Ecclesiastical & Heritage World Issue No.69

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COVER STORY

CONTENTS Award sponsors have taken the lead in battery recycling Our front cover shows the distinctive roof on the dome of the London Oratory Church. BS EN 12588 rolled lead from ALM, part of the 2iM Group, was used for the project which won the LCA’s prestigious Murdoch Award in 2013 for Martin UK Roofing Systems Ltd. Lead is a remarkably recyclable material and ALM’s rolled lead sheet is now produced using material recovered from car batteries.

read the full story from page 7 The results of this year’s Murdoch Awards, again sponsored by ALM, can be found on page 11.

5 Reflections NEWS 12 Steel windows debut at Adele’s studio 13 Unsung heritage Angels get their reward 15 Report shows economic value of heritage tourism 15 Search on to find best guide to church monuments 17 CRE finds new owners after Bible Society sale 17 Heritage conference visits Aberdeen 18 Emojis commemorate the death of King Harold 18 Pipe organ restoration reveals original glazier 19 Restoring Home Farmhouse to its former glory 20 Lomax + Wood windows breathe new life into Victorian conversion

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CHURCH FABRIC & FACILITIES 24 Part of us seeks our own heritage 25 Crafted with care for service with grace 27 Cathedrals await latest WWI centenary grant decisions 27 The aerial route to hi-tech surveys 29 New range takes church lighting to the next level of innovation

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Another busy year sees heating specialists in action across the country Non-invasive, permanent rising damp remedy is ideal for listed buildings Purcell secure major grants for Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Beautiful St Wilfrid’s receives a new lease of light Redhill church hall project enters its final stage

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TRAINING 43 Apprentices bring energy and vitality

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ROOFING 37 Things to consider when fitting replacement cast iron or aluminium gutters 38 Rainclear add innovation in cast aluminium gutter sealing online 39 The importance of genuine craftsmanship 41 Roof tile specialist remains true to its tradition with handmade range

A Suffolk Georgian gem rises from the ashes The revival of Liverpool’s famous tiled pavement Theatre Royal, Bath – a comfortable audience

BRICKS 44 Tonbridge scheme shorlisted for award EAST MIDLANDS FOCUS 45 The East Midlands: at the heart of our history 45 Historic bell foundry sees its own restoration 45 Rare medieval shrine welcomes pilgrims again FIRE 46

Island installation demonstrates the need for quality fire control in remote locations

CHURCH & HERITAGE SUPPLIES 47 Classified Section

Richard Shepherd – Business Development Manager Advertising enquiries: Tel: 07429 516265 Email: richard@dmmonline.co.uk All other enquiries: Tel: 0161 710 3880 Fax: 0161 710 3879 • 61 Lower Hillgate, Stockport, Cheshire SK1 3AW Copyright Ecclesiastical & Heritage World. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or transmitted in any form without prior permission of Ecclesiastical & Heritage World. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Printed in the UK by The Magazine Printing Company Plc www.magprint.co.uk

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THIS COLUMN IS being written following my return from an Armistice Day assembly at my grandson’s primary school. He was a poppy during a reading of John McRae’s In Flanders Fields by classmates, as pupils and relatives learned why we wear the flowers on Remembrance Day. The act of remembrance has become particularly poignant in the past couple of years as we have marked the centenaries of first the outbreak of the Great War and now its bloodiest campaign – The Somme Offensive.

A very practical way of marking the centenary has been the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund, launched by George Osborne in his 2014 Budget. The scheme was meant to comprise three tranches of funding, ending in 2015. However, this year an extension was announced, to be awarded in two rounds, ending next year.

• Cathedrals and major ecclesiastical buildings play a major part in identifying the disparate regions of the country, despite the secular nature of modern administration, and one of the richest areas of the country for its ecclesiastical architecture is the East Midlands.

Where there are churches there are bells, and the country’s largest bell foundry is to be found among the ecclesiastical gems of the East Midlands. It is also one of the oldest, tracing its origins back to the 14th century.

• The construction of new church buildings is still thriving, despite the many attempts to write the obituary of Christian worship in the UK. That applies to both churches themselves and the community resources associated with them. Over the past couple of issues we have been following the construction of a new church hall in Redhill, Surrey – a project that involved a great deal of delicate planning to ensure its conformity with the surrounding area and with the sensibilities of those whose relatives were interred there.

The development of church buildings is a pointer to the continued use of them as places of worship, requiring a spectrum of technical services. They need heating, lighting and providing with a means of delivering their message. This magazine has long been active in shining the spotlight on some of those services and this issue is no exception.

• Another specialist technique employed in both the maintenance of historic buildings and the creation of new landmarks is that of the leadworker. The front cover of this issue features the dome of the London Oratory, which in 2013 won the ultimate accolade for the leadworker, the Murdoch Award, for its contractor Martin UK Roofing Systems Ltd. Lead is also a remarkably recyclable material, with new techniques to turn batteries into roofs being developed.

• Awards were the order of the day at the Palace Theatre in London for the presentation of the Historic England Angel Awards. Formerly the Heritage Angel Awards, they celebrate the part played by dedicated individuals – often with no official support – in preserving and maintaining the country’s heritage. Among the winners were a group of former service personnel who are restoring a Spitfire crash site in Wiltshire – entirely fitting for an award made less than a fortnight before Armistice Day. • Which brings us, inevitably, to Brexit. With the country poised to go it alone, the importance to the economy of heritage tourism is set to become even more pressing. And that economic contribution is staggering. Figures released by the Heritage Lottery Fund show that overseas visitors spent £7.4bn on visits to heritage sites last year – 42% of the total heritage tourism spend. Moreover, overseas visitors spent an average £560 per trip: twice that of their domestic counterparts.

Chris Stokes

Editor, Ecclesiastical & Heritage World

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Award sponsors have taken the lead in battery recycling

COVER STORY

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THE FRONT COVER of this issue shows the roof of the London Oratory, the magnificent Roman Catholic Church in the Diocese of Westminster. The project to reroof the building was the winner of the Lead Contractors Association’s prestigious Murdoch Award in 2013.

Martin UK Roofing Systems Ltd, who carried out the commission, used BS EN 12588 rolled lead from ALM, part of the 2iM Group, which again sponsored this year’s Murdoch Awards to recognise the UK’s very best in leadwork contracting. As a niche competition open only to specialist contractors, the awards highlight restorations on some of the country’s most iconic buildings, and also some of the smaller, less fashionable, but no less detailed projects.

ALM’s rolled lead sheet is now produced using material recovered from car batteries by another 2iM Group company, Envirowales. The group also includes Jamestown Metals Glasgow, Jamestown Resources Dublin and Royston Lead Barnsley.

The Murdoch Awards may never capture the public’s imagination, but that’s not why they were created. ALM spokesman Andrew Denham explained: “The Murdoch Awards aren’t about financial gain or a superficial accolade based purely on the number of entrants, and they don’t depend on the size of project or a building’s status. Entries are scrutinised intensely by a panel of experts so that they can genuinely be called ‘the best of the best’.”

Durability and longevity have made lead a material which is still considered to have no effective alternative for use on historic buildings.

Its use has been on an upward path despite the many widely publicised incidences of metal theft. Thankfully, the extent of that problem has been in decline for some time, while lead’s widely-accepted sustainability – it has a BRE Green Guide rating of up to A+ – and low level of embodied energy continue to have a massive influence on its specification. Unlike zinc, which can be recycled but not reused for its original purpose as a roofing or façade system, lead can be reused time after time.

Scrap lead recovered from building projects is straightforward to recycle, but the process is more complex with other industries’ products; none more so than car batteries. Lead accounts for around 58% of a battery and 80% of the lead produced worldwide is used in their production.

Traditionally, the tonnage of unrecoverable material sent to landfill had been a huge problem for

local authorities and although disposal facilities are becoming more widespread, the economics of lead’s extraction for recycling remain far less favourable.

So the recycling process used by Envirowales to produce 2iM Envirolead is one for which the term ‘unique’ is no exaggeration. It not only extracts lead from car batteries – between 8-11kg in each case – but also recovers all the other constituent parts: 96% in total. They include its polypropylene casing (5%), electrolyte fluid, mainly sulphuric acid (12%), metal solids (29%) and desulphurised paste (50%). That leaves only polyethylene, which accounts for 4%, and that is the focus of a research programme to find a viable means of reprocessing. For the rest, desulphurisation enables sodium sulphate salt to be extracted for use as a bulking agent in detergents, glass manufacture and even animal feeds under a FEMAS (Feed Materials Assurance Scheme).

With each production batch using 300 batteries (roughly 4 tonnes), 300 tonnes of material is processed each day. The scale, therefore, is more than enough to cater for the large tonnage of BS EN 12588 rolled lead distributed by 2iM Group companies Associated Lead Mills and Jamestown Metals Ltd to their UK network of

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COVER STORY

roofers and builders’ merchants. Another group company, Royston Lead, specialises in the production of BBA-certified cast products such as anodes for the mining industry, ballast for offshore applications, air gun ammunition, acoustic barriers and window sash weights. The industries supplied both nationally and internationally include healthcare, nuclear, ordnance, chemical and shipbuilding – in addition to the manufacturers of solders, pewter, fusible alloys and car batteries.

Lead’s exceptional design life also extends its quantifiable sustainability even further.

The process is the only one of its type in the UK and it is important not least because some local authorities are still unable to take batteries at recycling centres. The future of truly sustainable low-carbon lead as a product at the heart of UK construction is therefore assured, and its place as a material for use in roofing, flashings, façade and heritage ornaments secure.

Nearly twice as much material is now used in contemporary architecture and house building as conservation and restoration, though usage in both is increasing.

Nonetheless, construction still accounts for less than 7% of worldwide consumption.

Lead’s malleability enables it to be used for the most intricate detailing and creation of decorative ornamentation – something which is widely reflected in the Murdoch Award and Murdoch Sponsors’ Award entries, numbers of which increased again this year.

BS EN 12588 provides a clearly-defined measure of quality, but does not differentiate between the sources of raw materials or the proportion of recycled material used in the production process. With the

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introduction of Envirolead as a branded product that can be specified in addition to the material’s Code, for the first time an unprecedented chain of custody is available. It is one that does not rely on ore extraction and guarantees that the product chosen has the lowest possible environmental impact. Envirolead specification clauses are available through NBS Plus and BIM for ventilated cold and warm roof specifications.

A RIBA-approved CPD presentation has been produced to highlight the benefits of specifying lead manufactured exclusively from such a tightly-controlled resource. With an almost limitless number of batteries for reuse, the supply chain for lead in construction has seen a transition which seems set to be a permanent one and which benefits the environment. In terms of carbon dioxide emissions, its production using recycled material in a comparable roofing specification using Code 5 rolled lead sheet equates to less than 25% of that used to manufacture any of the commonly used single-ply materials. For wall cladding, a similar comparison shows the CO2 emissions to be less than half those incurred in the production of copper, coated aluminium or GRP. Lead Sheet Association-approved premium roofing ancillary products are also available from 2iM distributors and the use of a complete package enables Envirolead to be supplied with a 50-year underwritten warranty. q • For more information on Envirowales contact Steve Reynolds, 2iM national specifications manager, on 07885 463631 or email steve@enviro-lead.co.uk.

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Both Murdoch Awards go to [

first-time winners

IT IS ALWAYS deeply satisfying for any craftsman when they know they have done a good job. Of course the client is happy with the finished work, but more often than not their appreciation can only be skin deep, viewing the quality of the finished surface appearance, with no real knowledge of the effort and skill that has resulted in such perfection.

So the real accolade for the craftsman comes when their peers in the industry recognise a job well done; and as far as the specialist leadworker is concerned, the ultimate accolade comes with the announcement of the winners of the annual Murdoch Awards.

At the beginning of October members and associates of the Lead Contractors Association (LCA) gathered at the Rudding Park Hotel in Harrogate to celebrate the 2016 Murdoch Award and Murdoch Sponsors’ Award competitions.

It was 20 years ago that the first Murdoch Award was presented in honour of Dick Murdoch on his retirement, following his long crusade to raise quality standards in working with lead sheet – part of which led to the founding of the Lead Contractors Association in 1984.

A decade after the Murdoch Award was first presented the Murdoch Sponsors’ Award was introduced. These feature smaller installations that use less than five tonnes of lead sheet, but which can be equally demanding of the leadworker’s skills as the larger, more eyecatching projects.

The two awards bear on-going testimony to the specialist craft of working with lead sheet and the latest award-winners certainly lived up to the standards of their predecessors.

However, in stepping up to announce the winners at Rudding Park, Dick Murdoch – who still chairs the judging panel for the awards – was not going to miss the opportunity to berate those in the audience who thought their quality aspirations had been achieved when they became members of the LCA. Dick reminded his audience that all leadworkers, whatever their experience or standard, must constantly guard against complacency and watch out for oversizing of panels and incorrect fixing details, which are so often the causes of problems involving lead sheet.

Turning to the awards themselves and starting with the Murdoch Sponsors’ Award, Dick complimented the very high standard of entries and noted projects from such ‘heavyweight’ LCA members as John Fulton and Richardson Roofing – both previous winners of the Murdoch Award itself.

The judges thought the Richardson Roofing project, involving a pitched roof and dormers on the Star and Garter in Richmond Hill, was worthy of the runners-up spot. However, the unanimous decision with regard to the winner was in favour of Celtic Leadwork for their part in providing the leadwork for the complete refurbishment of a primary school in Notting Hill.

Unfortunately, Celtic Leadwork MD Chris Clarke was unable to attend the awards ceremony, so Ian Harvey stepped forward to receive the Murdoch Sponsors’ Award on his behalf from Alan Barker (pictured above), national sales manager of Associated Lead Mills – who have sponsored the Murdoch Award since 2005 and created the Sponsors’ Award the following year.

The 2016 Murdoch Award entries contained some hugely impressive projects, including Winchester Cathedral and Dyrham Pak in Bath (both from Norman & Underwood), the Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Norwich (from Norfolk Sheet Lead) and Magdalene College, Oxford (from N Lee & Son), as well as a further project in Aberdeen from John Fulton.

Eventually the judges decided that the runner up for the 2016 Murdoch Award would be NDM (Metal Roofing & Cladding) Ltd for their impressive work on the St James Hotel in Regent Street, crowned by the impressive leadwork ‘centurions’ on the hips that feature on the front cover of the Directory of Specialist Leadworkers for 2016.

Dick advised that there had been some tremendous projects submitted for this year’s award and the judges had carefully considered every aspect of each entry before determining the winner. Their unanimous decision was that the 2016 Murdoch Award should be presented to Conservation Leadwork Ltd for the Culham Court Chapel at Henley-on-Thames.

The chapel is a new build project created on the footprint of a demolished building, on the estate of a billionaire Swiss financier – not surprisingly a very demanding client. Craig

Hamilton proved to be an equally demanding architect who was determined to follow the recommended practices of the Lead Sheet Association (LSA) in his design.

The project was completed on time and within budget and the result, in the view of the award judges, was a stunning example of the leadwork craft at its very best, and fully deserving to be the winner of the 2016 Murdoch Award.

Managing director Kevin Smith (pictured below) said he was ‘quite stunned’ to win the award, adding: “While I know the quality of my own work – and this is the best project I have ever been involved with – you never really know what you might be up against and what other jobs might catch the judge’s eye.”

Sponsors Associated Lead Mills were delighted at another successful competition, with both awards going to first-time winners.

Managing director Barry Smith said: “It’s also very interesting to note that for both projects the requirement was for the leadwork to be carried out by a member of the LCA, which means the association continues to grow in terms of its members’ reputation and influence.

“While of course we are pleased that our material was used for both projects, it is important to remember that the Murdoch Awards have no restriction with regard to whose metal is used, as long as it is BS EN 12588 or traditional sand cast, as is the case this year with Culham Court Chapel.”

The search is already on to find the 2017 Murdoch Award and Murdoch Sponsors’ Award winners. Any LCA member, or client or architect that has used an LCA member, can enter a project by contacting the LCA in East Grinstead on 01342 317888 or email info@lca.gb.com. q www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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Steel windows debut at Adele’s studio [OCCUPYING A VICTORIAN

warehouse building in Ladbroke Grove, West London, Walters Workshops is a creative oasis for artisan workshops and music recording and is where Adele’s smash hit ‘Rolling in the Deep’ was first demo recorded. As part of the initial phase of a refurbishment programme, original cast iron windows were overhauled and 38 new bespoke steel windows were manufactured and installed by Steel Window Association member, West Leigh.

The project was managed by Rachael Harvey of Harvey Design. Her brief was to work sympathetically with the old building so, where possible, the original cast iron windows were retained to provide a historical reference point. In areas where the originals were damaged or had been replaced with timber casements or sashes, new steel windows were installed.

For the building’s front façade, West Leigh used W20 sections to manufacture 15 windows which were installed on the ground, first and second floors. Each includes a central nine pane horizontal pivot vent and all were hot-dip galvanised and polyester powder-coated in RAL 7010 tarpaulin grey.

Behind the gates of the old warehouse is an unexpected courtyard area with its own special atmosphere. Here, West Leigh overhauled eight of the original cast iron windows at ground floor level, freeing the vents and ensuring they would open and close satisfactorily. The frames were then prepared and painted by 4Front Interiors, the project’s main contractor.

A total of 23 new steel windows in varying sizes and

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configurations, again manufactured using W20 sections, were installed on the upper levels within the courtyard area. These were finished in RAL 6027 light green, a colour that became affectionately known as ‘Walters Blue’. Internally the windows were fitted with white beads making it easier for 4Front Interiors to overpaint the powder-coated finish in white to meet the needs of the interior design.

Throughout the project, West Leigh worked to ensure minimum disruption to the tenants of the 30 plus units who occupy Walters Workshops, sequencing the work so each window was taken out and replaced within the same day and minimising noise that might impact the recording studios.

Rachael Harvey commented: “I love steel windows when dealing with historic buildings because they help keep the building’s integrity in a contemporary way. West Leigh has an excellent portfolio and ticked all the boxes. The project went very smoothly and the team provided excellent service from the first phone call right through to the completion of the project; the owners are absolutely thrilled.”

Andrew Furlow, owner of 4Front Interiors, added: “The project was complicated logistically and it was crucial that West Leigh worked to programme. They did this well and were really very good. The finished product was excellent.” q •For further information on the Steel Window Association please visit www.steel-window-association.co.uk or call 020 8543 2841.

Unsung heritage Angels get their reward [EX-SOLDIERS EXCAVATING a Spitfire

crash site, a construction supervisor at Dudley Zoo, a young man saving a derelict hospital, a couple helping to regenerate Goole, a local trust restoring Clevedon Pier and a charity helping to maintain a conservation area were all celebrating on 31 October as winners in the 2016 Historic England Angel Awards.

The awards were announced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, who founded them as the Heritage Angel Awards in 2011. He presented them along with fellow judge, TV historian Bettany Hughes. The ceremony, at the Palace Theatre in London, featured a special appearance by Julian Fellowes, writer and executive producer of Downton Abbey, who was there to present the People’s Favourite award.

Special appearances were also made by TV journalist and news presenter Fiona Bruce and art historian Philip Mould.

Heritage Minister Tracey Crouch said: “These awards celebrate the inspirational people who have worked so hard to preserve our nation’s heritage and who encourage others to get involved. Heritage tells us so much about the nation’s history and the Angel Awards recognise the fantastic projects that ensure it can be seen and understood by people for many years to come.”

Andrew Lloyd Webber declared: “I would like to congratulate everyone who has been shortlisted for an Angel Award for their dedication to saving England’s historic buildings and places – often working on their own initiative, without outside help or funding.

These awards shine the spotlight on their brilliant and inspirational work.”

The awards are judged by Andrew Lloyd Webber, ceramics manufacturer Emma

Bridgewater, TV’s Restoration Man George Clarke, the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, historian Bettany Hughes and Historic England’s chief executive Duncan Wilson.

Best Community Action Project was named as Operation Nightingale at the Netheravon Barrows Spitfire crash site in Wiltshire.

Operation Nightingale helps former service personnel who have fought for the British Armed Forces to recover by using archaeology.

The award for Best Rescue of a Heritage Site went to Julie and Howard Duckworth of Goole in Yorkshire, who have invested over £4.5m into the regeneration of the town. Their restoration of the Lowther Hotel has brought one of Goole’s most important historic buildings back into use as a 12-bedroom hotel.

Best Contribution to a Heritage Project by Young People was awarded to Joshua AitkenDunkeld of the Isle of Wight, for his work

Clevedon Pier Visitor Centre

with the Friends of Frank James – a group dedicated to saving a derelict Grade II listed hospital. Joshua began working with the group when he was just 16 years old.

The award for Best Research Project went to Port Sunlight Village Trust and Wirral Borough Council for implementation of a Local Listed Building Consent Order as a positive way of conserving and enhancing Port Sunlight, saving diminishing resources in the local authority and providing greater clarity to homeowners.

The Construction Supervisor at Dudley Zoo, Carlo Diponio, was named as having made an Outstanding Contribution to Heritage.

Carlo has made a huge contribution to the restoration of the Tecton buildings at the zoo, which were designed by Russian-born architect Berthold Lubetkin. Dudley Zoo boasts the world’s largest collection of Tecton buildings, all 12 of which are listed and hold World Monuments Fund status.

Finally, the People’s Favourite award went to Clevedon Pier and Heritage Trust Ltd in Somerset. The Trust was formed to bring the Grade One-listed Clevedon Pier – described

by John Betjeman as ‘…the most beautiful pier in England’ – back to life, following its collapse and near demolition in the 1970s.

The Angel Awards recognise people who champion their local heritage and share and practice forgotten craft skills. They also celebrate young people, acknowledging their efforts to learn about heritage. This year the award categories were expanded to celebrate the efforts of people who go to extraordinary lengths to protect, save and share their local heritage.

Sponsors include Aon Estates Practice and the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS). The Telegraph is media partner for the awards, which are funded by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation. q www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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Report shows economic value of heritage tourism [

A NEW REPORT published in October shows that overseas visitors to the UK’s cultural, historic and natural heritage attractions spend an average of £560 per visit – more than double that of their domestic overnight counterparts who average £210 per trip.

The amount spent on heritage trips by overseas visitors totalled £7.4bn last year: 42% of the total £17.5bn spend by visitors to heritage attractions, which also included domestic overnight visitors (27%) and day trippers (31%).

The research was carried out by Oxford Economics on behalf of the Heritage Lottery Fund. Since the last time HLF carried out the analysis, in 2013, total heritage visits have been stable but spending is up by 9%, having been boosted by an 18% increase in international visits.

Ros Kerslake, chief executive of HLF, said: “Our previous research showed that heritage is a key motivating factor driving the UK’s tourism economy, particularly with overseas visitors; however these new figures reveal just how significant international tourists are to the UK’s economy – spending twice as much as their domestic counterparts. It is therefore essential that the UK continues to champion our unique heritage in order to attract more visitors, both in the UK and further afield.”

Search on to find best guide to church monuments [

THE CHURCH MONUMENTS SOCIETY (CMS) has launched a competition to find the church guide book or leaflet which provides the best guide to that church’s funerary and other monuments. The winner will receive a prize of £200.

The initiative by the CMS aims to increase knowledge of monuments amongst those who care for churches, encourage interest in church monuments among those who visit churches and improve the quality of church guides as they address monuments.

The CMS stated: “Often a building’s architecture and history are covered in detail, but the monuments in and associated with the church are stinted in treatment.”

Guides covering all aspects of the church and those addressing just the monuments are both eligible.

“The aim is to get people who read the guidebook to look at the monuments with greater attention and curiosity and to provide them with information from which they could learn,” said the CMS. The closing date is 31 December and the prize will be awarded next spring. It is planned to repeat the competition every three years.

Full information about entering, rules and eligibility can be found on the Church Monument Society website at www.churchmonumentssociety.org. q

Clifford’s Tower in York

Other results from the research show that domestic and international tourists made 192 million trips to visit cultural, historic and natural heritage assets, with the heritage tourism sector contributing an estimated £20.2bn to the UK’s GDP in 2015 and supporting 386,000 jobs.

Although the largest economic contribution is made in London, the relative importance of heritage tourism is greatest in the North East, Wales and Scotland.

The report, The Impact of Heritage Tourism for the UK Economy 2016, is the second follow-up to Investing in Success, HLF’s original report on heritage tourism published in 2010 in partnership with VisitBritain. The three reports analyse the impact of the heritage-based visitor economy and highlight the importance of continued investment from leisure, culture and heritage budgets in supporting UK tourism.

Bernard Donoghue, of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, said: “The economic contribution which heritage makes to local, regional and national economies is, as these figures reveal, hugely significant. Our heritage is a rich, valuable, ever-delivering asset. Our living heritage is rightly valued for its cultural, educational, aesthetic and historical importance, but we can now also clearly see that it is an economic driver for inbound tourism to the UK, as well as sustaining domestic tourism, too.” q

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CRE finds new owners after Bible Society sale [ FOLLOWING A PERIOD of uncertainty for the series

of Christian Resources Exhibitions – after the Bible Society announced that the Maidstone event in October was the last under its ownership – it has been announced that the brand has found new owners.

According to a statement issued by the Bible Society on 11 November: “CRE will continue under the management of a company led by Stephen Goddard, who has been involved in CRE since 1987. A new team is being assembled who have worked on various aspects of the event for many years, including Gospatric Home, the founder of the exhibition, as president.

“Bible Society is grateful for the part it has been able to play in helping thousands of Christians and churches find important resources for the maintenance and mission of the local church.”

The first exhibition under its new management team will be held at London’s ExCeL from 16 May next year.

Visitors to the exhibition website had initially been shocked to learn that October’s

CRE South East event in Maidstone was to be the final exhibition under the management of the Bible Society.

A message on the website read: “No future shows are confirmed while a new owner for Christian Resources Exhibitions is sought. Many organisations have expressed their hope that the show will continue and we hope to have good news in due course. The team would like to thank all the exhibitors and visitors who have supported the event over the past 32 years.”

Over the years the CRE has provided church organisations with a focal point to source goods and products ranging from building solutions and furniture to lighting and sound systems, vestments and plate. Many exhibitors became regular fixtures, acting as a network of service providers.

Its many quirky features included a series of ‘Clergy on the Catwalk’ fashion shows of vestments and the unforgettable ‘My Church Needs One Of Those’ competitions – the McNoot Awards – which included Maurice Davies and his Belleplates (pictured). q Image courtesy of Chris Saville

Heritage conference visits Aberdeen [

ON 12 NOVEMBER Scotland’s Community Heritage Conference was held in Aberdeen – the first time the city has hosted the event. The day-long event showcased the important community-led heritage work carried out by groups and initiatives throughout the local area and further afield.

Celebrating archaeology, history and heritage at a local level, the Aberdeen Community Heritage Conference was held at the landmark Aberdeen Town House.

The event featured a number of guest presentations, including a talk on the Huntly Histories project – an initiative which encourages people to share their stories and memories of Huntly and the surrounding areas to create a unique record of local history and heritage.

Another highlight was from the Aberdeen Women’s Alliance, whose Women’s Heritage Walk tells the stories of some of the Aberdonian women who have made significant contributions to the city over the centuries.

Prior to the event, Historic Environment Scotland’s communities liaison manager Eve Boyle said: “This conference is the perfect opportunity for people to explore the history and heritage on their doorstep. It is a great chance to hear both from experts and from those involved in community-led projects and initiatives, and we hope it will help and encourage those attending to become more engaged themselves.” q www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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Emojis commemorate the death of King Harold [

AT 4.03PM on 14 October, exactly 950 years after King Harold fell at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, the Twitter account of @King_ Harold66 fell silent. His final ‘post’ used the emojis of a bow and arrow, crossed swords and a skull to mark the death of England’s last Saxon king.

Pipe organ restoration reveals original glazier

[J GOODWIN STAINED GLASS recently had the privilege of

playing a small role in the restoration of the historically significant pipe organ of All Saints Church in Roos, Yorkshire.

The organ was built by Karl Christian Reiter of Hull in 1881, and is one of only two known to survive in an unmodified condition. The masonary repairs and timber work were carried out by F Kemp & Son of Skirlaugh, the organ was expertly restored and rebuilt by Harrogatebased Peter Wood & Son, and the front pipes were beautifully reinstated to their original design using colour matched paint by John McWilliams, the church warden.

York-based Joe Goodwin’s contribution involved fully restoring the organ chamber’s two early Victorian diamond quarry leaded light windows. One of the windows was covered in a thick layer of oil-based paint which had been applied decades ago to mask the organ workings from view.

After carefully removing this green paint from the glass during restoration, the original glazier’s name was revealed in graffiti, scribed into one of the glass quarry panes from 1841. Aaron Johnson Brown was the son of the local glazier, plumber and warden of the church. “It is always nice to uncover these little gems which have been unseen in generations,” said Joe. The whole restoration was completed in May, carried out by an excellent group of skilled tradespeople co-operating with one another to get the project finished on time – a great job well done by all involved! q • To contact J Goodwin Stained Glass call 01904 591713 or visit the websie at www.jgoodwinstainedglass.com.

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The live retelling of the battle via Twitter was part of a day of activity by English Heritage to mark the anniversary. Hundreds of children gathered on the battlefield for a morning of battle cries and armour workshops before parading up the town of Battle. Across the country English Heritage organised activities for schools at the Norman castles in its care, including Old Sarum in Wiltshire and Helmsley Castle in North Yorkshire.

Earlier in the day a ceremony was held at the stone memorial at Battle Abbey that marks the spot where King Harold fell, remembering all those – Saxons and Normans – who died that day in 1066.

The morning also saw the arrival of the band of intrepid re-enactors, who over the previous three weeks had re-created Harold’s 300 mile journey from York to meet William the Conqueror’s army at Battle. The re-enactors rode up Battle High Street and beneath Battle Abbey’s Great Gatehouse they reached the final step of their epic journey.

Kate Mavor, chief executive of English Heritage, said: “Exactly 950 years ago today two armies met on this very field in East Sussex, and the outcome defined England for centuries. It was arguably the single most important battle in our history. The legacy of 1066 can be seen across our country – in our castles, in our language and laws, even our food.” q Image ©English Heritage

Restoring Home Farmhouse to its former glory

Home Farmhouse’s front and gable end before (left) and after renovation work had been carried out

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HOME FARMHOUSE IN north west Suffolk is a two storey timber and attic framed house. The original part of the house dates to 1325 and can be attributed to a family called Collebells from the village of St Cross in Waveney. Indeed Collebells was the original name of the house which only became Home Farm 200 years later. Originally a high-status yeoman’s house it gradually expanded and became a large dairy farm sometime in the 16th century.

After being badly maintained for 30 or so years, it was purchased by the current owners at auction five years ago. They were well aware of the extent of the work that was required and vowed to work towards restoring it to its former glory. Consequently in December 2013 restoration specialist Mike Frost, of Oak & Lime (Mike Frost Carpentry) Ltd, first set his eyes on the place. His first job?

To shoot the rats and cover it in tarpaulin! Work started in earnest the following Spring and, two and half years and thousands of hours of work later, it is nearing completion.

To give an idea as to the extent of the project, bar just 1.2 metres, the entire sole plate required replacing (pictured left), all the brick plinths had to be rebuilt, the brick gable end was in need of total restoration and the remaining elevations required complete re-rendering. Internally there have been layers and layers of paint and old limewash removed, lath replacement, insulation replacement, restoration of plasterwork and the restoration of three fireplaces.

All of this has been carried out with painstaking attention to detail including careful consideration of which materials to use. Each job within the project required materials that would replicate those originally used whilst giving the building what it needs to ensure it will stand strong for another few hundred years.

Throughout the property, internally and externally, ancient limewash was meticulously cleaned using Aciclean and layers of old paint and varnish were removed with Kling-Strip – both reliably effective products from Strippers Paint Removers. On some areas there were 17 layers of paint hiding beautiful old timber.

The now striking brick gable end was in a bad way. Damage caused by well-intended yet inappropriate repairs using cementitious mortars A close up of the patterned render had resulted in damp and fungal spores, which had turned the three sets of lintels to powder. To restore it, careful consideration had to be given to the soft red brick substrate. Anglia Lime Company (ALC) formulated a DryReadymix mortar that would not only give the right aesthetics but provide the right mechanical requirements for the 16th century soft red bricks. The re-pointing was then copied from an original section found in still perfect condition in the double struck/birds beak style.

The dramatic mullion windows were reconstructed using special bricks before being rendered in a replication of an Elizabethan mix of ALC’s very fatty lime and glacial sand.

The other elevations were re-rendered using a fibre/hair, chalk, putty mix made by ALC to Mike Frost’s specifications. It was finished with a pattern found on an original piece of plaster called sparrow-peck. It is believed the origin of this pattern is from weaving or hurdle making. Considering that the house stands on the northern tip of what was once the largest bit of grazing ground in the area this is highly plausible.

And that’s just the outside story! Very shortly work will be completed and the finely restored Collebells will stand proud once more. q • For further information about Anglia Lime Company call 01787 313974 or visit www.anglialime.com and for Strippers Paint Removers call 01787 371524 or visit www.stripperspaintremovers.com. www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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Lomax + Wood windows breathe new life into Victorian conversion [

MADE-TO-ORDER, period-style timber windows and doors by Lomax + Wood have been specified by a leading London-based developer in the ambitious and challenging conversion of The Book House, located within the Wandsworth Town Conservation Area and once the offices of the Wandsworth District Board of Works, to 17 private apartments. Built in 1888 by architect William Newton Dunn the building, over four floors on East Hill, has a rich history and for many years was the Wandsworth Town Hall before becoming home to the Book Trust from 1985 to 2014 and the former base of the Booker Prize.

Elegant wooden sash and casement windows from the Kensington & Chelsea range by Lomax + Wood have been manufactured and installed as part of this expansive upgrade. The tired interior has been stripped out apart from the impressive entrance hall and the sweeping wrought iron staircase. However many architectural and historic features have been replicated including oversized architraves and skirtings. The 4m high ceilings have been retained, while double glazed Kensington & Chelsea windows of large proportions provide light filled lateral apartments.

“It’s wonderful to see how this building has been brought back to life,” says Andrew Goding, sales director at Lomax + Wood. “Now The Book House, with its impressive clock tower, has embarked on a new chapter as a chic ‘members’ club’ style development fusing history with a fashionable and contemporary style of renovation.” A glass penthouse has been added to the top floor of the building.

A combination of tall outward opening casement windows, with beautiful arched head fixed fan lights at first floor level, some in a Juliet balcony arrangement, capture the original appearance of this building; many rooms have the advantage of a triple and double aspect. Traditional box sash windows with cords and weights to the ground floor and casements to the upper floor are all from the high performance and co-ordinated Kensington & Chelsea range.

Ideal for both new build and conservation area work, the Kensington & Chelsea range offers a comprehensive collection of high performance wooden sash windows, beautiful flush timber casement windows as well as single, French, bi-folding and timber entrance doors in a variety of designs and architectural styles. Products are manufactured from sustainably sourced, FSC® Chain of Custody accredited timber in accordance with BM TRADA certification.

These high performance products have exceptional U-values that meet current Part L Building Regulations which will help to reduce energy consumption and resulting CO2 emissions.

Only high quality clear grade timber is used in the manufacturing process which is engineered for maximum strength and stability. Products are delivered to site and factory-finished with three coats of highly durable micro-porous paint as standard, which is available in white and a choice of fashionable heritage colours, as well as stain and dual colour. These premium quality timber windows and doors have been tested to meet the rigorous security requirements for Part Q of the new Building Regulations. Lomax + Wood provide made-to-order premium quality timber windows and doors that combine acoustic, thermal and security performance with stunning aesthetics that enhance both new and traditional projects.

The area behind The Book House is the Huguenot Old Burial Ground which has listed tombs and it was here that the Huguenots settled in Wandsworth in the 17th and 18th centuries. They were attracted by its cloth mills which formed the development of the hat industry for which the area was once famous.

Wandsworth is undergoing a £1billion transformation of the drab town centre and tired shopping mall and the area around The Book House may ultimately be pedestrianised.

Lomax + Wood also offer a high performance range of contemporary products, including tilt turn and alu-clad options, to satisfy the demand to meet today’s smart, contemporary architecture. q • Lomax + Wood supply and install quality timber windows and doors across the UK. For more information about this project and products in the Kensington & Chelsea range please call the Essex showroom and design centre on 01277 353857.

Alternatively, visit www.lomaxwood.co.uk for free CAD drawing downloads. For the latest news follow them on Facebook.com/lomaxwood and Twitter @lomaxwood.

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A Suffolk Georgian gem rises from the ashes [

WHEN A MAJOR FIRE raged through the Grade One-listed Cupola House in Bury St Edmunds in 2012, the fire service called upon local specialist builders Seamans Building to make the building safe. After bringing in long-reach demolition plant to help secure the structure, Seamans embarked upon clearing the debris, preparing the site for surveys and erecting a temporary scaffolded structure to preserve the integrity of what remained.

Architects Purcell then began work, in partnership with English Heritage, St Edmundsbury Borough Council and a team of specialist consultants, to stabilise the surviving built fabric and reconstruct the lost historic features. Using all the available information about the building, which was built in 1693, the architectural team recreated the principal spaces and reintroduced many of the building’s architectural details, including panelling, cornices, architraves and the staircase.

Following the tender process, Seamans Building were appointed as main contractor for the reconstruction work. Many of the company’s directly-employed skilled craftsmen were involved on the project and it was an excellent opportunity for their six apprentices to experience working on an historic structure.

The company had already received local awards for work on two Grade One-listed buildings – Woodbridge Tidemill and the Wolsey Art Gallery next to Ipswich’s Christchurch Mansion – however, the challenges and scale of working on the confined site in the centre of Bury St Edmunds tested the resolve and skills of all involved.

Throughout the project Seamans worked closely with the consultancy team, in particular Purcell and structural engineers Richard Jackson Engineering Consultants, to construct a building that replicates the original structure whilst being upgraded to cater for current building and fire regulation standards.

Wherever possible the original fabric that survived the fire has been salvaged and re-used.

These include elements of the stairs, panel mouldings, a significant amount of the exterior cornice and the metal fireplace grates which have been fitted back into the reconstructed chimneys.

A new steel frame, which has been intricately threaded through what remains of the original timber frame, is completely concealed within walls and behind the wall linings. It has been fitted to distribute the weight of the new and surviving structures evenly over the original basement.

In May the new timber-framed cupola was hoisted into the air and placed atop the roof, between the two towering chimneys. Both required considerable reconstruction after the fire left them in an unstable condition.

High levels of craftsmanship can be found in the cupola construction, the oak staircase, room panelling, chimney brickwork, plastering and the ornate wood carvings that adorn the building both inside and out.

Ben Whatling, Seamans production manager, who was contract manager on the project, pointed to the local craftsmanship involved. He said: “While the devastating fire was a blow to the whole of Bury St Edmunds, it is reassuring that the necessary skill and expertise was found locally to reconstruct this heritage landmark. Our workforce and supply chain have committed whole heartedly to producing a quality product that will hopefully last another 300 years.”

The project was completed in July and is awaiting its new tenants. q

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The revival of Liverpool’s famous tiled pavement [

ST. GEORGE’S HALL in Liverpool is regarded as one of the finest examples of a neoclassical building in the world. When constructed in the 1850s, the intricate encaustic tiled floor was the largest Minton pavement in the world at over 30,000 individual pieces. Today, the tiled floor is undergoing major restoration and the first stage has been successfully completed. The complexity of the original Minton design makes this project one of the most exacting ever undertaken by the UK specialist tile manufacturer Craven Dunnill Jackfield.

Harvey Lonsdale Elmes, a London architect aged just 25, won a competition to design the original hall, along with the new assizes court.

Construction started in 1841 and the building opened in 1854. Magnificently decorated, the Great Hall is part of St. George’s Hall and features a barrel vaulted ceiling, stained glass windows, bronze doors, glittering chandeliers and the elaborate, Minton tiled floor. The floor depicts Liverpool’s history and is littered with maritime and classical imagery, including Liver Birds, Neptune, sea nymphs, dolphins and tridents. Located in the maritime mercantile area of the city, St. George’s Hall is part of the UNESCO Liverpool Heritage Site.

Alan Smith, manager of St. George’s Hall, has overseen the project: “The hall is the emotional heart of the city of Liverpool, where people look to congregate in good times and bad.

The sunken Minton floor features over 30,000 encaustic tiles and since its installation in 1854 has been largely covered up. The majority of the tiles have therefore been preserved in excellent condition but the periphery has been worn away through regular footfall. In recent years, the entire floor has been revealed more frequently and the whole of the Great Hall bursts into colour, light and splendour, making a magnificent cultural experience.”

Craven Dunnill Jackfield is the only company in the world capable of manufacturing such complex encaustic tiles, using traditional hand processes and skills to achieve tiles that match the original Minton tiles. The complexity of the project is hugely demanding; hand-carving the tile moulds for the project alone took several months, whilst each tile is individually hand-pressed and cut to size before firing.

At the outset Chris Cox from Craven Dunnill Jackfield visited the site to meticulously measure and photograph each panel, concentric ring and

The completed roundel – the most exacting project ever undertaken by Craven Dunnill Jackfield individual tile. Pantone references, referred to as clay/inlay test samples, were also matched for each of the 14 colours. Back at Craven Dunnill Jackfield’s factory at Ironbridge, the photographs were rectified to the correct size, printed for reference and then magnified onto acetate. These were used as artwork for the mould-making stage. Blank moulds were individually cast and 24 hand-carved, precisely copying the minute detail of the artwork. The mould-making process took several months; accuracy at this stage is fundamental to the success of the project.

The individual tiles were hand-pressed, incorporating the relevant colours as slip or clay inlays. The tiles were then hand cut to size and fettled before firing, the latter taking two days.

Once fired, the tiles were once again hand cut to size and fitted together, carefully checking that the final dimension of the decorated panel exactly matched the original. They were then carefully packed and transported to site to be fitted. The replacement tiles are manufactured using vitreous clays of low porosity. These replicate the look of the originals but will prove stronger and more durable.

Chris Cox, a specialist ceramist at Craven Dunnill Jackfield, led the project: “One of the most taxing aspects was the hand-cutting of the roundel tiles, which had to take place before firing in order to achieve the exact curvature required.

After some experimentation final templates were

The worn original (left) and the Craven Dunnill Jackfield roundel after restoration

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created for each tile, resulting in the tiles fitting together with the minimum of mortar joint.”

In 2007 St. George’s Hall was reopened after a £23m refurbishment project. Since then, separate fund-raising efforts have taken place in order to restore five of the seven Minton roundel panels and tiled walkway which frame the Great Hall, the tiles of which have dramatically worn.

Craven Dunnill Jackfield has now completed the first stage, successfully manufacturing replacement tiles for the one of the panels, returning it to the original, gloriously rich colours.

Alan Smith reports: “It has been a real delight to be able to call on the outstanding professionals at Jackfield and to see their exacting and high quality workmanship revive this iconic floor.” q • For further information about Craven Dunnill Jackfield visit the website at www.cravendunnill-jackfield.co.uk.

Theatre Royal, Bath – a comfortable audience [

THEATRE ROYAL, BATH was originally built in 1805, by George Dance the Younger and John Palmer, and then reconstructed after a fire

by Charles Phipps in 1863.

The auditorium has survived largely intact with nearly 900 seats and two lyre shaped balconies, delicate plasterwork and the stalls circle with panelled balcony front. The balconies are supported by cast iron columns and are mainly timber in construction.

In 1999, the performance of a musical led the audience to stand up and dance simultaneously to the music, causing the balconies to deflect.

The subsequent structural strengthening also enabled the theatre to reseat and recarpet the auditorium.

The work took place over four weeks with more than two working shifts, in order to rerake the stalls and reseat the balconies, and install 700 seats. The architects were Feilden Clegg, the structural and mechanical engineers were BuroHappold and Anne Minors was the theatre consultant. The orchestra pit was also enlarged by developing a system of removable seats and floor trestles. A new seat design was created including the unique ‘TRB’ as embroidered end panels.

To maximise the number of seats in the auditorium, the seats were reconfigured with aisles and circulation inserted where the sightlines were poor or behind columns. Removable seats were located where wheelchair places and rehearsal desks are situated. As a result, an additional 40 seats were added with good sightlines.

Fast forward to 2015, and the theatre looked at reupholstering the seats. However, within their busy schedule there was only one window of eight days between productions. No changes were required to the seating layout, but some removable seats were to become permanent. Careful attention was paid to finding a similar shade of crimson pile fabric.

To ensure that a new production would open to a full reseating of the house, the theatre and Anne Minors of Sound Space Vision decided to replace the backs and seat pans and to maintain and overhaul the mechanical parts and legs.

With careful planning by Eugene Hibbert and Joe Wright of the Theatre Royal, Bath – and close liaison by Liz Bury of Sound Space Vision with Quinette Gallay, the chair manufacturers – the old seats were removed, the new ones delivered and refitted well within the deadline.

Another feature of the refurbished seats was the timber armrests which replace the upholstered ones. The tight curve of balcony geometry had led to excessive rubbing between the seat pan and the armrest and greater longevity is anticipated with the new ergonomically designed timber armrests.

“We have been delighted to work with Anne Minors of AMPC/Sound Space Vision once again and are indebted to the company for its sensitive and excellent work on reseating in our auditoria. The attention to detail, scheduling and onsite support was exemplary,” said Eugene Hibbert, general manager at Theatre Royal, Bath. q

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Part of us seeks our own heritage [ECCLESIASTICAL AND HERITAGE WORLD has its own heritage

as an organ reporting on events and developments in the closely allied sectors of historic and religious buildings. The title resulted from a merger of two publications back at the beginning of this millennium – the one purely concerned with the estate of ecclesiastical buildings and the other with the whole gamut of our built heritage, religious and secular.

The two often coincide – notably in the rich heritage of listed churches that adorn our country, from the Celtic tradition of the north of Scotland and Ireland to the Gothic Revival masterpieces of the 19th century and their neo-Byzantine Catholic counterparts couched in urban niches. In between there is the unbroken tradition of wonderful ecclesiastical building stretching through the Saxon and Norman traditions, via the Gothic and English perpendicular styles, to Wren’s masterpieces following the Great Fire and the Georgian heyday.

Many medieval churches are in urgent need of thoughtful restoration – often with the aid of modern technology. In particular, ways to preserve ancient stonework against the needs of contemporary lifestyles, which have little sympathy with the need for fabric to breathe, are at a premium. Among the high-tech solutions to age-old problems are moisture-absorption devices – in use at medieval churches around the country – and modern low-energy heating systems. All recognise the need to provide a system that avoids invasion of the fabric.

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Ancient churches are still functioning religious buildings, and there is a whole industry dedicated to bringing the message of Christianity to a wider audience using all the technology available.

Sound systems in churches are on a par with the latest in the music industry, while lighting systems compete with the West End. On the other hand, church buildings can be called upon to perform roles unforeseen when they were built, so flexibility is the key.

The 20th century brought with it its own uprising of great church buildings. In that century two great architectural edifices were created in Liverpool – at opposite ends of the same street!

Much has been written of the decades taken to construct Giles Gilbert Scott’s Anglican cathedral – begun in 1904 and still being completed this year – which has generally overshadowed its more modern Catholic counterpart at the other end of Hope Street. However, the latter has attracted funding from the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund, as well as support from the Getty Foundation.

Church buildings are still being constructed, of course. Where a new building is being added to an existing premises, care must be taken to ensure the new build fits in with what is already there. Again, the specialist skills involved form part of the remit of this publication. q

Crafted with care for service with grace

[FULLERS FINER FURNITURE first did work for the Church of the Good Shepherd (CoGS) in 2013 and were invited to undertake on-site work and provide furniture in 2016.

CoGS is a brick built building with a tower which was built in 1934/5 and can be found in Collier Row Lane, Romford. A visit to the church website indicates that the desire of the church is to have Jesus at the centre of all they do and to put their faith into action through service to their community and beyond.

The church holds two services each Sunday morning as well as various weekly activities and the usual weddings, baptisms and funerals.

Fullers Finer Furniture became involved with the church in 2013 when a decision was made to purchase a Canterbury Lectern and a matching Canterbury Communion Table. The lectern benefitted from gas height adjustment to allow for easy alteration of the height and was fitted with castors for easy manoeuvrability.

The company’s Canterbury Lectern and the larger York Lectern are all custom made and can be built to suit any building – large or small, old or new. The first gas height adjustable lecterns were supplied to churches in the early 1990s and are still going strong. Over the years the lecterns have evolved to incorporate church

logos, monitors, microphones and even iPad rests where required.

As time went by CoGS recognised the need for further updating of the church and in 2016 Fullers Finer Furniture were approached in relation to the provision of a stage mounted AV desk to match their existing furniture. Records of all colour matches are recorded by the company for future reference.

At the same time an order was placed for a matching moveable servery counter to be used for serving drinks in the church.

This was on wheels for ease of movement and incorporated storage cupboards for maximum convenience as well as a practical laminate top. This was ideal for encouraging fellowship, post service, whilst also being robust, practical and versatile.

Finally Fullers Finer Furniture was asked to create a raised stage area at the front of the church with data, mic sockets and power points incorporated as required. The stage area was constructed with a curved front and an oak nosing to blend with the furniture.

Complimentary site visits are the norm at Fullers Finer Furniture to ensure the client’s aims and needs are understood, as is the nature and ambience of the building. The

objective is for clients to be totally confident that the furniture and work undertaken will both serve the intended purpose and grace the building.

CoGS aims to be a church where people feel at home and can experience worship and the peace of being in God’s presence. Flowing from that is the aim to be a church that carries out God’s work in the community and beyond.

The church building and furniture need to enhance worship and Christian growth whilst at the same time being functional, practical and versatile enough to facilitate the needs of the church and community groups using the building. The AV unit allows for the latest audio and visual technology to be used within the church. The movable servery means drinks and snacks can be conveniently served in the main church following a service.

At Fullers Finer Furniture they aim to produce furniture that will grace a client’s place of worship for years to come, optimise their space and serve them well, facilitating the work of the church among those attending and from them, on into the wider community. q • For further information visit the website at www.fullersfinerfurnitutre.co.uk.

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Cathedrals await latest WWI centenary grant decisions

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ON 27 SEPTEMBER applications closed for the latest round of grants under the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund. Offers of grants under the scheme will be made in November and claims will need to be made by the end of February 2018 for work carried out during the period up to then.

The fund was set up to enable necessary repair work to be carried out to the fabric of listed Anglican and Catholic cathedral churches in England. It was announced by then-Chancellor George Osborne in his 2014 Budget, in recognition of the powerful symbol our cathedrals are of Britain’s shared history, as well as the significant role they were to play throughout the commemorations of the centenary of the First World War. According to ChurchCare: “Repairs will have been identified by the architect or surveyor responsible for the cathedral. In the case of Anglican cathedrals this will usually be through the quinquennial inspection.

Alternatively, works may be recommended by the architect or surveyor in a statement of need. The works should be necessary to keep the building wind-proof and weathertight, safe and open to the public.”

The first phase of grants were awarded in two rounds in 2014, with a third round awarded in March last year. That was envisaged to be the final round of grants.

This year, however, a further phase of awards was announced – again in two tranches. The first round, announced in July, saw 29 grants awarded totalling £14.5m.

Dame Fiona Reynolds, the chair of the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England, said then: “Cathedrals are the beating hearts of their communities, offering sanctuary, beauty, collective history, and social and economic support to people of every generation. Cathedrals which

benefitted from the first phase of this fund have been repaired and refurbished and staff and volunteers have time and resources to serve their cities and regions with renewed energy. It is fantastic that more cathedrals are now able to benefit from this scheme.”

Commenting on the extension to the scheme, the Very Rev Adrian Dorber, Dean of Lichfield and chair of the Association of English Cathedrals, said: “Cathedrals play an important role as community hubs: they foster volunteering, music making, public debate and social action, alongside their primary task of worship and prayer.

“They seek to be constantly accessible to the public and offer a setting where some of the big questions in life can be asked, alongside a tradition of wisdom and hospitality that can minister to the diverse needs of all who come. We also play a role in economic regeneration and are increasingly recognised as important contributors to local and regional economies.”

The largest grant in the latest round was for £870,000 and went to Coventry Cathedral (pictured) for re-fixing the exterior slates of the Chapel of Unity, designed

by Sir Basil Spence. Other cathedrals to receive funding include Bradford, Liverpool, Salisbury, Gloucester and Newcastle.

Decisions on funding allocations are taken by an expert panel, chaired by Sir Paul Ruddock. It includes senior figures from English Heritage, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Church of England and the Catholic Church, as well as church architects, architectural historians and grant giving experts.

Sir Paul said in July: “In 2014 the Chancellor announced the first £20m phase of the fund, intended to get our wonderful heritage of cathedral buildings waterproof and weather-tight, safe and open and in

good shape for the commemorations of the First World War Centenary in which they are playing such a key part.”

Over the two phases of the fund over 120 grants have been made to cathedrals, totalling nearly £35m. q

The aerial route to hi-tech surveys

[BRINGING MODERN technology

into the conduct of quinquennial surveys and other vital survey work, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – or drones – offer an unprecedented way of accessing hardto-reach areas such as towers and roofs.

UAVs are extremely manoeuvrable and can acquire data quickly and safely without the need for scaffolding or cherry pickers – reducing the time and cost involved.

Pictured above is a quadcopter operated by Norfolk-based Spatial Photography, who are licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority.

• For further information visit the website at www.spatialphotography.co.uk.

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New range takes church lighting to the

next level of innovation

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LIGHTING DYNAMICS UK, based in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, continue their development as one of the UK’s premier companies specialising in the interior and exterior illumination of cathedrals, churches and other places of worship throughout the UK and Ireland.

The company is dedicated to offering a totally independent, creative, unbiased lighting design and consultancy service and, as required, they can also supply all of the associated and specified lighting and dimming equipment.

Lightning Dynamics has a long established reputation for creating practical and architecturally sympathetic lighting schemes and, wherever possible, discreet lighting equipment is specified and installed to produce suitable levels of illumination and to highlight both ecclesiastical details and any special architectural features.

Company founder, Gerry Browne, told Ecclesiastical and Heritage World: “Our comprehensive range of modern, energy saving, long life lighting equipment is manufactured from the highest quality materials and takes into consideration many important factors such as reliability, durability, optical performance, overall efficiency, size, style and ease of maintenance – to name but a few.

One of Lighting Dynamics’ recent projects was St Agnes Church in Moseley, Birmingham “We have recently launched a brand new family of the very latest bespoke ‘commercial grade’ LED fittings, specially designed for all types of ecclesiastical lighting tasks. This range of products has been under development for some considerable time and takes our overall lighting

Above are some examples of the prestigious projects undertaken

by Lighting Dynamics UK

portfolio to the next level of technical innovation.

We also have an unrivalled knowledge and expertise of all modern intelligent dimming and lighting control systems.”

The company has a significant number of very prestigious projects currently in progress – with a large number at advanced stages of planning and design. Gerry Browne believes that this is a very exciting time in the further development of church lighting, especially with such a great and diverse range of modern light sources now coming on stream.

“Customers are increasingly looking for someone with the flair and experience to provide a quality lighting design, whilst also specifying top grade lighting equipment and controls that will provide longevity, reliability and overall flexibility for their specific ecclesiastical project,” he said.

“In the main, clients no longer wish to see their completed church lighting project looking like an extension of somebody’s lighting showroom or lit with industrial style floodlights to resemble a railway marshalling yard. However, this is a long term process which involves educating, informing and demonstrating what can be achieved.”

Lighting Dynamics UK has, if required, a fully qualified team of NIC EIC registered electricians to carry out the installation of their interior and exterior lighting systems to current electrical standards and regulations, providing the complete lighting service.

They cover all of the UK and Ireland and provide a very bespoke service for each individual church lighting project, from initial meeting right through to final focusing and commissioning. q www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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Another busy year sees heating specialists in action across the country

Three of the churches Mellor and Mottram have worked at over the past year include (l-r) St Mary’s Without-the-Walls in Handbridge, the Church of St Michael in Billinghay, Lincolnshire and St Michael’s and All Angels Church in Barnes

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CHRISTMAS WORSHIP WILL be a more comfortable experience for the congregation at St Mary’s Without-the-Walls in Handbridge, Chester. Stoke-on-Trent heating specialists Mellor and Mottram completed the installation of a new system in the 19th-century building at the beginning of November, allowing worshippers time to get used to the new-found warmth before Advent.

The church was built in 1887 to replace the original St Mary’s On-the-Hill, which is now a heritage centre inside the city walls.

The new system comprises two gas boilers from Rinnai, the award-winning manufacturer based in nearby Runcorn. The boilers feed radiators from the Jaga range, featuring low surface temperature for added safety of the congregation.

In addition, Mellor and Mottram installed two Dunham Bush fan convector heaters into existing ducts in the chancel, to boost the heating in that part of the church.

The new system replaces a system installed in 1987 by Mellor and Mottram, who have a long relationship with the church’s architects Donald Insall and Associates.

Earlier in the year the company continued another long association – this time with renowned church heating consultant Colin Bemrose. The project was the installation of a new system at the historic Church of St Michael in Billinghay, Lincolnshire. The church is part of the Carr Dyke Group of six churches and can trace its origins back to the 12th century.

It boasts a ‘very fine C16 wooden roof, with wooden carved bosses’, according to its listing text, and a Minton tiled floor in the chancel.

Company principal Stuart Mottram said: “We were contacted by consultant Colin Bemrose, with whom we have worked on a number of churches, to install a new system in this Grade One-listed building.”

In this case an oil-fired boiler was installed, together with new mild steel pipework. The

The new system installed at the Church of St Michael in Billinghay

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boiler feeds Merriott radiators, which can be specified in a range of colours to minimise their impact on historic stonework and decor.

Stuart explained: “We chose Merriott radiators because they worked best for this particular installation.”

Again, the heating in the chancel is boosted by two Dunham Bush fan convector heaters.

The system is controlled by a day-and-night controller, maintaining a constant temperature to protect the ancient fabric.

The two contracts formed part of a busy year for Mellor and Mottram. It saw Stuart criss-crossing the country to personally assess and supervise projects. In addition to working throughout the North West, Yorkshire and the Midlands, the company travels to all parts. The past few years have seen Mellor and Mottram engineers working in Cornwall, Scotland and Wales, as well as a number of projects in London.

They have included the replacement of a Grundy system at St Michael’s and All Angels Church in Barnes. The two stove pots were replaced by a 205kW indirect-fired gas heater.

An indirect system is one where the air is heated by heat exchangers rather than directly by the gas burners. Sound attenuation was also fitted to minimise noise in the church.

Mellor and Mottram was established in 1973 as a commercial heating contractor, but quickly found its metier in the specialist area of church heating. That long history – together with the personal involvement of Stuart and his predecessors in all aspects of an installation – have led to much of their work being generated by personal recommendation.

Over the decades the company has evolved to meet the many challenges posed by changing expectations, in particular a demand for more comfortable surroundings and the need for energy efficiency. They continue to provide a solution that fits both demands. q • For futher information visit the website at www.mellorandmottram.com.

Non-invasive, permanent rising damp remedy is ideal for listed buildings

Legerwood Kirk had been suffering with dampness issues for a number of years and the Aquapol system has now been installed (right)

[IN A DAMP CLIMATE such as the UK, dampness represents a

major threat to old buildings. One of the most challenging problems for old listed buildings is dealing with problems related to rising damp.

The Aquapol masonry dehydration system is a self-contained rising damp remedy system. It is the latest technical development in the handling of rising damp.

The heart of the system is a small, lampshade-like device which is installed onto the ceiling. The system uses wireless technology to dry out the walls and, being completely non-invasive, it is suitable for even Grade 1 and Grade A listed buildings.

A real-life case study – Legerwood Kirk Legerwood Kirk is an ancient and historic Church of Scotland church in the former county of Berwickshire, dating back to the year 1127. It is situated half a mile east of the hamlet of Legerwood and 6.5 miles south east of Lauder in the Scottish Borders. The building had been suffering from dampness issues for a number of years and, being a Grade A listed building, invasive dehydration technologies were not an option. Upon a detailed inspection of the building by Aquapol’s team of experts, several sources of moisture were identified, including rising damp and condensation.

Results

Before (left) and after Aquapol’s dehydration system was fitted

The Aquapol building dehydration system was installed on the premises in July 2015. Within the first 6 months – from summer to winter – the moisture levels inside the wall dropped by about one third. The dehydration continued throughout the summer as shown on the dehydration chart (above).

A detailed salt analysis has also been performed indicating that the decay of the stonework is due to nitrate and sulphate salts. The dehydration of the building continues and the church is well on its way to become permanently free of rising damp. The Aquapol team is closely monitoring the dehydration of the building with regular moisture measurements. q

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Purcell secure major grants for Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral

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SIR FREDERICK GIBBERD’S remarkable Grade II* listed Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral has been awarded a £138,000 grant from the Getty Foundation and £369,000 from the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund, to fund conservation and repair works.

Designed on a podium over the crypt of a previous cathedral by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the cathedral was constructed in the 1960s using pioneering new techniques.

Architects Purcell are appointed to undertake a full conservation plan for the cathedral, a detailed condition survey of the lantern glazing, environmental and structural monitoring, materials analysis and trial repairs, all in order to develop a long term solution for the lantern.

The most distinctive feature is the cathedral’s lantern known as the ‘crown of glass’. It is a highly significant piece of experimental 20th century design which utilised an innovative mix of stained glass fragments supported by epoxy resin, known as ‘dalle de verre’. It was designed and made by artists John Piper and Patrick Reyntiens, who also collaborated on the new Coventry Cathedral.

Lead architect Matthew Dyer commented: “Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral is an exemplar building demonstrating innovative and unique 20th century architecture, and the preservation of the building and the lantern is of the highest importance.” The majority of the Getty Foundation grant will be focused on the preservation of the lantern.

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For the restoration work, it is vital to preserve as much existing material as is technically possible. The project team has already undertaken extensive analysis and testing to understand the condition and stability of the glass and resin. The next steps are to introduce environmental and water monitoring systems, upgrade all of the maintenance access locations to facilitate internal inspections and to prepare sample panels for laboratory testing. Purcell’s heritage experts have also produced a conservation statement for the funding application and are planning to produce a conservation management plan for the whole site.

Canon Anthony O’Brien commented: “Not only will this funding provide valuable financial assistance for research into the best methods of conserving the dalle de verre glass that forms such an important part of the architectural design of our cathedral, but our research and trials will also be of assistance to other buildings with similar problems as ours.”

The grant from the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund will be geared towards improvements to the approaches to the cathedral, and to assist in understanding issues with water ingress into the undercroft.

The programme of investigation and testing will commence shortly, with trial repairs to be undertaken in the next 12 months. Commenting on the significance of the grants, Canon O’Brien said: “These awards give international recognition to the architectural significance of our cathedral as one of the exemplary buildings of the 20th century.” q

Beautiful St Wilfrid’s receives a new lease of light [ST WILFRID’S PARISH CHURCH sits dominating

Market Place in Standish as it has done for nearly 450 years. It is the only Grade 1 Listed building within the Borough of Wigan and the roof is reputed to be the finest in Lancashire – a claim that is hard to disagree with.

The wiring system was in the region of 45 years old and had deteriorated to such a point where further repairs were no longer feasible. The lighting had been replaced approximately 25 years previously and many of the outlets were providing problems in regards to on-going maintenance issues.

Reverend Canon Andrew Holliday said: “I came to St Wilfrid’s in 2011 and although I was immediately struck by the beauty and presence in the building I always felt that the lighting did little to enhance the experience for the parishioners and our many visitors.”

In 2013 the PCC formed a small working party to establish the most suitable method of providing a worthy solution to the lighting problem. They held preliminary discussions with various people and organisations ranging from manufacturers’ representatives to fee based consultants and a very small selection of suitably qualified designer/installers worthy of being involved.

David Johnson, project co-ordinator on behalf of the PCC, said: “Following our initial interviews we felt comfortable engaging further with Anthony J Smith (Glos) Ltd as they had worked on many similar projects and the feedback we gained from their previous clients was both encouraging and reassuring. Their understanding and appreciation of our needs helped provide the guidance the project required and it was clear that, although they had worked on many similar projects previously, they treated the unique requirements at St Wilfrid’s as an opportunity to match these to an affordable bespoke solution.”

Neil Blake from Anthony J Smith (Glos) Ltd commented: “Following my original meeting with the working group I responded with a small selection of options, each with an indicated likely cost. It became apparent that the bespoke pendant solution for the nave best met the needs, although obviously many of the fine features and individual areas also needed sympathetic and subtle illumination. All outlets were latest generation and best quality LED units and the entire new lighting system is controlled through a full Dali addressable scene setting system which will allow the optimum amount of light to be provided for the many varying uses the church has.”

Canon Holliday had the final word: “The works were completed with minimum interruption to the normal day to day activities of the church and our inspecting architect, Ivan Wilson from IWA Architects, was particularly impressed with the sensitivity of the wiring installation within this historically important building. The finished works now provide the flexibility and quality of light that exactly meets our needs and it is clear that our choice of design and installation partner for this project was fully justified – clearly there is no substitute for experience!

“I would personally like to thank the many kind benefactors the project had, together with those from the church, who worked tirelessly to make this project such a success.”

Anthony J Smith (Glos) Ltd, who have recently celebrated 40 years of being a limited company, have 90% of their workload consisting of designing and installing lighting and electrical solutions within liturgical buildings. Their directly employed staff have great experience of working within architecturally challenging buildings and this ensures a suitably installed wiring system, no matter the intricacies and difficult operating circumstances involved. q

• Should you have a project that you feel Anthony J Smith (Glos) Ltd may be able to assist with then they would welcome your call on 01453 825 130 or visit the website at www.anthonyjsmith.co.uk.

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Redhill church hall project

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THE FINAL STAGE of the project to construct a new church hall at St John the Evangelist in Redhill, Surrey, is forging ahead. The new facility has been a year in the construction, but far longer as a vision for the church community.

The period since the beginning of the summer has seen dramatic progress, with the flint and stone walls being constructed with skill and precision – an art form in itself. The stone framing and tracery detail for the Gothic arch windows is in keeping with the church building and the hooded doorways continue the Victorian themes.

As the cut timber roofs take shape the gables extend upwards and are coped with more sandstone. The windows themselves are traditional steel glazed with antiqued glass.

The final few months of the build are intense, as the stonemasons

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and carpenters work hand-in-hand on the exacting design, with no room for error: cut stone does not allow for any tolerance. The last week in October saw the roofers on site, cladding the roof in a natural slate carefully picked with the guidance and approval of the local conservation officer to match the roof of the church.

Said Anna Bataille of main contractors Corniche: “The same consideration has been given to the choice of materials for the new building as was given to the church over 100 years ago, with the slate having the same tomes and colour variations as the flint in the walls.

“It has been a privilege to be part of the project team and the experience has been very rewarding for all of us who have been involved.”

This final phase followed on from work throughout the summer that saw construction of the superstructure of the single storey above

enters its final stage ground. The walls are constructed with three skins: a concrete block inner skin to help support the load of the first floor and roof, an intermediate core of block providing the backing for the flint outer skin and a framework for the stone quoins and plinths currently being installed.

That phase in turn followed completion of the basement, which involved an impressive concrete pour of 120m3 to create the floor and a further pour of 43m3 to form the walls.

Architects Thomas Ford and Partners designed the hall to fit in with the existing townscape of Redhill. The flint walls and slate roof match the Victorian church building. It comprises a ground floor and basement and has been designed to allow the roof space to be developed in the future.

The facilities provided include classrooms and meeting rooms, a kitchen, office space and toilet facilities. An area in the basement will be available for use as an open space or a hall for performances, or further divided to make more meeting rooms.

The flint for the walls was sourced from the Sussex coast by Chichester Stoneworks. It has been knapped and squared, then ‘framed’ with polished sandstone – a practice that has been used since the 15th century. The mortar is a lime and sand mix with the sand derived from the same stone.

St John’s is a Grade B-listed ecclesiastical building. It lies within a Conservation Area that contains many listed secular buildings and in Green Belt. Consequently, before any construction could begin a great deal of work had to be carried out. The most sensitive concerned the exhumation and relocation of graves from the churchyard. Initially, known graves were exhumed and re-interred following a service with the families.

Following that an archaeological survey was carried out to locate and remove a further 300 graves and remove 1,500m3 of spoil in layers of 100mm. The site was photographed and the remains were disinterred for reburial following the completion of the build.

The long-awaited new facility will enable the thriving Christian community at St John’s to welcome the whole community to churchrelated activities, including the disabled and elderly. It will provide a purpose-built facility for children’s and young people’s groups to meet on a Sunday, while during the week it will provide a venue for churchrelated groups, rehearsal space for music, secure storage space for church equipment and a church office.

Events such as fairs, harvest suppers, concerts and other entertainments will take place there, as will receptions following baptisms, funerals, marriages and confirmations. q

A computer-generated image of the new hall at St John the Evangelist in Redhill, Surrey www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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Things to consider when fitting replacement cast iron or aluminium gutters

By DR MALCOLM WEARING BEng PhD CEng MICE MCIWEM of CRM Rainwater Drainage Consultancy Ltd

[

• If it goes wrong start again – if a gutter joint MANY CHURCHES and heritage fails, it is unlikely that any satisfactory repair can buildings will be fitted with traditional cast iron be made without stripping the joint, completely gutters, which may be life expired and have cleaning both faces and re-making it. Any failed due to years of corrosion. Most can be repair inside the gutter will only be temporary, replaced by exact modern copies in either cast so if your gutters fail within the defects period, iron or aluminum, either off the shelf products make sure the contractor is remaking them for the more run of the mill guttering, or properly, not just bodging them long enough to specially fabricated bespoke products for the get off the hook. more unusual profiles and details.

Metal gutters are the best solution for The good news is that there are still foundries many buildings, both in terms of aesthetics and specialist fabricators in the UK that can and durability, but they need to be installed make literally any profile, however complex or carefully. With proper care and attention to unusual. A good starting point if you are unsure detail, they should last for more than 20 years would be the Metal Gutter Manufacturers Gutter joint with inadequate sealant with only minimal maintenance of the actual Association – www.mgma.co.uk – who product – you will, of course, still need to clean represent much of the metal gutter industry. them out! – and so a little work and supervision at construction stage will But once specified, what is particularly important when it comes to installing pay dividends in years to come. q metal gutters? Methods of jointing vary between manufacturers, but there are some absolutely critical elements, which are common to most: • Dr Malcolm Wearing is lead consultant at CRM Rainwater Drainage • Preparation – easy to overlook, preparation of the joint surfaces before Consultancy Ltd, a specialist consultancy organisation with over 17 year’s the joint is made is vitally important. Almost all the manufacturing processes experience in the roof drainage industry. For further information call 01204 leave small residues of oils and other contaminants on the gutter surfaces – if 701934 or visit www.crmrainwater.co.uk. these are not removed the sealant won’t be able to bond properly and the joint won’t have the required life. It might last a few years, but if you are fitting metal gutters you should expect at least 20 years leak free operation, and proper preparation is essential to this.

• Keep it dry – plastic gutters can be installed in any weather, but it is critical for metal gutters with gun applied sealant joints that they are dry when the sealant is installed, and kept dry until it has cured, which may be up to 12 hours later. This may mean the contractor has to delay the installation to wait for a weather window, or provide weather protection to the installation during assembly, but a joint installed in the wet will almost certainly be a joint which doesn’t last, which is not what either client or specifier needs.

• Use the correct sealant – the cheapest builders’ silicone from the local hardware store is not going to do the job in the long term, especially if the gutters are powder coated. Most manufacturers specify neutral cure sealants, which tend to be a bit more costly and take longer to cure, but importantly will bond to the surfaces correctly, and thus will last the distance. This is an easy corner to cut, and one which may not be obvious for a few years, so supervision of what products are being used is essential to a long lasting gutter joint.

• Put it in the right place and put enough there – one of the primary reasons I have seen, over the past 17 years, for gutter joint failure is poor application of sealant to the joint. Most manufacturers stipulate that a thick bead of sealant is applied a small distance in from each edge of the joint, and additional sealant applied to any bolt or fixing holes. When compressed, this sealant should fill the whole joint area between the two faces, and thus provide a continuous waterproofing layer. Application of the sealant after the joint is made, or just at one edge of the joint, will break down very quickly.

• Easy on the pressure – metal gutters move with changes in temperature, especially aluminum gutters which can experience joint movement of up to plus or minus 2mm at each joint. To cope with this expansion without failure, a suitable thickness of joint is needed, so that the silicone can flex the desired amount without separating from either face. This will need to be at least 2mm, possibly more. Manufacturers will specify the minimum silicone thickness, some will provide pips in the joint to protect against overtightening.

If these are not present make sure your contractor understands how tight to pull the joint to leave that all important flexibility. www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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Rainclear add innovation in cast aluminium gutter sealing online [

METSEAL IS THE new gutter sealing system from Rainclear, which means you no longer need to use messy silicone to make cast aluminium guttering watertight. It is available to buy on the company’s website along with all their guttering components, downpipes and fittings.

In conjunction with Metex, Rainclear have developed a dry-jointing gutter sealing kit to Powder coated anthracite grey cast aluminium gutters along with some unusual angles for give a watertight seal on traditional half round which Rainclear arranged bespoke fabrication cast aluminium gutters. They are expected, when installed in accordance with the included George+Tomos wanted a rainwater instructions, to last as long as the system they seal – and longer than the system that respected the character traditional silicone alternative, the thickness and coverage of which can of the building whilst also giving vary and that also needs to ‘set’ before it becomes watertight. the roofline a striking new look.

Rainclear, the UK’s largest online retailer and stockist of rainwater Cast aluminium was the perfect systems, are confident their customers will benefit from this innovation. choice for its traditional character The hydrostrips for cast iron have been a popular replacement to and modern powder coated finish. silicone for over half a decade, and Metseal now offers the same Rainclear worked from the solution for cast aluminium. Rainclear had an introductory half price architect’s drawings and site photos offer on Metseal packs during September. to provide a full schedule of material and a quote as well as A cast aluminium case study advice on gutter sizing. 6" half Set in the beautiful mid Wales countryside, Capel Bethel Church, round gutter with 4" downpipes dating from 1895, is a traditional stone-built Grade 2 Listed building Illustration of how the specially was chosen for the main roof, and had a mix of old cast iron and plastic guttering on it. Architects designed and tested EPMD and a smaller 4.5" half round rubber strips seal the gutter gutter with 3" downpipes for the lengths where they join smaller lower roof elevation.

Tricky detailing on a couple of the lower roof elevations needed special gutter angles to match the shape of the building. Over a decade’s experience means Rainclear can offer clients a fixed price for items like these.

Rainclear then worked with the main contractor, G&M Pryce Builders, to deliver the goods in time to meet the site’s programme. Glyn Pryce of G&M Pryce was extremely pleased with the service provided by Rainclear and with the chosen system, saying: “We hadn’t used cast aluminium before and we were very pleased with how the system went together. We will certainly be considering it on up-coming projects. The anthracite grey powder coated finish looks fantastic, makes a striking finish to the roofline and matches in nicely with the traditional slate roof.”

Anthony Hitchman, general manager at Rainclear, said: “We’ve been selling the hydrostrip EPDM rubber sealing packs along with cast iron rainwater systems for over half a decade and demand has grown, so it made sense to develop the same system for cast aluminium. We’re confident the take-up will be just as popular but sometimes people need a bit of an incentive to try something new – hence the half price introductory offer.”

The Metseal rubber seal has been specially developed for use with cast aluminium half round gutters. It is suitable for use with half round profile in 100, 115, 125 and 150mm and the pack comes with 20 rubber seals plus associated nuts, bolts and washers. Metseal is supplied with a 3-year manufacturer’s warranty and there is currently a special online offer of £21.25 per pack (RRP £42.50).

Rainclear offer free delivery on orders over £300 net, trade accounts, a drawing take-off service and same-day quotations. Plus, there is 20% off cast aluminium rainwater systems online at the moment – although they will always try to beat any like-for-like quote while delivering the best quality system for your project. q • For further information call the team at Rainclear on 0800 644 44 26 or visit the website at www.rainclear.co.uk.

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The importance of

genuine craftsmanship [ KENT PEG TILES still hold a very special place in the English

architectural landscape, particularly in the South East of England where they were once present on most town houses, churches, barns and farmhouses.

Unfortunately the roofs of many of these ancient buildings are now falling into disrepair, so one of the challenges facing today’s architects, conservationists and owners of heritage homes is the sourcing of replacement plain and peg tiles. Genuine ‘reclaimed’ clay roof tiles can be expensive and in short supply and the idiosyncratic and quirky character of the original Kent Peg Tiles is very difficult to replicate using modern manufacturing methods.

As the original peg and plain roof tiles were made by local or travelling craftsmen, relying on hand moulding and simple firing techniques, the tiles they produced inevitably had a wide variation in texture, camber and colour ranging from pale orange to dark red.

Tudor Roof Tile Co Ltd is one of the few manufacturers to have successfully managed to produce compatible peg and plain tiles with the essential characteristics of the originals, but which also meet the latest CE standard: BS EN 1304:2013 for frost resistance, water impermeability and flexural strength, which has now become a legal requirement for all building products sold in the UK. Handmade with meticulous attention to detail, each clay peg and plain tile is individually hand pressed, moulded and trimmed using some of the techniques that have hardly changed over the ages in order to create a time weathered ‘olde world’ and rustic look. The tiles are then strengthened using advanced firing techniques in order to give the final product exceptional performance and durability.

As a result, these sand-faced peg and plain tiles clay tiles have a variable texture, gently undulating camber and natural mellow tones that blend with the faded roofs of period and heritage properties.

As planners in conservation areas often insist on ‘like for like’ handmade replacements, it is important not only to pay attention to the tone and texture of the clay roof tiles, but also their historic sizing, which tends to vary across the country. Even the slightest

change from the originals can damage the overall appearance of a restored roof, which is why Tudor offers both standard and bespoke sizes to help architects and conservationists replicate and preserve the character of the Paul Lythgoe, managing director original roofs. of Tudor Roof Tile Co Ltd Mindful of the varying requirements of each project, the company can make tiles with either round or square peg holes, and also with nibs on the underside, so that they are suitable for both ancient and modern building methods as appropriate.

This commitment to preserving traditional craftsmanship and historic detailing, as well as meeting modern performance standards and accommodating today’s construction methods, has earned the company membership of the Guild of Master Craftsmen.

The Guild is the UK’s most established trade association, representing skilled and rated tradesmen, craftspeople, artisans and other professionals who strive for excellence in workmanship and customer service. All members sign up to the aims and objectives of The Guild and the logo and coat of arms are a sign of quality instantly recognised by consumers.

Hugh Bessant, The Guild’s membership assessor, said: “I have known about Tudor tiles for over thirty years and traditional building materials hand crafted by true craftsmen are part of the fabric of this country. In a mass produced world where imitating old materials is very much the norm, it is fantastic to see a company such as Tudor still producing the genuine article. I recommend them wholeheartedly.” q • Tudor roof tiles are available from leading roofing and builders merchants. For more information contact Tudor Roof Tile Co. Ltd, Dengemarsh Road, Lydd, Kent TN29 9JH. Call 01797 320202, fax 01797 320700, email info@tudorrooftiles.co.uk or visit the website at www.tudorrooftiles.co.uk. For more information about the Guild of Master Craftsmen log onto www.guildmc.com.

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Roof tile specialist remains true to its tradition with handmade range

[ WITH 150 YEARS of heritage in the

manufacture of clay roof tiles, Marley Eternit has been able to revive the traditional skills and expertise used in the past to create a beautiful new range of handmade clay roof tiles: the Canterbury range.

The Canterbury range was launched by the leading roof systems manufacturer after it identified an increasing design need for authentic handmade clay plain tiles, yet there were only limited product options available in the UK. The Canterbury plain clay tiles and fittings are all created by skilled craftsmen at Marley Eternit’s specialist clay facility in Keele, Staffordshire, using the same timehonoured traditions that have been in use for hundreds of years. The traditional handmaking process brings random undulations and variations that give each tile a unique appearance and character.

Available in three colours, the tiles are manufactured from Etruria Marl, which is widely accepted as the finest clay for strength and durability. The Loxleigh has an antique appearance due to its semi-sanded finish in red and grey shades, the Burford has a rich, red/brown tone in a fully sanded texture, while the Chailey has a vibrant

orange tone and can also be used as a contrast tile for vertical tiling.

The colours can be used on their own or mixed on site to achieve a beautiful bespoke blend, giving a patchwork of colours.

For bespoke applications Marley Eternit can supply samples, as well as providing colour blending advice and specialist technical support to architects and contractors.

Such was the case with a complex and sensitive re-roofing project in Surrey (pictured), which was reported on in detail in our last issue. In that case the Canterbury tiles were used to achieve a genuine handmade finish to the roof. The original handmade tiles were still on the roof of the detached property in Reigate, which was built in 1928, and were in need of replacement.

The owners wanted as close a match as possible to the original tiles during the full roof replacement, including the vertical tiling.

The project also needed to be sensitive to its rural surroundings and adjacent parkland.

Robin Goddard of Brodie Plant Goddard architects commented at the time: “We chose the Canterbury handmade tiles from Marley Eternit because they best matched the colour blend we were looking to achieve, to replicate the 1920s traditional aesthetic.

They also offered the orange colour which

we needed as a vertical contrasting tile for the gable ends and being able to use both tiles from the same manufacturer gave a consistent finish.”

Antique-coloured Loxleigh Canterbury clay tiles were used for the 270m2 roof. It was a complex design due to the interaction of multiple slopes, swept valleys and hips.

Contractor Harp Construction Services took four months to complete the project, which included fixing a temporary roof.

The owner of the property said: “We hadn’t appreciated what a complex roof shape we had until we undertook this project and Harp Construction Services showed excellent workmanship and construction throughout the project. We are very impressed with the end result, which is sympathetic to the original, but also lifts the colour of the roof and brings it to life.”

Charlotte Hughes, product manager at Marley Eternit, added: “We developed the handmade range so there is more choice when it comes to specifying for renovation projects like this one, where getting the right colour blend is vital.” q • For more information, literature and samples, contact 01283 722588 or visit the website at www.marleyeternit.co.uk/handmade.

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Apprentices bring energy and vitality

By JOHN SAYERS, Managing Director, Hodgson Sayers Limited

John Sayers at Minsteracres Retreat Centre in Durham

[THERE IS ALWAYS a great buzz around our business when we

introduce the latest cohort of apprentices. Everyone eagerly awaits their arrival.

It is great to see the way that they interact with each other and with the older apprentices as they gently ease themselves away from the school environment and into the wide world of construction.

Our project managers, who will guide and mentor the new apprentices, and the senior management team – many of whom were apprentices themselves – know exactly how important those first few days are and as much as we can we ensure that the youngsters feel relaxed, comfortable and positive about the challenges and opportunities ahead.

This year, we have welcomed a further eight apprentices to our team who are embarking on an apprenticeship in either slating and tiling or

Hodgson Sayers’ new apprentices

flat roofing at Newcastle College. Many of them, during their three year course, will work on live projects. For example last year’s cohort had the opportunity to work alongside our contract managers on the restoration of Durham’s Minsteracres Retreat Centre.

Set in a beautiful 110 acre estate, Minsteracres is a grade II listed building offering space for retreats and events and regularly provides respite to people who have come to the UK to escape persecution in their home countries.

To help with the upkeep of the building our apprentices undertook a full site clean of all of the gutters to help prevent an annual build-up of debris and leaves. They stripped and removed the low level roof in the central garden area, recovered the roof coverings in felt and reinstalled the coping stones on completion. An intrusive survey to investigate a buildup within the drainage system was conducted, the area was excavated and we rerouted an existing gas pipe which had run through an underground drain. A front facing elevation lift to provide the building with better disabled access was also installed.

By involving our apprentices on live projects they get to learn skills and on the job knowledge which will be related back to their learning at college. It is a combination of developing a solid skillset, good mentoring and personal ambition that has seen our youngsters progress within the company over the years. Many of our contract managers started their career as an apprentice, including myself. q • In 2015 Hodgson Sayers proudly won the Apprenticeship category in the North East Business Awards and in the national final went on to claim both the People Development and Company of the Year at the British Chamber of Commerce Awards. For further information visit the company’s website at www.hodgson-sayers.co.uk. www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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Tonbridge scheme shorlisted for award [ THE OVERALL PRINCIPLE of Kent County

Council’s scheme, designed by Russell Florey at Amey Consulting, was to shift priority from vehicles to pedestrians in Tonbridge town centre and thus provide a more pleasant environment for shoppers. It has now been shortlisted for best outdoor space at the 2016 Brick Awards.

Russell Florey explained: “Previously the pedestrian experience in Tonbridge had been poor with very narrow footways, wide carriageways and three pelican crossings. The new scheme has widened the pavements significantly, narrowed the carriageway, constructed designated loading bays, imposed a 20mph speed limit and introduced a table top feature where carriageway and footways are all at one level. All of this allows able-bodied pedestrians to cross more easily.”

There have historically been two sides to the centre, one more modern but needing some regeneration and the other older and more traditional. The idea was to integrate the two sides and create a better shopping experience and a more attractive town centre.

Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council (TMBC) played a key part in selecting the pallet of materials and were keen that it should be in keeping with the conservation areas of the town. The choice of Ketley square edged clay pavers in a mix of 65% Staffordshire red, 25% Staffordshire brown brindle and 10% Staffordshire blue was down to Geoff Pearson, conservation officer at TMBC. He said: “There has been a long tradition in Tonbridge of using square

edged paving for pavements and I was keen to continue this tradition and find the right mix of colour to match in with what is already there. I found Ketley provided the best match – I selected the colours and Kevin Coley’s team at Amey Highways have done a fantastic job of laying them randomly.”

Ketley’s tactile blister paving has been used at puffin crossings and the edge of junctions to demarcate the crossing area, and Ketley’s blue corderoy paving runs along the edge of the footway around the table top so that it is easy to detect the carriageway underfoot, with the contrasting colour making this even more prominent.

Carleigh Westwell of DHA Planning also contributed, using her expertise in urban design to recommend how to use materials to create a different feel for an area and to demarcate certain parts for particular purposes. Loading bays, in Staffordshire blue herringbone, stand out from the walkways in their mixed colour running bond.

She also advised on a different paver for the Botany area, a space designed for sitting and resting. Here, 200mm x 200mm red square Ketley pavers create an area that blends in but has a different feel to the rest of the footway. Red drainage channels run through the centre of this area and along the footways, matching in with the red paving and providing an aesthetic solution for removing surface water.

The scheme has been a real success and Ketley pavers have played a significant role by enhancing the historic area, giving a welcoming look and feel to the High Street. q • For further information visit the website at www.ketley-brick.co.uk.

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The East Midlands: at the heart of our history [ ONE OF THE regions of England that offers a wealth of

historic ecclesiastical buildings as well as a ‘who’s who’ of medieval royalty is the East Midlands. The Earl of Leicester had the ear of Queen Elizabeth I and it is in that county that Richard III met his nemesis to herald the Tudor monarchy.

The region, recognised by the EU as one of Europe’s Level One ‘nomenclatures d’unités territoriales statistiques’, comprises Derbyshire, Leicestershire, most of Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland.

Ecclesiastically, the region rivalled any in the country with its ambitious building programme in the Middle Ages. For 250 years

Lincoln Cathedral was recognised as the tallest building in the world, until its spire collapsed in a storm in 1549. Other major ecclesiastical buildings in the region include the other two ‘Ls’ – Lichfield and Leicester cathedrals – and Southwell Minster in Nottinghamshire, a magnificent Norman cathedral that is has been described as a ‘rose among flowers’.

Reminders of our more recent history are the subject of Heritage Lottery Fund grants – the last surviving railway roundhouse, in Derbyshire, is to receive more than £1m, while the Lincolnshire Bomber Command Memorial Trust, in partnership with the University of Lincoln, has been awarded Round 2 funding of £3m. q

Historic bell foundry sees its own restoration [ WITH THE WEALTH of ecclesiastical history in the East Midlands, it is no surprise that the world’s largest bell

foundry is to be found in the region. The premises of John Taylor & Co in Loughborough is the only foundry in the country to be operated from its original, Grade Two* listed premises and those premises are now undergoing a major restoration.

The roof and gutters of the foundry are the subject of the latest phase of the restoration, following removal of records and archive to the newly-refurbished drawing office. The old board room has also been reroofed (pictured) and the ringing chamber refurbished.

The company’s director David Potter commented: “At Taylor’s Bell Foundry we are delighted to see a restoration programme started at last. The buildings have been terribly neglected for many years, and after these emergency repairs to the roofs and gutters are complete, we look forward to a watertight building for the first time in decades.

“Bell founding is thriving once more at Loughborough and our order book now stretches through to the end of 2017. Plans are well underway for a comprehensive restoration of the entire complex; and with the help of Historic England and others we hope to see a new vibrant visitor attraction created in the coming years.”

The company continues a line of bell founding which has been unbroken since the middle of the 14th century, when Johannes de Stafford was active only 10 miles from the site of the present foundry. From 1784 the business was operated by members of the Taylor family, and in 1839 it moved to its present position in Loughborough. q

Rare medieval shrine welcomes pilgrims again [ ONE OF THE finest medieval buildings on the Heritage at Risk

Register in the East Midlands is being restored with the help of funding from Historic England and local authorities, with support from the Prince’s Regeneration Trust.

Worksop Priory was once one of Nottinghamshire's wealthiest monastic houses and its gatehouse is one of only two survivors of its kind in England: a walkthrough shrine. As at the other surviving example in Canterbury, pilgrims would enter one side, kneel to pray before an altar, and leave on the other.

The Augustinian church and gatehouse survived the 16th century Dissolution of the Monasteries; but by 1998 weather and decay were taking their toll, and the gatehouse and cloister wall were identified as buildings at risk.

Now repairs to the shrine’s masonry and roof have been completed, and the exquisite vaulted ceiling and decoration have been restored. The shrine is now occasionally open so that visitors can once more admire its intimate jewel-like interior. q www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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Island installation demonstrates the need for quality fire control in remote locations [

EVEN THE SMALLEST buildings can be of critical importance to their users, especially in relatively isolated communities. The performance and reliability of Advanced’s MxPro fire alarm panels has seen them installed in another remote coastal location, the Atlantic Islands Centre on Luing, off the west coast of Scotland.

Situated south of Oban in the Firth of Lorne, the largely unspoilt 5.5 square mile Isle of Luing is one of the Slate Islands.

The Atlantic Visitor Centre, in the village of Cullipool, is set to revitalise the island’s economy, raising awareness of Luing as a tourist destination and offering a range of outdoor activities. The centre will also provide a community hub for the island’s 200 residents, providing workshops and office space. It also has the capability to be used as an emergency refuge.

The contract for the installation was awarded to the team at Adam Fire, who specified the latest MxPro 5 panels from Advanced. MxPro 5 is the leading multiprotocol fire panel range, renowned for its world-beating quality, reliability and flexibility.

Graeme Bruce, spokesperson for Adam Fire, commented: “We had already installed MxPro panels in Iona Abbey, one of the oldest and most important religious centres

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in Western Europe, and they were an obvious choice for this new development on Luing. In remote locations quality and reliability are paramount, which is why we felt that the reliability and longevity of the MxPro panels were crucial attributes when specifying this system.”

The centre is now being protected by the latest MxPro 5 single loop panel from Advanced, offering high performance fire detection and alarm control across the entire site. MxPro 5 panels can be used in single loop, single panel format or easily configured into high speed, 200-panel networks covering huge areas.

Advanced’s legendary ease of installation and configuration and wide peripheral range make it customisable to almost any application.

Neil Parkin, Advanced’s sales manager for Scotland, said: “Advanced fire systems are renowned for their quality and ease-ofuse, which makes them ideal for a project such as this. Our panels do not only protect large buildings and networks but also small buildings such as the visitor centre which is an important part of the island community.

With Luing being in such a remote location it is even more important to offer the reassurance of a high quality system and our MxPro panels offer all the key attributes required for this type of installation.”

MxPro is Advanced’s flagship range of multiprotocol panels and offers customers a choice of two panel ranges, four detector protocols and a completely open installer network that enjoys free training and support.

Advanced’s MxPro fire systems support the TouchControl touchscreen repeater and AlarmCalm complete false alarm management system. TouchControl is a 10” HD touchscreen that offers dynamic reporting and control via a unique interface that includes active maps and zone plans.

AlarmCalm uses Advanced’s fast hardware, updated config software and optional loop verification devices to deliver a system that allows the false alarm strategy for any building to be quickly and easily programmed and managed, increasing safety and reducing false alarms.

Advanced is a world leader in the development and manufacture of intelligent fire systems. The legendary performance, quality and ease-of-use of its products sees them used in prestigious and challenging locations all over the world, from single panel installations to large multi-site networks. Advanced products include complete fire detection systems, multiprotocol fire panels, extinguishing control and fire paging systems. q • More details can be found on Advanced’s website at www.advancedco.com.

AERIAL SURVEYS

ARBORICULTURAL CONSULTANTS

ANTIQUE FURNITURE RESTORATION

BAFRA

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ARCHIVE STORAGE BOXES

BUILDING CONSERVATION & RESTORATION

BUILDING SERVICES

CARVERS & LETTERCUTTERS BELLS

MASTER CARVERS ASSOCIATION

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DISABLED ACCESS

DISASTER RECOVERY

ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING

EXHUMATION SERVICES

FENCING

CHURCH HEATING

FIREPLACES

CLOCKS

FURNITURE

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GILDERS

GLASS SUPPLIES

LANDSCAPING

HYMNODY LEADED LIGHTS

JOINERY

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LCA

LEADWORK

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LECTERNS

LIGHTING & SOUND

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LIME & LIME PLASTERERS

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METALWORK

ORGANS

PAINTERS

PAINT STRIPPERS

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PICTURE FRAMING

RAINWATER SYSTEMS

ROOFING

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FTMRC

ROOF CLEANING

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ROOF TILES

SOUND & AUDIO VISUAL SYSTEMS

ISCE

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STAINED GLASS

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TERRACOTTA & FAIENCE

TRAINING

TRANSPORT & STORAGE

STONE & STONE SUPPLY

TESTING & CONSULTANCY

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