SPAB magazine: winter 2022

THE

Rising above the ruins

The remarkable ecclesiastical work of 19th century craftswomen

REGULARS

5

Specialis tConservators

Architectur

Welcome

The cost of living is on everyone’s mind. It takes centre stage in the annual survey from the Heritage Pulse team, linked to the National Lottery Heritage Fund. While a reassuring 92% of heritage organisations see no difficulty over the next three months, only 47% are confident about their financial position over the coming year. The SPAB is helped by strong member support and a relatively high level of public sector assistance but we are also dependant on investment income and subject to inflationary pressures. Like 45% of organisations in the Heritage Pulse survey, we are actively implementing measures to deal with inflation, but extra costs will inevitably have some impact on our work. We need, and very much value, your continuing support as members.

Economic growth may offer one solution to current monetary problems, but a new report from the Historic Towns and Villages Forum has argued for a ‘better balance between heritage and growth’. From research and case studies, the report concludes that ill-considered growth in historic towns ‘can damage the very qualities which make these places valued’. The Civic Societies interviewed felt that many councillors would benefit from training about building conservation and the protection of the natural environment, and need more understanding of the value of heritage, including its economic worth. These conclusions will be of no surprise to SPAB members, but if there is a greater national emphasis on economic growth the potential for conflict with the built and natural environment will inevitably increase.

Built and natural environment campaigners have not always been easy bedfellows, despite having many common interests, but the growing need to champion sustainability may help bring greater unity. The well-mannered and influential Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has declared that if the government regulates to stimulate economic growth “nowhere will be safe”. They have told their members: “If ever nature has needed you, it’s now.” We could say the same for built heritage.

Economic and planning policy are intrinsically linked, but it remains to be seen which direction planning will now take. The idea of planning zones was dropped by government last year after popular and parliamentary concern. Now, de-regulated investment zones seem to be back on the agenda. Levelling-Up legislation, however, faces a less certain future. For the SPAB, our main interest is in the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bill’s five heritage clauses. These contain long-awaited and sensible changes, including the introduction of statutory Historic Environment Records in England. Sadly, just as the largely uncontentious National Heritage Bill of 2008 became a casualty of politics, so these much-needed heritage clauses may fall victim to governmental shifts.

SPAB STAFF

Matthew Slocombe Director

Douglas Kent Head of technical & research

Elaine Byrne Head of education & training

Christina Emerson Head of casework

Kate Streeter Head of development & communications

Margaret Daly Office manager

Shahina Begum IT manager

Jonathan Garlick Special Operations (projects & working parties)

Lucy Jacob Membership manager

Felicity Martin Communications manager

Skye Stevenson Education officer

Catherine Rose Training officer

Pip Soodeen Fellowship officer

Catharine Bull Scholarship officer

Victoria West Archive officer

Mary Henn Technical officer

David John Technical advisor

Catherine Peacock Technical & research administrator

Joanne Needham Casework officer

Elgan Jones Casework officer

Rachel Broomfield Casework officer

Merlin Lewis Casework support officer

Lucy Stewart SPAB Scotland officer

Deirdre Keeley SPAB Ireland officer

Sophie Clay Membership assistant

Louise Simson Properties list officer

Neil Faulks IT advisor

Chi-Wei Clifford-Frith Director & projects team assistant

Silvia McMenamin Mills Section administrator

EDITORIAL

Tessa Wild Editor

Felicity Martin, Douglas Kent, Matthew Slocombe

Denise Burrows Editorial assistance

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 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

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Peter Davies

E. peter@centuryone.uk

SENIOR DESIGNER

Daniel Swainsbury

E. studio@centuryone.uk

SKILLIN GTONS

Matthew Slocombe, Director

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. 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 2022

Thene wlyres toredShrineof St Amphibalusat St AlbansCathedral. Reconstructedfromsectionsof the original14thcentury onewithnew carving to fill thegaps, by Skillingtons team2019-21.

HERITAGE

AWARDS

A night to remember

We were delighted to welcome 250 people to our very first SPAB Heritage Awards ceremony at Conway Hall in London in early November.

For those who couldn’t join us in person, our national branches held lively watch parties in Glasgow and Dublin and there were almost 500 views of our livestream of the ceremony on the night.

If you missed it, you can watch the recording on our YouTube channel. Our wonderful host Kevin McCloud brought tremendous energy and warmth to the evening, as well as his long-held affection for the SPAB. In his opening remarks he said: “This evening of awards champion craft, passion, care, appreciation, romanticism, joy, education, rare skillsets, unusual dedication, the gift of knowledge, a belief in heritage. An overflowing cup of love for the past, an unquenched thirst to know where

Above The beautiful trophy bricks, handmade by Bulmer Brick & Tile

Above right Craftsperson of the Year winner Wilma Wyatt

Top A great opportunity to celebrate the sector together in person

Right Kevin McCloud, SPAB chair Nichola Tasker and director Matthew Slocombe

the future lies. These awards show the Society off in its best colours... the SPAB is small, powerful, agile and expert.”

The number and quality of the entries this year meant our judges had a challenging task before them in selecting a shortlist and then winners from the wealth of thoughtful, imaginative and ambitious projects and people who applied.

The winners of the 2022 Heritage Awards are:

The Philip Webb Award, sponsored by Terra Measurement: Michał Saniewski, Transformative Reconstruction.

Craftsperson of the Year, sponsored by Owlsworth IJP: Ronnie Douglas, conservation bricklayer (Under 30s) and Wilma Wyatt, cabinetmaker (Career Changer).

The Sustainable Heritage Award, sponsored by Keymer Handmade Tiles: No.4, Black Bull Close – the rescue of an abandoned 18th century building behind Dunbar High Street, by community-based charity The Ridge.

The John Betjeman Award: St Peter’s Church, Knowstone, Devon (England and Wales); the Honan Chapel, Cork (Ireland); Carntyne Parish Church, Glasgow (Scotland).

Left Head of education & training, Elaine Byrne, with Philip Webb Award judges Bethan Watson, Neil Pinder and Will Tunnell

Below Philip Webb Award winner Michał Saniewski

Below left Judges Sahiba Chadha and Phineas Harper

Manufacturers & Suppliersof Traditional Paints, Limewashes,LimeMortarsandPlasters

MortarAnalysisandHistoricBuildingConsultancy

HandmadeatHorchester Farm,Dorset

roseofjericho.co.uk

Best Loved, voted for by the public: Nunwick Barn in Ripon (private category) and Wentworth Woodhouse, Rotherham (public category). We were so pleased to receive over 5,600 votes for this award.

Our Esher Award – given to those who have furthered building conservation and the work of SPAB –was presented to sculptor Rory Young. We also enjoyed the presentation of our 2021 and 2022 cohorts of Scholars and Fellows, hosted by Rory Young on their travels. Rory said: “Being part of the continuum of repair and renewal in a building’s life has been humbling, inspiring and a privilege. have relished sharing my work experience with Scholars and Fellows... The value of the Scholarship and Fellowship is proven by the recipients’ subsequent careers, often in charge of our greatest historic buildings.”

Our thanks also to all who joined us, our fantastic judges, Kevin McCloud and especially to generous headline sponsors Storm Windows, and award sponsors Terra Measurement, Owlsworth IJP and Keymer Handmade Tiles.

Above The 2022 SPAB Scholars and Fellows with SPAB Fellow Alex Gibbons and Fellowship and Scholarship officers Pip Soodeen and Catharine Bull Left SPAB Scholar Marianne Suhr presented the Esher Award to Rory Young

The winners of the 2022 Heritage Awards continued

SPAB APPOINTMENTS

FROM THE CHAIR

Nichola Tasker reflects on her time as SPAB chair

At the end of December, I will step down as chair of trustees. I would like to thank the members, volunteers and staff at the SPAB for all their help and support. I am proud of the way that we have weathered the storms of the Covid-19 pandemic, continuing vital work in education, research and campaigning whilst reaching out to new audiences through an expansion of the SPAB online.

Whilst have been chair, we have also decided on a new strategic plan to address the next few years of post-pandemic challenges. This strategy (see spab.org.uk for details) builds on the best traditions of the SPAB but also defines a new era, where

we will be more visible in our efforts to combat climate change, by making clearer the links and synergies between building conservation and environmental conservation.

I was delighted to attend the inaugural SPAB Heritage Awards in November. It was wonderful to see so many young people being nominated for and winning awards, as well as having the opportunity to recognise those who have shown longterm dedication to building conservation. There was thunderous whooping and cheering from the audience, when crafts experts, our newest Scholars and Fellows and teams dedicated to building sustainability collected their awards. It warmed my heart to see such enthusiasm and passion within the SPAB which, at nearly 150 years old, is very much alive, evolving and thriving.

Reflecting on that evening and my overall time as chair, I am left in no doubt that the future of the SPAB is in safe hands not only with our new chair and my colleagues on the Trustee Board but for the next generation. Our expertise and your support in inspiring and channelling that energy and passion remains essential.

After an election, Duncan McCallum will become the SPAB’s new chair from January 2023. Duncan has recently taken early retirement from his former role as Historic England Strategy and Listing director. He is currently the SPAB’s vice chair and will succeed Nichola Tasker who has supported the Society with great energy, enthusiasm and commitment over the last two years.

iees s a annd d e essttaattees s a arroouunnd d t thhe e U UK K

Ourapproachtoheritage and restorationprojectsensuresanyinterventionisthe resultof awell-considereddesignand researchprocess,adoptedspecificallytopreserveandenhancethe buildingfabric forfuturegenerations.Our expertise covers privateestates,single buildings,andsmallermoreintricate refurbishments.Wecanoffer afullrangeof servicesfrom theinitialsiteassessments,informingfeasibilitystudiesandconceptoptionappraisalsalongsidehistorical research,analysis andultimatelyjustificationwithinstatutoryapplications.Wesupportclients at allstagesandseekto work collaboratively withprofessionalteamsandspecialistconsultants; we offer in-househistorical researchandourhistoric buildingteamhave extensiveheritageknowledge.Increasinglyour work focusesonintelligentinterventionstomaximisepotential forreduced carbon footprintandwiderconsiderationsofholisticsustainability.

Photo Ralph Hodgson/The SPAB

Nichola Tasker at the SPAB Heritage Awards

SCHOLARS

Travelling Scholars

Katie Hood, one of the four 2022 Scholars, reflects on her rich and varied experiences since March 2022.

Six months into life on the road with the SPAB – what a journey it has been so far! The Lethaby phase of the Scholarship is a magnificent marathon of meeting and learning from conservation professionals from all crafts and design roles. We have been round Great Britain twice as well as the full length of the island of Ireland and have been hosted by the wonderful and wise of the SPAB from all four corners of the Atlantic Archipelago.

Architects, engineers, surveyors, archaeologists, materials scientists, dendrochronologists, bat specialists, policy makers, fundraisers, civil service advisors, homeowners, clergy, joiners, carpenters, timber framers, thatchers, roofers, slate makers, lime burners, blacksmiths, plasterers, masons, bricklayers, stone/plaster/paint conservators, stained and plain glazing

specialists, millwrights, signwriters, rope access conservators, tile makers, faience and terracotta producers (my apologies, I’m sure I will have omitted many), all working to use their skills to protect our built heritage. The sheer breadth of the sector is mind boggling and the phrase – ‘you don’t know how much you don’t know’ – comes to mind often. Six months of discussing the various types and properties of lime mortar and render

and I still have questions! Something I will definitely take from the scholarship is that, however good you are, you can’t know it all and a project will only be as good as the crossdisciplinary team put together to tackle it. We need to do everything in our power to ensure that all members of that team have a voice in discussions.

In some ways the scholarship feels like sitting at a table of strangers at

St Augustine’s Church, Broxbourne

Above Jacob preparing stones for dry stone walling in Cumbria with BlackettOrd Conservation

Far left Making earth bricks with Stick in the Mud Conservation in Scotland

Left Sinéad preparing slates for traditional roofing in Sheffield with Richard Jordan

A PA SSIO N FORHER ITAG E

SallyStracheyHistoric ConservationLtd

close friend’s wedding. A rapid introduction to a group of pre-vetted individuals who are interesting, interested and very happy to talk and even have a heated debate or two over dessert. We have been amazed at the level of openness and honesty we have encountered on our journey. This has made it clear to me how essential it is to reflect and share. We are not always going to get it right, especially when we face the new and ever-changing challenges of the sector. The more we share what we learn from our failures, the faster we can get to the best solutions for the buildings and the heritage they hold.

We are now in our Plunket Scholarship phase. This involves nine more weeks of travelling with fellow scholars to beautiful and fascinating buildings, tricky conservation problems and ingenious solutions, debates and discussions. Getting to share the scholarship with three other design professionals/building nerds/ wonderful humans has been a fantastic part of the experience. Their energy and enthusiasm and inquiry have been inspiring at every turn and I have learned so much from each of them. The shared joy we have in historic buildings is a powerful bond that I hope to find and build with colleagues and in collaborations going forward.

DetailfromThe ColquhounChapel,BrookwoodCemetery:During2019SSHCundertooka fullprogramme of conservationcleaning, repairs, replacementmasonry, re-plasteringand fabrications–internalandexternal.

Katie Hood, engineer, 2022 SPAB Scholar

Taking notes on site at Thomastown Court House, Ireland with Old Builders

Katie at the sound mirrors in Dungeness, Kent with English Heritage and the RSPB

Above Scholars with Stafford Holmes, carrying out repairs and test firing of a demonstration kiln at the Centre for Alternative Technologies in Wales

MEMBERSHIP

Share Your Love of Old Buildings

Ideal for anyone who loves old buildings, membership of the SPAB is a gift that lasts all year.

Membership includes a welcome pack full of SPAB goodies, access to our online members’ area and four copies of our quarterly magazine. It’s a thoughtful and attractive gift that also helps to support our charitable work to protect old buildings, now and for the future.

Individual membership is £53, or if the recipient is under 30, it’s just £31 a year.

Our last posting date before Christmas is Monday 19 December. But don’t worry if you miss the deadline. Order membership online and we’ll immediately send you a digital certificate you can email or print out for the gift recipient.

They’ll then receive their welcome pack in the post when our office reopens in the New Year.

Order online at https://www.spab. org.uk/get-involved/become-amember or give our membership team a call on 020 7456 0901

SPAB APPOINTMENTS

Welcome to the SPAB’s new Guardians

Each year the Guardians’ election generates a strong response, and we are grateful to all who put their names forward to assist the Society. An impressive field of candidates competed for the four spaces available on the Casework, Education & Training, and Technical & Research committees. We would like to thank not only those who stood for election, but also all those who took the trouble to vote.

Previously a member and a chair of our Technical Panel, Louise Bainbridge, a historic buildings specialist architect and SPAB Scholar joins the Casework Committee. Liberty Watts, our recent 2021 Scholar, is passionate about sharing her love for historic buildings with students and will be joining the Education & Training Committee. The

two gaps on the Technical & Research Committee are filled by Andrew Coles, an associate director at Julian Harrap Architects, who has wide experience working on high-profile conservation projects, and Charles Wagner, who formerly served as vice chair. After a year’s break, Charles rejoins us with a mission to promote and demonstrate the role of historic buildings conservation in the climate emergency.

In addition Georgia Cristea, a conservation architect with experience in communications gained

while working with the Traditional Paint Forum, will join the Advocacy committee.

John Copping, an engineer who has worked with the SPAB on numerous occasions, including recent support with casework for the Mills section, has decided to further commit further time and expertise by serving on the Mills committee.

We thank all outgoing Guardians for their contributions and enthusiasm during their term. We look forward to working with our new intake of expert volunteers.

Main

Above Liberty Watts, new member of the Education & Training Committee

SEASONAL MAINTENANCE

Surviving the winter weather

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

HOW CAN I REDUCE FROST AND SNOW DAMAGE TO A BUILDING? Clear roofs of moss and keep rainwater fittings clear. If your property has valley gutters they will need to be cleared of snow to prevent melt water rising above them and causing

damp internally. Ensure that salt is not spread onto the bottoms of walls when paths and roads alongside are gritted. 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 through 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 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.

Photo Craig Cooper, Unsplash

Extending the reach of the Scholarship

We are excited to establish a new partnership with Birmingham City University, Conservation and Heritage in Practice. For the first time during their programme SPAB Scholars visited the campus to meet students studying Architecture, Interior Architecture and Design and Design Management. We are always keen to connect with young people – especially those interested in pursuing a career in construction, building crafts and architecture – and extend the reach of the SPAB Scholarship.

Our 2022 Scholars Katie, Serena,

DAMPNESS

Newjoint position statement

A Joint Position Statement –Investigation of moisture and its effects on traditional buildings: Principles and competencies was launched in September 2022 by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Historic England and the Property Care Association. This document has also been supported by Cadw, Historic Environment Scotland, Historic Environment Division Northern Ireland, the SPAB, and the Institute of Historic Building Conservation.

The Joint Position Statement recognises that traditional solid walled buildings are not the same as modern buildings and should not be expected to perform in the same way. An observation of moisture in an old building should not immediately be identified as a ‘problem’ that requires fixing. At the point of purchase in particular, but not solely at this time,

post-graduate courses. The group enjoyed a guided tour of the canals, and as an exercise they carried out a measurement and condition survey of a 19th century canal keeper’s cottage on the campus which has fallen into disuse.

Katriona Byrne, course director, said: “This programme was designed as a diversity excellence measure, and it was brilliant to see our students being mentored by the SPAB Scholars and their engagement with this evocative site. It is hoped many will go on to work in the historic environment with a greater awareness and appreciation for it, in the belief that they can make a contribution.”

PROJECT UPDATE

News from our Old House Project

During the autumn, the Old House Project (OHP) at St Andrew’s, Boxley in Kent has moved into its next major phase. With roof and chimney repairs complete, land cleared and a new entrance created, we have begun to implement the major works permitted by our main planning and listed building consents. These works have been overseen by our architects Mal Fryer and George Hodgson (both SPAB Scholars), supported by various consultants including structural engineer Ed Morton, sustainability adviser Paul Mallion of Kent-based Conker Conservation, and mechanical and electrical services engineers PCS Consulting Services.

consumers are under a lot of pressure and dealing with mortgage lenders and professional advisors can be fraught with concern about following rules and procedures. Many people are not always able to differentiate between sales tactics and impartial advice.

For decades, the scenario has often been that a mortgage valuer or surveyor has made a comment about ‘moisture’ which is then followed by a recommendation to get an inspection by a ‘damp specialist’. The subsequent inspection will invariably lead to a diagnosis of ‘rising damp’ and a quote for remedial damp-proofing work, usually costing a considerable sum of money. The Joint Position Statement establishes a set of competencies and principles that should be used to determine how to define and treat moisture in old buildings. If a surveyor or contractor fails to follow the Joint

Position Statement, the consumer should ask for the report to done again. The content of the report should be expected to justify any recommendations made and it should lead to an approach which is sensitive to the long-term life of the building. If dissatisfied, the consumer can make a complaint should the issue remain unresolved. The RICS Home Survey Standard 2019 provides mandatory requirements for all RICS members and RICS regulated firms and reports are expected to be detailed and impartial and should not contain long lists of ‘further investigations’.

The approach of the Joint Position Statement is based on understanding how moisture moves within old buildings and that buildings should be looked after to the highest possible standard. It will ultimately benefit buildings, their owners and the wider environment.

Owlsworth IJP has been appointed as conservation builders for this next phase, after competitive tendering, with Dan Winch as its foreman. Jonny Garlick remains the SPAB’s lead staff member for the project, supported by a team of volunteers, including local residents Chris Muffet and Mark Murthwaite-Price.

Remaining work includes carpentry to the timber-framed eastern range, completion of joinery repairs to windows and doors begun by specialists and volunteers during the 2022 Working Party week, and pointing and sheltercoating of stonework using feebly hydraulic chalk-lime produced in our on-site kiln. Most importantly though, phase one will include structural repairs to the building’s bulging west wall. This is St Andrew’s most significant remaining repair issue and once the work is completed in 2023 we hope Historic England will feel the house is ready to be removed from its national At Risk Register. It was with Historic England’s financial assistance that the preparatory work for the west wall’s structural repair was undertaken.

We remain hugely grateful to the Pilgrim Trust, as our principal funder, and to the Architectural Heritage Fund whose loan is supporting the project until the building can be sold – we hope in 2024. Although the repair project has

now become more conventional in terms of contracts and management, education and promotion are fully integrated and remain fundamental to our objectives. Autumn 2022 has seen the site open each Wednesday for courses and group and local visiting. We

Above Group visit, summer 2022

Left Door repair in progress

plan for this to be a feature of the project during all remaining works. In October we hosted a visit to the site by the Wealden Buildings Study Groups whose expertise helped improve our understanding of the building’s phasing and constructional details.

The OHP has allowed new links to be forged by the SPAB – particularly with archaeological groups – but landscaping will offer us further opportunities. This autumn we have been working with hedge layer and partnership officer at Medway Valley Countryside Partnership, Derek Whitehead, who has been helping to consolidate and improve the site’s boundaries. His expertise has also been integrated into our education programme.

Photo Amal Badr

Left Students and Scholars investigating the former canalkeeper’s cottage Photo

Photo Matthew Slocombe

Jacob and Sinéad led a two-day workshop with architecture and design students from undergraduate and

COURSES & EVENTS

We’re adding new courses and events all the time so visit the What’s On section of our website for more information. To receive regular updates about our new courses and events direct to your inbox, sign up:

www.spab.org.uk/whatson.

Good Housekeeping: caring for your old building’s historic fittings, fixtures and furnishings

PAY-TO-VIEW WEBINAR

Date: Register now for access until end February 2023

Price: £40 per person £18 per person - students

Photographing Old Buildings: an appreciation of textures, details, space and light ONLINE WORKSHOP

Date: April - June 2023

Price: £105 per person

Our popular old building photography online workshop returns in spring 2023. Whether you photograph old buildings for work projects or leisure, this four-step workshop is an opportunity to receive professional guidance on techniques and composition to develop your appreciation of the space and light within 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. The workshop assumes familiarity with a digital SLR or mirrorless camera and photography basics. Certificates of attendance for CPD purposes are available on request.

This winter, we have re-released the recordings from the hugely popular SPAB/Icon 2021-22 Good Housekeeping webinars to watch on demand for a limited time. The talks, presented by experts from Trusted Conservators, focus on regular care (with tips on checking condition, spotting problems, protective and preventative measures) to slow deterioration, safe cleaning techniques, materials and tools. The presentations focus on historic and vintage elements and objects, but the principles are also relevant to more contemporary fixtures and contents.

The presentations from the recorded webinars cover: Agents of Change

(covering the wide range of biological, physical and chemical threats to interiors); Hard and Soft Surfaces (including floors, ceramics and decorative stone, metals, windows and mirrors, carpets and rugs, curtains and upholstery); Paper (prints and drawings, wallpaper); Painted Surfaces and Paintings. The total learning time provided by these presentations is just over six hours. You will receive the recording links upon registration, and you can stop and return to the recordings anytime during the access period (end February 2023).

An Introduction to Plain Lime Plastering

Date: 21 - 22 April 2023

Venue: Heritage Skills Centre (National Trust), Coleshill Home Farm, near Swindon Price: £495 per person

Bursaries available

This popular, practical course covers the mixing and application of lime plaster to lath, masonry and modern substrates, which includes pricking up and base coats, float coats and setting coats. It provides a brief introduction to running a cornice in-situ. Ideally, course participants should have practical plastering skills, and experienced plasterers used to working in gypsum will particularly benefit from the course. We also welcome anyone interested in learning about plain lime plastering for their home or old building(s) under their care. The tutors are knowledgeable lime plasterers with decades of onsite experience. Bursaries, generously provided by the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers, are available.

The Repair of Old Buildings Course

Date: 22 - 26 May 2023

Venue: Museum of the Home, London

Price: £885 per person

Bursaries available

The SPAB’s flagship course, run since the 1950s, will be taking place in London in spring 2023. Run over five days, the Repair Course delivers an intensive programme of lectures and visits to building repair projects. Presented by leading building conservation professionals, this popular course considers British and international approaches to the conservation of old buildings. The SPAB philosophy of repair and maintenance – established by William Morris in 1877 – underpins the course programme of case studies, presentations and site visits. The course welcomes students and professionals interested in deepening their understanding of old buildings, and who may be interested in developing work in this area.

An Introduction to Ornamental Lime Plastering

Date: 9 - 10 June 2023

Venue: Heritage Skills Centre (National Trust), Coleshill Home Farm, near Swindon Price: £495 per person

Bursaries available

This course is ideal for people with plastering experience, and particularly working plasterers who are keen to expand their skill base. Working in a small group with three experienced tutors, this two-day course will include a demonstration of making a running mould and provide a practical introduction to running a cornice in-situ and forming external and internal mitres. There will also be instruction on casting and fixing enrichments as well as running fibrous plasterwork formed ‘on the bench’. Bursaries, generously provided by the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers, are available.

Photo Ralph Hodgson

Photo

Rik Hopkinson, Unsplash

Photo Mitchell Luo, Unsplash

Photo The SPAB

Photo Ralph Hodgson

Photo The SPAB

Repair course participation site visit

COURSES & EVENTS

REGIONAL GROUP EVENTS

SPAB Somerset: Talk on Apotropaic Marks and Historic Graffiti by Brian Hoggard

Date: 21 or 22 January 2023, TBC

Venue: Muchelney Abbey, Langport

Price: TBC

By kind permission of English Heritage at Muchelney Abbey, the SPAB Somerset Group plans to hold a talk on apotropaic marks and historic graffiti by Brian Hoggard at the end of January, most likely 21 January. Please email SPAB Somerset to be put on the list for further information: somerset@spab.org.uk

SPAB BBO Group: Visit to Shotover Park

Date: Wednesday 26 April 2023

Venue: Shotover Park, Shotover Estate, Wheatley, Oxfordshire

Price: £20 (includes tea/coffee and cake)

A rare opportunity to visit the privatelyowned 18th century house and garden at Shotover Park. Our BBO Group plans to visit the country house, which is Grade I-listed, in April 2023. The tour will include discussions around the energy efficiency measures introduced to the house, including a water-source heat pump and a ground-source heat pump. More details will be available via the SPAB website and the BBO Group’s emailing list in due course, or contact our membership team to be notified when bookings open: membership@spab.org.uk, 020 7456 0901

SPAB Essex: Visit to ‘Jumbo’ Water Tower, Colchester

Date: Saturday 25 March 2023, starting at 11am

Venue: ‘Jumbo’ Water Tower, Colchester

Price: TBC

The SPAB Essex Regional Group has arranged a visit to the redundant water tower in Colchester, affectionately known as ‘Jumbo’. The Grade II*-listed Jumbo is the largest remaining Victorian water tower in Britain, and an increasingly rare example of one in an original condition. Built in 1882-83 and 105 ft (32 m) high, the

SPAB Devon: A Return Visit to Trelaske Water Mill, Lewannick and Merchant’s House, Launceston, Cornwall

Date: Saturday 11 March 2023, starting at 10am

Venue: Trelaske Mill, Lewannick, Launceston

Price: £10

After a fully attended day at Trelaske Water Mill and Merchant’s House in Launceston in September, SPAB in Devon has arranged a return visit in March 2023

top of ‘Jumbo’ is reached by a metal spiral staircase of 157 steps. Sensible footwear will be required and gloves are advised.

The tower has been disused for more than 35 years and a local charity has recently been awarded a grant for repurposing the structure. This is an opportunity to visit the structure before work commences.

It should be noted that a reasonable degree of physical fitness will be required.

Please register on the SPAB website or ring the membership office on 020 7456 0901

for members who were unable to book a place.

Trelaske Water Mill is no longer a working mill but contains the original machinery. The owners will give us a tour of the building in the morning. In the afternoon, we will split into two groups. One will be given a conducted tour of the Merchant’s House by the owner, SPAB member and surveyor David Scott, the other a guided tour of the historic town by the town archivist. Please register on the SPAB website or ring the membership office on 020 7456 0901

TheMortonPartnership is anawardwinning Practice specialisinginthe conservation of historic buildings and structures,providing low-cost minimuminterventionschemes,using traditionalmaterials

Founded in 1966wehaveaportfolio in excess of 22,000ProjectsNationwideand abroad.Ourextensive ClientList includes domestic,corporateand commercial Clients, withProjects of allsizes.

We offera bespokeservice to our Clientsrangingfrompreliminarysurveys and reportsthroughtothe designand overseeing of largescalerenovationprojects, many of whichinclude new-build additions as partofascheme.

info@themortonpartnership.co.uk

SUFFOLKOFFICE: Brunel House NorwichRoad Halesworth SuffolkIP198HX

LONDONOFFICE: OldTimberYardHouse 55TheTimberYard Drysdale Street LondonN16ND

ESSEXOFFICE: 8ChurchStreet Coggeshall Essex CO61TU

CASEWORK CAMPAIGNING

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 the key ways the SPAB campaigns for the future of historic buildings.

2 CHURCH COTTAGES, WESTMILL, BUNTINGFORD, HERTFORDSHIRE, SG9 9LT

Given the unassuming and largely featureless exterior, it would be easy to miss the signs of the early origins and importance of No 2 Church Cottages. Set back from the road and located in the Westmill conservation area, the building is believed to date from the 17th century, or possibly earlier. Under the roughcast exterior there are significant remains of the timber frame, parts of which are clearly visible in the interior.

The SPAB was notified of an application for listed building consent for the demolition of the rear single storey addition and construction of a two storey and part single storey rear extension, window alterations and replacement windows to the front elevation, and removal of a ground floor cupboard and walls. While the Society would welcome the refurbishment of the property, we were unable to support the application and registered an objection to it.

A Heritage Statement had been submitted with the application, but this was found to be somewhat wanting as it did not provide an assessment of the building’s significance or even establish the age and significance of those parts affected by the proposals. It was impossible therefore to fully understand the potential impact of the proposals on the historic asset’s significance. Based on the limited information provided, the Society believed that the proposals would be likely to cause harm as a result of losses and alteration to the historic fabric and plan form. We were also concerned about the impact that the proposed rear extension would have on the building’s appearance, form, and interest as a vernacular cottage.

The Society’s concerns related to parts of the building that are currently visible but also those that are not (about which very little information was provided). The Society warned that, without a full understanding of the existing building, there was a high risk that important historic fabric and significance could be lost. We advised, for example, that it would be essential to know if any timber frame and infill survives in the rear wall as the proposed extension would likely require truncation of the frame, resulting in both loss of significant historic fabric and possible structural issues.

The proposed scheme also included some attempted restoration, namely returning the window apertures and joinery to a perceived earlier form. However, there appear to be some historic window frames remaining and, as with many of the works proposed, the plans to alter the existing apertures (to ‘restore them back to their original sizes’) lacked clear and convincing justification. The Society also advised that, even if there is evidence of former window configurations, this alone is not justification for returning elements of a building back to an arbitrary point in its history.

The SPAB advised that the application should either be withdrawn or refused. The local authority subsequently refused listed building consent, evidencing our advice in its decision.

Joanne Needham

LONDON’S CUSTOM HOUSE

Christina Emerson

Some readers may be aware of the recent and widely publicised case concerning London’s Custom House. A long campaign by the Georgian Group and SAVE Britain’s Heritage resulted in a public inquiry and, ultimately, in a decision by the Planning Inspector conducting the inquiry that plans to convert and extend the building into an upmarket hotel complex should be refused. What readers may not be aware of is the Society’s behind the scenes involvement in the more technical aspects of the case.

David Laing, a pupil of Sir John Soane and Surveyor of HM Customs, was responsible for the initial construction and design of the Grade I-listed Custom House, completed in 1817. The finished building was much admired, only to partially collapse in 1824 due to poor piling by an inadequately supervised contractor. Robert Smirke then stepped in to rectify the problem. The external appearance is still essentially the same today, and the floorplan survives relatively unaltered, so the building has considerable significance as a rare surviving purpose-built office space.

The Custom House is of particular interest structurally as a rare and early example of the experimental use of structural iron and fireproofing when re-built by Smirke. The proposals had significant structural implications which the SPAB was particularly well placed to comment on, as the only National Amenity Society with a strong focus on technical advice. We were grateful to be able to call on the considerable expertise of structural engineer and SPAB volunteer Andrew Turner in

formulating our advice. While we thought that the structural engineering report was generally reasonable, we said that we would expect it to be more robust in assessing the implications of the proposed change of use from offices to a hotel. Under the Building Regulations, this is defined as ‘a material change of use’ and means that the existing structure will need to comply with all aspects of Part A of the Building Regulations. This requirement means that often, a softer, conservationbased approach is not possible, and this can lead to a much greater level of structural intervention than was first expected. This aspect was not discussed in the structural engineer’s report.

We also said that the foundation strategy for the new east wing required further clarification. This proposed to reuse the existing underpinning as the foundation to the new concrete frame and while, in principle, this approach is a sensible one in conservation engineering terms, the report gave the impression that the proposals would not be detrimental structurally. Given the historic importance of the existing underpins, we said that we would expect to see a much greater level of detail demonstrating the proposed strategy was appropriate and explaining the impact of the proposals on the listed fabric. The local authority welcomed our advice and we were subsequently pleased to be able to assist the Georgian Group and local authority in their preparations for the public enquiry by providing further detailed comment on the robustness of the appellant’s structural intervention and mechanical and electrical services narrative.

We were delighted when the Planning Inspectorate rejected the highly controversial plans, citing among other reasons that ‘alterations to accommodate a viable use would lead to an unacceptable loss of significance’.

Photograph:Charlie JC hichester

THE ROYAL CLARENCE HOTEL, EXETER – UPDATE

Rachel Broomfield

In October 2016 a severe fire broke out in No 18 Cathedral Yard, Exeter. The fire travelled through the upper floors of the adjacent properties, Nos 16 and 17 (The Well House) and into the Royal Clarence Hotel and the former Exeter Bank, where it caused devasting damage. Significant sections collapsed including part of the front elevation, and further fabric had to be removed to stabilise the surviving walls.

This sensitive site is in the heart of Exeter within the central conservation area. It faces the Cathedral, and is surrounded by listed buildings and a scheduled monument. The site consists of five Grade II-listed buildings, which appear to be separate but which all formed part of the hotel complex.

Immediately after the fire we made contact and offered help and support. Although our offer was not taken up, Historic England was heavily involved. In the Winter 2017 edition of this magazine we reported on the damage and the initial application to repair the buildings and create a 74 bedroom hotel with a roof terrace. Despite our reservations, consent was granted and work commenced in 2018. However, it ceased in September 2019.

In August 2020 the site was sold to a new owner and, following extensive discussions, a new scheme was proposed as a hotel was no longer considered to be viable (in the meantime permission had been granted for another hotel nearby). The current application seeks to rebuild the historic façade, form 23 flats with the addition of a new floor at roof level, and introduce a restaurant and pub in what was The Well House on the ground floor.

We assessed these proposals in April 2022 and, although happy with the principle of residential use, we felt the accommodation was very densely packed. We suggested fewer, larger flats to reduce internal subdivision. We were also concerned by the lack of technical information in relation to the proposed insertion of a steel supporting frame and to the repair of the timber frames in The Well House.

The proposals included the demolition of a section of the former Exeter Bank, which was very badly damaged and thought to be structurally unstable. Some justification was given for its demolition, but we considered that this was not sufficient to offset the harm caused by its loss. However, following the submission of additional information we agreed that, although the partial demolition of a listed building should always be a last resort, in this case it was accepted that this section was beyond repair. Some indicative details of the proposed supporting steel frame and piling have also now been provided, but we would still like to see more comprehensive drawings.

Nos 16 and 17 date from the 16th/17th century, but the survival of the timber frames is better than expected – the fire even uncovered unknown decoration. These buildings require very sensitive treatment to ensure as much of this historic

fabric is retained as possible. Currently we do not consider that enough detail has been provided and we have advised that we do not think this should be left to conditions. We hope these proposals can soon be granted consent so the repairs can begin and a new lease of life given to this important site in the heart of the city.

ST ASAPH CATHEDRAL, DENBIGHSHIRE

Elgan Jones

St Asaph has one of the smallest cathedrals in the UK. Sitting above the banks of the river Elwy in North Wales, the cathedral was founded in 1143. Throughout its turbulent history it has undergone phases of rebuilding, particularly following the damage caused during the Owain Glyndwr uprising and the Civil War.

The cathedral was rebuilt in the Decorated style in the 14th century but remains architecturally a parish church, and a heavily restored one. The restorations have resulted in an exterior with a picturesquely random selection of building materials, as if the masons were encouraged to use whatever came to hand. Hence the white, red and grey stonework, the rough and smooth ashlar dressings and the west wall so chequer-boarded one could play on it. Some sources suggest that this design was influenced by military works being undertaken at Caernarfon Castle which includes a striking banded finish to the masonry.

The SPAB was recently consulted on a proposal to repair and replace the masonry on the western elevation of the cathedral. Some of the early building works by Bishop Hugh (1235-40) survive across the gable and within chamfered buttresses on the west front of the building. The condition of the fabric varies across this elevation with large areas of the masonry, particularly the locally quarried purple sandstone, heavily weathered and delaminating. The exact cause of the deterioration is unclear and is currently attributed to the cementitious pointing mortar and the reaction from the runoff of limestone and sandstone which sit in close proximity. Given the significance of the masonry and the extent of stone replacements proposed across the elevation, the case was reviewed at a recent Casework Committee meeting. We acknowledged the deterioration, and that an intervention was required to address any further loss of fabric. However, it was felt that the proposals needed to be underpinned by research, trials, and testing to understand the factors contributing to the decline and avoid unnecessary loss of early 14th century masonry. We said so in our letter of advice and hope to work closely with the diocese to assist with the conservation challenges of the west front.

Photo John Armagh

The building before the fire

Photo Helen Iwanczuk

Photo Sinéad Scullion

Photo The SPAB

Viewed from Exeter Cathedral’s roof in September

The site in 2017

Saving a Plantagenet Manor House

THE DEATH OF HISTORICAL

novelist Hilary Mantel this year came shortly after the accession of King Charles III. The smooth transition between monarchs, in the current era, contrasts strongly with the power struggles Mantel noted in her Wolf Hall series. She describes vividly how Henry VIII and his adviser Thomas Cromwell were on high alert to the potential threat from the ‘Old

Families’– with Plantagenet connections – especially the Poles. Sir Nicholas Carew, despite being an old friend of Henry VIII’s, was executed in 1539, for his alleged involvement in the Exeter Plot, linked to the Poles. In the more recent past, the relationship between the Crown and the CarewPoles has become entirely cordial. Sir John Carew-Pole (1902-93) was a page boy at King George V’s coronation in

1911. He also had a formal role at Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, apologising in a letter of 7 June of that year, to SPAB deputy chairman, the Earl of Euston (later Duke of Grafton), that he had been ‘pretty busy...with rehearsals’.

THE SPAB’S FIRST INVOLVEMENT Correspondence between Sir John Carew-Pole and the SPAB had begun

in July 1952 when Sir John’s agents had written asking for help with Shute Barton (known as Shute), an ancient house near Axminster on the DevonDorset border. They drew the SPAB’s attention to the building’s ‘bad state of repair’ and their need for help. The house had been featured in two editions of Country Life during the previous year but neither the Office of Works or the National Trust had been able to provide assistance.

Disappointed that the Office of Works could not help, in early 1953 the SPAB’s committee offered to send a representative from one of its favoured firms to make an inspection.

David Nye was approached and asked his assistant, the young SPAB Scholar Janet Locke, to accompany him for the preparation of a report in March 1953. Their report was submitted the next month and concluded that the repair costs would be around £5000-6000. This was far more encouraging than the Ministry of Works’ previous estimate of £17,000. David Nye felt there was hope for Shute: “The

countryside is popular, the site is fairly close to the sea, and the house could either be used as a dwelling or a small guest house.”

FINANCING AMBITIOUS PLANS

A sympathetic occupant with funds was needed and the SPAB saw a potential solution in the form of the American novelist Ruth Mitchell, who wished to support the repair of an English building as a memorial to her son who had been killed at the battle of El-Alamain. She herself had been involved in World War II as one of the few female members of the controversial Chetnik resistance fighting the Nazis in the Balkans. She later said she had been accepted because she could “ride just about anything on four legs” and was ready “to die like a man”. She was captured by the Gestapo and “starved, tortured and beaten... [teaching her] the heights of courage to which the human soul can reach”. In 1953 – when she was involved with Shute – Mitchell wrote a book about her brother

Matthew Slocombe discusses the vital role the SPAB played in securing the future of Shute Barton in the 1950s, when it was in need of significant repairs and new ownership

Above Shute Barton in the late 1950s

Above right Shute Gatehouse in 1950

Photo Edgar Hyman / SPAB archive

Photo

General Bill Mitchell who had set up the US Airforce during World War I but who had been later court martialled in 1925 for criticising the US military after a fatal crash involving its first airship. Negotiations between the SPAB and Miss Mitchell, over help for Shute, reached an advanced stage but plans eventually fell through. The SPAB then contemplated taking the house into its own care through its Ancient Buildings Trust, but decided it was over-committed with other projects and had to look for other solutions.

That the SPAB was trying hard to secure the house’s future prompted Sir John’s personal involvement in the correspondence. After the interruptions of the coronation, he wrote in October 1953, of his worry for the “old Plantagenet house” and felt it “a disaster if it was allowed to become

which could be acquired with a substantial legacy left to them for this purpose. Important houses and land seen on this tour included Trerice, Cornwall (acquired by the National Trust that year), Countisbury Head, Exmoor (also acquired) and Cantonteign Barton, Dartmoor (not acquired and still privately owned). Shute was among this significant group of sites under consideration for Woodward help. Lord Euston and Eddy Sackville-West were invited to join the tour and stayed at Port Elliot and possibly visited the Carew-Poles at Anthony House, Cornwall before seeing Shute. Following the tour, Lord Euston wrote to his friend Lady Betty Burder of the Manor at Swinbrook (the Cotswolds village where the Mitford sisters had grown up) advising her that he felt the house had “enormous charm”. She replied “Dearest Hugh, you are an old tempter... I agree with you it is an absolute gem’, but whether she wished to live there was ‘rather doubtful” since she feared she would be too isolated in the depths of Devon. Shute was a gem because of its age, history and unaltered character. The house had 13th century origins and had passed through the hands of Lady Jane Grey’s family. It was with the Poles by the late 16th century. They built an impressive gatehouse and later in 1787, Sir John William de la Pole constructed a new country house nearby to succeed the old manor, sparing it from substantial change. The two Country Life articles of 1951 show the beautiful ancient building standing empty and rather forlorn.

SETBACKS AND PROGRESS

a ruin”. The gutters were leaking and some of the lead had been stolen from the roof. He consequently offered it to the ‘National Trust or SPAB’. The two organisations had active discussions about how they might help, with Lord Euston playing a central role.

In August 1953, the National Trust organised a short tour of the South West known as the ‘Woodward Tour’. Their aim was to identify an important ‘beauty spot’ or major country house

By mid-1954 all parties, including the SPAB, agreed that finding someone to take on a repairing lease was essential. The SPAB was an active match-maker for buildings-in-need during this period and saw a new prospect in Miss Olive Tremayne Miles. There was no doubt that she was sufficiently intrepid and had the necessary fortitude; she was said to have been lost in China for two years, and she had also gained a pilot’s licence and worked in French

Left Courtyard elevation following repair by David Nye and the SPAB, late 1950s

Above Article from The Daily Telegraph, 1950s

Below Shute Barton in 1950

army hospitals during World War I. She was very interested in Shute, but by August 1954 requested an urgent update from Lord Euston because she had “seen another house I am interested to buy”. She too eventually fell by the wayside and it became necessary for the SPAB to draw on its well-established relationship with Country Life for help in seeking a tenant or purchaser for Shute. Often this arrangement worked very successfully but on this occasion the publicity back-fired when the Daily Mail picked up the story. They publicised the tenancy without making clear the repairing obligation. Sir John Carew-Pole’s agent, aptly named Major Courage, was annoyed by the flood of poorly-informed enquiries that followed. The National Trust, rather than the SPAB, was blamed for giving out misleading information to the Daily Mail but their property officer was unrepentant. He told the SPAB that he had not apologised to Sir John because “I don’t think my apology is called for”. Instead, he blamed Major Courage for giving imprecise details to the newspaper.

Despite this hiccup, the National Trust remained actively interested in finding a solution for Shute and by November 1954 was calculating

whether, with its Woodward funds and a top up from the Ministry of Works, a rescue package might be possible.

A HAPPY SOLUTION IN SIGHT

The breakthrough came in 1956. A deal was struck where, if someone approved by the National Trust would take on a 99-year lease, it would pay for repairs from its Woodward Fund, based on the figures submitted by David Nye, and Sir John would sell the National Trust the freehold. Although there was a public announcement to this effect, all was not entirely well behind the scenes. Sir John’s agents had identified a tenant who they considered suitable, Mr & Mrs Buncher who were returning to live in England from South Africa. History repeated itself and they also pulled out and in January 1957, Sir John wrote to Lord Euston expressing his concern that the National Trust might now divert its funds elsewhere. In October 1957 the National Trust had a difficult meeting with Sir John and told the SPAB that, “Clearly Sir John is seriously out of pocket and longs to be rid of this house”. Sir John, it seems, wanted more than the £7500 the National Trust had offered for the freehold, but proposed that if more money was forthcoming he would use the excess as an endowment for the house. The National Trust rejected his proposal and was also concerned that a fixed ground rent would eventually leave them “out of pocket due to inflation”. Despite this, a deal remained possible and the SPAB continued to seek potential tenants, identifying a strong prospect in Patrick Rice of Bradbourne, Kent who had been a SPAB member for 32 years. A solution seemed within sight until Rice too wrote with regret in April 1958 that, due to an unexpected change of circumstances, “Shute Barton is off as far as we are concerned…”. Finally, in 1959 a true breakthrough came when Patrick Rice renewed his interest. Monica Dance of the SPAB wrote to ‘Mr Heritage’ of the Historic Buildings Council stating that “I see no reason why the arrangement should not go forward”. Rice and his wife were

Shute was a gem because of its age, history and unaltered character

Photo Edgar Hyman / SPAB archive

Photo E.M. Gardner / SPAB archive

Photo SPAB archive

installed at Shute by April 1960. Monica Dance wrote congratulating him and asked for permission for the SPAB Scholar Richard Slawson, who was “particularly promising”, to come and stay. They also discussed Patrick Rice’s former church at Bradbourne in Kent where work was being carried out by Duncan Wylson. Mrs Dance said: “I have no knowledge of his work...[but] we must assume that he will be sympathetically inclined... I will nevertheless, keep a watch.”

Back at Shute, with repairs completed for the National Trust by Nye, and with Rice safely installed, the file was closed for nearly two decades. It then re-opened in 1977, when Patrick Rice wrote again hoping for the SPAB’s help in finding a new tenant for the remaining 32 years of his lease. He commented that, “We shall be sorry enough to go but have had a good innings”. The Rices had entertained ‘many and various visitors’ including historian A.L. Rowse who had brought them a copy of his memoir about his Cornish childhood. Visitors to Shute had even included the Dances, who had brought with them Miss Jocelyn Baber, who helped establish the SPAB’s Baber Fund for emergency works. Whilst at Shute they had discussed with the Rices ways of ‘stopping the penetrating rain’ at the

house. Patrick Rice wished the SPAB success with its 1977 centenary celebrations saying that its 100 years were “a splendid record of achievement”. As Scholar Richard Slawson had been one of the first people in their visitors’ book they felt it appropriate that the ‘latest recruits’ to the Scholarship should visit the house before they left. It was duly arranged for Scholars Andrew Thomas and Peter Carey to stay and they prepared and submitted their report on the building’s condition in June 1977. By 1980 the new tenant was Peter Hurd who wrote to the SPAB seeking details of David Nye’s work in the 1950s.

THE NATIONAL TRUST AND THE LANDMARK TRUST

Shute’s Elizabethan gatehouse remained empty after the site’s acquisition by the National Trust but in 1978, Tom Dulake of the Landmark Trust wrote to the SPAB requesting

advice from David Nye. Later that year, the Landmark Trust acquired a lease of the gatehouse from the National Trust and appointed architect Paul Pearn to oversee repair and conversion. During the work, a ceiling of circa 1620, from a demolished house in Cross Street, Barnstaple was incorporated into the building, having been rescued by the local council in the 1930s. SPAB Scholar and the Landmark Trust’s head of historic estate, Susan McDonough, has recently advised the SPAB that the stonework of the gatehouse’s parapets has been repaired with a grant from the government’s Covid recovery fund.

Today Shute does not have permanent tenants but is available to hire from the National Trust and open eight times a year, by appointment, to members. The gatehouse can also be rented for holidays from the Landmark Trust. The Buildings of England , Devon volume notes the SPAB’s involvement in the 1950s repair work, but does not name David Nye or Janet Locke and the SPAB’s important role in the rescue of this ancient Plantagenet manor house is now largely forgotten.

If you stay there or visit, think of the mid-century SPAB and its many years of work to ensure that the building survived.

Photo Kathryn Ferry

The restoredgatesattheofficialopeningof HayCastlein July2022. Theleftgateleafisbeingpushedopen by mastercraftsman John Bestof John Nethercott&Co

Chrisjackson.

The gatehouse in 2022

If you stay there or visit, think of the mid-century SPAB and its many years of work to ensure that the building survived

Bexleyheath and the conservation of the flintwork grotto designed by Humphry Repton at Ashridge House, Hertfordshire. The grotto was one of the most challenging and satisfying buildings to work on and it was wonderful to be part of its transformation. We have been involved at various National Trust houses, including Hatfield House, Hertfordshire, and at Hampton Court Palace for a number of years and it is always rewarding to build up strong relationships and a deep knowledge of the materials and character of individual places.

WHO FOUNDED THE FIRM AND HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED?

In the making for generations

Mathias Restoration specialises in the repair and conservation of brickwork and flintwork. Tessa Wild spoke to Lynn Mathias about his family business, his passion for his work and the vital importance of passing on traditional skills to the next generation

TELL US ABOUT MATHIAS RESTORATION – WHAT SORT OF WORK DO YOU UNDERTAKE?

We are based in Bedfordshire and work on a broad range of buildings across London and the Southern counties, from privately owned houses to churches and National Trust properties. We use traditional methods

and materials and work sympathetically to conserve, repair and where necessary replace lost elements. Recent projects include conservation of a Grade I-listed Quaker Meeting House in Hertford; repair work at Warden Abbey, Bedfordshire for the Landmark Trust; replacement brickwork on the house and garden wall at Red House,

My dad, who was also called Lynn Mathias, did an indentured apprenticeship in brickwork in the 1950s. He was trained by a master bricklayer and worked with him for six to seven years to become a fully qualified craftsman. His apprenticeship covered everything from roof to ceramic tiling and rubbed and gauged brickwork and he also diversified into monumental masonry. When I left school in the 1980s, I went to college and did a City & Guilds qualification in the evenings and worked with my dad, learning traditional skills on the job during the day. I am known as a ‘specialist’ in brick and flint but I always think that I’m just continuing to use the traditional skills and methods that were passed down from generation to generation and from my father to me.

When I left school in the 1980s, I went to college and did a City & Guilds qualification in the evenings and worked with my dad, learning traditional skills on the job during the day

Lynn and his son Myles at a SPAB Working Party

Photo Iain Boyd

DISCOVERTH E D/ 2 DIFFERENC E

Remove biologicalandairpollutantstaining frombuildingmaterialssafelyandeffectively.

Developedbyconservatorstokeep buildingsandmonumentspristinesafely.

Developedbyconservatorsforconservators,D/2 BiologicalSolutionisspeciallyformulatedwithout harmfulsalts,acidsorbleach.Asaresult,D/2has helpedkeepprestigiousstructuressuchasTheWhite House,ArlingtonCemeteryandTheAlamopristine. D/2safelyremovesmould,algae,includingstubborn redalgae,mildew,lichensandairpollutantsfrom buildings,monumentsandstatues.

Easytouse,thisnon-hazardoussolution requiresnomixingorspecialhandling.

Non-hazardousandbiodegradable,D/2canbeused safelyatfullstrengthwithnomixingorspecialhandling required.Easilystoredwithashelflifeof fiveyears, D/2isapracticalandefficientsolutionformaintenance. D/2issafetouseonrenders,brickwork,caststone andvariousnaturalstonessuchasmarble,granite, limestone,sandstone,andslateandwillnotetch metalsorglass.

A lot of site work is problem solving, so it was so important to have my dad’s input and his tips and tricks about how to do things, combined with the more modern teaching I’d gained at college. I was so fortunate to have both and enjoy passing on this knowledge. My nephew has worked with me for 10 years and the quality of his work is as

good as mine, if not better. More recently, my son also joined us and is now qualified with an NVQ Level 2 in Brickwork.

WHAT FIRST SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT BUILDING CONSERVATION?

In the mid-1990s, Anne Holden, the

conservation officer for Essex Council realised there was a skills shortage in the building trade and organised a course on repair techniques for pre-1900 buildings. I saw it advertised and thought I would love to learn more about dealing with old buildings. After the first course at Cressing Temple in Essex, I was hooked and knew this was

Warden Abbey

Photos Lynn Mathias

ConsultingStructuralEngineers ConsultingCivilEngineers

Ourlong-establishedheritageteamprovides afullrangeofconservationengineering servicescoveringtheinspection,assessmentandrepairofhistoricstructureand infrastructureofallperiods.

Withnationalcoveragewecanhelpyoumanagethespecial challengespresentedby historicbuildingsandmaximiseopportunitiesfortheirfutureuse.Ourteamincludes charteredstructural &civilengineers,conservationaccreditedbuildingsurveyorsand membersoftheconservationaccreditationregisterforengineers(CARE)whichidentifies specialistengineersskilledintheappraisalandrepairofhistoricstructuresandsites.

London 020 7700 6666

Norwich 01603628 074

Cambridge 01223656058

design@conisbee.co.uk

www.conisbee.co.uk

@conisbee_london

what I wanted to concentrate on. I was introduced to so many skills and in particular to traditional flintwork there and met others working in the field, including Emma Simpson. These courses were really practical and inspiring and have left an enduring legacy with those who attended them. Soon after this I joined the SPAB.

WHAT ROLE DOES TEACHING –THROUGH APPRENTICESHIPS, SPAB WORKING PARTIES AND COURSES –NOW PLAY IN YOUR WORKING LIFE?

After 30 years in the business, I have built up a wealth of experience. I was involved in the Traditional Skills Bursary Scheme and now take students on placements from the Prince’s Foundation. I also provide training as a tutor at West Dean College and with the SPAB. I have found the SPAB Working Parties really collaborative

Cutting bricks

Photos Lynn Mathias

The SPAB attracts really passionate and enthusiastic volunteers and other specialists and it is always so heartening to be involved and to see the physical difference made to the sites we work on

and it gives me such pleasure to see volunteers, who have often had very different working lives, discover that they are good at practical tasks and start to develop their skills. I really value the opportunity to share my knowledge and teach through practical demonstration. There really is no better place for shining a light on and keeping traditional skills alive than on a Working Party. The SPAB attracts really passionate and enthusiastic volunteers and other specialists and it is always so heartening to be involved and to see the physical difference made to the sites we work on. I’ve also come full circle and am running courses for Essex Council in flintwork and knapping. I gain great pleasure from showing people what they are capable of once they have an understanding of the method and the material.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE STARTING OUT AS A TRADITIONAL CRAFTSPERSON?

It will be hard physical labour but the work is so sustaining, so persevere because ahead of you lies a very satisfying career. I feel confident that more people are taking up this option and choosing to train in traditional crafts. They should also join the SPAB as it will provide them with great advice and connections to a wonderful, collaborative community.

3DSURVEY,MEASUREMENT& SPATIAL DATA CONSULTANTS

We provideallofthesur veyandspatialdata required to helpbreathelifeintoListed Buildings,H istoricBuildingsand Retro-FitProjects.OurDigital Twinsofbuildingsnotonly providetheinformation forany 2Ddrawingsor3Dmodels,butarealsoanongoingasset thatcanbeused forfutureplanningand PreventativeMaintenance

•High Accuracy and Best PracticeExpertise •3DRealityCapture• 3DDigital Twins •3DArtefac tCapture

•UAV (Drone) InspectionandSur veys •3Dand360 PhotoVir tual Tours

•Vir tual RealityVisualisationsand Video •Nex tGeneration3DSiteCapture• Retrofitand DesignVerification

•MovementMonitoringand RemoteSensing •CloudBasedDataand Collaboration Platforms

•3DDataAnalysisandStructural Deviation Reports •SpatialDataStrategyand Management

•Orthometric ImageElevations •3DModelling •2DDrawings •3DTerrain Modelsand TopographicalSur veys

Photos Lynn Mathias

Above Repairing a decorative brick chimney stack

Left New flintwork at the grotto, Ashridge

Sharing skills and making a difference

SPAB Working Parties are a vital way to engage communities with their local historic buildings and sites. They are a tangible opportunity to make a difference on the ground, to highlight the plight of neglected buildings and offer constructive solutions to maintenance or building conservation issues. Training and knowledge sharing are a key part of Working Parties and many members contribute existing skills and develop new ones as they work collaboratively on site. They are characterised by a positive spirit and a willingness to work together as the achievements of recent Working Parties held in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Dorset and Sheffield so admirably demonstrate. These are a snapshot of events that take place under the aegis of Regional Groups and Branches with support from the SPAB staff.

TEAMWORK IN TIPPERARY: DIERDRE KEELEY REPORTS ON A SPAB IRELAND EVENT

This year, our SPAB Ireland Working Party took place at Macreary, County Tipperary. We gathered on a small farm holding in the south-eastern part of the

county, which has spectacular views of Slievenamon mountain, an area steeped in Irish folklore. The site consists of a historic farmhouse and series of associated outbuildings and boundary walls. The complex of buildings are not listed on the Register

of Protected Structures (RPS) but are of vernacular significance.

The main focus of the weekend was to demonstrate the importance of recognising our vernacular built heritage, and how we can appropriately and sustainably conserve this example for future generations. The sharing of knowledge and traditional building skills and techniques formed an important element of the workshops.

The farmstead’s owner, Ellen Phelan, has made a commendable commitment to the sensitive conservation of the complex of buildings, and has ambitious plans for the adaptation and reuse of the buildings. The experts and volunteers at our Working Party at the farm addressed some urgent repairs throughout the site. Over the weekend, a range of traditional building crafts

were demonstrated including signwriting, earth and lime mortars, roofing, soft capping. There were also feature demonstrations of stained glass, architectural castings and decorative paintwork. Workshops were led by traditional craftspeople which provided a fantastic impetus for discussions amongst all the attendees. Volunteers

were given the opportunity to put their learnings into practice by carrying out essential repairs to the structures most at risk on the site. The weekend gave an opportunity to focus on the importance of the SPAB Approach, and discuss different techniques and craft skills to maintenance and repair works on site. We were pleased to be joined by the 2022 SPAB Scholars and Fellows, who began a two-week tour of Ireland at the Working Party. In the evenings, attendees enjoyed tours of the local area including visits to Ormonde Castle, Carrick on Suir, and a tour of Ahenny High Crosses, with plenty of opportunity to discuss the day’s work around the nightly campfires. The event was supported by the Heritage Council under the Heritage Capacity Funding 2022.

We hear from our Working Parties across the UK and Ireland about their crucial work and on-site training

The sharing of knowledge and traditional building skills and techniques formed an important element of the workshops

Repointing stone walls

CARPENTRY AT THE SAWMILL: OWEN BUSHELL AND LUCY STEWART EXPLORE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE SPAB SCOTLAND WATERWHEELS WORKING PARTY

Continuing our theme of events celebrating milling in Scotland this year, the SPAB Scotland Working Party was held at the impressive complex of sawmills near Banchory in Aberdeenshire – all Category A listed.

The three water powered mills – a sawmill, turning mill and bucket mill – are a sight to behold. Each is a wonderful structure in its own right and to have three in the same glen is something else. The land and parts of the complex of buildings are cared for by Birse Community Trust, who worked closely with us in planning the work.

The event focused on repairs to the sawmill, which has been operated by the Duncan family for four generations and is an insanely impressive bit of kit. The high-speed wheel drives a belt drum which spins the three-foot circular saw at a rate of knots. Whilst not currently turning, film footage shows the wheel cutting through whole tree trunks like butter, a hugely skilled milling job.

The enthusiastic group of 15 volunteers worked under the guidance of main contractor Andy Newcombe, assisted by carpenter Justin Rose and miller/carpenter Ciaron Quigley. We replaced the mill’s unusual wooden gutters, repointed the front masonry and produced the unique larch pegs which fix paddles to the waterwheel starts on a pole lathe.

SPAB Fellows Owen Bushell and David McFerran joined us, and they discovered that urgent repairs to the

Top The volunteers being introduced to carpentry works and turning on the pole lathe by Justin Rose

Middle Visit by local school children, they loved having a go at the pole lathe

Right Fitting the new timber gutter to the sawmill. There was a downpour shortly after to test it

main structural posts were needed. As time was limited, two replacement posts were carefully added adjacent to the originals to safeguard the building, and enable questions about original fabric to be addressed at a later date. As well as work, we hosted a visit from local school children, and held a small open day to answer questions from locals about what we were doing and why it is so important. Our Working Party ended with a very well attended ceilidh for the village, and lots of dancing – not to mention the whisky!

Our thanks to Historic Environment Scotland for funding the event, and of course to Birse Community Trust for its wide-ranging support.

BOWER SPRINGS FURNACES REVIVAL: LUCY NEWPORT DESCRIBES RECENT EVENTS IN SHEFFIELD

In collaboration with the newly-formed Sheffield Historic Building Trust (SHBT), the SPAB Yorkshire Group has carried out three evenings of vegetation clearance at the overgrown Bower Springs Furnace remains; a scheduled ancient monument on Historic England’s Heritage At Risk Register.

Sheffield has a rich history in the metal trades dating back to Roman origins but is most notable for its large-scale steel and cutlery production. Bower Springs has the remains of two early-19th century cementation furnaces, including a conical furnace that produced blister steel for cutlery and edge tool manufacture. The bottle-shaped furnace stacked bars of Swedish iron into sandstone coffins between layers of charcoal, for maximum absorption of carbon when heated from below.

Only one complete example of this once common structure survives in Sheffield, and the Bower Spring remains provide a unique visual of the internal cross section of the furnace. The significance of this site also lies below ground, where the foundations of the more efficient crucible furnace lie. This is the only

location that both remains have been recorded together.

Over several evenings from July to September we brought our own shears and secateurs to cut down the wellrooted buddleia, ferns and brambles across the site, finishing with a welldeserved drink at the adjacent historic Shakespeare pub.

Since restarting the Yorkshire Regional Group this year, a dedicated team of volunteers has emerged in Sheffield. All are passionate about

conserving the city’s important historic buildings and will campaign for their sensitive incorporation in the rapidly developing city.

The SHBT is preparing to apply for a grant to carry out consolidation works to the monument. We hope a partnership with the SPAB to deliver training days in lime mortar and brickwork during repairs in 2023, will be an important step in raising awareness of building conservation within the city.

Left Bower Springs following clearance

Below Bower Springs Working Party in action

Photos Lucy Stewart

SECURING ST MARY’S: THOMAS KINGHORN-EVANS RECOUNTS THE SUCCESS OF THE SPAB CYMRU’S EVENT AT ST MARY’S, CAERAU

Older residents of Caerau, a suburb of Cardiff, may remember their friends and loved ones getting married, being baptised or attending the Sunday service at St Mary’s church. Sadly, since its closure in the early 1970s, this medieval church, with glorious views over the city of Cardiff, has fallen into a ruinous state. When the Caer Heritage Project (a community-based project led by Cardiff University) came to us for help a few years ago we had to say ‘yes’.

It was ‘yes’ because it’s a Grade II-listed building; ‘yes’ because it sits in the curtilage of an iron age hillfort but most of all, ‘yes’ because it is still such an emotive site for its community.

Those that follow our Working Parties will know that it is important to us to use lime mortars for our repairs but also to consider from which stone or source the lime came and what traits it needs to possess to best serve the building. After laboratory analysis of the historic mortar, we were able to confirm that local Lias limestone had been used, so we set out to establish whether we could burn the same stone to create modern mortars for our repair work.

We were thrilled to be able to set up lime burns at St Fagan’s National Museum of History’s replica medieval lime kiln, built by members of the Building Limes Forum in the early 2000s. Unused for almost 20 years it needed a bit of reconditioning, but once the kindling was lit, it did us proud! The Lias limestone was sourced from nearby Aberthaw. The lime aficionados amongst you will know it was renowned in the Victorian era for the hydraulic lime it produced.

Armed with a few bags of lime, some rolls of turf and a few dozen volunteers we headed to St Mary’s on a rainy Thursday morning in early September.

As we arrived, the clouds parted and the sun came out. One team of volunteers mixed lime mortar for another team who were repointing the church walls. Meanwhile, the locals

were given a lesson on removing graffiti from the wonderful guys at Restorative Techniques and our team of experts were up on their ropes undertaking much needed masonry repairs and maintenance to the tower walls. The soft capping in turf was the major talking point though. This sustainable and effective technique of consolidating ruinous wall tops with turf had an instant impact on the building by making it look cared for once more. This was also a task that could be undertaken by volunteers of all abilities. After four days of hard work and great team spirit, the people of Caerau, with a little help from the SPAB, ensured that future generations will know how significant this little church on top of the hill has been to the community for over 800 years. If the big success for St Mary’s church was the soft capping, then the big success for the SPAB during the Working Party was the enthusiasm and passion of the Welsh SPAB members who helped to make this happen. This event has definitely galvanised the team setting up SPAB Cymru and promoted the SPAB across the country. Plans are already in motion for a 2023 Working

Party, and I look forward to seeing some of you there.

With thanks to both St Fagan’s Museum and Tarmac quarry, who not only helped with the kiln and the stone but gave so much of their time too.

Photos Thomas Kinghorn-Evans

SPAB Cymru volunteers and experts

Soft capping with turf

EAST COMPTON – FOUR DECADES ON: JOY EDE, SPAB DORSET GROUP VOLUNTEER, REPORTS ON RECENT WORK

In a small, isolated village nestling at the bottom of biodiverse downland in Dorset, lies the small churchyard at East Compton. The SPAB has owned this evocative place since 1983. The perilous state of the ancient church tower made this site a liability for Salisbury Diocese but a wonderful opportunity for the SPAB and its local supporters.

The 15th century church tower is all that remains of the former church. The old church was taken down in 1868 and a new church was built on the main road through Compton Abbas. Stone from the old church was used in the new building and local residents also used it in their own properties – a walk round the village reveals some unexpected pieces of architectural stone.

The SPAB carried out a huge amount of work in the early years of its ownership. With all appropriate permissions granted, the tower and churchyard wall were denuded of their ivy shroud and limited repointing was undertaken. One tomb in particular was in a very bad state of repair. This was taken apart, recorded, repaired and re-erected. Tile repairs on the medieval cross base attest to its sympathetic treatment. An archaeological record was made of the extant structures –tombs, grave slabs, tower and churchyard wall.

Further repair was carried out in 2010 by Mike Burleigh under the direction of Philip Hughes Associates, but more recently a couple of short Working Parties have been organised by SPAB Special Ops, Jonny Garlick. Ivy was removed and capping stones put back on the top of the wall along with tree surgery and limited tree felling. The whole site is a scheduled monument and the tree roots were undoubtedly damaging the underlying archaeology.

The Dorset Group then volunteered to take the site under their wing. Working Parties have been held to keep on top of the ivy and tree regrowth. A management plan is being written and will be informed by the recent resistivity

survey carried out by South Somerset Archaeological Research Group.

Disappointingly, this did not clearly show the outline of the old church nor grave positions, so Bournemouth University is due to visit and use its geophysical prospecting tools to see if more can be discovered about the archaeology of the site.

At the last mini-Working Party, held in July 2022, Historic England made a valuable visit. They gave advice about

future management, permissions and grants from the area of oustanding natural beauty (AONB). The Dorset Group includes several volunteers with a wealth of professional expertise in historic buildings. They assessed the work needed over the next five years, which will include repointing, minor repairs to the cross base and repainting metal work on the tower. Once scheduled monument consent has been obtained, we are looking forward to our Working Party in spring 2023, when we hope to focus on the churchyard wall as well as the perpetual management of vegetation.

Along with the enjoyment of taking part in a worthwhile project in the fresh air, we always make time for a bit of socialising over our picnic lunches and much useful information is exchanged.

Our Regional Groups and Branches span the UK and Ireland. If you are interested in joining a Regional Group or Branch or learning more about future Working Parties, please consult the website www.spab.org.uk/members/ regional-groups or ring the membership office on 020 7456 0901 for more information.

CONSULTINGENGINEERS

StructuralEngineersandHistoricBuildingsConsultants

Hockley & Dawson isanawardwinningpracticeprovidingspecialistconsultancyadviceforthecareand conservationofhistoricbuildingsandstructurestoensuretheirstabilityandlong-termuse. We combine experiencewithinnovationandtraditionalmaterialswithmoderntechniquestoensureourdesignissympathetic, proportionateandeconomic.Thisapproachhas resultedinlong-term relationshipswithclientssuchas EnglishHeritage | TheNational Trust | HistoricRoyalPalaces | TheBritishMuseumandmanyprivateowners.

Hockley & Dawson ConsultingEngineersLtd

Unit 5|BirtleyCourtyard|Bramley |Surrey |GU50LA |Tel: +44(0)1483548784

admin@hockleyanddawson.co.ukwww.hockleyanddawson.co.uk

Above Preparing lime mortar

Left Members of the Dorset Group

KewPagoda

SandycombeLodge, Twickenham

MastersHouse

©The Tr usteesoftheNaturalHistor yMuseum,London

The Old Post Office: Hidden Building Materials

Lawrence Kelly and Michael O’Reilly explain the intricate process of decision-making and repair to the gable end of a thatched cottage in South Oxfordshire

THE OLD POST OFFICE IS A GRADE II- listed cottage which was formerly subdivided into three. Recent repairs to the street-facing gable end turned out to be much more interesting than we had anticipated – underneath the peeling masonry paint, we found wattle and daub, cement render, lime plaster, clunch, flint and two types of brick – all requiring different repair approaches. There were also significant cracks to be repaired and inappropriate past repairs to be reversed.

PAINT AND CEMENT POINTING REMOVAL

The first task was to remove the paint, initially by hand, using scutch hammers and scrappers. Given the variety of masonry material and the danger of dislodging flints, we decided to engage a specialist paint removal company who used a fine silica medium and low pressure blasting to complete the task. With the paint removed, we dealt with the cement patchwork pointing to the flint and the ground level brick cement

pointing. To remove this from the flint without dislodging them, we used an angle grinder to cut it into sections then chipped those sections away with minimum hammer force.

REMOVAL OF CEMENT RENDER

The area under the eaves is split into three bays, with a window to the right and a thick cement render that rises from what appears to be a redundant tiebeam located at two-thirds of the panel’s height. The remainder is lime plaster. To the right of the panels was a small area of hand-lined out ashlar plaster where the masonry paint removed easily to reveal a yellow ochre limewash.

been limewashed. We removed areas of frass and decay and applied a haired shelter coat using a stiff bristle churn brush, brushing it well in to all the crevices and then off the surface so as not to build up a surface skim.

REPAIR OF THE WATTLE AND DAUB

Below SPAB Scholars and Fellows visited the project in March 2022 to discuss different repair approaches

On the left bay, thick cement render had worked itself loose from the daub and was easily removed. The remaining render was well sheltered with the thatch overhang and only affected by blown rain. As removing the cement render would entail damaging the original background, we decided to leave the render intact apart from one intervention. Where the render met the tiebeam we cut it back 38.1 mm, and replaced it with a well-haired lime mix to reduce shelving from the top of the beam and allow a vapour movement passage.

TREATMENT OF THE EXTERNAL TIEBEAM

The tiebeam had a very open grain and a modern black paint finish, although there was evidence it had previously

Having removed the left panel area of cement render we set about repairing the daub panel behind. Staves traditionally were of hardwood and usually oak. Withies/rods were traditionally made of hazel, either in the round or a riven/rent form. Where we were unable to inter-twine replacement withies to the staves we secured them with stainless steel screws. Before plastering we sprayed the old friable daub with lime-water to assist in consolidation. Unusually the daub had a sparsely haired thick coat of plaster and not wanting to repeat this thickness we brought our new daub forward, allowing a much thinner plaster coat. External wattle and daub panels have, in our experience, a very well haired thin coat of lime plaster for protection or at the very least were limewashed. Thicker coats will put more stress on its adherence. Daub is usually a sub-soil historically mixed with straw or other fibres and sometimes containing animal dung either by default or design. Its inclusion improves tensile strength, insulation performance, plasticity in usage and adherence. As a vernacular material, daub mixes vary greatly. We mixed any plaster and daub we couldn’t save in situ into our new daub. To retain as much of the original lime plaster as possible we secured delaminating plaster with screws and washers. Prior to inserting the washer and screw, we filled the receiving housing hole with a fine well-haired lime mix (all damped down first). As the screw is secured the mortar squeezes out giving improved contact, adhesion and stabilisation on carbonisation.

REPAIR OF THE BRICKWORK

Where bricks had spalled at first floor level, we removed the spall and pointed up to allow shedding of water but resisted dubbing them forward in order

Left Project finished. The area of brickwork to the left of the door which appears ‘wet’ had been re-built using cement. This was probably to replace the post box

to preserve the existing alignment and aesthetic appearance of this storey. We kept brick replacement to a minimum to avoid disturbing the surrounding flint. A large vertical movement crack had been previously repaired and we determined that any movement had stabilised and repacked it with a well haired mix, rammed in and packed with clay tile splinters.

REPAIR OF THE FLINTWORK

The combined removal of paint and historic erosion had taken most of the bedding/pointing of the flint back. The mortar was quite friable so we repeatedly sprayed it with lime water over a period of two days. We are great believers in getting moisture into backgrounds that will receive lime and we find this is best done by frequent light spraying over days rather than minutes or hours.

Given the wide mortar joints we decided against raking out and wholesale repointing, which would have meant further loss of original mortar. We looked at these wide bedding joints as if they were an existing plaster scratch or render coat. As a result, our new pointing would, in essence, take the form of plastering with the wider joints enabling us to firmly work the lime mix in for maximum keying.

Accepted convention is that repointing depth should represent roughly twice the width of the joint. We worked on approximately one square yard at a time, allowing a slight stiffening up of the mortar, then with a stiff churn brush brushing in all directions. This action drives the mix into all crevices and more importantly promotes better adhesion to the flint, as best as that can ever be, given their impervious surface. Once the mortar had stiffened up, we used wooden sticks to consolidate the surface, keeping the outline of the flints and bricks so that the finished façade didn’t appear flat. After a light misting we used churn brushes, working in all directions and leaving indentations and a very light smearing to the flint and brick facings. We protected the work with wetted hessian covered with tarpaulins, leaving an air gap at ground level. It was then left for two days. Although newly-placed hot-mixed lime mortars exhibit the capacity to dry out more slowly we still thought it wise to protect all our work as it was undertaken in a period of very dry weather.

APPLICATION OF A SLURRY COAT

Before limewashing, we brushed on a thin shelter coat made up of two washed sands together with some fine hair and the addition of a pozzlan

(trass). This helped to provide a good key for the limewash, especially over the flints. Because flints, are impervious they quickly shed water onto surrounding mortar joints. Coating the flints with slurry (and limewash) means they ‘hold’ water and help to reduce the water load on the surrounding joints. At its best the slurry coat provides another sacrificial layer. Prior to limewashing we used a lump of hessian to gently knock some of this back. New flint work is sometimes rubbed or wiped clean with a sack, the process here is the opposite of that.

REPAIR OF THE GROUND FLOOR

We were conscious of the threat posed to the building because the ground floor level is subject to water splash from passing traffic and dripping from the hipped thatch roof onto the tarmac footpath generates further splashing. The bricks forming the frontage of the old post office were of a higher burn and were pointed in cement, which we removed using an Arbortech saw. A brick cornice was topped with a sloping cement fillet, which helped to shed water. Where it had become detached, we repaired it using Roman Cement gauged at one of cement to one of sand. This cement has the capacity to allow vapour movement. A later

Above Clear evidence of damage caused by water ingress from splashing off the pavement. The lower courses of masonry are of an earlier period than the higher brickwork

Photo Lawrence Kelly

extension runs down the right side of the building and removing the large amounts of cement on the gable elevation at pavement level proved quite challenging. We decided to remove the cement because if left, the combination of flint and cement might interfere with the wetting/drying cycle we were trying to maintain across the rest of the elevation. The cement removal revealed a section of masonry containing larger flints bedded in a clayey mortar containing small flint aggregate (which we recycled back in). Could this be evidence of an earlier outshut or wall? This area demanded a different approach from that taken before. Here we carried out a much deeper taking back of the bedding mortar to restabilise the flints and give maximum resistance to water splashing. We added 20% trass to the mortar mix following research by the supplier’s chemist that trass is up to 30% more effective at shedding water than other pozzolans. The new pointing (with added trass) to the shop front brickwork was given a weather struck finish as originally done.

Left Applying daub which was mixed on site. Withies were secured with screws/ washers, the original daub and plaster can be seen on the left. Internal plaster nibbs are just visible behind withies

Below Detail of the exposed layers of historic limewash

three coats on consecutive days. Each coat was a hot mix and all the lime mortar used on the project was hot mixed, gauged at three buckets of sand to a bucket of powdered quick lime. To prepare the pink limewash we added 160 mg of red ochre to 10 litres of wash with the addition of 15% trass. We started limewashing two days after shelter coating, capturing a moist background and allowing thicker coats on to a good surface.

One of our priorities was to get moisture into the wall background especially as the work was being carried out in a dry summer. Its slow release into and through the new lime work would give it the best opportunity for good carbonation.

We made this choice because we feel that too often today original pointing finishes are discarded in favour of a flat finish.

LIMEWASHING

The pink masonry paint we removed was part of the whole scheme for the cottage carried out when much of the building was cement rendered. We did find evidence of up to 10 earlier cycles of limewashing, including one in a yellow ochre. This might well have come from nearby Shotover, outside Oxford, which was a source of yellow ochre in the past. We are minded to believe this new pink limewash brings its own legitimacy of continuance and joins the spectrum of colours as number 11! Pink wash is often associated with Suffolk where they used amongst other things berries and blood for pigment. The availability of local earth pigment colours in an area traditionally reflected the colour pallette of wash used. We used a natural red ochre to give a good match to the rest of the building and applied

Early on in the project, the Oxford Building Record Group carried out a historic building assessment. They subsequently produced a wonderful account of their findings, which is now on record. One of their observations of particular interest to us, concerned the two large S-curved pattress plates retaining tie-rods, which they think are reused cartwheel shoes or ‘tyres’ as they exhibit a series of rectangular square holes. Other items of note, were the embedded shank of a clay pipe in the daub, previous mortar bee activity, a colony of beetles and evidence of nesting sparrows from previous years in areas which we had to repair. On the long fascia timber above the door and window which is painted black, it is possible to see the outline of writing and individual words relating to the time when the post office was in use. In conclusion, we know that all of the work we carried out is reversible and in time it too will erode away and the cycle of repair will be repeated all over again by others. We thank the owner for giving us the opportunity to work on such a characterful and interesting building.

Photo Abigail Lloyd

Photo Lawrence Kelly

Lawrence Kelly repairs old building using traditional materials and techniques. He is also a member of the SPAB Technical and Research Committee. Michael O’Reilly is a Master plasterer and co-founder with Philip Gaches of The New Guild for the Traditional Plasterers Craft.

Late-Georgian Churches: Anglican Architecture, Patronage and Churchgoing in England 1790-1840

By Christopher Webster Boydell & Brewer £80

This handsome and well-produced volume is promoted as ‘the first comprehensive study of church building in the lateGeorgian period’. Comprehensive it certainly is, covering the subject in detail from every angle – the social and political history of the period, changes in worship and churchgoing, the technical challenges of accommodating these changes and the architectural issues. A recurrent theme is criticism of the ecclesiologists, who, in their propaganda for the ‘correct’ Gothic architecture that dominated the Victorian period, destroyed the reputation of the church building of the preceding half century, leaving the perception that it is not worthy of serious study.

To put the record straight, the author has carried out major research over many years, consulting numerous contemporary sources, which are listed in extensive notes and bibliography. These sources are constantly and rigorously referred to in the text, and the book is immensely readable taking us through a complex and fascinating story. It is effectively in two sections. The first, after setting the historical context, examines the architectural part of the story, including the question of style, architects, and the constructional and functional issues, before moving on to a fascinating couple of chapters on late-Georgian churchgoing. The second half takes us chronologically through a series of phases, 1790–1800, 1800–1820, the 1830s and the emergence of the post-1840 world of the Victorian Gothic. This is interspersed with case studies illustrating how the story evolved differently in different parts of the country.

Prior to 1790 there had been little or no church building to serve the rapidly growing and increasingly urbanised population. The established Church was

concerned by the rise of Nonconformism and felt a pressing need to re-establish its authority, so new churches, and particularly free seats for the poor, were urgently required. Needing to distinguish itself from the Nonconformists on the one hand and Roman Catholics on the other, it followed a dignified ‘auditory’ form of worship centred on the sermon, which was most readily accommodated by the simple space of a classical building.

Classical was the style preferred by architects and the educated classes, and Gothic was generally the preference of the clergy. Initially, Classicism tended to dominate but there was a gradual shift to the Gothic. After Waterloo, there was a huge surge in church building, initiated by the passing of the 1818 Church Building Act, which provided government funding, and by the formation of the Incorporated Church Building Society.

The creation of the archetypal post1840 church, ‘correct’ Gothic in style, was claimed by the ecclesiologists as a revolution but the author shows that this had been evolving throughout the lateGeorgian period but only finally made possible by the abandonment of auditory worship and adoption of the more ritualistic High Church service.

The text is well organised and extremely well illustrated with numerous highquality colour photographs and copies of contemporary prints and plans. It is likely to be a key reference book for anyone with professional or academic interest in this subject and will also attract the general reader who seeks a complete and authoritative picture of this period of church architecture.

Classical was the style preferred by architects and the educated classes, and Gothic was generally the preference of the clergy

BOB PLATTS SPAB DEVON GROUP

SPECIALISTCONTRACTORSFOR www.celgroup.co.uk 01733259427 estimating@celgroup.co.uk HAIGHARCHITE CTS.CO .U K

HERITAGERESTORATIONPROJECTS

|MetalRoofing

London 1870-1914: A City at its Zenith

By Andrew Saint Lund Humphries £29.95

Saint’s work takes an in-depth look at the development of London over these four crucial decades of change. The book is neatly divided into four chapters, each analysing one decade of London’s history (except for 1900-14 which spans one chapter). While the focus of the book is broadly on buildings and town planning, it is the reasoning and philosophy behind the constructions and layouts which forms the narrative of the book, rather than any detailed comment on the architecture itself.

The lively tempo of the writing and its tongue-in-cheek captions make this book a good read. It packs a breadth of knowledge into a relatively slim volume and is beautifully illustrated with a wealth of historic and contemporary photographs as well as floorplans, maps, paintings and artworks all illustrating the development of London’s inhabitants and their homes.

One particularly well-populated area which does not always receive much literary attention is the far east end of London and it was refreshing to see this area explored in greater depth.

In the fi rst two chapters in particular, there is an assumed knowledge of the Victorian personages being discussed. This does not necessarily detract from the discourse if you are not familiar with them, but a greater appreciation of those people would deepen the reader’s understanding of the discussion. There is, perhaps, a tendency to jump from one topic to another and while the writer’s train of thought was not difficult to follow, this reader did sometimes question the direction of travel. Overall, however, it was an enjoyable and enlightening journey.

KERI DEARMER SPAB LONDON GROUP

The Story of the Country House: A History of Places and People

By Clive Aslet Yale University Press £18.99

The author manages to cram almost 1,000 years of the evolution of the British castle then country house into this book, which is no mean feat. It is a fascinating read, very well researched and had me reaching for my phone throughout to Google properties across the country that I had never heard of but which I now want to visit. One of those on my list is Penshurst Place, Kent, built by the wealthy Sir John Pulteney in the 1340s. It has one of the best surviving great halls, unusually retaining its central hearth. Pulteney became Mayor of London and died during the Black Death owning a lot of land and two big London houses. Penshurst was his comfortable country retreat close to the city with a deer park for hunting. Having visited Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire, I was particularly interested to read about Bess of Hardwick and how she acquired her massive wealth as it was unusual for a large house to be built by a woman in the late 16th century. I had no idea that this was not her fi rst project and that she had previously built the earlier version of Chatsworth House too.

This book will give you a much clearer understanding of how and why these houses developed over the centuries – whether it was due to the fortunes of the families that owned them, the persuasive powers of their architects, architectural fashions of the time or fluctuations in economics and politics. There are too many properties and stories to list – some very well known, others less so from every period in British history. Many of the houses still survive

and can be visited such as Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, or the vast Burghley House, Lincolnshire, which is still lived in by descendants of the family who built it 16 generations ago. However, others are now lost, some in tragic circumstances for their owners. This was especially true in Ireland where 1919-23 saw more than 275 Irish country houses burnt down or blown up. Many large houses were requisitioned during World War II including Egginton Hall, Derbyshire, which was occupied by troops who departed in 1945 but left all the taps in the house running. The ensuing flood brought down ceilings and eventually forced the family to demolish the house in 1955 and move into the stables. Broughton Castle, Oxfordshire, got away more lightly; here the Oak Room and Great Hall were piled from floor to ceiling with glass cases containing the evacuated insect collection from the Natural Historic Museum. Finally, this book takes the reader right through to the present day with more recent creations such as the country house estate of Ardfi n on the island of Jura, and Harewell Hall in Hampshire, which was completed in 2020 by the architect John Simpson for his family.

I thoroughly enjoyed this eye-opening book. My only criticism is that it would be advantageous to have more larger-scale images, especially of lesserknown houses.

RACHEL BROOMFIELD SPAB CASEWORK OFFICER

This book will give you a much clearer understanding of how and why these houses developed over the centuries – whether it was due to the fortunes of the families that owned them, the persuasive powers of their architects, architectural fashions of the time or fluctuations in economics and politics

One particularly wellpopulated area which does not always receive much literary attention is the far east end of London and it was refreshing to see this area explored in greater depth

Below Euston Fire Sation, Job Architect H.F.T. Cooper, 1901-02

The CraftofBuilding

The Making of Our Urban Landscape

By Geoffrey Tyack Oxford University Press

£25

This is a highly readable, personal view of the development of the urban landscape of Britain. I took this book with me as a holiday read and enjoyed the author’s approach to the study of the urbanisation of Britain through its history from the Romans, using the full spread of the geography of Britain to highlight examples to demonstrate points. It says much about the urbanisation of society in Britain, that it was the first country in the world to have more than 50% of the population living in towns or cities, and that was in 1851. It says much about the pace of urban development that the description of the development of John Nash’s Regent Street and Park comes at the halfway point in the book.

As with every architectural or town planning history, one takes issue with the prominence of certain events and places and the omission or downplaying of others. The impact of Dutch architecture to the urban development from the 1680s is perhaps downplayed. As is the influence of canals and then railways and later roads on the shape of towns and cities and the increased ability these brought to movement of goods and of the population.

The author gives credit to the early travel writers in Britain and W.G. Hoskins as well as the Cambridge Urban History of Britain published in three volumes in 2000, and this book is certainly more readable. Is it up there with Sir John Summerson’s Georgian London , 1945 or W.G. Hoskin’s The Making of the English Landscape , 1954. There is much to uncover about towns

we think we know. The puzzling layout of Stamford is explained by the Danes first building a settlement or burh on the north side of the river; later the Anglo-Saxons built a burh south east of it and diverted the road from London to York through the town, skirting the south west corner of the Danish settlement hence the dogleg. An explanation for the number of public buildings in established towns was offered by the desire of the local gentry and the upwardly mobile middle classes to emulate the London ‘Season’ in their town.

The slower urbanisation of Scotland and Wales is well covered with the explanation that urbanisation in many cases was by the creation of new settlements by the English in order to control the subjugated population. In the modern era, 1945 to the present is covered in the final chapter at a gallop, and it could do with being two chapters: the post-war optimism and great rebuilding up to the 1970s ended by fiscal constraint, and the growing conservation movement. The final chapter is on the modernisation of Britain from the 1980s, and from 2000 on the return of tall buildings and living in the sky through to the last five years of the Grenfell Tower fire and its tragic consequences. The author has a very personal take on recent history, and there are many omissions and other things included that might be regarded as less important, though he ends in a thoughtful reflection of where urban society might be going after the present pandemic ends.

CHARLES WAGNER SPAB GUARDIAN

An explanation for the number of public buildings in established towns was offered by the desire of the local gentry and the upwardly mobile middle classes to emulate the London ‘Season’ in their town

Breathinglifeinto theheritage buildingsof Devon andtheSouth West, fromcottages to castles,for over30 years.

•Traditionallimeplastering &Rendering

•CobRepair &Pointing

•Woodfibre &corkboardinsulation

•Lath &plaster

•Restoration *Renovation *Conservation

We arealwayshappytodiscuss possible new projects.

ContactChris Walsh: chris@dartmoorlime.co.uk

07834421177

www.dartmoorlime.co.uk

www.whippletree.co.uk

NOTES

The SPAB’s technical activities are at the heart of its work to protect old buildings. These activities embrace, amongst much else, telephone advice, publications and courses of a technical nature, as well as our supporting research. Douglas Kent, SPAB Technical and Research Director, highlights our technical and related news

FIRE SAFETY IN HISTORIC BUILDINGS: PASSIVE MEASURES

A BALANCED APPROACH

Peter Norris, a retired building surveyor and building/fire engineer, was the guest speaker at the October meeting of the SPAB’s Technical and Research Committee. He gave a presentation titled Fire Safety in Historic Buildings . This is the first of two articles summarising Peter’s talk. The building regulations for the different parts of the UK set out legal requirements for building work and approved documents/additional guidance give ways of complying in common situations. Some variation of the provisions, however, can be appropriate where such guidance applies to existing buildings of special architectural or historic interest, if adherence to the solutions presented might prove unduly restrictive.

While professional judgement can be applied, with justification, to achieve compliance with the fire safety requirements of the building regulations, Peter felt that many building professionals just follow rigidly the examples given in the associated technical guidance relating to fire safety. There are often alternative solutions that better balance building regulation compliance with building conservation.

There are two forms of fire protection: passive and active. Here we

consider examples described by Peter of passive protection applied in old buildings. Passive protection involves containing a fire and preventing it from spreading further. A future edition of the SPAB Magazine will consider examples of active measures described by Peter.

FLOORS

Passive fire protection commonly entails work to upgrade the fire resistance of floors. In 1778, Earl Stanhope devised a method whereby a layer of laths or boards was inserted on battens fixed to joists and covered with plaster and sometimes also sand. An example has been found at the Old Post Office in Lacock, Wiltshire. ‘Double securing’ was a variation with two layers of lath and plaster or boards.

A rarer solution adopted historically was the Hartley Plate. Invented in the 18th century by David Hartley, an MP, protection was afforded by metal plates laid over the floor.

In the 1960s, ceilings were underdrawn with two layers of plasterboard for 60 minutes’ fire resistance when subdividing houses into flats. A full-scale fire test undertaken at 10 Chatham Row, Bath, though, demonstrated that overlaying an upper floor with 4.5 mm-thick hardboard was sufficient and less damaging.

Today, mineral wool slab insulation, such as PFC Corofil fire batts, is available to insert between joists over lath and plaster ceilings to provide 60 minutes’ fire protection. An alternative is to use Envirograf Product 53, comprising graphite-impregnated

Photo Mathew Slacombe

Above Clandon Park after the fire

TECHNICAL NOTES

Lodge &Sons(Builders)Limited

HistoricBuildingRestoration

TownFarm,HighStreet,Stebbing,Dunmow,EssexCM63SG

T: 01371 856666 F: 01371 856567 E: info@lodgeandsons.co.uk

SPECIALIST IN RESTORA R TION,EXTENSIONS AND REFURBISHMENT OFHISTORIC BUILDINGS

We offer the invaluable experienceofatraditional bu lder with the knowledge gained from the successfulcompletion of many prest gious projects, using leadwork all types of stone masonry, fl nt work brick work lime plastering and joinery

ELECTRICAL DIVISION

NICEIC Approved Contracor

All types of electrical works undertaken

Electricians are qualified to the 17th edition IEE regu ations Test & Inspections

Domestic Repairs - Rewires

Commercial Installations

Light Industrial Church & Historic Building

Installations our speciality Pat test ng

BasednearDunmowwecoverNorthandEastLondon

EastAngliaandSouth West

Web:www.lodgeandsons.co.uk

Glass for period windows

Existing raised & fielded panel 50mm intumescent strip inserted in saw cut in perimeter of panel Beading re-fixed & bedded in itumescent paste

cloth covered with reinforced craft paper. Floorboards need to be carefully removed, of course, and reinstated.

WALLS

ha ndblow nusi ng thet rad it iona lt echniques of theglass blower s, is sp eci fied by TheNat iona lTrust, theCrown Estatesa nd inde ed ma ny ot hers involved in thecon ser vation ofBr it ai n’sher it age. Sp ecif yaut hentic period glassfor your restorat ionproje ct s.

Recclesia

An example was given of an ornate panelled internal partition requiring compartmentation between two different uses. Ornate panelling existed on one side and lath and plasterwork on the other. The timber panelling was taken off carefully and 70 m m-thick PFC Corofill C144 mineral fibre insulation slabs applied between the timber studs of the partition before refixing the panels. It is important to find any hidden voids, such as those running the full height of buildings behind lath and plaster linings battened off of external walls. The fire path can then be checked with firestopping at upper floor and ceiling levels. Similarly, where a ventilation duct runs from a lower storey to the roof – typically to accommodate a soil pipe or provide ventilation to a basement – fire-rated board can be used if sealing is required. Fire-stopping needs undertaking thoroughly, without leaving gaps, to ensure its effectiveness. Fire-rated foam looks awful and is often best avoided.

DOORS

Much attention has focussed on how doors can be upgraded. The Institution of Fire Engineers Heritage

Above Fire-damaged door at Clandon Park

Special Interest Group provides a fire door matrix to assess the level of upgrading required based on the spacing of combustibles, fire load, room size and the surface spread of flame classification for the linings. Guidance on fire loads is contained in Design Fires for Use in Fire Safety Engineering by C Mayfield and D Hopkin (BRE Electronic Publications, 2010).

It is not only the edges of doors that might need fire-sealing. For instance, a timber door with raised and fielded panels that taper at the edges where they meet the frame

presents additional weak points. An example was given where the panels were removed from the door frame to insert 50 m m-wide Palusol intumescent strips in saw-cuts along the panel edges. The panels were re-inserted into the frame and the beading refixed in intumescent paste (see drawing above).

At the Grade I-listed George Inn at Norton St Philip in Somerset, fire safety measures were undertaken some years ago when providing residential accommodation upstairs. It was necessary to provide a protected ground floor corridor as a means of escape but an existing historic door could not be upgraded. Instead, it was retained but re-hung on its opposite edge, using its original hinges, and fixed open. A new fire door was placed discreetly within a recess in the corridor and held open with electromagnets.

The views expressed on these pages should be seen as contributions to ongoing debates and we welcome comments. Please email any feedback on the technical issues covered to Douglas Kent at douglas.kent@spab.org.uk. To contact us about other, unrelated technical matters, please call our dedicated free advice line. This operates between 9.30am to 12.30pm, Mondays to Fridays, on 020 7456 0916. We are grateful to Historic England for its generous financial assistance to help us run this service.

Below Section through edge of upgraded door with raised and fielded panels (Douglas Kent)

Photo Mathew Slacombe

Photo Mathew Slacombe

PlasteringHistoricBuildingssince1948

Plasteringplainanddecorative Tel01778342188Emailphilip@gachesplastering.co.uk

StonehouseFarm,36StationRoad, DeepingStJames,LincolnshirePE68RQ

www.blackett-ordconservation.co.uk

All Saints, Dunkeswell rises above the ruins

The Victorian church of All Saints Dunkeswell is set among the ruins of a medieval abbey in a green and tranquil river valley in the Blackdown Hills. Local volunteer Bob Platts explores this ‘at risk’ site and its complex history.

Taking a footpath beside the gatehouse ruin, you pass under tall yew trees to arrive at the west front of the church. It is a simple, but lofty building in early Gothic style, buttressed, with tall lancet windows, and a spired stone bellcote on the west gable. Its interest lies in the circumstances of its building, and the part played by some remarkable craftswomen.

Its story begins in 1201 when William, Lord Brewer, gave land for the foundation of a Cistercian monastery at Dunkeswell. It is thought that Brewer was buried in an old stone coffin, now tucked away at the back of the north aisle.

Dunkeswell was one of the principal foundations in Devon until the Dissolution when the site became a source of building stone for the surrounding countryside. The surviving ruins consist mainly of fragments of the western range and part of the gatehouse, as well as the former fish ponds.

The new church of All Saints was commissioned by Elizabeth Simcoe (1762-1850) and consecrated in 1842. Elizabeth was well known as a diarist and artist, and was the widow of Lt. Gen J G Simcoe, the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada. In 1784 the Simcoes had acquired the Wolford Estate at Dunkeswell and built Wolford Lodge. Elizabeth, and her seven daughters, set up an ‘atelier’ at the lodge, where they produced stained glass windows, carved stonework and wooden fittings and furniture. Their work was incorporated in several churches nearby and one in Canada. Elizabeth shared with her husband a leaning towards Romantic medievalism and later developed connections with the emerging Evangelical movement.

The architect of All Saints was the Gothic Revival pioneer Benjamin Ferrey. As a pupil of Augustus Charles Pugin and a follower of the principles of the Cambridge Camden Society, he might not have been the obvious choice for a church dedicated to Evangelical worship but he was clearly adaptable. It has been suggested that Elizabeth had a significant influence in the design.

The new church was erected on the site of the choir of the ruined Abbey Church, which provided a conveniently simple plan appropriate to Evangelical worship. Architecturally, the design tends towards the relatively plain and utilitarian, characteristic of Cistercian architecture. This restraint is apparent in the stained glass and carved stone and wood, which was all done by the Simcoes. Stone from the ruins was used in the new building and items of interest were unearthed, including the

coffin that was assumed to have been William Brewer’s, and fragments of 13th century encaustic floor tiles, which were incorporated into the altar steps. The Simcoes’ work occupies an important place in the history of women in church decoration and crafts in the first half of the 19th century. It was not uncommon at that time for women in wealthy families to learn crafts but they rarely had the opportunity to put their skill to use on a larger scale.

Ecclesiastical craft and artwork by

women only really took off later in the 19th century and tended to belong more to the High Church and Arts & Crafts traditions. The Simcoes’ work is notable for its early date and for combining the spirit of Romantic medievalism with Evangelical principles.

Dunkeswell Abbey first came to the attention of the SPAB in 1919 when the ruins were declared dangerous by Honiton RDC. The SPAB secretary, A. R. Powys, asked architect Basil Stallybrass to investigate. The most

serious defect was a cracked gable to the Gate House, which was in danger of falling into the road below, used as playground for the school opposite.

The owner, Mrs Simcoe of Honiton, was “said to have little means”, so A. R.

Powys sought other sources of funding for the repairs, but a note in January 1920 states: “Society seems to be ineffectual; money will save it none to be had.” No progress was made until 1923 when the Simcoe estate was sold and the ruins passed to new owners, who saw to their repair, and secured their future for the next century.

Unfortunately, the church is now on the Heritage at Risk Register and in need of urgent repairs. It is closed for worship and owned by the Dunkeswell Abbey Preservation Trust. Major funding is needed to repair the building and encourage greater access to the whole Abbey complex.

Conservation architect and SPAB member Alison Bunning has carried out a condition survey and in August the Devon Regional Group enjoyed a visit to the site.

Photo Katherine Findlay

otohPsttalPboB

Left Detail of the floor tiles

Below 13th century encaustic floor tiles, incorporated into the altar steps

The church viewed between the abbey ruins

Interior of All Saints Dunkeswell

Brewer’s coffin

Photo Alison Bunning

Photo Bob Platts

Photo Alison Bunning

TRADITIONALBUILDINGCRAFTSAND CONSERVATION CREFTAUADAILADUTRADDODIADOL ACHADWRAETH

We areanintegrated conservationcompany basedinSouth Wales, thatemploys craftspeopleand tradespeoplewith specialist skills whoare abletoundertake any buildingproject.

Fromminimum interventionrepairsto completeintegrated conservation,planned alterationsand reinstatementfollowing majorloss,webring togetherthehighest standardoftraditional buildingcraftskills, supplementedwitha consideredapproachto projectmanagement.

Historicbuildings

architects@jonathan-rhind.co.uk | www.jonathan-rhind.co.uk

SAWYERFISHER CHARTERED QU ANTITYSURVEYORS

Sawyer Fisher was establishedin1959and continuestoprovide professional quantity surveyingservicesonall aspectsofbuilding work.

We have extensive experience in therepair andrestoration of historicand listed buildings,the construction and refurbishmentof schools, privatehouses, hotels,leisurefacilities, Cathedrals,Churches of alldenominations, windmills etc.

CONSERVATIONANDREPAIR

CONSERVATIONANDREPAIR

OFHISTORICBUILDINGS

Ourhighlyqualified team also possessescomprehensive experience in therefurbishmentofheritageand high profileprojectswhere continuedpublicuse of buildingshas tobe maintained during the project.

Sawyer Fisher is proudtohavebeenpartof theteamfor the Queen’sDiamond JubileeGalleries andTower Projects at Westminster Abbey.

SawyerFisheris atradingnameofSynergyCPCLLP

Policiesnowavailablewithanunlimitedbuildingsand contentssuminsuredandincludingHomeEmergency andLegalExpensescoverasstandard.(Subjecttocertain underwritingcriteria)

CONSERVATIONRESTORATIONRENOVATION

MANUFACTURER &SUPPLIEROFLIMEBASEDECO-MATERIALS

Thermalime |FineLime |Plasters|Renders Traditional Putty-basedmixes |DryReadyMixes Limewash |BespokeMixes Saint-Astier®binders &mor tars anglialime.com |01787313974

www.spab.org.uk | SPAB | Winter2022

NICKCOX ARCHITECTS

NickCox Architects co mbine s ex perienc e an d expertiseinconse rv atio n wit h anenthusiasm fo r newand in novative design sol uti ons.

OurclientsincludeBlenheim Pa lace , Wo bu rn Abbey, theChurchesConservation Tr ust,the National Tr ust,Birmingham,Bristoland We llsCathedrals,TheGoldsmiths’Compa ny and aw ardwinning wo rk atWinchesterCathedral.

We also wo rk fo ra nu mberofprivateclientsonprojectsof va ry ingsize andcomplexity

77Heyford Park,UpperHeyford,Oxfordshire OX255HD

e:info@nickcoxarchitects.co.uk