Adapting old buildings to withstand heavier rainfall
Charlecote Mill, Warwickshire
Working with water and coping with flooding
The impact of groundwater Tackling the effects of super-saturation
RodneyMelville + Par tners
Regulars
05 Welcome
SPAB Chief Executive Matthew Slocombe on potential revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework
06 News and views
The latest from the SPAB and the sector
18 Scholars and Fellows
Hannah Bass reflects on climate change and Fladbury Mill
24 Education & Training
Water – maintenance, repair and the SPAB Approach
26 Casework
St Mary’s Church, Hadleigh, Suffolk
60 Book reviews
The latest reads reviewed
65 Technical notes
The impact of climate change on soft capping
EDITORIAL
Tessa Wild Editor
Jo Fells, Matthew Slocombe, Douglas Kent, Elaine Byrne Editorial assistance
Denise Burrows Sub-editor, Cabbells
SPAB
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, 37 Spital Square, London, E1 6DY 020 7377 1644 E. info@spab.org.uk 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
32 The Climate Crisis – water and historic buildings Morwenna Slade explores the need for research, action and future adaptations
38 Groundwater related events Ed Morton presents a case study on tackling the impact of supersaturation of the ground
47 Meeting the challenge of 21st century rainfall patterns
Simon Gudgeon discusses rainwater goods and disposal 54 Charlecote Mill Karl Grevatt on the critical role of water to milling and coping with flooding
Published and printed on behalf of the SPAB by CABBELLS Alban Row, 27-31 Verulam Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL3 4DG 01727 893 894 info@cabbells.co.uk www.cabbells.co.uk
SENIOR DESIGNER Daniel Swainsbury Cabbells is part of the CPL One Group
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Welcome
The SPAB is both adviser to, and applicant within the planning systems of England and Wales. This mirrors the position of you as our members, since some are owners and occupiers or their advisers, and others are professional planners. In our casework we have a formal opportunity to comment on certain types of listed building application. We have a very tight window of time in which to respond and where councils lack specialist conservation advice, or have advisers who are greatly over-stretched, our input is particularly important.
At the Old House Project (OHP), we have been applicant rather than adviser.
Both listed building consent and planning permission have been needed to bring this Grade II* building ‘at risk’ back into use. We have worked with planning and conservation staff, the County Archaeologist, Historic England’s Inspector and building control officers. As applicant we have benefitted from the expertise of planning staff but have also witnessed the strain that the system is under.
During the project’s six-year span, we have worked with three conservation officers and the council’s conservation advice is now out-sourced to another authority. This turnover has meant that incomers have inevitably needed time to get up to speed. It has also taken a considerable period to have conditional matters signed-off. For a private owner, or a commercial scheme under greater time constraints, these delays could have been project-threatening.
A recent study for the Historic Environment Protection Reform Group (of which SPAB is a member) found the majority of listed building applications now take more than the statutory maximum of eight weeks to determine. The research concluded that reduced planning and conservation resources represent ‘the primary causative factor in slowing determination times for heritage-related planning consents’.
The new Labour government moved swiftly, within its first 100 days, to consult on revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which guides planning decisions. Housing and the future of the greenbelt were the biggest issues, but the government also asked a question about fees. No fee is currently levied for submitting a listed building application. We responded that fees could act as an additional burden on owners and a deterrent to seeking consent. However, if a reasonable fee could ensure a speedy, well-informed decision, and revenue could be ring-fenced in law for conservation advice, there might be benefit for all in a change.
Matthew
Slocombe, Chief Executive
We have a very tight window of time in which to respond and where councils lack specialist conservation advice, or have advisers who are greatly over-stretched, our input is particularly important
An afternoon of celebration with the SPAB Fellows, Scholars and Supporters
In October, we gathered at the Editor’s Suite of the Telegraph Hotel in Coventry to celebrate the achievements of the Scholars and Fellows and recognise the importance of some volunteers who have made a special contribution to our work.
Scholars and Fellows
Certificates were presented to the 2024 Fellows by Alex Langlands, Patron of the William Morris Craft Fellowship Trust. Representing the Dance Scholarship Trust, Tim Greensmith, SPAB Scholar and architect, presented certificates to the SPAB 2024 Scholars. We also heard from SPAB Fellow and bricklayer, Matt Wilson and SPAB Scholar and building surveyor, Hannah Reynolds. Both spoke of the importance of the flagship educational programmes and the impact of the training to the sector as well as on their own careers. These were inspiring messages for the current graduating group about to take their next steps in their building conservation journey.
Volunteer recognition
We used the occasion to also recognise the key role of volunteers to the success of the organisation. The Anthony Goode Award was presented to SPAB Scholar and engineer, Conor Meehan for his dedication to our Working Parties. The award is named after a talented craftsperson and key contributor at many Working Parties and is presented to a person who embodies the Working Party spirit as Anthony did. A new Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Brenda Purkiss, a long-time volunteer whose support and commitment has spanned
many aspects of our work including reception support at Spital Square, archive project work, contributions as a member of the volunteer working group and being a key part of the Working Party team. A hand carved stone panel was made by 2024 Fellow, Marly Lagnado and given to Brenda in recognition of the enormous contribution that she makes.
The Esher Award
This event also gave us the opportunity to present a long-established award given to those who on purely altruistic grounds, have furthered the cause of building conservation and our work. This year the Esher Award was given to Philip Hughes, notably our first building
surveyor Scholar, and author of highly regarded SPAB Technical Notes, such as The Need for Old Buildings to Breathe. While he could not be there in person, Philip spoke to the almost 100 strong audience in the room via prerecorded video and through his words his presence and gratitude was felt. The celebration was a moment to recognise and thank a significant element of our organisation, the people, whose collective efforts and unwavering support contribute to our enduring success and allow us to fulfil our charitable purpose as we work to promote sensitive and appropriate care and repair of our cherished built heritage and ensure buildings of the past are there for the future.
Scotland’s Churches pilot project
We are pleased to have completed all the tasks we set ourselves in the Scotland’s Churches pilot project this year funded by Historic Environment Scotland.
This included the Tibbermore Church Working Party, online lectures, an event for local authority employees and a full-day workshop held at St Ninian’s Cathedral in Perth on Maintaining Scottish Churches. We were joined by architect and Scholar James Innerdale, who gave presentations on maintenance and how to manage it, and heath and safety for volunteers. Sarah Pearce from Heritage Trust Network spoke to us about grants, funding and making the most of hidden opportunities to connect with the community around a church.
Concerns over continuation of Repair Grant Fund
Since 2004, the Listed Places of Worship Repair Grant Fund has refunded churches and other listed places of worship of all denominations the VAT that they pay for aspects of routine maintenance and repair works. The Government’s recent budget did not mention whether the Repair Grant Fund will continue, and the current agreement is due to expire in March 2025. It is possible that it will not be renewed or the capacity of the fund may be reduced by the Government.
The highlight of the day was touring this magnificent building with steeplejack Chris Igoe, who pointed out many hidden problem areas on the roofs. We also enjoyed the splendid Ninian Comper interior, complete with baldachin and rood screen. It is definitely worth a visit if you are in Perth.
In addition, we ran a bespoke course for St Mary’s RC Church, Lochee, Dundee, along similar lines which was also a great success for participants.
We plan to host similar events in 2025, so if you think your church community would benefit and you would like to host a maintenance day, please contact Lucy Stewart at SPAB Scotland. lucy.stewart@spab.org.uk
The National Churches Trust is urging people to write to their MP to make the case for the continuation of the scheme and has drawn up a draft letter that can be adapted. Places of worship are also encouraged to put in their claims for maintenance and repair cost rebates as soon as possible too. Find more information and the draft letter here: nationalchurchestrust.org/news/ autumn-budget-important-update-ukchurches
SPAB Heritage Awards
Unfortunately, we’ve had to delay the announcement of the shortlist for this year’s SPAB Heritage Awards, sponsored by Storm Bespoke Secondary Glazing. More details will be posted on our website.
Above Fellowship Officer Pip Soodeen and the 2024 Fellows
SPAB SCOTLAND
Below James Innerdale discussing the interior fabric of St Ninian’s
EVENTS
SPAB AGM and Coventry event
The SPAB Guardians’ winter gathering and AGM was held this year in the Great Hall of St Mary’s Guildhall in Coventry in October.
Located adjacent to the red sandstone walls of old Coventry Cathedral, it was the perfect point from which to explore the remnants of this once great medieval city known for the huge losses resulting from the Blitz. The AGM had an excellent turn out from our 90 Guardians, with others attending on line, and with no seat left unoccupied in the Great Hall.
Following the delivery of formal business the audience enjoyed an informative talk from representatives of the Historic Coventry Trust (HCT). The HCT generously hosted several tours and visits to showcase the rich extant built heritage of the city. A highlight for all was the visit to the Charterhouse with Ian Harrabin, Chair of the HCT.
Founded in the 14th century as the Priory of St Anne, its foundation stone was laid in 1385 by Richard II. The Charterhouse is a complex site with the main building listed Grade I, the precinct wall Grade II*, the coach house Grade II, and the whole site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. For many years on the Heritage at Risk Register, the HCT has repaired the building, with grants from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and others and has now secured a future for this important piece of the city’s past.
Other notable elements of our whistlestop tour of Coventry included the Doom Painting in Holy Trinity Church, Priory Ruins, Old Bablake School and Bond’s
What’s On
Hospital. We also visited the timber framed houses dating to the 1400s, notably dismantled post-war and put into storage, before being relocated in Spon Street in the late 1980s. The HCT highlighted the challenges faced by the city across many decades of redevelopment, but it was clear from the
description of their upcoming plans and proposals that there is reason to have confidence that the city’s remaining historic building stock is in safe hands. A future visit to Coventry is likely to include access to a great many more conserved historic buildings in use and accessible for all to enjoy.
Our active Regional Groups, Scotland and Ireland branches and Mills section are working on programmes of visits and events for 2025, and the Training Team are also preparing courses to share with you. Please look out for details in e-newsletters and on our website where you’ll find full and up-to-date information as soon as events are confirmed. Many have enjoyed our What’s On supplement, but we are reviewing this as its deadlines have not always worked well for those planning events.
Below Exploring Spon Street, Coventry with Ian Harrabin
JO FELLS
SPAB Guardian Elections in 2024
The 2024 Guardianship elections drew many member votes, in person and online. Thanks to all members who participated.
The two candidates selected for the Technical and Research Committee are Nigel Copsey (stonemason, conservator and lime specialist, based in Yorkshire) and Hugh Conway-Morris (Scholar, architect and carpenter, based in Oxford/ Gloucestershire). For the Education and Training Committee, the selected candidate was Samantha Peacock (Fellow, stonemason and stained glass conservator, based in Somerset).
Could you bring legal expertise to the SPAB’s work?
The SPAB Board has a vacancy for a volunteer lawyer-Trustee. The Board has eight places linked to its Guardian committees as well as four further places that are filled by people with complementary skills and experience. We need a legal trustee to succeed solicitor Richard Max who has assisted the Board for nine years. Richard’s help has been invaluable to the Board, but he has now reached the end of his trusteeship term. The Board would be interested to hear from a SPAB member or supporter who could offer legal experience. Legal work is carried out for the SPAB by its solicitors, but the lawyer-Trustee brings a valuable legal perspective to Board discussions. The Board meets five times a year and attendance can be either in-person or online. For a conversation with Chief Executive Matthew Slocombe or Chair Duncan McCallum, please contact us via director@spab.org.uk
The
The annual SPAB Ireland AGM took place in the City Assembly House, Dublin, on 7 November and was followed by a fascinating lecture given by Lucy O’Connor, conservation architect and director at Howley Hayes Cooney Architecture.
Lucy spoke about ‘Conserving and Repairing the Wonderful Barn and Other Structures’. She drew on her professional experience working in Ireland and internationally on a number of significant conservation projects, including the Wonderful Barn, the Campanile Tower in Trinity, the Laois Offaly Ruins, Newcomen Bank and the Iveagh Markets. The event was kindly supported by the Heritage Council Organisation’s Fund 2024. spab.org.uk/about-us/ spab-ireland
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Sir Donald Insall – Lifetime Achievement Award
In October, Building Design
awarded Sir Donald Insall a Lifetime Achievement Award, describing him as ‘a figure whose name has been synonymous with the conservation, restoration and celebration of architecture for the past six decades’.
One of the first post-war SPAB Lethaby Scholars, Sir Donald undertook his SPAB training a remarkable 74 years ago. Strongly inspired by his experience, he signed
up for a course in town planning after his Scholarship, before his appointment to lead a repair project at Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire in 1956. Peter Locke, another of the Scholars in 1950, soon joined his growing practice caring for many of our most important historic structures, including Windsor Castle after the 1992 fire.
A founding Commissioner for English Heritage, Sir Donald was knighted for services to conservation architecture in
2010. He remains an active consultant to Donald Insall Associates, which specialises in building conservation and which has involved a succession of the SPAB’s Scholars.
Today our Scholarship takes the form of a small group, living and travelling together and debating as they go. The emphasis continues to be on practical experience – the concept championed by our founders William Morris and Philip Webb – which Donald relished.
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Above Sir Donald Insall
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Old House Project Visits
The Old House Project (OHP) hosted two very different visiting groups in October 2024.
The first group contained representatives of the Kent Archaeological Society (KAS) and was linked to a SPAB talk on the OHP at their annual conference. KAS have been valued supporters of the OHP and of Boxley Abbey Working Parties, providing voluntary help as well as a financial contribution to archaeological work. Their involvement has greatly helped our understanding of the site overall.
At their visit in October they saw recent finds, including the base of a
vessel that is possibly Roman, as well as a newly discovered section of wall which provides further evidence that the site was in monastic use before the construction of the current chapel, which dates from the 1480s. We were delighted that the visiting group included David and Barbara Martin who are highly-respected experts in the historic buildings of Southeast England and who have studied Boxley’s daughter house, Robertsbridge Abbey.
The second visiting group contained members of the SPAB’s Technical and Research Committee, our technical staff and the specialist consultants who have advised us on
energy conservation issues within the project. The meeting explored the choice of products and materials for the project’s retrofit work, air and moisture movement, optimal radiator positioning and future monitoring of the internal environment after works. Progress on site is now advancing rapidly through work by Owlsworth IJP, services engineers and other sub-contractors, guided by site foreman Jim Whitbread and architect Malcolm Fryer.
and
The house will offer an attractive and comfortable home in 2025 for its new occupier, but its educational benefit to us should continue for many years.
PROJECT UPDATE
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Above Architect Malcolm Fryer (centre) introduces OHP retrofit issues during a visit by members of the Technical & Research Committee
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Scholars and Fellows
Hannah Bass, one of this year’s Scholars, reflects on her growing understanding of the impact of climate change on buildings and the critical importance of adaptation and improved resilience
Over the course of our first six months on the Scholarship, we have enjoyed thought-provoking conversations on all manner of topics related to conservation, but a recurring theme is the impact of climate change on buildings. We have seen its effect on the whole chain of construction and conservation, from pollution-based acid rain affecting stonework and stained glass, to extreme summer temperatures and the impact of changing weather patterns on crops used in traditional building. We are familiar with how weathering contributes to degradation of fabric;
the importance of maintaining weathering details and good ongoing maintenance is frequently discussed. However, increased rainfall is leading to more regular flooding of buildings, particularly those in close proximity to watercourses, where a failure to plan for the consequences of climate change can threaten a building’s existence.
Fladbury Mill
In June we spent time at Fladbury Mill on the River Avon in Worcestershire, donated to the SPAB by David Wynn. Along with members of the SPAB’s
working group and Historic England’s Historic Building Climate Change Adaptation team, we discussed how buildings threatened by flooding might be adapted, how they might contribute to reducing the impact of climate change and how these both affect, and are affected by, their use. The question of use is one which has arisen on several visits during the Scholarship, particularly when the original function has changed or is no longer relevant. Reusing buildings is a valuable part of reducing carbon emissions from construction and can offer the opportunity to adapt to improve resilience, but we must ensure that conservation of historic building fabric is balanced with insertion of new uses to a building. Alongside this, we must decide whether the building
form can be adapted to make it more resilient to the changing climate, or whether the historic interest in the building would be lost by such changes, and the new use must work around compromises such as periodic flooding of a ground floor.
At Fladbury Mill, recurring floods have affected the lower floors of the building and rising flood levels mean that it may get worse in future, causing disruption for any permanent activities in the space. Working out how to manage water around sites like this is key to helping buildings become more flexible and resilient and can be an opportunity to incorporate improvements to the ecology of the site at the same time.
A further discussion raised following our visit to Fladbury was around the integration of renewable energy technology into historic buildings. Although the water mill at Fladbury was converted to produce electricity in the late 19th century, elsewhere it is often difficult to integrate renewables sensitively. Even where they do exist, modernising them to work efficiently can be difficult without compromising the historic interest within the machinery itself.
Planning for the future
I came away from our visit with more questions than answers on
how to approach the future use and conservation of such buildings, but it was great to discuss and challenge our ideas about what should happen with both Fladbury Mill and other buildings threatened by climate change, as it is something which will continue to affect historic buildings and how we use and experience them.
SPECIALIST CONSERVATORS
ARCHITECTURAL STONEWORK
A historic building can easily be a sustainable and resilient one, so long as it is well maintained and there is an understanding about how it should be managed, and how internal conditions might vary from the norms expected in new builds. However, in order for a building to receive the care it needs, it should have a purpose, and we have seen several cases where the future of a building is unsure because of a loss of previous function and no clear idea of what new purpose might fill it.
Although Fladbury Mill faces more extreme impacts than most buildings, all will benefit from both learning from the past and making adaptations for the future where necessary, be these more minor changes such as increasing gutter sizes or a broader reconsideration of a building’s use. With more intensive weather patterns looking likely, it is more important than ever that old buildings are well maintained, repaired and adapted as needed, to give them the best chance of longevity and resilience.
STATUARY AND MONUMENTS
DECORATIVE PL ASTERWORK
ARCHITECTURAL CERAMICS
MOSAICS
Main (previous page) and bottom Fladbury Mill Left Scholars discussing ideas in Fladbury garden
Below The turbine at Fladbury
Fladbury Mill and the risks of the river
Water is both friend and foe at Fladbury Mill. The Mill, which stands on a beautiful stretch on the river Avon, was acquired formally by us in July 2024 as the generous bequest of member David Wynn. Already, our Custodian Chi-Wei Clifford-Frith, our Fladbury Mill Working Group led by our former Chair Iain Boyd, and others within the organisation have witnessed the positive and negative effects of the site’s closeness to the river.
The Met Office considered September 2024 to have been an ‘exceptionally wet month for parts of the Midlands’. Many weather stations in the region recorded rainfall at more than 300% above average for the month. Several of the Midlands’ counties had also recorded their wettest-ever February this year.
Flooding and other effects of extreme weather are with us now. Fladbury Mill offers the opportunity to study these effects, and means of mitigation, in ways that should help other building owners and managers.
The river’s flow
The Avon at Fladbury, which flows from Stratford through Evesham towards the village, is a powerful watercourse. It spans a considerable width at Fladbury’s weir, and is popular with wild swimmers, canoeists and paddle-boarders. It’s also navigable, with a lock for narrowboats on its southern side. The river is beautiful and the host to wildlife from otters to wagtails. It’s admired by villagers, visitors to the Mill and the Birmingham anglers who flock to the site, but it’s
also polluted. After recent heavy rain, six swimmers from neighbouring Cropthorne Mill all became sick after venturing into the Avon.
Water is the reason for Fladbury Mill’s existence. The Domesday Book records a mill there, valued at 10 shillings, and it is quite possible that this medieval predecessor stood on the present building’s site. That Mill very probably ground grain for flour, but the river has also provided power for other commercial purposes. The Mill’s wheel was modified in 1888 to generate electricity, with two replacement Armfield 40 ‘British Empire’ turbines introduced in 1900. For a time, the river’s
energy lit up Fladbury.
The Avon’s fast flow remains a source of free, sustainable power at the Mill.
Top left Fladbury Mill House with antiflooding window guards in place, September 2024
Top right Fladbury Mill cellar showing tide mark from past floods
Above left Fladbury Weir shortly after flooding in September 2024
Above right Fladbury with furniture raised on trestles in anticipation of flood, September 2024
The current Gilkes turbine provides more than sufficient energy to heat, light and power the building. It is enormously satisfying when the sustainable electricity that the river provides lights a bulb, boils a kettle, heats a radiator or runs a wi-fi hub; less satisfying is that more power is currently produced than the Mill can use. The excess is literally and metaphorically blown out of the window through a fan-driven industrial heater.
Renewable power
Making better use of the Mill’s renewable power must be one of our objectives, but extensive investigations by Hon Treasurer Chris Wheaton and Iain Boyd have been somewhat disappointing. While some pioneering, communityfocussed hydro-generation schemes, at places like Reading, Howsham and Cromford, are showing that electricity can be usefully generated from water power, this is often for local use rather than for sale to the grid.
Initial advice suggested that the SPAB might be able to obtain a worthwhile 25p per kWh if we upgraded Fladbury’s turbine to produce electricity that was more grid-friendly. However, this figure included the saving on what would otherwise have been spent on purchased electricity as well as revenue. The true figure is more like a meagre 6p per kWh.
While it is disappointing that the monetary return from micro generation is currently so unrewarding, successful hydro generation is increasingly focused on local power use and battery storage
as a way to harvest and release energy at points when it is most needed. Uses for sustainable power can be approached creatively too. We have now brought an electric lime kiln to Fladbury with the aim of using surplus energy to produce quick lime without emissions from fossil fuels. River power is more consistent than solar power, but in Fladbury’s case there is a counter-intuitive twist. It might be assumed that the force of flooding would produce the highest electricity output. In fact, with turbines of Fladbury’s kind, power-generation relies on the fall between the higher level of water upstream and the lower level below. When the river is in flood, the levels are equalised with the turbine slowing and eventually stopping. Flood resulting from extreme weather events is not good for sustainable power generation.
Flooding risks
Flooding is also not good for buildings. Like all watermills on the river’s edge, Fladbury was constructed in anticipation of regular floods, with hard-floored cellarage and other areas that can be quickly cleansed of the silt and debris brought by the river. But modern usage has increased the vulnerability of the Mill House by introducing carpets, soft furnishings and electrical wiring. So far this year, mitigation measures have dealt successfully with the highest water levels. Window and door guards have protected openings, and under-floor sump pumps have worked to keep interiors safe from water ingress. Just as the river’s route and intensity have been managed for generations, it remains possible to divert some of the flow and lessen its impact, but there is no doubt that the frequency of high-water levels is increasing. The floods of January and February 2024 took the river well beyond its normal range and to a height that lapped at the thresholds of the Mill House. September’s levels weren’t quite so extreme, despite exceptionally heavy rainfall, but were high enough to cover the Mill’s garden at a point in the year when floods haven’t regularly occurred in the past.
Fladbury Mill’s history and existence are intertwined with the river Avon. Mitigation measures can help lessen the increasing risk and impact of flood, but ultimately it is our collective response to climate change that will determine whether buildings of Fladbury Mill’s kind can remain viable.
Matthew Slocombe discusses the critical role of water at the SPAB’s Fladbury Mill
Below The weir at Fladbury, looking towards Cropthorne Mill
Understanding your old building: maintenance matters
Elaine Byrne, Director of Engagement, considers the impact of water on old buildings and the resulting need for maintenance, repair and the SPAB Approach
In the UK and Ireland, regardless of season, those who live in old buildings and those who look after them are in a continuous cycle of managing water and its impacts. These islands are not only surrounded by water but have great rivers coursing through them, punctuated by lakes, marshes and bogs. Rainfall and flooding are increasing as is the need to mitigate, prepare and repair.
The SPAB Approach
At the centre of the SPAB Approach is a message of sensitive and appropriate maintenance and repair and our courses and training programmes reflect this. It is important to recognise that it is water – in many forms – and its impact on historic structures that creates the need for the conservation that we work to promote. Our Manifesto tells us to ‘prop a perilous wall or mend a leaky roof’ and as we embrace an even wetter climate the need to understand our old buildings and how to best maintain and repair them is increasingly relevant and necessary. Our courses and training reflect the wide range of building fabric and materials, craft skills and disciplines where a depth of understanding about water and its impact is necessary to enable appropriate responses and mitigation when caring for a historic structure. This year our new surveying course recognises the need for training, particularly amongst early-career professionals, on methods of surveying traditionally constructed buildings and how these differ from approaches to modern construction.
Recently held at the National Trust’s (NT) Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire, and led by Chartered Surveyor and educator Simon Hollis and SPAB Scholar and Historic Building Surveyor, Declan Cahill, the course, entitled ‘Surveying Traditionally
Constructed Buildings’, brought to life lectures on the SPAB Approach and the nature of traditional construction with a practical afternoon carrying out a condition survey on site. This was complemented by talks from the NT’s Head of Surveying and Scholar Alan Gardner and his colleagues who have the real task of keeping the NT’s buildings wind and water-tight.
A growing audience for courses and training
This year we have seen a significant increase in demand for our suite of offthe-peg historic building maintenance courses as well as our individually tailored, bespoke courses focused on building maintenance and repair. Led by our trainer, James Innerdale, an accredited architect, Historic Buildings Consultant and Scholar, a small team of new trainers is now growing in response to increased interest and demand for maintenance courses. This year we have worked with London Historic Buildings Trust and Tower Hamlets Council to deliver a significant programme of learning as part of their High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) project including in-person training, the production of maintenance videos and printed materials. For the Wren300 programme and Diocese of London
we delivered our Faith in Maintenance training at The Guild Church of St Katharine Cree, London. Following the success of our Welsh Faith in Maintenance course last year, we returned to deliver a part bi-lingual church maintenance training event supported by the Dioceses of Llandaff and Monmouth. The course was also run in Scotland where it is hoped we will have the opportunity to provide further training and support to all those taking on responsibility for the care of historic churches currently being sold by the Church of Scotland.
On-going maintenance and Maintenance Week
Recent work to revise and revitalise our popular Maintenance Calendar reminds us that maintaining our buildings in response to our weather, and in particular the impacts of water, is an annual and cyclical endeavour. At this time of year as leaves are falling and piling up in gutters and elsewhere, we promote our flagship campaign to encourage activity and promote awareness of the essential tasks of building maintenance. Our annual Maintenance Week held in November reminds us of how precious our historic building stock is and that it only survives because of all of those who came before us and devoted their time to carrying out these simple but vital tasks to protect our cherished built heritage.
Another motivator and theme guiding our education and training programme is the need to revive understanding of traditional building materials and craft techniques that have been waning or lost in recent generations. Likewise, we see an equivalent and increasingly important need to resurrect basic knowledge of building maintenance and re-establish a once inherent understanding of the crucial role it plays in building conservation. Returning to our Manifesto, through education and training, we aim to inform and enable custodians to sensitively care for the historic buildings and structures in their care so that they can ‘hand them down instructive and venerable to those that come after us’.
Above Image from the Petticoat Lane Building Maintenance Calendar
Above Damaged downpipe in need of repair
Through our casework, we offer expert advice to architects, owners and local authorities on planning proposals involving listed buildings. As a National Amenity Society, we have a statutory role in the secular and ecclesiastical planning systems which means planning authorities must notify us of any application involving total or partial demolition work to listed buildings. We also welcome requests for pre-application advice. Our casework is one of the key ways we protect historic buildings for the future.
St Mary’s Church, Hadleigh, Suffolk
Christina Emerson
In the heart of Hadleigh, St Mary’s Church sits in a sensitive location beside the 15th century Grade I listed Deanery Tower to the west and the Guildhall to the south. The earliest parts of the church date back to the 14th century, but it was the wealth
from the woollen cloth trade in the 15th century that brought about extensive alterations, giving the building the character we admire today. It is a large building with a distinctive form and rhythm of windows and buttresses. The interior is remarkably open, featuring
high arcade roofs and is bathed in light from large perpendicular windows.
The need for change
Many of us are familiar with the challenges that historic church buildings present, especially when trying to meet
the changing needs of local communities.
building’s historical significance. Sharing the option study findings with our Casework officer helped us understand the careful decision-making process that led to the proposed scheme.
Advice from the Casework Committee
The ‘survive and thrive’ vision for St Mary’s Church illustrates
successful
casework, demonstrating
that early
consultation, combined with a clear vision and thoughtful design, can lead to successful
interventions
in historic church buildings “
In 2015 the parish of St Mary’s chose to address the needs of both community and the building in the form of a Renewal Project. Since then, St Mary’s has become a vital community hub, hosting a variety of activities throughout the week in addition to Sunday worship. This increased activity highlighted the need for better facilities, allowing the parish to clearly demonstrate their requirement for an improved accessible toilet, a kitchen with a servery and a separate meeting room. Clearly evidencing this need enabled us to support the project in principle from an early stage. However, deciding where to locate these facilities was not easy. The large open interior would be interrupted by the addition of smaller rooms and after careful thought, despite the church’s sensitive location, it was agreed that the building’s scale could accommodate an extension if treated sensitively.
Process of option studies
The parish appointed an experienced conservation architect to conduct a comprehensive series of option studies to identify the most suitable location for the extension. Various options were evaluated based on their potential impact on the church’s exterior and the connectivity of the spaces. This rigorous process ensured that the chosen design would meet the church’s functional requirements while respecting the
The SPAB casework committee, with their invaluable knowledge and experience, offered advice on the proposals for St Mary’s. This process ensures that every aspect of the building’s historic interest and the impact of the proposals are thoroughly explored before finalising the design. It also guarantees that the interventions will be of a scale and appearance that complement, rather than compete with, the historic character of St Mary’s, and that the works will have minimal impact on the building’s historic fabric.
Successful casework
The Renewal Project for St Mary’s Church illustrates successful casework, demonstrating that early consultation, combined with a thorough assessment of the building and thoughtful design, can lead to successful interventions in historic church buildings. We are proud to work closely with the diocese to bring about successful church building projects like this, ensuring that our architectural heritage is preserved and enhanced for future generations.
Below Interior looking east
Right Picture of proposed north elevation by Freeland Rees Roberts Architects
Our long-established heritage team provides afullrange of conservation engineering services covering the inspection, assessment and repair of historic structure and infrastructure of all periods.
With national coverage we can help you manage the special challenges presented by historic buildings and maximise opportunities for their future use. Our team includes chartered structural &civil engineers, conservation accredited building surveyors and members of the conservation accreditation register for engineers (CAR E) whichidentifies specialist engineers skilled in the appraisal and repair of historic structures and sites.
London 020 7700 666 6
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34 The Strand, Topsham, Exeter, Devon
Rachel Broomfield
We recently received a concerning notification from Exeter City Council regarding a Grade II* listed 17th century merchant’s house. In 2021 consent was granted for internal alterations, the removal of a workshop and the construction of a swimming pool in the garden. The internal work included repositioning the living room wall, widening the kitchen door, new kitchen units and the installation and modernisation of bathrooms. While the work was taking place it appears that structural issues came to light, notably cracking in the spine wall, detached chimney stacks, water ingress affecting a ceiling, very wet floors and evidence of beetle infestation. At the same time, the owner was in discussion with Building Control as to where the property needed upgrading to meet Building Regulations. This work included insulation and new fire doors
to the main house.
To address these issues, extensive work was undertaken, but unfortunately without discussion with the Conservation Officer or an application for further consent. The owner’s intention was to repair the property and comply with the discussions regarding Building Regulations, but their work was far beyond the scope of the consent that had been granted.
As a result, floors, ceilings, walls, lath and plaster, doors, panelling and fireplaces were all removed and disposed of. The coach house, which is curtilage listed, was also tanked and new insulation and timberwork installed. The owner assumed this was acceptable as consent had been granted for its conversion in 1973.
The work was brought to the attention of the council’s enforcement team, who explained to the owner that they did not have permission for the work they were undertaking and that they should stop. Historic England (HE) was brought on board in December 2023 to advise through a pre-application as to how the interior should be reinstated. Given the amount of fabric removed, they made
it very clear that the reinstatement should be undertaken on a strictly like-for-like basis, with any changes being considered as if the fabric were in situ. The owner submitted a Listed Building Consent application in May 2024 to reinstate the interiors, carry out structural repairs and complete the conversion of the coach house. We were consulted and provided detailed comments highlighting concerns shared with HE. This was a difficult case for us as normally we would prefer to see good quality new design to avoid a pastiche of what was there. However, after consideration we felt that there was very little merit in going against the guidance and advice that HE had already provided. We nevertheless highlighted that we expected appropriate materials to be used throughout and would not accept, for example, the substitution of synthetic fibre for animal hair in the lime plaster or tanking in the coach house.
We strongly advised that the property would, in addition to the proposed works, benefit from the removal of the 20th century cement render and its replacement with lime to help it dry out.
This is a very sad and thankfully rare case of significant misunderstanding, especially given that the house is Grade II* listed. In due course we may suggest that the listing description and possibly the grade are revised given that the current listing description reads ‘…starred for the unaltered plan of the interior’.
We strongly advised that the property would, in addition to the proposed works, benefit from the removal of the 20th century cement render and its replacement with lime to help it dry out
Above The Strand, Topsham
Customs House, King’s Lynn, Norfolk
Christina Emerson
The exceptional significance of the Grade I Listed Customs House is undisputed, and this iconic building is widely regarded as the finest building in King’s Lynn. Built in 1683 and designed by Henry Bell, it was the first classical building to be erected in the town and was described by Nicholas Pevsner as ‘one of the most perfect classical buildings in provincial England’.
We recently advised on proposals for the building, which currently serves as an ad-hoc exhibition space. While interventions are proposed to all three floors, the proposals for the first and second floors did not appear to be particularly contentious.
However, the works to the ground floor would have consisted of removing the infills and doors to three of the four elevations. On the north and south elevations, the 18th century timber doors would have been removed and replaced with glazed doors. The stone infills to the arcades would be replaced with glazing. The
west elevation would see the removal of the 19th century leaded light glazing and stonework beneath, to be replaced with glazed doors.
As the application documentation pointed out, the Customs House elevations are ‘of outstanding architectural refinement’. We advised that the cumulative effect of what was proposed would be to cause substantial harm to the architectural character and significance of the exterior of the building, and particularly the west elevation, effectively the principal elevation.
The application did not deal in detail with the question of justification for the harm caused but the frequent references to the infill of the arcades as ‘not being original’ would infer that this was considered to provide a measure of justification. We strongly disagreed with this assessment given the very early date of the infill, carried out only a few decades after the building was completed. The 19th century leaded light windows are of a later date, but
they replaced much earlier windows created at the time of the infill to the arcades, the form of which we consider it important to retain.
In our view, the first-floor rooms have a great deal of potential, they are very attractive, with historic panelling and fireplaces, and would lend themselves well to exhibitions, functions and weddings. Consideration of their potential is largely absent from the proposals, and we encouraged a more holistic view of the possibilities of the building. We advised that a successful scheme must retain the significance of the building, which will necessarily involve the retention of the historic fabric and plan form.
We strongly encouraged reconsideration of the most damaging elements of the proposals as we did not feel able to support the planning application. We are pleased to say that we have heard recently that revised plans will be developed which omit any changes to the exterior elevations of the building.
Parker’s Farmhouse, Rishton, Lancashire
Jo Needham
Parker’s Farmhouse sits in an exposed and relatively isolated position. It is a building with all the character and history that could easily provide the backdrop to a novel. Uninhabited for approximately 90 years, the farmhouse retains a considerably high level of historic fabric and a largely intact floor plan. It is the type of building that stirs emotions and truly warrants its Grade II* listing as a building that is ‘particularly important’ and ‘of more than special interest’.
The list description begins ‘Farmhouse probably c.1600, part altered, now unoccupied’. It also states that it is an ‘unusually complete example of three-bay baffle-entry twostorey house with two-storey gabled porch, and outshut stair turret at rear’. Other elements noted include studded board doors (with surviving fleur-delys hinges); two firehoods – one stone, one the remains of a timber example and timber framed partition walls (to ground and first floors). We also know that the building retains high quality
stone flag flooring to a large part of the ground floor, an exceptionally rare survival of stone flag flooring to the first floor, and cruck timbers forming part of the roof structure.
It is a building which perfectly exemplifies those parts of our heritage that the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 is designed to safeguard. It also embodies the special qualities that, since our inception in 1877, we have sought to champion and protect.
Building fabric is precious; and is, as the SPAB Approach states, ‘the primary source from which knowledge and meaning can be drawn. Materials and construction methods embodied in building fabric illustrate changes in people’s ideas, tastes, skills and the relationship with their locality. Fabric also holds character and beauty; the surfaces, blemishes and undulations of old buildings speak of the passage of time and of lives lived. Wear and tear add beautiful patination that new work can only acquire through the slow process of ageing.’
The building was placed on the Building at Risk register due to its poor and deteriorating condition and while it is important to find a new sustainable use, this should not be at the expense of its special interest.
Unfortunately, though, we believe that the granting of Listed Building Consent earlier this year for a non-conservation led scheme will result in considerable
destruction and significant harm.
Alarmingly, the local planning authority had not consulted the national amenity societies on the application which they are required to do. This matter was taken up by our Casework Support Officer which then led to a formal consultation. The quality of the application was poor and inadequate, and lacked the requisite clear and convincing justification for the harm and losses.
Despite strong objections from us, other amenity societies, and concern from HE, listed building consent was granted. The work will regrettably include lifting and relaying the stone flag floors with insulation and underfloor heating (ground floor). All of the stone flag floors at first floor level are to be removed and used to form a patio. The timber framed wattle and daub walls will be concealed under plasterboard thus obscuring parts of the interior and potentially resulting in problems from change in temperature and humidity.
The lifting of the floors will also cause irreparable damage to the walls. The formation of a utility and WC in and around the remains of the timber firehood will result in further losses and obscure the legibility of the building’s evolution. Demolition and alteration of stone and timber framed walls will also erode the historic cellular plan and result in incongruous additions to elevations.
Below Parker’s Farmhouse
The Climate Crisis: water and historic buildings
Morwenna Slade, Director – Climate Change at Ingleton Wood LLP and SPAB Trustee, explores how historic buildings can manage, adapt and recover from the impact of water
Climate change is no longer a future problem. In a year dominated by headlines of record temperatures and rainfall – 2023 was the hottest year globally – the urgency to care for our buildings, understand their vulnerability and look to their resilience has never been more palpable.
Climate change projections for the UK indicate that hotter, dryer summers and warmer, wetter winters will become our norm with an increase in heavy downpours and higher humidity. Regional risks vary, and microclimates, types of construction and a building’s age and condition bring unique risks but also opportunities for resilience and adaptation.
Flooding is the UK’s primary hazard with insurance industry modelling placing I in 4 properties at risk. On 22 September 2024, some areas of the UK experienced a month’s rainfall in one day. This is just one example of the extremes our buildings now need to withstand. It is a timely moment, therefore, to write this article highlighting the work Ingleton Wood is undertaking. With the deep
understanding that maintenance is the key to climate change resilience, we are using a multi-disciplinary approach underpinned with conservation philosophy and climate science to identify future weather scenarios and consider how historic buildings can manage, adapt and recover from the impacts of water in all its forms.
Climate change and risk to historic fabric
Surviving for hundreds, if not thousands of years, heritage sites often demonstrate the true extent of how buildings and structures can be resilient to the natural environment. The latest climate change projections
along with research into hazards and impacts suggests that a rapidly changing climate will intensify existing threats and create new hazards for historic sites, the organisations that care for them, their occupants and visitors.
Climate change hazards include higher temperatures, increased rainfall, heavy downpour events and flooding, more frequent and intense droughts, higher humidities, storms and rising sea levels. All of these events multiply the occurrence and impacts of building defects and increase risk and vulnerability for historic fabric, collections and landscapes.
Flooding, higher rainfall and higher
humidity all represent risk to buildings and the landscape more broadly. Higher relative humidity (RH) for prolonged periods increases fabric decay, microbiological growth and attacks from pests. If not managed carefully post-flood conditions can increase the RH causing mould and fungal outbreaks. Too rapid drying, however, can also cause harm.
Higher levels of rainfall along with heavy downpour events will increase saturation of building fabric and the potential for associated decay, including the deterioration and loss of decorative stonework. Periods where the building can dry out may also be reduced and post-flood recovery hampered by further continuous rain.
Traditionally the UK has taken a defensive approach to flooding with significant infrastructure from banks, dykes and drainage to major modern projects like the Thames barrier. Older, traditional buildings constructed on the coast or by rivers were often designed to be resilient either to intermittent flood or with detailing such as slate hanging to defend buildings from the prevailing weather.
Above St Michael and All Angels Church in Tirley, Gloucestershire, surrounded by flood water / ISTOCK
With the increased risk of flooding, heavy downpour and storms there is a need to learn from our past and understand the inherent resilience of some construction types and how we manage risk to support recoverability and long-term care.
Understanding flooding
Understanding the various types of flooding is critical in establishing the implications for your building. Pluvial, or surface water, flooding is usually the result of torrential rain and can happen
during any heavy downpour event and often overwhelm drainage systems. Surface water flooding can be difficult to predict, much more so than river or sea flooding as it is hard to forecast exactly where or how much rain will fall in any storm or incidence of heavy pour.
Ground water flooding occurs when the water table emerges above ground level, including permeating through floors. It can happen gradually, after periods of prolonged or heavy rainfall, and can last for a long time causing extensive damage.
Fluvial (river) flooding is normally the result of continuous rainfall causing river levels to rise. The way rivers cope with additional water depends on their capacity and access to a flood plain. Changes to flood plains can reduce flood storage capacity which potentially creates flooding further down river where it had not previously occurred.
Coastal flooding is caused by a combination of high tides and waves. A build-up of low atmospheric pressure can coincide with high tides and lead to a tidal surge that results in flooding of
coastal towns and extreme forces being exerted on buildings and structures. Compound flooding involves more than one type of flooding happening in the same area, for instance where river flooding and coastal flooding meet. You can establish the risk of flooding by using the Government website floodmap-for-planning.service.gov.uk/location
Older buildings and flooding
The long-term viability of a building subject to flooding or an increase in water ingress during heavy downpour
Case Study
Climate change analysis: St Torney, North Hill, Cornwall
The Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) is a charity that cares for an estate of over 350 redundant churches across England. We were appointed by the CCT to undertake a review of the local and regional climate change hazards that may impact the building fabric, monuments, systems and services for their churches in a number of locations. The aim is to provide a strategic view of climate-related risks for sites, highlight focus areas and support future maintenance planning. Our study showed that sites have widely different results, and this allows the CCT to make strategic decisions and take informed action specific to each site’s risk and historic fabric.
Featured in Daphne Du Maurier’s 1936 classic novel, Jamacia Inn, the Grade I listed church of St Torney sits on the edge of Bodmin Moor in the village of North Hill and serves as a valuable case study. Possessing the second highest tower in Cornwall, this impressive building with high quality detailing embodies the dark and desolate romanticism of Cornwall conveyed by the novel. Even on a fine day the wind from the moor brings the damp smell of marsh and heather. From the blocked window in the south aisle and deteriorating stone mullions of its exterior to the carved skulls embellishing the monuments of its richly decorated interior, it is a place that has stood through time, weathered by the elements and subject to water ingress and fabric decay because of high humidity. Algae, mould and slime moulds are a particular issue for this building.
or wind driven rain will be determined by how easily and quickly it can be recovered afterwards. The setting of a building impacts how a building will be affected by climate change. Naturebased solutions in the wider environment and consideration of landscapes, planting and soil health are becoming increasingly important positive adaption measures to help mitigate flood risk. Understanding the setting of a building is therefore key to determining its potential vulnerability and level of resilience.
Believed to be over 600 years old, the 14th century chancel is the oldest identified part of the building. Much of the church dates from the 15th and 16th centuries, including the beautiful wagon roof. In 1868, a substantial restoration was undertaken. The church is currently undergoing an extensive programme of conservation work following its acquisition by the CCT in 2022.
North Hill is located on the east side of the River Lynher and the elevated topographical position of St Torney
Below Damage to decorative stonework and new replacement at St Torney’s Church, North Hill, Cornwall
Below St Torney’s Church, North Hill, Cornwall
means the site is naturally low risk to most types of flooding. There is much we can learn, however, by considering the broader landscape, the proximity of areas of higher flood risk and modelling future weather scenarios for the location. Utilising flood risk data for the surrounding area, we can understand the current and future conditions the building will be subjected to and evaluate future potential rainfall. A geological, hydrological and geotechnical summary for the site was produced to understand ground stability now and against future weathering.
Climate change analysis modelling
For each church in the study different climate variables were modelled. At North Hill we focused on mean temperature, precipitation (rainfall), relative humidity, solar flux, wind speed, snowfall, snow fall rate and maximum wind gusts. The river flow and rainfall data in the Tamar catchment was also reviewed to establish key trends linked to both natural variability and the impacts of climate change.
The modelling showed temperatures are predicted to increase across all seasons of the year, with the highest temperature increases expected in summer. By 2080, mean temperatures in the summer may increase by 5°C or more with winter temperatures also being notably higher.
High temperatures can increase the decay of historic fabric, accelerating for example, the ageing process of roofing materials and stonework. High temperature events can either be characterised by periods of prolonged heat or short extreme rises. Either of these pose risk for fabric through exacerbating established agents of decay such as thermal expansion.
High temperatures can also increase flood risk as periods of high temperature are likely to end with incidents of heavy downpour while also reducing the porosity of the ground surrounding the building.
The height and geographic location of St Torney’s makes it vulnerable to wind driven rain and extreme precipitation events. In addition, the potential risk of localised flooding due to gutter leaks or
very dry external ground conditions during a prolonged drought contribute to the building’s vulnerability. The predicted changes in daily rainfall rates show an interesting trend. By 2080, precipitation rates are predicted to be higher during the winter and lower during the summer. This trend of wetter winters, and hotter, drier summers is expected to occur on a nationwide basis for the UK and is reflected in the North Hill area.
This projection demonstrates the urgency of current works to repair, replace, and increase the capacity of the rainwater goods to mitigate higher rainfall volumes in winter going forwards. It also demonstrates that maintenance planning for this building towards 2040 should factor in the fluctuating rainfall this building will experience, particularly the significant anticipated increase in the spring.
Relative humidity is predicted to decrease marginally throughout the seasons in future scenarios, with the magnitude of this decrease being higher during the summer than the winter period. This means conditions for this building will see significantly wetter winters with continued high humidity.
River gauging stations provide historical flow and rainfall data. The stations collect hydrological monitoring data on river flow, including daily and peak flow rates and levels, as well as catchment daily rainfall data which can be used to establish rainfall during wetter and drier periods including storm events.
St Torney’s is in the catchment area of the River Tamar, with the River Lynher located around 350m to the southwest, and other tributaries close to the church. The river flow and rainfall data for this area show key trends linked to natural variability and climate change.
Rainfall in the Tamar catchment supported the modelling showing seasonal variability, with generally wetter winters and drier summers with an increase in the intensity and frequency of heavy rainfall events, particularly during the winter months.
Additional climate variables
Other interesting trends from the climate variables demonstrated significant changes to wind speed and direction with a North wind becoming much more prevalent by 2040 and the dominant wind direction by 2080.
Snowfall also changes significantly with the monthly average halving by 2080. By utilising this innovative, multidisciplinary approach to assessing climate risk and vulnerability for their sites the CCT can effectively plan the care of their exceptional heritage estate. This will mean managing and adapting where possible and preparing for future loss as necessary. Our study concluded that while North Hill is not at high risk of flooding, it will experience much higher and more unpredictable rainfall and localised water ingress is likely to occur. As a site that already struggles with this along with high humidity and high winds, a targeted long-term maintenance strategy for St Torney’s is required. Adapting the rainwater goods and drainage is already underway in preparation for higher rainfall and an additional review of other adaptation measures for this site has been recommended.
As this case study shows, understanding the local and national conditions and preparing to respond and adapt to meet them is key to ensuring old buildings can cope with and withstand the significant anticipated impact of climate change.
Monthly average daily precipitation rates in current and future years under RCP8.5.
Above Tamar Flood Plain near Calstock, Cornwall
Climate Change: the consequences of groundwater related events
Conservation Accredited Engineer, Ed Morton, explores how super-saturation of earth structures can lead to failure and shows how this can be mitigated by considering a case study in the Midlands
It is widely accepted that climate change is having a significant effect on the historic environment. This includes a greater number of storm events with extreme gusting wind speeds, as well as the consequences of significant rainfall events, floods and rising sea levels. This article looks particularly at water action and the consequences of these events in the ground.
We are aware that rainfall patterns in recent years have been extreme with significant quantities of water being dumped from the skies in extremely short periods and exacerbated by strong winds. The Met Office indicates that since 1998, the UK has seen six of the ten wettest years on record, and February 2024 was the fourth wettest on record. There is a projected increase of over 30% in winter precipitation and more frequent and intense rainwater events.
The impact of heavy rainfall Rainwater from buildings and hard landscaping is generally collected and discharged through designed systems. In contrast, water discharged into soft landscaping, in and around an historic asset, or to a historic landscape, is less easy to manage. With persistent and heavy rain episodes the ground can become super-saturated which may affect the stability of structures, earthworks, or increase the potential for damage to historic fabric. This may be further aggravated by the relationship with nearby water courses, topography of the surrounding land, and its finishes, and the effects from flood events.
When significant rainfall events occur, earth structures can become more vulnerable, particularly where these contain slopes, such as embankments.
Above Embankment at Lincoln Castle showing the gardens of terraced houses at the foot of the slope
Case study: the impact on a Midlands castle
Lincoln Castle is Grade I listed, and the ground designated as a scheduled ancient monument. It has an earth embankment around much of the external curtain walls and was essentially extant at the turn of the 20th century. Terraced houses were erected at the foot of the embankment between 1907 and 1930, and appear to have removed the toe to the embankment to create gardens to the houses. A 1.65m high brick wall was also constructed to support and retain the soil behind the gardens. Having effective drainage designed-in
for retaining walls, with associated capacity, is important but only if the ultimate discharge system for these can cope with the water quantities. When well-considered, such walls are designed with French drains behind, to relieve water pressure, or more commonly they have weepholes through the wall, which allows any build-up of water behind to discharge. Of course, these can easily become blocked with time, so on-going maintenance is imperative.
In this instance, the retaining wall essentially forms a dam at the bottom of the slope and, during and after high intensity rainfall events or series of
Having effective drainage designed-in for retaining walls, with associated capacity, is important but only if the ultimate discharge system for these can cope with the water quantities
Above Retaining wall to the bottom of Lincoln Castle embankment backing onto terrace housing
A PA SSI ON FOR HE RI TA
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The initial action after the collapse was to understand if the failure was leaving properties or people at risk at the base of the embankment, and to establish if there was any risk to the main castle curtain wall
events, particularly where any designed-in drainage features are not functioning, then the subsoil behind the wall will become ‘super-saturated’, and with this comes a significant increase of weight of the sub-soils. At the Castle this occurred to such an extent that slip circles formed and there was a partial collapse of the sub-soils. The other consequence could have been that the retaining wall fails due to the increase in weight from the water build up, although this did not occur in this case. Obviously, this potential for failure is very much dependant on the slope of the embankment and the subsoil makeup, and the strength of the retaining wall.
The initial action after the collapse was to understand if the failure was leaving properties or people at risk at the base of the embankment, and to
establish if there was any risk to the main castle curtain wall. We prepared a simple diagram to scale to illustrate the probable situation. This also identifies the likely form of failure as well as the out of verticality of the retaining wall. Working in close liaison with the Castle’s archaeologist and statutory authorities was crucial to understanding the significance of the fabric affected by the event and to inform options for improvements. A desktop review established information about a historic slip and the installation of a pinned wired netting at that time, although clearly this was not effective in preventing the new failure.
Detail from The Colquhoun Chapel, Brookwood Cemetery: During 2019
Above Slip circle formed on embankment
Left Sketch through embankment failure
Once immediate risks were ruled out, further investigations were undertaken to provide an improved understanding of the sub-soil’s materials and characteristics as well as the founding of the curtain wall and the width of the retaining wall. The slipped material was removed by suction and sifted for any finds.
With the investigation data available, options for stabilisation needed to be assessed in terms of technical suitability, cost and programme, and impact on historic fabric, and then discussed with the statutory authorities. The archaeological test pits had established that the existing Norman castle wall was immediately underlain by a Roman wall. A 1m buffer zone was agreed to the wall to reduce the potential for archaeological impacts.
After considering a number of options, a mitigation strategy was developed with specialist contractors and geotechnical designers, which comprised the installation of soil anchors or nails and then a surface geogrid pinned to the embankment. This was followed by the drilling of test anchors to validate the theoretical design forces, and to allow final design with the spacing of the anchors determined. Of course, working on a steep slope brings its own challenges, in terms of health and safety, with operatives and equipment having to be suitable harnessed. Plans and details were prepared for approval, the cost and programme agreed, and the installation of the anchors undertaken, with a mesh to stabilise the surface material as well.
Drainage improvements were required with a new French drain installed at the rear of the retaining wall (see image opposite), and with the retaining wall having its stability improved by the addition of further anchors with pattress plates.
In conclusion, the super-saturation of the sub-soils in the Castle’s embankment led to failure, and with potential for future failures, which may have affected the retaining walls to the adjoining properties. Mitigation works comprised stabilising the embankment and improving the retaining wall, as well as the drainage. All of this needed to be undertaken bearing in mind the
Above Installation of test anchors
Right Soil anchors and netting installed Far right Anchors to retaining wall installed with pattress plates
Bottom right Drainage to the rear of the retaining wall
Below Typical soil anchor of nail detail
significance of the structure and the below ground archaeology.
The example above is just one instance of failure, but any building, particularly those built on a slope may be vulnerable to the effects of supersaturation where the strength of the soil is reduced, leading to failures of slopes and movement to the building.
Careful consideration of drainage to avoid such situations is the key, although in large, landscaped areas this can be challenging.
Ed Morton of The Morton Partnership Ltd is a Conservation Accredited Engineer with over 30 years’ experience of working on historic buildings, structures and historic landscapes. Details of Conservation Accredited Engineers can be found at: https://www.ice.org.uk/your-career/ how-to-become-a-professionallyqualified-engineer/professionalqualifications/specialist-professionalregisters#Conservation
Meeting the challenge: protecting and adapting for 21st century rainfall
Simon Gudgeon, Managing Director at J & JW Longbottom Ltd, discusses rainwater goods
and disposal, and the increased demands placed on old buildings by heavier
rainfall
An introduction to rainwater systems
Rainwater goods is the generic term given to the family of products used for the direction and disposal of rainwater from the roofs of buildings. These include gutters, pipes, hopper heads and associated fittings. Until the early 17th century, water falling on most roofs, which were generally thatched or wooden, usually cascaded to the ground at street level which not an ideal solution for those passing by! After this time, gutters and
rainwater pipes started to be installed, and by the early 18th century these became mandatory in the growing urban developments and elsewhere, on buildings of stature where the owner wished not only to safeguard the long-term integrity of the property but also to enhance its appearance. This is particularly noticeable in properties constructed during the Victorian period when decorative features were often incorporated into the design of gutters, pipes and hopper heads.
Below Lead hoppers and downpipes used as decoration. Rainwater drips from the thatched eaves JACKYR
Materials
Very early rainwater systems were made from wood, stone and lead, sometimes also lined with lead. Later materials include cast iron, zinc, copper, pressed steel, aluminium, plastic (UPVC) and glass fibre. Stone is traditionally found on large and architecturally important buildings where decorative features such as gargoyles are not uncommon.
Wood, usually elm, oak or teak, was a readily available and relatively inexpensive material. Many buildings, particularly rural cottages, continue to have wood gutters and they are still available to install today.
Lead has been used since the 13th century. Lead rainwater goods, which can be simple or decorative, can be cast or handmade and there are many specialist
craftspeople still practising this art. Cast iron is perhaps the most common material for period properties and demand has grown in recent years due to the increased focus on conservation. Some people have the misconception that this material is no longer available. Its history will be explained in more detail below. Zinc, copper and pressed steel are materials more favoured in mainland
Europe, although some property owners in the UK choose them, often for their appearance. These metals are lightweight.
Aluminium is available in two forms - cast or extruded. Extruded aluminium is lightweight and can be fitted quickly. Cast aluminium follows similar patterns to cast iron and is increasingly popular.
Plastic rainwater goods became prevalent after the second world war and through the 1980s many, often perfectly good, metal gutter systems, were taken down and replaced with plastic. Many owners of period properties are now wanting to reinstate more traditional materials.
Glass fibre is an alternative material for very large gutters, hopper heads and pipes offering a lighter product at a reduced cost.
The history of cast iron rainwater goods
The use of cast iron as a material for rainwater goods dates from the mid to late 18th century. They were originally installed on the grandest buildings such as palaces and stately homes, due to the high manufacturing costs at that time. Rainwater goods were designed by the architects as part of the complete design of the building, and would often include a family crest or some other feature to enhance the appearance
Wood, usually elm, oak or teak, was a readily available and relatively inexpensive material. Many buildings, particularly rural cottages, continue to have wood gutters and they are still available to install today
Above A replacement wooden gutter on an Aberdeenshire watermill, made and installed by the SPAB Scotland Working Party 2022
Right Lead downpipe discharging into an 18th century lead waterbutt
of the building as well as provide long-term integrity. Very early cast iron rainwater goods often appeared similar in design to the lead ones that had previously been used. Iron castings from this time were made to a very thick section and consequently, many are still around today and are considered part of the history and fabric of their buildings. During the Victorian period, manufacturing techniques improved, costs reduced, and consequently the use of cast iron rainwater goods became widespread. High demand led to numerous specialist foundries being established – including our own – particularly in the industrial towns
Iron castings from this time were made to a very thick section and consequently, many are still around today and are considered part of the history and fabric of their buildings
of the Midlands and North of England as well as the central area of Scotland. Many of these specialist foundries closed in the mid to late 20th century including the widely regarded Walter Macfarlane and Co and Sloan and Davidson Ltd. Thankfully there are still foundries such as ours producing new cast iron rainwater goods using the same traditional methods, ensuring that property owners can still obtain replacement rainwater goods in cast iron either from their own range or by replicating existing patterns.
The problem of heavier rainfall
We are now experiencing significantly more rainfall than we used to. Data shows that the decade from 2012 to 2021 was 10% wetter (annually) than the period 1961 to 1990 and six of the ten wettest years since 1862
rainfall frequency and intensity.
As a result, some rainwater systems are now struggling to discharge water at the required rate, leading to water overflowing from the gutters. The negative effects of this on a building range from discolouration and staining of the walls through to harmful water ingress causing damp and decay. Of course, the same problems will be encountered when the system is corroded, having reached the end of its natural lifespan. In the latter case, it is still worth considering ‘upsizing’ as part of the replacement programme.
What can be done?
There are several things that can be done to enable a system to cope with greater levels of rainfall.
1. Maintenance
Routine maintenance of your rainwater system is crucial. The SPAB Annual Maintenance Week is a good reminder to prepare your building for winter and this includes cleaning the gutters and making sure pipes and hoppers are free of blockages. An annual inspection during (preferably heavy) rainfall will give a good indication of how well a system is performing as well as identifying any failures. Now is the time to do this.
2. Larger gutters
In recent years, we have seen more cases of people ‘upsizing’ their gutters by increasing the width or changing
Above Gutter patterns
cast iron hopper head
to a deeper section. For the common gutters, made in large quantities, there are a range of sizes available from all suppliers. This is also true for the more traditional sand cast metal ones. The specialist foundries of the Victorian period produced a wide range of sizes for each gutter style and many of these moulding patterns are still in existence and foundries can make new gutters in these patterns. It is therefore usually possible to find a larger size of the same pattern as the existing ones. Of course, larger gutters will be heavier and although your supplier will provide adequate brackets, it is important to check the building can support the extra weight.
3. Larger pipes
In some cases, the gutter size is adequate, but the pipe capacity isn’t. This can easily be overcome by increasing pipe size. For example, increasing from 2.5 inch to 3 inch diameter gives 50% extra capacity and increasing from 3 inch to 4 inch gives 130% extra capacity; 3.5 inch pipe is also available for situations where 4 inch would look ‘out of place’. Large sizes
of 5 inch and 6 inch are also available for very large buildings. Square and rectangular pipes have greater capacity than their round equivalents and a range of sizes are readily available. Increasing the pipe size will require the gutter outlet size to be increased to be fully beneficial. The same is true of the outlet of any hopper head and there are specialists who can do this work for you.
4. Extra pipes
Rather than increase pipe size, particularly if a larger size would look out of proportion on the building, it may be preferable to add an additional rainwater pipe to each gutter run. In doing so, consideration must be given to forming access to the underground drain as well as creating another outlet on the gutter. Specialist suppliers can help with the extra outlet, identifying your gutter and either supplying a standard running outlet (sometimes called a nozzle) or a bolt on outlet for the installer to fit.
5. Hopper heads
The inclusion of a hopper head, as well as being decorative, is also a good
way of holding water as the pipe discharges it. There is a huge range of sizes and styles available so even if you already have a hopper in place, increasing the size might be a good idea. Some manufacturers can fit an overflow to new and even existing hopper heads; doing so enables any overflowing water to be discharged away from the building as well as help with identifying problems. Overflow outlets can be as simple as a basic pipe, or a more aesthetically pleasing trough shaped one.
A final thought…
Although I have concentrated on the problem of increased rainfall here, there are also prolonged periods of dry weather. We should consider collecting rainwater for use in the garden and elsewhere during these dry spells. Connecting a water butt to a rainwater pipe is a reasonably straightforward job and adaptors are available to fit all pipe shapes and sizes. Correct installation allows all water to continue to fall down the pipe once the butt is full thus avoiding overflow.
Above Heraldic tie on lead downpipe – Conduit Court, Skipton Castle
Below The mill in early summer, compensation for
A fine balance with nature
Most people don’t give a moment’s thought to water, it is just a commodity that appears from a tap, on demand and consistently, no matter what the season or the weather. For others, water, or more precisely the source of water is a far more important consideration as it affects every aspect of their daily working lives. This could not be truer for the traditional water miller, as without their water source they could not exist.
Charlecote Mill in Hampton Lucy, near Warwick, is an excellent example of the water miller’s craft, and it is here that one can really learn about
the relationship the miller has with his river. Charlecote is a fine lowland water mill, with two undershot waterwheels – each 18 feet in diameter – driving up to three pairs of millstones and other ancillary equipment including a sack hoist, dresser and grain cleaner. The mill in its present form has sat astride the River Avon since the mid-1700s and a mill on this site can be traced back to the Domesday Book.
Working with water
For many, the thought of a free source of power must be a near-perfect scenario but pause to consider it further and the picture is far less
simple. Working with water is a double-edged sword; it is, after all, a natural element, and we all know just how beautiful and how cruel nature can be in equal (or unequal) measure. A river offers a natural balance and sometimes things are very much in your favour but at other times, they can be very much against you.
I always consider summer and early autumn to be compensation for the darker times of winter and early spring. Winter can be a true test of character and it is stressful managing a complex business with so much out of your direct control. But come the summer, when I look out
onto the green banks at the wildlife and beauty around me, while the mill hums contentedly in the background, I remember just why it is I choose to do this for a living.
So, what is that balance I talk about? When Charlecote Mill was built circa 1752, the River Avon would have looked very different. A sparse local population, traditional farming and no industrialisation meant that the river was free to run its natural course. Taking a tributary off it for the mill, known as the head race, would have been a relatively simple and unobtrusive undertaking. Forming a natural dam in the river and holding
Top The ‘stone floor’ in all its glory
Middle Charlecote Park under water during the January 2024 floods
Bottom Standing by the millrace overflow, below the weir bridge, at the end of a dusty day of milling
back water with heavy sluice gates would have been the norm and the downstream impact would have been minimal. Making these interventions meant that lower water in the tail race at the front of the mill and a large head of water maintained at the rear could drive the undershot wheels at a constant and day-long speed.
Historic and on-going changes Now, fast forward through some of those intervening years and consider the changes to the mill’s environment. Upstream mills, themselves a form of water control, have gradually disappeared. Substantial areas of
Karl Grevatt , the miller at Charlecote Mill and 2009 SPAB Fellow, on the critical role water plays in traditional milling
enduring a long harsh winter
Above 3 January 2024 and the highest flood I’ve experienced in my 12 years of being miller housebuilding have taken away the flood plains and introduced ‘storm drainage’ that flows off into the rivers; intensified farming has removed hedgerows reducing the natural barriers and water has been drawn from the river to irrigate crops. All of this has led to changes in how the river flows. It has become more erratic, more prone
The power of the river, the feed of the grain, the gap between the mill stones, the moisture and humidity in the air all play their part and it is the skill of the miller to be able to sense these changes and make adaptations to enable the flour to be ground
to natural weather events and certainly less predictable. Generations of millers have had to adapt to incremental and significant impacts beyond their control. By the mid-1940s, Charlecote was becoming a shadow of its former self but after very heavy flooding downstream in about 1947, the large sluice gates at the rear were removed and the weir upstream reduced in height to better control the river. These alterations were perceived to be beneficial for the downstream populations but were nearly fatal for the mill at the time.
A natural balance
So, how is the mill working today? Quite simply, it works very well but with a far lower power source than it would once have had. Perhaps this is not such a bad thing though given it is now operated with only 10% of its old workforce and is, of course, 300 years more fragile than when first erected. Running a traditional mill like this requires a natural balance. The power of the river, the feed of the grain, the gap between the mill stones, the moisture and humidity in the air all play their part and it is the skill of the miller to be able to sense these changes and make adaptations to enable the flour to be ground. This is a craft that has been handed down through the generations and something the skilled miller can control. Changes to the power source, however, are normally outside the miller’s control and they must adapt accordingly. Where the mill does struggle though is with the variability of the water. Given its reliance of high water levels at the back and low levels at the front, the natural balance is increasingly thrown off. As soon as the river level rises,
Top The ‘meal floor’ with flour coming out of the spout and bags of grain waiting to be lifted into the grain store in the roof
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backwatering occurs. Backwatering is the backwards flow of the river into the tail race, resulting in the levels evening out until eventually both front and back levels rise in tandem. This results in the downward pressure of the water through the sluice gate being countered by the paddles trying to lift the water at the front and effectively stalling the wheels. With perfect balance, the two water wheels will happily turn; when there is an imbalance the mill will reduce to a single wheel working and eventually neither will turn.
The winter of 2023–24 was a stark reminder of this phenomenon, with the mill losing up to 40% of its milling time over a five-month period. This time was however put to good use for tackling maintenance work while no milling could be done. The water does not stop there though and will continue to rise and eventually flood the mill. Nothing can be done to prevent this; it has happened for centuries and continues to happen, perhaps more often now than in the past.
The complete cycle –wheat to flour
Water has a much wider impact than just on the mill. There is no mill without wheat and the farmers who supply me
with local British wheat have similar challenges. Too much rain and the wheat rots in the field; too little rain and the wheat berry does not plump up; sun at the wrong time and the protein does not develop. Even getting 10 tonnes of loose local grain into the mill requires the co-ordination of farmer, miller and the weather to ensure it can be delivered and transferred to the mill in a dry state.
A traditional water mill is inevitably
dependant on water, but can it adapt and cope with the pressures of modern water? Yes of course it can. But please give me a thought the next time I am in a freezing cold mill, surrounded by flood water with no prospect of milling for days. I might just have locked up the doors and gone to the village pub to warm my toes until the water settles back into its regular rhythm and milling can be under way once again.
Above The water gradually receding after a flood in early spring
Above Nearly 2 ft of water throughout the ‘meal floor’. Milling can only resume when the interior is clean and dry
Streetscapes: Navigating Historic English Towns
By Ptolemy Dean Lund Humphries £45
Ptolemy Dean’s book has been a labour of love. And, fittingly, it bears all the marks of a love letter in which the ageing and flawed realities of the 26 towns he ‘navigates’ are enthusiastically varnished and discreetly edited. He has chosen to examine, neatly enough, exactly half of John Speed’s town plans as they were presented in The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain (1611). Alongside each he sets a first edition, late Victorian, Ordnance Survey map. The very act of sitting down in the street to draw ‘offers a different experience’ and it is with an intense, visceral delight that Dean depicts the core area of the towns while running captions, relating to spatial and architectural matters, take readers on their journey. Those bursting sketchbooks (or huge folios?) must have alarmed his editors and threatened to overwhelm a budget, but there were rescuers.
Back outdoors, Dean’s stated mission is to celebrate ‘the value and beauty of streets’. If he has another theme, it’s that we no longer know how to design or, his term, ‘choreograph’ streets. But for this reader at least, the additions and complexities of the 20th and 21st centuries are also due recognition, if not Dean’s acceptance. He denigrates the creep of ‘serious neglect and civic embarrassment’ but leaves it there, as aesthetic intrusion, rather than the effect of severe economic decline.
There is something of Alec CliftonTaylor’s delightful Six English Towns (rising to 18) about Dean’s book, in that he only saw what he wanted to see. With the Architectural Review’s Townscape series in the 1960s, the architectplanner and brilliant draughtsman
Gordon Cullen had taken a more constructive view of what was there on the street, for good or ill. The wider public warmed to John Betjeman’s likes and dislikes while the polemicist Ian Nairn memorably thundered forth on TV and in print for a short sharp period. Seen against this background, Dean’s perspective on the streetscape provides a curious case of déjà vu. The drawings, enhanced by seductive watercolour washes, are splendid, if on occasion verging on the hectic. The 19th surveyor of Westminster Abbey, a SPAB Scholar, is a bravura draughtsman but seems surprisingly detached from the current realities of towns slowly bleeding from austerity rather than bombing.
The formality of enclosure and containment, vistas framed by ancient city gates, the seductive presence of spires or towers of cathedral or great town church beyond, all are worthy of celebration but there’s more – motor traffic or no traffic.
In Rochester, Dean introduces a welcome breath of fresh air, as he moves to the riverside to mark the formal, connective benefits of a (rebuilt) Victorian bridge, while in Colchester he gives Jumbo (a locally beloved Victorian water tower) and the Town Hall their due. His frontispiece is in Newcastle upon Tyne, where the high-level Tyne Bridge (1928) frames the chambers below. In Exeter the wise counsel of Thomas Sharp, who had worked at Durham, Salisbury and Oxford too, helped prove that a cathedral close could be reborn, even after the worst of events. That note of confidence must have felt very affirmative.
Gillian Darley
The formality of enclosure and containment, vistas framed by ancient city gates, the seductive presence of spires or towers of cathedral or great town church beyond, all are worthy of celebration but there’s more – motor traffic or no traffic
Heritag eR epair Change He ritage Repair
Jesmond Dene, Banqueting Hall
Dorset Houses From Bronze Age to 21st Century
By John Lowe John Lowe Publishing £20
‘In the embrace of the house, we can be fully human. Homeowners weave diverse stories into the very fabric of their dwellings – a tangible expression of dreams, aspirations, and necessities’ writes John Lowe in his introduction. Lowe latterly worked on the conservation of historic buildings for Dorset County Council and founded Dorset Architectural Heritage Week (now the East Dorset Heritage Trust). His book, which has taken 15 years to come to fruition, is borne of his deep knowledge of the rich materials and building traditions of the county. He shares longstanding SPAB Committee member and former Poet Laureate, John Betjeman’s enthusiasm for the buildings of the county with the most lyrical village names: ‘Rime Instinsica, Fontmell Magna, Sturminster Newton and Melbury Bubb…’
Sixteen succinct chapters cover prehistoric houses such as Rowden Bronze Age House (1,500-1000 BC) to post-war and modern houses up to 2022. He provides detailed ‘Case Notes’ for various houses including 12-13th century, The Constables House, Christchurch, where he examines the evidence for his conjectural reconstructions. Throughout the text is enlivened by his scholarly and richly coloured reconstructions in mixed media and watercolour and photographs of surviving buildings.
The Great Fire of Blandford Forum in 1731 led to the devastation and rebuilding of the town after an Act of Parliament in 1732. The Bastard brothers, working as architect, builders and joiners led the reconstruction. Lowe provides images of the five classes of house they designed alongside photographs of details from buildings in the town and their own house, which survives although altered with the introduction of ground floor shops. Each period brings new architectural commissions and developments to the county. The late 19th century saw Lady Wimborne commissioning Canford Magna’s model village and Richard Norman Shaw being commissioned by the 2nd Viscount Portman to design a new house at Bryanston in 1890, now Bryanston School. We also learn that although Paul Nash lived at 2 The Parade, Swanage, and wrote the Shell Guide to Dorset, he did not like much of the architecture of the town: ‘modern Swanage is of such extreme ugliness, architecturally, that the inhabitants instinctively look out to the sea or across the bay’.
GACHES
Plastering Historic Buildings since 1948
Lowe’s book is a welcome addition. Inevitably with such a broad focus, many houses are only covered very briefly but there are new insights here from an author whose passion for his subject is evident
In the chapter on the Medieval period, he highlights Corfe Castle, Cranborne Manor, Woodsford Castle and provides a case note on the conjectural reconstruction of Silk Hay. His selection of Tudor houses of varying status, includes Athelhampton, ‘mediaeval in origin but principally from 1485 onwards’; Charity Farmhouse, Osmington; Mapperton Manor House, and Judge Jeffreys Lodgings in Dorchester. Warmwell Manor, ‘one of the most attractive and unusual houses in Dorset’ and Middlebere Farm, with one of ‘the best surviving examples of a detached kitchen’, 1600–50, are just two of the Early Stuart houses discussed.
Amongst a wealth of interesting houses mentioned, particularly in coastal towns; the 20th century brought Oliver Hill’s Landfall, in the words of Alan Powers, ‘one of Dorset’s greatest modernist houses of the 30s’. Lowe’s final chapters bring us to the present day with Poundbury. On land owned by the Duchy of Cornwall the then Prince of Wales commissioned Leon Krier to create a masterplan for in 1988 from which a planned settlement in classical and neo-vernacular styles has evolved. This is contrasted with Brewery Square, just down the road in Dorchester, a mixed-use redevelopment of the Eldridge Pope Brewery site, a very different contemporary approach to homes and commercial infrastructure. Lowe’s book is a welcome addition. Inevitably with such a broad focus, many houses are only covered very briefly but there are new insights here from an author whose passion for his subject is evident.
Tel 01778 342188 Email philip@gachesplastering.co.uk
Stonehouse Farm, 36 Station Road, Deeping St James, Lincolnshire PE6 8RQ www.gachesplastering.co.uk
Exeter College Library, masonry repairs together with internal and external stone cleaning. Replacement of weathering details.
Newly built solid masonry wall and arched entrance.
Our technical activities are at the heart of our 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.
Current concerns
Much deterioration affecting historic buildings and structures in the UK is linked to excessive moisture, including frost action and salt damage. There are concerns now, however, that periods of drought associated with future climate change may pose increasing problems for
the conservation of historic ruins by adversely affecting the performance of soft capping. This comprises grass and other herbaceous vegetation planted on wall tops as an alternative to hard capping with stone or mortar. Soft capping provides a naturebased solution that not only helps protect masonry from weathering
but also benefits biodiversity. We have taken part in discussions with scientists and a range of heritage specialists to share knowledge on, and concerns about, how climate change will affect the performance of soft capping. We have also helped identify questions that practitioners still need answering.
al Histor yMuseum,
Above Soft capping to wall-head underway at Boxley Abbey, Kent
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Research
to date
Research into soft capping has expanded over recent decades as its use has increased. Field observations and laboratory trials have demonstrated that soft capping can bring benefits over hard caps when conserving ruined masonry, particularly through its effectiveness in regulating temperature fluctuations and moisture. More recently, Oxford University and the charity Plantlife have conducted research to model the likely impacts of climate change on soft capping.
This research evaluated the likely resilience of Sedum-based soft capping for heritage sites in Britain and Ireland over the next century. It modelled the likely presence mid and end-century of four species of Sedum used for soft capping under low and high carbon scenarios. The results suggested current Sedum-based soft capping will remain viable until the mid-century although soft caps formed predominantly of Sedum album might be prone to failure in southeast England. In southern and central regions, additional maintenance, such as watering, may be needed during droughts or heatwaves.
Soft capping solutions
Conservation Protection
Beyond the mid-century, the management of soft capping would be more uncertain and will depend upon the emission pathway followed. Under a high emission scenario, only the east coast of Scotland would maintain suitability for the studied soft capping species. This indicated that if the targets for a low emission pathway are not being met by mid-century, species more tolerant of arid conditions, such as grasses or non-native Sedum , may need to be selected preferentially for soft capping to ensure resilience under a warming climate.
Follow-on research assessed the resilience of four native grass species for soft capping under future climate scenarios. Results showed all would be resilient under mid-century projections and one, Poa annua , under all scenarios. Using turfbased soft caps with one or more of these grass species could, therefore, enhance the climate resilience of this conservation approach.
Above Expertly building up the layers at Boxley Abbey, Kent
Above Preparing soil and rolls of turf ready for layering on exposed walls
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We are always happytodiscuss possible new projects.
Soft caps are likely to remain an important conservation practice but will require careful and site-specific management into the future. If we are to maximise the opportunities offered by soft capping, further research must be undertaken.
Single episodes of extreme events, such as drought or high temperatures, may have substantial impacts on habitat suitability and directly influence the effectiveness of soft capping. Further research should, therefore, be carried out to establish the climatic limits of soft capping species under both future mean and extreme conditions. This would help assess the long-term climate sensitivity of species across the wider limits of their environmental niche as well as the functional resilience of soft caps for masonry conservation.
There is also a need for a better understanding of how other environmental parameters, for instance, soil composition and thickness, may influence the resilience of species along with the ways in which salt weathering processes might alter with climate change.
Additional knowledge is needed too about species more tolerant of arid conditions and on whether maintaining a diversity of species in soft capping could improve its long-term resilience. Diverse communities of green roof species have previously been found to have greater survivability compared to monocultures so it seems reasonable to assume this might also be the case with soft caps.
Guidelines need to be developed on establishment and maintenance regimes for successful soft capping installation to inform implementation timelines, especially when these can be tight. A great deal could be learnt from developing a network of existing soft-capped sites to assess performance under different environmental conditions.
For further information on the studies by the University of Oxford and Plantlife see: Richards, J, Cooke, E L, Coombes, M, Jones, J and Viles, H (2024) Evaluating the Robustness of Nature-Based Solutions: Future Resilience of Sedum-Based Soft
Capping as a Conservation Approach for Heritage Sites in Britain and Ireland, Physical Geography, 45(1), pp20-38. Available at https://doi.org/10.1080/02723 646.2023.2212422
Richards, J, Cooke, E L, Coombes, M, Jones, J and Viles, H (2024) Are NatureBased Solutions for Built Heritage Conservation Resilient to Climate Change? The Response of Grass-Based Soft Caps in Britain and Ireland to Future Climate Scenarios, Studies in Conservation. Available at https://doi.org/10.1080/00393 630.2024.2406154
The views expressed on these pages should be seen as contributions to ongoing debates and we welcome comments. Please email 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. The number is sometimes subject to change. We are grateful to Historic England for its generous financial assistance to help us run this service.
Above Introducing soft capping during the workshop at Russborough House in Co Wicklow
DOUGLAS KENT
St John the Baptist Church, Inglesham, Wiltshire
On the south-aisle wall of the church of St John the Baptist at Inglesham, Wiltshire, is a copper plaque, installed by the SPAB, bearing the inscription ‘This church was repaired in 1888-9 through the energy and with the help of William Morris who loved it’. Morris was the inspiration behind the successful conservation of this ancient church, but it was the work of his near neighbour, the Rev Oswald Birchall, rector of Buscot, who laboured over a 15-year period to save the church from the threat of restoration or desertion. Birchall’s endeavours are worthy of remembrance, alongside those of Morris, who he admired and counted as a friend.
Under threat
Inglesham lies less than two miles from Birchall’s own parish, and he must have known it from 1878, when he took up the post of curate at Buscot. His interest in ecclesiastical architecture and antiquities saw him walking the ancient footpaths to study village churches in the area that bordered the counties of Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. He would often walk 20 miles in a day to look at churches and speak to fellow clergymen.
At Inglesham, Birchall found the Rev George W Spooner, who had been the vicar there since 1857. Spooner had already resisted a plan to ‘restore’ the church or alternatively abandon it and replace it with a new church at Upper Inglesham, where the majority of the parish population lived. The medieval part of the village had been gradually depopulating and the church now stood with only a few buildings by its side. This relative isolation added to the reluctance of local landowners to pay for
church repairs and meant that by the 1870s the church needed repair work to prevent it from becoming a dangerous place to worship.
The SPAB member and architect John H. Middleton and Morris inspected the church in 1884, concluding that although stabilising repair work was necessary this could be done while respecting the integrity of the building. Morris later described the church as ‘a very remarkable example of early Gothic architecture, seldom
equalled, and never surpassed among buildings of its size for refinement and beauty of design’.
Funding the repairs
It was at this point that Birchall, a newly enrolled member of the SPAB and its local correspondent for Oxfordshire, took up the challenge by rallying support for repairs – making clear this was different from ‘restoration’ – raising funds, liaising with Spooner who was sympathetic
Bottom The interior today, with the rich wall paintings that date from the 13th to the 19th centuries and are seven layers deep in places
but ‘hands off’, and ensuring that Inglesham’s civic leaders supported the scheme.
By 1886 the Society’s favoured architect, John T Micklethwaite, had produced a comprehensive report with recommended repair work and costings. The Society’s early insistence that the work be supervised by a professional clerk of works was quickly relaxed once it became apparent that Birchall was more than capable of ensuring Micklethwaite’s plan was carried out.
Hugh Thackeray Turner, the Society’s secretary, was so impressed with Birchall’s work that he told the annual meeting in 1888 that ‘it is a pity that we cannot find a larger number of correspondents to help us in the same energetic way’.
With funds accruing incrementally, the repair work was carried out in stages: first the walls and foundations were put right; then the south aisle roof was renewed; followed by work on the roof of the nave and the bell gable and finally, the chancel roof was made watertight. These repairs took place over a 12-year period and concluded in 1900, four years after Morris’ death. The campaign of repairs at Inglesham left it in a good state for the following decades but with an ever-declining group of parishioners, it was declared redundant in 1979. It is now cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust. Its doors are open daily, allowing visitors to enjoy this fine medieval church just as Morris and Birchall had done in the 1880s. It stands as a fitting testament to their joint vision and the SPAB Approach of repair over restoration.
Stephen Williams celebrates the impact of Oswald Birchall, William Morris and the SPAB on Inglesham Church
Top left Plaque recording William Morris’ reverence for the church
Top right Interior from the nave to the chancel
Middle Poster for the Buscot Bazaar in aid of Inglesham Church, 1887
Below Inglesham Church from the southeast
Left Oswald Birchall in the 1880s
SUSAN RAWLES
Experts in protecting our heritage
We
Our heritage clients include English Heritage, National Trust, preservation trusts, country estates, hotels and many prominent places of
We areproud to be the retained quantity surveyor at St Paul ’s Cathedral and thequantity surveyor for many projects at Westminster Abbey. Our heritage leads are: Duncan Ball,Partner: d.ball@synergyllp.com /01225 461704
Stephen Scammell,Partner: stephen.s@sawyerfisher.co.uk /01483 468666
NICK COX ARCHITECTS
Nick Cox Archi tects comb ine s ex pe rien ce an d exp er tis e in con ser vati on wi th an ent hu si asm fo r new an d inn ov at ive desi gn sol ut ions.
Our clients include Blenheim Palace , Wo burn Abbe y, the Churches Conser vation Tr ust, the National Tr ust, Birmingham, Bristol, We lls and Lincoln Cathedrals, The Goldsmiths’ Company and aw ar d winning wo rk at Winchester Cathedral.
77 Heyford Park, Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire OX25 5HD e: info@nickcoxarchitects.co.uk
