury’s new turbine was a major engineering endeavour for Crabtree and Wynn and the results were a www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

Fladbury became one of the first villages in England to enjoy an electrical supply, villagers could pay to have their own electric lighting at 10 shillings a year per lamp triumph. With the aid of newly introduced wiring, dials and multiple fuse boards, the turbine was able to power all the mill’s heating and lighting needs, and even have a surplus of power to be burnt off. Unfortunately, although the turbine was more than capable of making the mill self-sufficient for power, its output was considered ‘dirty electricity’ by electricity companies, with the fluctuating current it produced unsuitable for sale to the grid.

45 FLADBURY MILL

The flood of 2007 was a disaster, but also a catalyst for useful change… Fladbury is now as well set-up for flood mitigation as any watermill can expect to be

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Photo Rachel Stoplar

electrical wiring above the flood line, and introduced window, door and vent guards. He also installed a sump pump beneath the mill house and added electrical hoists and trestle tables to ensure that machinery and furniture could be raised above a flood at short notice. No equivalent flood has occurred since, but Fladbury is now as well set-up for flood mitigation as any watermill can expect to be.

Above Hoist in the attic floor above the mill

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ON THE BANKS OF THE AVON Like all watermills, Fladbury’s relationship with its river is complicated.

The river – in this case a fast-flowing section of the Avon that runs from Stratford through Evesham – is the source of the mill’s power and the reason for its location. The river provides a beautiful backdrop to the mill and the Fladbury weir has long been a landmark for narrowboaters, paddleboarders and wild swimmers. In recent years, otters and kingfishers have also returned and the river has a rich bird and aquatic life.

Occasionally though, the Avon offers a reminder of its force. Minor winter floods

are an expected annual occurrence, and the mill is designed to cope with them.

The last flood on a different scale occurred in 2007 under the Wynns’ ownership. Then – in summer rather than winter – the Avon burst its banks on a grand scale. The lower parts of Evesham were completely flooded and the plain out towards Pershore became inundated. Fladbury Mill was left as an island within the Avon, with all its lower floors under water.

The flood of 2007 was a disaster, but also a catalyst for useful change. David Wynn moved part of the mill’s accommodation to an upper floor, raised www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

THE MILL’S FUTURE SECURED In 2019, after Angela’s death and as his health began to fail, David Wynn wished to find a future for Fladbury Mill.

Previously, in 2005, he has purchased a 10-acre field on the flood plain adjacent to the mill, along with a small island in the Avon known as the ‘nait’. He had generously allowed permissive public access to both the field and nait and resolved that their long-term future was best in the hands of Fladbury Parish Council, if suitable management arrangements could be agreed. He also intended that a small part of the field closest to the mill should be made part of the mill’s grounds, to improve its curtilage and allow maintenance access to the mill stream.

Having considered various options, he also decided to open negotiations with the SPAB about a bequest of the mill, its contents and a sizeable cash sum. David recognised that the SPAB’s Trustees would need flexibility over retention of the mill in relation to other strategic objectives, and it was agreed that a gift to the SPAB would be unrestricted, allowing the option to sell if this proved the best course of action for the charity.

David Wynn died in 2021 and the

46

Photo Rachel Stoplar

FLADBURY MILL

SPAB has since been working with his executors, Katherine Gray (daughter of Jack Crabtree) and Tony Hudson (who worked for and supported the Wynns for many years) to agree transfer arrangements. The SPAB Board, with staff and consultants, has begun looking at options for the mill’s future. There is much to consider but possibilities include educational opportunities and returning part of the mill to use as a holiday let – a function to which it had been put successfully by the Wynns in the early years of the 21st century.

We are also contemplating an upgrade to the turbine to ease its maintenance needs and to help produce a supply of sustainable electricity that can be sold back to the grid. The mill is in good condition, but it has some localised roof repair requirements, and other minor issues which have been highlighted in a condition report produced for us by 2019 SPAB Scholar Christian Montez, Carmen Bowes and Nick Joyce.

Many exciting possibilities exist, and the mill offers opportunities to explore the connections between building conservation, climate change and

Photo Rachel Stoplar

Above The Gilkes turbine, installed by Jack Crabtree and David Wynn

Above The mill and mill house from the garden to the west environmental sustainability. We may ultimately conclude that the mill is best with others so that the proceeds can be put towards alternative strands of our charitable work, but we are appraising all options open to us in the short and longer term. We are very grateful to Winter 2023 | SPAB | www.spab.org.uk

David Wynn for giving us the flexibility to explore how this new site in the West Midlands might help to fulfil the organisation’s wider goals in a way that is financially sustainable and supportive of our aims to give old buildings like Fladbury Mill a fruitful future.

47

Photo Croydon Council

SPAB & LHBT: PARTNERSHIP IN ACTION

Above James Innerdale leading a maintenance walking tour around the South Norwood HSHAZ

Supporting London’s Heritage Action Zones As the four-year High Street Heritage Action Zone initiative draws to a close, Hannah Southgate, Project Manager at London Historic Buildings Trust, looks back at the activities they have delivered, in partnership with the SPAB, to support the maintenance of London’s high streets OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS, London Historic Buildings Trust (LHBT) has been working with the SPAB to support two of London’s five High Street Heritage Action Zones (HSHAZ), by coordinating and delivering programmes of maintenance training and heritage engagement for custodians of local

historic buildings.

LHBT is the only London-wide building preservation trust and we’re currently celebrating our 30th anniversary. The trust works to find innovative and sustainable ways to bring new life to London’s historic buildings, supporting local regeneration and helping communities thrive. We have

www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

a particular focus on historic buildings and places deemed to be ‘at risk’, and work closely with local partners, communities and local authorities to deliver high quality and impactful projects that respond to identified need.

The £95 million government-funded HSHAZ programme, which is being delivered by Historic England, aims to unlock the potential of high streets across England, fuelling economic, social and cultural recovery, and breathing new life into these historic places for future generations – for more information please visit www.historicengland.org.uk/ services-skills/heritage-action-zones/ regenerating-historic-high-streets Over 60 HSHAZs have been established across England. In London these are: n Petticoat Lane in Tower Hamlets n Tottenham in Haringey n Woolwich in Greenwich n South Norwood in Croydon n Harlesden in Brent

48

49

SPAB & LHBT: PARTNERSHIP IN ACTION

SPAB & LHBT: PARTNERSHIP IN ACTION

PROGRAMME OF ENGAGEMENT

Photo LHBT

In summer 2021, LHBT and the SPAB established a partnership to offer a programme of curated maintenance training and heritage engagement in support of London’s HSHAZs. This brought together LHBT’s experience of working at a grassroots level with London’s communities to support Heritage at Risk with the SPAB’s expertise in historic building conservation and maintenance.

Our offer was taken up by London Borough Councils’ Croydon and Tower Hamlets, for the South Norwood and Petticoat Lane HSHAZs respectively. Both had different parameters and resources for training and engaging local people in the care of their historic high street, and the communities and character of the HSHAZs themselves were also quite distinctive.

This meant taking a tailored approach to each programme of activity, starting with developing an understanding of the local community and the types of issues arising with the care of the historic high street to ensure we delivered targeted, and accessible, activities. There were also some similarities: both HSHAZs were in a poor condition with inappropriate interventions to many of the shop fronts, both are on the Heritage at Risk register, and the nature of building ownership in each area is complex.

The key partners in each HSHAZ also shared the aspiration that the training and engagement would empower local people.

Above and below LHBT training workshop for residents for South Norwood HSHAZ in Croydon

SOUTH NORWOOD HSHAZ

The intense month-long programme attracted 63 attendees, including residents, students, businesses, professionals and other custodians of local historic buildings.

As a result of the public event, LHBT and James Innerdale also collaborated to produce a series of tailored legacy resources, using the South Norwood

Photo Croydon Council

The South Norwood HSHAZ is centred on a large part of the South Norwood Conservation Area. The area is recognised for its special interest as a Victorian suburb, initiated by the development of the nearby railway. Within the HSHAZ’s boundary is the high street with a mix of commercial, private residential and community-focused buildings surrounding it. Croydon Council was keen to target a wide spectrum of the community as part of the maintenance training and heritage engagement. There was a particular interest in reaching younger people, notably those in construction-focused further education.

Alongside this, the recent Community Plan had made dealing with the high vacancy rate of commercial properties in and around the HSHAZ a priority.

Consequently, LHBT and James Innerdale

(1996 SPAB Scholar and former Technical Officer) developed and delivered five distinct, but complementary, events that were all held locally in the HSHAZ: n Maximising your Old Building’s Potential – half day workshop with LHBT n Reusing Old Buildings – half day workshop with LHBT n Maintenance Essentials – 1 hr talk with James Innerdale n Caring for your Old Building – full day course with James Innerdale n Traditional Building Crafts – careers talk for local Sixth Form, Matt Wilson (2019 Fellow) and Tom Skinner (2021 Fellow) delivered careers talks to students at the Harris Professional Skills Sixth Form in South Norwood.

Winter 2023 | SPAB | www.spab.org.uk

HSHAZ as the inspiration for the content: n Love it or Lose it: A Practical Guide to Maintaining Older Buildings n Maintenance Calendar: A Suggested Plan for Annual Tasks n Reusing Older Buildings: An Introductory Guide The resources are to be distributed by Croydon Council to the community via various channels, including the websites of local community organisations.

PETTICOAT LANE HSHAZ Contrastingly, the Petticoat Lane HSHAZ is more compact, being centred on a comparatively small conservation area that was designated due to the surviving 19th century townscape and the hosting of the centuries-old Petticoat Lane market.

This makes it primarily commercial in focus, but with large portions of residential accommodation run by housing associations.

For the Petticoat Lane HSHAZ we have been delivering training and engagement in a phased approach. LHBT began by leading on a consultation process, going door to door to meet with local businesses, community members and others linked to the upkeep of the conservation area. This was to help us build a picture of the local community, what support they might be looking for in caring for their buildings, how we could make that support accessible and generally raising awareness of the HSHAZ initiative.

As a result of this, LHBT devised a three-part programme of training and engagement centred on: 1) Community and Businesses – raising awareness; 2) Training

www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

The partnership brought together LHBT’s experience of working at a grassroots level with London’s communities to support Heritage at Risk with the SPAB’s expertise in historic building conservation and maintenance

Photo LHBT

Photo LHBT

Above South Norwood High Street in South Norwood HSHAZ in Croydon

Above Community engagement materials for Petticoat Lane HSHAZ Tower Hamlets

50 SPAB & LHBT: PARTNERSHIP IN ACTION

for Housing Associations and Landowners; and 3) Legacy resources for community and businesses.

So far, LHBT and the SPAB have delivered engagement and training for 34 people: n Building Essentials – a drop-in welcome and information event for local community n Understanding Old Buildings – full day course for Tower Hamlets Homes staff n Understanding Old Buildings – full day course for Housing Association staff and other large local landowners By targeting housing associations and large landowners, we are trying to throw the net wider, to enable landlords to better support their tenants who occupy historic commercial and residential properties.

The training was well-received and, in this format, is likely to have a greater impact than providing training directly to tenants (especially commercial tenants in the current economic climate, who lack time and who have short term leases).

We are currently gearing up for the final strand of engagement which will be a suite of legacy resources, including a series of practical Q&A videos on the nature and upkeep of the conservation area, hosted by James Innerdale and community members and filmed by local young people. We are creating these resources to be easily digestible, shareable via local networks, including WhatsApp groups, and applicable to different types of building ownership and management.

Photos LHBT

SUCCESSES AND LESSONS LEARNT

Above LHBT’s community engagement on the heritage of Petticoat Lane Winter 2023 | SPAB | www.spab.org.uk

Both programmes of activity saw a demonstrable growth in awareness and understanding of the respective HSHAZ amongst attendees, particularly why these areas were historically and architecturally important and the benefits and methods of ensuring their survival.

So far, we have directly trained nearly 100 people across these two HSHAZs. However, we knew at the outset that encouraging participation in both HSHAZ programmes of activity was going to be challenging.

Undertaking some form of upfront consultation and community-scoping was therefore critical to gain an understanding of each community and how best to engage them. For instance, we learnt of the

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52

Photo LHBT

SPAB & LHBT: PARTNERSHIP IN ACTION

Above Wentworth Street in Petticoat Lane HSHAZ, Tower Hamlets challenge of delivering events at certain times of the week and the limited interest in online events, and so tailored in-person activities accordingly. We made sure to engage local businesses as the caterers and to host the sessions in spaces that were close by and easily recognisable to local people.

The diverse nature of the training and its content was also a means to cater to different needs. The written and digital resources not only provide a tangible legacy of both initiatives but will ideally engage a wider audience, for as accessible as you hope to make them, training workshops are still not of interest, or practical, for some people.

Another obstacle we were conscious of was delivering these events amongst the ongoing impacts of the pandemic and the more recent cost of living crisis. We were concerned about encouraging people to spend money and time on maintenance, repairs and upgrades when they may be struggling with keeping their business afloat or heating their home. We settled

The written and digital resources not only provide a tangible legacy of both initiatives but will ideally engage a wider audience

on highlighting the personal advantages of caring for their shop or building within a conservation area – such as the financial benefits of dealing with dampness and highlighting the simple maintenance measures that can be quickly undertaken for minimal or no cost.

The activities we have so far delivered did not always run smoothly – we adapted along the way as feedback on training and events was gathered. They will also not ‘solve the problem’ of these historic places overnight. There is still a significant

Winter 2023 | SPAB | www.spab.org.uk

amount of work to do, by a variety of different stakeholders, to remove both conservation areas from the Heritage at Risk register; it will take time, resource, and consistency in efforts. However, we feel a solid foundation of awareness, skills and knowledge has been laid from which positive change can be built.

Local people and organisations have been inspired about their local built heritage; they’ve formed new networks with other residents and businesses; and been signposted to accessible, relevant information. Relationship building has also taken place between community members, organisations and key local authority staff which we hope will encourage ongoing dialogue and cooperation on the care of both HSHAZs. Supporting both of the South Norwood and Petticoat Lane HSHAZs has been a critical learning curve for both LHBT and the SPAB in helping others to care for our historic environment and we take away the above, and many more, lessons learned.

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54

55

TECHNICAL FEATURE

TECHNICAL FEATURE

British Hydraulic Lime: A medieval inheritance and a call for its revival Stafford Holmes explores the historic use of British natural hydraulic lime and argues for its re-introduction as a local and sustainable material that is critical to good building conservation

Quarry Bed

Typical End Use

White chalk

Lime plaster

Grey chalk

Hydraulic lime mortars and renders

Clunch

Building blocks/ashlar

Chalk stone (Totternhoe)

Ashlar masonry wall facings

Flint

Flint wall facings, lime concrete aggregate, knapped flint facings, flint cutting tools, paving, arrowheads, flint locks, flint glass, stoneware

Marl

Soil for lime stabilisation, clay lump blocks

All quarry residue

Wall core fill and lime concrete

Left Small-scale lime burning local Blue Lias hydraulic lime from Aberthaw quarry at the SPAB Cymru Working Party

WE CURRENTLY IMPORT ALL OF OUR natural hydraulic lime for building and conservation from abroad, but this was not always the case, and British natural hydraulic lime was traditionally used until the early 21st century. I am convinced that there are great benefits in the use of locally produced limes for conservation and on sustainability grounds. I believe that we should re-start hydraulic lime production in the UK and promote its use, most especially for work on historic buildings.

Although this will need a major shift in thinking and production, there is a strong precedent on which to base future use and available natural resources with which to meet demand.

Below High-level local Blue Lias hydraulic lime mortar repairs at the SPAB Cymru Working Party

limes. Natural hydraulic limes are from argillaceous limestone where the clay is contained in the stone. With artificial hydraulic limes the clay is added during manufacture. The principal minerals that Vicat considered defined active clay are silica, aluminia and ferrous oxide. This was confirmed and refined later with further research in cement chemistry and the development of the Cementation Index.

Hydraulic strength may be improved by extending the burning period of the stone in the kiln, increasing burning temperatures and finer grinding, each of which accelerates set and increases strength of the mortar produced.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, stone quarries were worked mainly by hand on a far smaller scale than present industrialised methods. Massive size and mechanisation results in the removal of all material, possibly in benches up to 30 m deep, incorporating many diverse layers and stone beds. Small-scale stone quarrying allows identification and selection of varying strata of differing minerology and depth: for instance compare variations in the metres deep Portland stone beds with the Blue Lias closely spaced beds of only 50 mm to 250 mm thick interspersed with thin layers of shale. The identification of different beds, their thickness and their best use

transportation distance to minimise waste. With minimum excavation, access to the lower beds where they have been revealed in these locations is not difficult as there is little or no overburden to remove. This method of quarrying has been exploited over millennia.

Limestone is one of the world’s most abundant minerals, a substantial proportion of which is argillaceous

Winter 2023 | SPAB | www.spab.org.uk

(contains clay). Many argillaceous limestone deposits originally quarried for hydraulic lime are now used for Portland cement and are generally of the same or similar minerology. In relation to the high demand for Portland cement, only small amounts of hydraulic lime are needed for the conservation and repair of historic buildings. This can be produced on a small scale for individual repair projects and

bespoke lime binders, mortars and renders.

There is also a need for a range of lime mortars and renders for new work.

British natural hydraulic lime is a product derived from burning British limestone containing from below 12% up to 36% ‘active clay’. Active clay is the term first used by LJ Vicat in his Practical Treatise, 1818, for classifying traditional feebly, moderately and eminently hydraulic

Photo Stafford Holmes

Historic buildings are a physical record of our social, cultural and industrial past.

There is a delight in their diverse appearance crafted from natural materials. One of these materials is limestone. Numerous medieval building accounts confirm the source of stone and location of limestone quarries.

The diversity of the stone is related to variations in the way it was formed over geological time.

Due to pressure, movement and heat over millions of years, horizontal layers of sedimentary material have been compressed to stone, compacted, possibly folded, and exposed to weathering. Lower beds outcrop and are revealed where the upper beds have been heavily eroded. This is most apparent on the coast, in river valleys and estuaries, with a tendency to be on the boundaries of different geological formations. Sourcing building materials economically involves controlling the cost of excavation and

Photo Stafford Holmes

LIMESTONE DIVERSITY

www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

57 TECHNICAL FEATURE Section showing variations in chalk strata was understood by local quarrymen, quarry managers and masons. As an example, the range of materials and uses that are available from chalk deposits can be seen in the illustration on p55.

In small-scale limestone quarries, the identification and extraction of limestone and chalk beds that could produce hydraulic lime was both feasible and desirable.

A major by-product of quarrying stone, and subsequently also shaping and carving, is stone waste and off-cuts. These can amount to considerable quantities, especially where bed depths are minimal, or stone is of a ragged nature. Additional material can also be removed to access stone beds below. Burning all of this to produce hydraulic lime would be a natural outcome and avoid waste.

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Photo Singleton Birch Limited

Quarrying at Guildford and Dorking and widely on the chalk formations in Surrey and Sussex was prevalent. Many of these quarries had limestone or chalk strata that contain adequate proportions of active clay sufficient to produce a hydraulic lime.

The names of building materials have varied over time and the terminology for British hydraulic lime is no exception. The name given to grey-chalk hydraulic lime is not only grey-chalk lime but also stone lime, grey lime, semi-hydraulic lime, feebly or slightly hydraulic lime and grey stone lime. Under the traditional definitions established by Vicat and Cowper, in Lime and Lime Mortars, 1927, these fall under the moderately or feebly hydraulic lime classification. Typical Grey Chalk analysis is shown in Table 1

Table 1 – Typical Grey Chalk analysis Limestone Quarry Location

Clay Percentage (SiO 2 , Al2O3 and Fe2O3) total

Hydraulic Classification

Provenance

Clunch, Sussex

18.7

Moderately

Smeaton

Dorking, Surrey

5.9

Feebly

Smeaton

Berryton, Hampshire

8.3

Feebly

Smeaton

Guildford, Surrey

10.5

Feebly

Smeaton

Sutton, Lancashire

18.7

Moderately

Smeaton

Folkstone, Kent

8.56

Feebly

North

Totternhoe, Bedfordshire

13.5

Moderately

Bates

Maybeck, Yorkshire

21.4

Eminently

North

www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

Medieval quarries that produced grey-chalk or stone lime from at least the 14th century were well-recorded in contemporary building accounts.

Totternhoe stone remains part of our built heritage in numerous places, including in the south wall of St Albans Cathedral.

Although the last of the lime kilns has been demolished at Totternhoe, the quarry remains operational and supplies walling stone. Grey-chalk quarries were worked until the first half of the 20th century, with 20 members of the Building Limes Association operating until the Second World War. The list of active

59 TECHNICAL FEATURE

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quarries producing hydraulic lime at that time includes Brighton Rocklime Works, Dorking Grey-Stone Lime Co Ltd, Merstham Lime Co Ltd, Oxted Greystone Lime Co Ltd and Totternhoe Lime and Stone Co Ltd. Many other quarries that produced argillaceous chalk appear in archive records, notably Calkstone, Wilton, Guildford, Maidstone, Winchester, Salisbury, Folkstone and Canterbury.

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In 1930, AJ North’s Limestones, Their Origins, Distribution and Uses summarised the results of the chemical analysis of a diverse range of limestones, which showed that, as an average of the total 345, there was sufficient active clay to produce hydraulic lime. In addition to the extensive distribution of Blue Lias and greychalk, there are other formations that contain argillaceous limestone strata suitable for hydraulic lime production.

These are quarried widely throughout the north of England, Wales and Scotland. Examples, taken from North’s summaries, are given in Table 2 with their active clay percentage.

Many disused limestone quarries remain accessible, and others are active for a range of purposes. These produce stone used as aggregate in road construction, for agriculture, waste treatment, soil stabilisation, ceramics and

Table 2 – Argillaceous limestone formations suitable for natural hydraulic lime production with their ‘active clay’ percentage.

Limestone Formation Limestone Location

Clay Percentage (SiO 2 , Al2O3 and Fe2O3) total

Traditional Hydraulic Lime Classification

Lower Oolitic

Maybeck, Yorkshire

21.4

Eminently

Rhaotic

Bridgend, Glamorgan

14.02

Moderately

Triassic Limestone

Sully, Glamorgan

17.30

Moderately

Triassic Dolomite

Sully, Glamorgan

22.82

Eminently

Carboniferous

Benllech Sands, Anglesey

22.21

Eminently

Carboniferous

Taff’s Well, Cardiff

15.46

Moderately

Silurian

Coed-y-Paen, Monmouthshire

6.86

Feebly

Silurian

May Hill, Gloucestershire

8.8

Feebly

Marble

Tiree, Argyll

17.03

Moderately

Carboniferous Long Craig Upper Limestone

Dunbar, East Lothian 8.82

Feebly

Carboniferous Harlet and Dockra Beds

Trearne, Ayrshire Dockra Bed

16.39

Moderately

Jurassic Portland Beds

Chilmark, Wiltshire

12.4

Moderately

Table 3 – A record of selected quarries extracting limestone for hydraulic lime, published in 1869 Quarry Location

Active Clay Content

Traditional Hydraulic Lime Classification

Ham Hill Somerset

13%

Moderately

Chilmark, Wiltshire

16.1%

Moderately

Whiteford, Flintshire

9.4%

Feebly

Holywell, N Wales

23.62%

Eminently

Lime Regis, Dorset

17.3%

Moderately

Aberthaw, Glamorgan

15.6%

Moderately

many chemical and industrial applications.

The production of Portland cement is a key reason for continuing to operate argillaceous limestone quarries.

Examples of quarries that used to produce hydraulic lime and remain in operation today to produce Portland cement are Aberthaw, Glamorgan; Rugby, Warwickshire; Clitheroe, Lancashire; and Dunbar, East Lothian.

LOST IN TRANSLATION Research and development of hydraulic limes and natural cements progressed rapidly in the 19th century.

Building materials terminology is not consistent and has changed over time and by locality. In the 19th century and earlier, ‘cement’ referred mainly to mixes with binders of hydraulic lime or hydraulic lime and pozzolan. The term

Left Advertisement for Blue Lias lime and Portland cement both from the same quarry and works at Nelson’s Yard, Stockton, Warwickshire, published 1930 www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

60 TECHNICAL FEATURE

was also used for various adhesives that would today be known as glues and gums.

Early literature confirming the location and chemical analysis of limestone for hydraulic lime can be found under the titles of ‘cement’ and/or ‘concrete’.

Henry Reed’s Practical Treatise on Concrete, 1869, identified some of these quarries and analysis of the limestone used for hydraulic lime.

THE ENGLISH MIDLANDS AND QUARRY CLUSTERS As well as Totternhoe, which has long been a source of grey chalk hydraulic lime, there were other well-established quarries extracting from the Totternhoe beds.

Geological surveys and publications describe quarries in the Midlands and further north.

Among these are Dunstable, Whipsnade, Ivinghoe Aston and Burton-in-the-Clay.

There were also principal grey chalk quarries at Barton Hill and Kersworth Hill in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire; Burwell in Cambridgeshire; and Roydon and Stoke Ferry in Norfolk.

An indication that the valuable nature of hydraulic lime for building, as opposed to agriculture, was well-understood is the extensive quarrying of Blue Lias. It was known that the lime from this stone was not suitable for agriculture, as explained in 1756, to Smeaton and recorded in his A Narrative of Building and Description of the Construction of the Edystone Lighthouse with Stone, 1793. As

All Photos Stafford Holmes

Above Design for Westminster Bank, Bloomsbury, London, 1854

Above Westminster Bank today a result, and well before this time, quarries and kilns had developed to produce hydraulic building limes. These expanded and increased in clusters where the Lower Lias beds or other argillaceous limestone strata was accessible.

The quarries are at outcrops along the Lias formation from Lyme Regis, Dorset, to past the Wash and north of Northallerton. This is over 200 miles of continuous argillaceous limestone formation which passes through the Midlands.

Typical areas where there were quarry clusters for argillaceous limestone are at Watchet, Bridgwater, Aberthaw, Rhoose and Penarth; at Harbury, Southam, Stockton, Shipston and Rugby in Warwickshire; round the Humber down to Kirton in Lincolnshire; at Dunbar and the Firth of Forth and on the Carboniferous formation south of the Firth of Clyde. The trend from the 19th and 20th centuries was for the industry to develop from hydraulic lime production to natural cement to Portland cement and then to centralised manufacture. This also occurred where there was grey chalk, typically in the quarry clusters round the Medway in Kent.

Winter 2023 | SPAB | www.spab.org.uk

SPECIFICATIONS It has long been the practice for British architects and engineers to specify hydraulic lime for mortar, renders and lime concrete, as shown in Batty Langley’s Builder’s Complete Assistant, 1738. Joseph Moxon’s Mechanick Exercises or the Doctrine of Handy-Works, 1703, describes the choice to be made between limestone producing lime for internal work and that for exposed external finishes (hydraulic lime). The original drawings and specifications of many surviving 18th and 19th century buildings incorporating British hydraulic lime can be consulted at the RIBA. They comprise numerous country houses and churches; houses in Cavendish Square, London; Westminster Bank, Bloomsbury; factories in Birmingham; warehouses in Newcastle upon Tyne; and the piers and foundations of Westminster Bridge.

The specification for Westminster Bridge by Thomas Page was for a mortar of one-part fresh Blue Lias lime to three-parts of clean sharp river sand; the concrete piers

www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

62

Architecture Conservation Heritage Repair Change

Photo BGS

TECHNICAL FEATURE

call on 01295 702600

The location of principal limestone formations south of Catterick extracted from geological maps

by British Geological Survey

below water were one-part Blue Lias slaked under sand mixed with four-parts gravel.

Detailed instructions were given regarding quality, mixing and preparation, and placing of materials under close supervision of the engineer.

SCOTTISH HYDRAULIC LIME The effect of the Second World War on small-scale lime production is illustrated by the 1948 British Geological Survey’s The Limestones of Scotland, which confirms that the pre-war annual lime production in Scotland in 1938 was 480,614 tons. It identified over 470 significant former limeworking operations but also states that post-war only 12 of these were recorded as producing lime at the time of the survey. Further observations confirm the extensive distribution of limestone suitable for producing hydraulic lime. Under the headings of Semi-Hydraulic and Hydraulic Limes, it states: “Semi-Hydraulic Limes: Most of the limestones worked in the past yield lime coming under this heading. They are usually

email architects@acanthusclews.co.uk

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I strongly believe in the benefits of re-introducing British natural hydraulic lime production and promoting its widespread use... it could have a substantial impact on sustainability and conservation low in magnesia. They contain, however, a rather high percentage of silica and alumina whence they derive their semi-hydraulic properties. The Building Research Station points out that in the areas in which any given type of lime was produced in the past the builders were familiar with the best method for using it and so could make allowance for its particular characteristics.

The lime from Calmy Limestone of Darnley in Renfrewshire is an instance of a lime with

Winter 2023 | SPAB | www.spab.org.uk

high cementitious properties which has maintained its popularity over a long period.

“Hydraulic Limes: The comments just made on semi-hydraulic limes apply equally to the hydraulic limes. A very large deposit of uniform composition would be required to establish a hydraulic lime or cement industry. Unfortunately rocks of the requisite composition occur only in relatively thin beds in Scotland, and as far as is known, the quantity available in districts sufficiently near industrial areas is quite inadequate to provide a source of commodity which needs, above everything, to be low cost.”

The survey also confirms that Portland cement was manufactured at Cousland, Dalkeith, Midlothian, from the North Greens Limestone and the overlying shales.

After the First World War, there were also proposals to use the argillaceous limestone from the Skateraw areas near Dunbar for the same purpose.

When large numbers of lime works and quarries were operating on a small scale, the identification of individual

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65 TECHNICAL FEATURE We are an integrated conservation company based in South Wales, that employs craftspeople and tradespeople with specialist skills who are able to undertake any building project.

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Above Local Grey Chalk quicklime produced on the lime kiln at the Old House Project Working Party 2023 STATUARY, MASONRY, MOSAICS, MONUMENTS, P LA ST ERWORK & DECOR ATIVE ARTS

Photo credit: Andy Marshall

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limestone strata that could produce hydraulic lime was part of the quarry manager’s skill. As in England, there are also variations to limestone strata of different formations in Scotland, including Tayvallich, the Dalradian metamorphic limestones quarried at Glenbuchat, Corgarff, Tomintoul, Dufftown, Drummuir, Craibstone, Limehillock and Boyne Bay. In an Evaluation of Limestone and Building Limes in Scotland, 2002, produced for Historic Scotland, it is recorded that chemical analysis of 26 different strata from ten limestone quarries showed that 50% of these could produce hydraulic lime.

They comprise limestone from the Sherglas and Ledmore quarries, which in 1995 were extracting limestone for aggregate and stone only. The old lime kilns remain inactive, and it is no longer burnt for lime mortars and renders.

Mixed commercial grade limestone extracted at the Middleton quarry in 1995 had a total active clay content of 15.75% indicating a moderately hydraulic lime. Limestone strata with a sufficient

clay content to produce hydraulic lime exists in Ayrshire at the Cumbernauld, Benston and Daldry quarries, and in Renfrewshire at the Nitshill quarries producing the Dalry and Arden hydraulic limes. Selected strata in Ayrshire at the Craighead, Tormitchell, Klldons and Craigneil quarries have the appropriate minerology for hydraulic lime. Other similar sources are from the Tayvallich limestone formations quarried at numerous locations including Fincharn, Baluachraig and Kilchrenan.

BUILDING LIMES OF IRELAND The first Census of Production in the UK, 1907, and Final Report, 1912, give comparative figures for the value, in pounds sterling, of annual lime production - for England and Wales £691,000; Scotland £55,000 and Ireland £45,000. It also records that the value of hydraulic lime produced was £56,000 and total UK production of unburnt limestone was 7,513,000 tons.

The medieval round towers, castles and masonry structures in Ireland are

www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

proof of the early use of lime mortars.

Monastic records describe lime kilns built in County Derry in the 12th century and archaeological investigations show evidence of medieval lime kilns in Sligo, and near Drogheda and Limerick. Records of The Irish Society in the early 17th century describe their interest in the Portrush area of County Antrim, where lime was being produced on a regular basis. This was from a stone lime kiln in operation before 1610.

The availability, production and use of lime in Ireland was widespread. The Population Census Report of Commissioners, 1841, gives an indication of its extent by listing Lime Burner as a profession. There are 122 recorded in Leinster, 147 in Muster, 75 in Ulster and 19 in Connaught.

Argillaceous limestone quarries in Ireland operating for Portland cement production include Rialto and Ringsend.

Dylan Moor has undertaken research into the history of Portland cement manufacture in Britain and his findings can be accessed at www.cementkilns.co.uk. He confirms that the Carboniferous limestone

67 TECHNICAL FEATURE

Award winning practice delivering complex heritage projects

Photo Stafford Holmes

used at Dringah were from coastal deposits already in use for lime manufacture. Here again there are strong links between available limestone, its minerology, hydraulic lime and Portland cement. Moor describes ten cement plants in Ireland recorded as operating to varying levels, located: at Ballyconnell, Cookstown, Derrylin, Drinagh, Drogheda, Kinnegad, Limerick; with hydraulic lime produced from the Gillogue quarry stone, Platin, Rialto and Ringsend.

IMPROVING SUSTAINABILITY It is apparent that small-scale building lime production is possible and has merit. There is an opportunity for cement producers to reduce both carbon emissions and energy use by partly returning to hydraulic lime production. While the high strength, fast set and impermeability of Portland cement is required for structural reasons, it is seldom appropriate for mortars and renders. This applies to both new build and building conservation. The consequence of using Portland cement for mortars and renders, particularly in historic buildings, has been shown to be detrimental to building fabric. Its high strength, inflexibility and impermeability in the context of most mortars, plaster and renders is neither necessary nor beneficial.

Hydraulic limes can be produced with less energy consumption than Portland cement due to lower burning temperatures, less grinding and fewer additives for manufacture. In addition, lime absorbs more CO2 during set than Portland cement. Production in Britain would reduce transport distances as natural hydraulic lime is presently imported from abroad. Using the same raw material from the quarry to produce hydraulic lime instead of cement

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Above Totternhoe grey-chalk and stone quarry at excavation above stone bed showing water table for mortars and renders would be of major ecological benefit to reduce both CO2 output and energy consumption. There are currently 16 operational cement plants across the UK and Ireland manufacturing over eight million metric tons of cement a year.

RE-INTRODUCING BRITISH HYDRAULIC LIME Local hydraulic limes were used extensively in the past, forming an integral part of our built heritage, and they affect the performance and appearance of building fabric, particularly over a long period.

Traditional British hydraulic lime continued in use throughout the 20th century and was included in the British Standards until 2001.

It was omitted at this time when BS 890 was replaced by EN 459. The minerology and production methods of imported hydraulic limes are different to our own and this

Further reading The Geology of Building Stones, JA Howe, London, 1910 Medieval English Industries of the Middle Ages, LF Salzman, Oxford, 1923 Building in England down to 1540, LF Salzman, Oxford 1952 Practical Treatise on Concrete, Henry Reid, E&F Spon, London, 1869 The Limestones of Scotland, HMSO Geological Survey of Great Britain, 1948 Small-Scale Lime-burning, Michael Wingate, London, 1985 Quickening the Earth: Soil Minding and Mending in Ireland, J.F Collins, Dublin, 2008 Building with Lime, Stafford Holmes and Michael Wingate, Rugby, 2019 Geological Survey Maps, Bedrock Geology UK North and UK South 1:50,000 Series, Solid and Drift Editions, British Geological Survey, Southampton, 1864-2007 Building Limes Forum, Lime News, Vol 1, no. 2, ‘Hot Lime in a Cold Climate’; and ‘Scottish Limes’, Pat Gibbons, April 1993

www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

generally results in reduced compatibility with local building materials, and in different setting and weathering properties to those of traditional British hydraulic lime.

I strongly believe in the benefits of reintroducing British natural hydraulic lime production and promoting its widespread use – there are natural resources available, centuries of historic precedent and it could have a substantial impact on sustainability and conservation. I propose the following four actions to address the present absence of British natural hydraulic lime production and use: 1 Develop low-cost, small-scale regional hydraulic lime production in conjunction with the re-use of local materials for the appropriate conservation and repair of historic buildings.

2 Amend or re-write National Standards for building limes to include all traditional British hydraulic limes.

3 UK limestone producers and Portland cement manufacturers designate part of their quarries and re-introduce suitable plant to produce hydraulic lime for mortars and renders in place of cement for conservation, repair and new build.

4 Develop technologies to manufacture British building limes from local limestone and to an appropriate (small) scale to meet specialist demand. Production methods to include the reduction of CO2 and energy use in the process.

69

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WILLIAM MORRIS WROTE IN THE SPAB’s manifesto: ‘As good buildings age, the bond with their sites strengthens. A beautiful, interesting or simply ancient building still belongs where it stands, however corrupted that place may have become. Use and adaptation of buildings leave their marks and these, in time, we also see as aspects of the building’s integrity.’ For Morris, the accretion of the marks of time, of decay and weathering, was as significant as the marks made on the planet by mankind.

In the 21st century a designer might be appalled by the degradation of their work, but Morris celebrated the way in which all human work gently decays, reminding us of our connection to the natural world through our working of it. We take a piece of cliff, we cut, carve and polish it into the most valuable object; we site it and then we watch as the universe claims it once more

and weathers it slowly back to rock. Steel reverts to iron ore grit, brick ultimately crumbles back to dust.

However, it is possible – and desirable too – to make a great deal of our made world last much longer so that its meaning can rattle down through the ages with authenticity and energy. Bricks in Roman walls can still speak to us of life two thousand years ago, which suggests that it is a noble thing to make something last, to conserve it and to cherish it so that our children and grandchildren can experience the solemn joy of making unalloyed contact with the past through an object or a space.

Our privilege as a species is that not only can we create, but we can also maintain. We have the talent and the imagination to stave off decay; we have also the sensitivity to detect in that staving a meaning that transcends our www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

own frail mortality. In other words, by making something last we make our influence felt long after we have gone. Moreover, gentle, sympathetic repair will always assist in making the time-travel contact for future generations as flawless as possible, unclouded by heavyweight restoration or a fake invented narrative.

That phrase, gentle, sympathetic repair, is the guiding principle of Old House Handbook. Delicate, non-aggressive repair.

Attentive, informed repair. Which seems, at times, unfashionable and fussy. Why not knock down a cumbersome retail store on Oxford Street as long as we retain its facade? Or remove all that soft rubbish timber on an ancient oak beam and scrape it back to a clean hard finish? Or add just a little white cement to that lime mortar mix to get a quicker set before teatime?

The answer is because such decisions come back to haunt us. Because buildings decay faster when they are not repaired properly and their value decays faster when their narrative is not maintained honestly. Physically and spiritually, they lose the integrity that Morris wrote about.

Old House Handbook is here to help. In fact, we need this book now more than ever because the threats our buildings face are legion: hastily drafted legislation from poor-sighted governments; ragged loopholes in the planning system; a chronic decade-old undermanning of conservation departments; climate change; a hollowed-out supply chain in construction; inflation; and the newly fashionable libertarian suspicion that expertise, regulation, empirical research and scholarship should not be trusted.

By contrast, Old House Handbook is a firm and faithful declaration of trust; it sets out that invaluable and accessible scholarship, mixes it with practical guidance and introduces us to the techniques needed to look after old buildings and old artefacts.

Beyond that, it is also a joy to read because woven into its pragmatic text runs a finer thread: the subtler wisdom of conservation, thanks to the authors’ lifetime of expertise. Enjoy the pictures and savour the enlightening words.

Buy your copy at the SPAB online bookshop to make sure your purchase supports the SPAB in its fight to save old buildings.

Photo Kevin McCloud

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72

73

BUILDING IN FOCUS

St Michael’s Church, Tremain, Cardigan, Wales

Left main Exterior view Left inset Detail of the Pwntan stonework

Photo Andy Marshall

his espousal of this style and his significant work in south west Wales. It is certain though, that the creative mind behind this understated church was John Jones, an architect and poet who was known by his bardic name, ‘Talhaiarn’.

John Jones was born in Denbighshire in 1810 and trained as a joiner in his father’s firm. At 15 he was apprenticed to a firm of architects and is recognised as Wales’ first formally trained architect.

By 33, he was employed as an assistant in the architectural firm of Scott and Winter 2023 | SPAB | www.spab.org.uk

Photo Thomas, John, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A GOTHIC REVIVAL Little is known of the earlier medieval church on this site, which was a chapelry of the Aberporth parish, a possession of the Premonstratensian Talley Abbey in Carmarthenshire. An incomplete attempt to rebuild it in 1810 gave rise to the 1840s church we see now and nothing of the original fabric remains save the 12th century font. Sitting in an irregular, often mist-covered churchyard, this Gothic Revival church was one of the first in the country to be designed in adherence to the principles of the Ecclesiological Society. Some sources suggest that the prolific architect R J Withers, had a hand in the design, given

Above Carved face to the door of St Michael’s

Photo Thomas Kinghorn-Evans

It’s not the closest church or chapel to my home – in fact there are three or four nearer to me than St Michael’s in Tremain – but I can walk to it, and it never fails to inspire me.

Just north of Cardigan on the west coast of Wales, this intriguing Victorian church is often overlooked when compared to nearby medieval treasures like Eglwys y Grog in Mwnt, with its stunning sea views.

St Michael’s is nestled in a dip in a small hamlet a mile or two inland – you can’t view it from afar on a beautiful day, nor does it boast fantastic views for those standing at the porch waiting to enter.

Yet the church holds sway over me, has a dramatic atmosphere and embodies the Gothic in its style and story. For me, as a stonemason, it is the esoteric way these lichen-encrusted walls were originally crafted that keeps me coming back. At St Michael’s Church, the devil is in the detail.

Photo Andy Marshall

Thomas Kinghorn-Evans, conservator and stonemason and 2016 SPAB Fellow, celebrates St Michael’s church, which is in the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches

For me, as a stonemason, it is the esoteric way these lichen-encrusted walls were originally crafted that keeps me coming back… at St Michael’s, the devil is in the detail

Bottom John Jones, an architect and poet, who was the creative mind behind the church’s design

Moffat in London. It was during this time that he designed St Michael’s, and the influence of his employer George Gilbert Scott can be seen here. From 1851 onwards, Jones worked for Sir Joseph Paxton on Crystal Palace and on several houses for the Rothschilds. St Michael’s appears to be the only building which he designed in full.

Jones’ background as a joiner and his practical mind are tangible at St Michael’s. The masonry of the external walls is unlike any to be found elsewhere, although comparison is always made to that of Machu Picchu. I wonder what John Mason Neale, Benjamin Webb, and other members of the ecclesiological movement would have made of this? www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter 2023

One of the best examples of this jigsaw of stone can be seen on the west wall of the porch where each stone has been cut with painstaking accuracy and notched to fit its counterpart. I can only imagine that Jones’ creativity and skill as a joiner led him to insist on this distinctive pattern of stone as he made his mark as an independent architect. It certainly wasn’t to use as much of the stone as possible to save money, as some have suggested, as the additional time taken would far outweigh the material cost.

It makes me question if the stonemasons left feeling proud of their work or close to breaking point? Were they haunted by the ‘tapping’ of chisel on stone evermore like the mourner in Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven (1845)? Bitter at being repeatedly overlooked for the most prestigious prizes for poetry in Wales and citing religious and political bias as the reason, John Jones was eventually driven mad by chronic pain. He returned to his home in the north with a ‘lowness of spirit’ and later died, aged 59, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

SAVING ITS SPIRIT The church is built from one of the few freestones in Wales. An Ordovician sandstone called Pwntan, it is a finegrained mixture of cream, brown and green which darkens when wet.

Although earlier uses can be found, it was most heavily quarried in the 19th century. It is ubiquitous within a 30-mile radius of St Michael’s but rarely seen further afield, despite being highly regarded and compared to Portland limestone in its quality. So much has been written about this stone that it has gained something of a cult-like status amongst historians, geologists and masons.

St Michael’s is Grade II* listed and is under the care of the wonderful charity, Friends of Friendless Churches, which has not only saved the building but preserved its spirit. Many of the original internal fittings designed by James survive intact. At Christmas it is lit with oil lamps and candlelight for the annual carol service, and it has a magical feel, especially if you’re lucky enough to visit after a fresh snowfall. friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk/ church/st-michaels-tremain-ceredigion

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