Ecclesiastical & Heritage World Issue No.88

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COVER STORY

CONTENTS A warm welcome awaits returning congregations

Pictured on this issue’s front cover is St Bartholomew’s Church in Penn, near Wolverhampton.

The church is in line for a new heating system – to be installed by Mellor and Mottram of Stoke-on-Trent. The specialist heating company is currently performing the same service for St Mary’s in Grendon, Northants.

Church heating goes hand-in-hand with installations at other historic buildings and educational establishments for Mellor and Mottram.

You can read more about their current portfolio on page 9 – and you can meet them in person on Stand A6 at CRE National.

5 Reflections

CRE 11

CRE: organisers gear up to meet again – in person

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13 Skilled craftsmen create bespoke

tributes for churches around the

British Isles 14 Dad’s Army vicar celebrates at CRE 14 CRE favourite to perform the

opening ceremony 15 Seminars cover the full gamut of

church concerns 15 Concert, seminars address the

Windrush legacy

NEWS 17

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Latest technology to be deployed in Parliament restoration to ensure safe working Parliament renewal embarks on an apprentice search High streets’ cultural offering to benefit from new funding Sound walks will bring high streets to life Shortlist announced for Museum of the Year

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COVID resilience recognised in Museums + Heritage Awards Illegal metal detectorists sentenced Scottish heritage organisations funded to engage with COP26 Fire-ravaged Glasgow Golf Club rises from the ashes Date confirmed for Gormley installation in Wells Stonemasons add to converted property’s features

SOUND & AV SYSTEMS 34 Loop body looks to widen

knowledge base 35 New annexe provides opportunity

for an AV upgrade 36 Choosing the right keyboard for

your music 38 Cotswolds church has ‘epic

sound’, whichever way you turn 39 Traditional church adapts to a

streaming future

BRICKS 25 Only bricks and mortar? Think again!

25 The spiritual element of bricks and

mortar is older than you think 27 Materials Matter: leading

brickmaker showcases a decade of

BIM files

CHURCH LIGHTING 41 How to make a church the leading

light in the community 41 New lighting scheme helps Bunyan

Meeting progress 43 When it comes to lighting design,

this company’s at the heart of things

ROOFING & LEADWORK 29 Roofing Awards: entries are finally closed 29 Roofers can help preserve iconic

summer species 30 Apprenticeships are key to roofing

craft’s survival – and green impact 30 Lead training goes mobile again

IRONWORK & METALWORK 44 New wheel shaft forms part of mill restoration

TRAINING 31 Onward and upward: training

body expands through the pandemic WINDOWS 32 Traditional windows: why they are

worth preserving 32 Steel windows are a sensitive

replacement for Pugin abbey MEMORIALS 33 National body cares for more than

just the Cenotaph 33 Memorial stone will honour

Bannister – the physician

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Country’s industrial heritage is logged for #IronworkThursday

ACCESS & LIGHTNING PROTECTION 45 Go-to heritage access platform

sees sales soar 47 Summer storms act as a wake-up

call for lightning protection testing 47 Abseiling steeplejacks film clock repair PROJECTS 48 This once-opulent playground of

the rich is now getting a rum deal

FIND THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE YOU NEED IN CHURCH & HERITAGE SUPPLIES FROM PAGE 50 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.

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[CHRISTIAN NAMES come and go in their popularity. In the mid-50s the names Roger and Christopher became popular – after

Roger Bannister and his running partner Christopher Chataway (the namesake of this writer). Bannister is of course remembered as the first person to run a sub-four-minute mile.

Roger Bannister is also to become the first athlete to have a memorial ledger stone in Westminster Abbey. It will, however, be in Scientists’ Corner, marking his work as a neurologist. Bannister thought that element of his life would outshine his running prowess; and who are we to argue?

• A memorial of a different kind was shortlisted for the 2020 UK Roofing Awards – that of the El Alamein War Cemetery in Egypt. The 2020 event was not possible due to COVID restrictions, but a virtual ceremony was held instead. The 2021 awards are set to return to an ‘in-person’ format on 5 November. Entries have now closed and hopefully the shortlist will once again feature ecclesiastical and heritage projects.

• Religious buildings tend to feature in awards lists for many kinds of building activity. A winner of the 2019 Brick Awards was Cambridge Central Mosque, a stunning exemplar of the decorative potential of clay bricks in the right hands.

For most of us, however, bricks and mortar have an altogether humbler connotation. Brick has been the predominant facing material for most streets in the country for a couple of centuries and can often tell the story of when a street was built.

• A similar tale is told by the street furniture we walk past daily and scarcely give a thought to. Lamp standards, railings, benches and gates all tell a story of the development of our industrial society. In order to bring together those markers of our past before they all disappear in a frenzy of civic renewal, Historic England teamed up with the Council for British Archaeology to encourage people to tweet pictures of iron street furniture.

• Streetscapes are also defined by the windows of the houses lining them. All too often traditional sash or casement windows have been replaced with modern plastic or aluminium versions. The difference the replacement of traditional windows makes to the identity of the street they are in cannot be overstated. The loss of sash windows from a stone terrace, for example, damages the charm of the whole.

• The modern townscape is more often than not defined by the illumination of its streets and buildings. Exterior lighting of prominent buildings adds charm and drama to our urban environment – not to mention making us feel safer in our streets. While in the recent past lighting of public buildings has gone hand-in-hand with profligacy of energy and the drowning out of the night sky, fortunately technology is allowing a more responsible approach.

• Church lighting is just one of the subjects covered by the comprehensive seminar programme that will figure in CRE National, at Sandown Park in Surrey. Returning to the real world for the first time in more than 18 months, CRE revels in the personal touch – ‘Face to face beats mouse to mouse anytime’ is the show’s mantra and this October will see more face to face than ever. What’s more, copies of Ecclesiastical and Heritage World will be available for visitors to take home.

• The cover story of this issue features an ever-present at CRE National over the years: church heating specialists Mellor and Mottram. They will also be at Sandown this October to discuss heating requirements with churches of all denominations. One project the company is set to embark upon is St Bartholomew’s at Penn, near Wolverhampton, which graces our front cover. q

Chris Stokes

Editor, Ecclesiastical & Heritage World

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COVER STORY

A warm welcome awaits returning congregations [THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS

into the floor gutters.

The new warmth in the church would no doubt have been welcomed by Lady Godiva, who owned a part of Penn, according to the Domesday Book.

have been marked by the sound of church bells once more ringing congregations into church after a year-and-a-half of virtual services.

Pews have been dusted off and service books retrieved.

One church that will be able to offer the faithful a particularly warm welcome is St Mary’s in Grendon, Northants. St Mary’s is the proud recipient of a new heating system, currently being installed by specialist installers Mellor and Mottram.

The Grade Two*-listed church can trace its history back to Norman times.

It is built from local limestone with ironstone dressing and lias ashlars on its west tower.

As well as its peal of bells which date from 1618, the church has an early clock which is nearly as old. That was made around 1690.

At the time of writing the Stokeon-Trent based company are putting the finishing touches to the new system. It comprises two oil-fired boilers, together with Dunham-Bush radiators and fan convectors and a new flue system.

Ever onwards

Activities in a historic setting The village of Alton in Staffordshire may be best known for the nearby theme park, but it is also the site of a Gothic revival castle perched on a hill above the valley of the Churnet, on the site of a real medieval castle.

The castle is now the home of a Roman Catholic youth charity which promotes personal, social and spiritual development ‘through a unique blend of outdoor adventurous activities and inspiring retreat experiences’.

Over the past year-and-a-half Mellor and Mottram have been carrying out an on-going programme of upgrades, including the installation of a new heating system. They are currently installing new bathrooms, having carried out upgrades to the sanitaryware and heating in the rooms, together with the hot and cold water systems.

St Bartholomew’s Church in Penn, near Wolverhampton

St Mary’s is one of a brace of church projects that will be completed in the second half of this year. The team from Mellor and Mottram will soon be moving onto Penn, near Wolverhampton.

The name of the district is thought to derive from the Welsh for a hill, indicating a pre-Saxon, late Celtic settlement. The hill in question is the one on which stands St Bartholomew’s Church, which graces the front cover of this issue. It is itself thought to have Saxon antecedence – evidenced by the base of a Saxon preaching cross discovered near to the church in 1912.

The present church – a Grade Two*-listed building – dates in part from the 14th century, with additions in the 15th, 17th and throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The newest part, a new wing, was added to the north of the church in 2000.

The arrival of the team from Mellor and Mottram will herald another modern addition to the church’s facilities. The new heating system will feature two Remaha gas-fired boilers with fan convector Alton Castle radiators and tubes with ‘gills’ laid

A welcome return to CRE

For more than two decades Mellor and Mottram have been regular exhibitors at CRE, both nationally and at some of the regional shows. It was therefore great news for Stuart Mottram and his team when news came that CRE National is scheduled to go ahead at Sandown Park in October.

“It’s two years since we exhibited at CRE,” said Stuart, “and I can’t wait to get back there.”

Visitors can discuss their heating requirements with Mellor and Mottram at Stand A6. q

Photo Matthew Wells© CC BY-SA 2.0

• Mellor and Mottram are a longestablished name in the field of church heating, having begun as installers of commercial heating systems before specialising. Their portfolio encompasses many longstanding customers, including in at least one case of more than one generation of clergy from the same family!

Whether a church is a Grade One-listed medieval building, a Victorian chapel or a modern citycentre church, Mellor and Mottram can offer a professional approach to its heating requirements.

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CRE: organisers gear up to meet again – in person [

ALMOST 18 MONTHS after the doors closed on their last exhibition, the organisers of the Christian Resources Exhibition (CRE) embarked on a campaign to promote the first post-lockdown show – CRE National 2021 – which takes place from 12-14 October at Sandown Park in Surrey.

As part of the promotional campaign, more than 30,000 brochures were posted to potential visitors, offering a special ‘Welcome Back!’ message.

A comprehensive, three-day programme is scheduled, helping churches respond to changes and opportunities brought about by the pandemic. New resources will be available in financial management, fundraising, new technology, social media, streaming, worship, creative arts, home groups, mission, youth and children's work. Expert advice will be on hand in more than 50 seminars and special features.

Significant numbers of online congregations are now streaming church services, so a special feature under the heading Mission Worship will feature musicians like Graham Kendrick and Lucy Grimble considering

how to bring together the physical and the digital.

“Hundreds of churches have harnessed new technology during the pandemic, reaching countless thousands who would never darken their doors on a Sunday,” said CRE owner Steve Goddard. “A number of specialist exhibitors who help churches with live streaming on a weekly basis will help others take the next steps. While the ‘old normal’ might feel comfortable, this ‘new different’ is the future.”

Another special feature will see the exhibition exploring the legacy of

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the Windrush Generation for the first time, with contributions from Rev David Shosanya – former regional director of the London Baptist Association – together with Roy Francis and the Ken Burton Singers.

Founder-member of the Arts Centre Group, Rev Cindy Kent, will host a special day-long event celebrating the group’s 50th anniversary. Special guests will include Frank Williams, the famously tetchy vicar in the original Dad’s Army TV series, and Sue Hodge from the uproariously irreverent ‘Allo ‘Allo, representing Christians in Entertainment. There will also be a special focus on encouraging the next generation of aspiring performers, broadcasters, authors and journalists.

Aware that many potential visitors are keen to come to CRE but are still COVID-cautious, the organisers have moved part of the exhibition from the main Surrey Hall to the Esher Hall below – allowing the creation of wider aisles.

Other possible safety measures will depend on government stipulations at the time.

The emphasis of the whole three days will, however, be on the ‘in person’ nature of the show – and copies of Ecclesiastical and Heritage World will be available for visitors to take away.

As Steve Goddard explained: “Discovering resources online has been especially important during the pandemic, but nothing is better than meeting the person behind the product; the people behind the project. Face to face beats mouse to mouse, every time.”

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Entry to the exhibition costs as little as £3 by booking in advance or £8 on the door. To book, or for more information, visit the website at www.creonline.co.uk. q

Skilled craftsmen create bespoke tributes for churches around the British Isles Portsmouth, England 2019 In January 2019 Fullers Finer Furniture received a call from a client in the USA. Her mission was to secure a bespoke lectern for a church in Portsmouth attended by her mother, in memory of her father.

The design brief was for a solid wood, fixed-height lectern bearing a memorial plaque. Working within the proposed budget, a design was drawn up and tweaked to achieve the exact result required.

Fullers always take care to ensure that only the best quality woods are selected for use. Each piece is carefully fashioned in the workshop, maximising skill and experience built up over many years to ensure the finished piece is not just an item of beauty, but is also robust and sturdy, fit to serve with timeless grace for many years to come.

Fullers always welcome feedback and photographs of the furniture in situ. In this case the client wrote: “I am writing to thank you all for the help you gave us in getting the perfect lectern for St Cuthbert's and to let you know it was very well received by both the members of the congregation and clergy at St. Cuthbert’s.

“The wood is a perfect match to the base of the custom font and the design is just what they wanted, as it is light enough to be moved around depending upon what event is going on in the church at the time…it was dedicated on Remembrance Sunday, which was very fitting.”

and other material relating to the canal project. The multi-function unit also contains two double locking cupboards, a drawer to store wrapping paper and a pull-out desk for use by the floristry team.

Mounted on wheels and finished in natural oak, the cabinet bears arches on the cupboard doors to complement those in the building.

The finishing touch is a brass memorial plaque dedicated to the precious memory of the church member behind the donation.

The client commented: “I am so pleased that I found your advert, it was such a pleasure to work with you.”

Donaghcloney, Northern Ireland 2021

Polwarth, Scotland 2020 Polwarth Parish Church lies adjacent to the Union Canal. It is part of an exciting project aimed at running a canal boat from Polwarth Pontoon with a view to benefitting the local community in a variety of ways.

The church received a legacy to be used specifically for the provision of a piece of furniture for the transept area, to display information relating to the canal project. In January 2020 Fullers Finer Furniture were approached in connection with the unique project.

The finished cabinet includes a display area protected behind locking glass sliding doors and a surface area to accommodate the folders

Across the water to Northern Ireland, and this time a request for a baptismal font in memory of a very special infant. The font was made in European oak and supplied with a hand-made glass bowl decorated with a thread pattern to match the church décor. In this case the inscription was carved around the outside of the bowl around the top of the font. q www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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Dad’s Army vicar celebrates at CRE [

THE OLDEST SURVIVING member of the BBC TV comedy Dad’s Army will be celebrating his 90th Birthday at CRE National 2021. Frank Williams – Walmington-onSea’s tetchy vicar – will guest on Cindy’s Sofa along with fellow sitcom star Sue Hodge from ‘Allo ‘Allo on 13 Oct. In real life Frank may not have turned round his collar, but he has a strong Christian faith and a lifelong commitment to the church.

Said Frank: “Although I have spent many years in various film and television roles, being part of Croft and Perry’s classic comedy is hard to beat. It’s always a great privilege to take our Dad’s Army event into churches – and the occasional Easter cruise organised by Christians in Entertainment director Chris Gidney. We’ve been doing that for around 20 years now and it pulls in people who wouldn’t normally go to church. The outside world discovers that Christians can laugh and have fun as well!”

In fact, Frank has worked with many of the greats, including Tommy Cooper, Harry Worth, Dick Emery, The Two Ronnies and Morecambe and Wise. At CRE Frank will sign copies of his best-selling autobiography, Vicar to Dad’s Army – and thinks that Mr Mainwaring would be proud to see that, even at 90, he is far from retiring!

Frank’s appearance at CRE National is part of the Arts Centre Group’s 50th anniversary celebrations, in association with Christians in

Entertainment. For decades the arts had been considered a poor choice for serious-minded Christians, until a small group of musicians, actors and broadcasters – including Nigel Goodwin, Sir Cliff Richard and Rev Cindy Kent MBE – formed the Arts Centre Group in 1971 with a simple aim: supporting artists to be ‘fully professional and fully Christian’.

Still going strong, Rev Cindy – CRE’s ‘queen of conversation’ – will use the event to discuss the role of the arts in both Christian and mainstream circles, with a special focus on encouraging the next generation of aspiring performers, broadcasters, authors and journalists. q

CRE favourite to perform the opening ceremony [

CRE NATIONAL 2021 will be opened on 12 October at 10.30am

by Jeff Lucas, who will introduce visitors to the biblical story of Daniel and friends, deported and forced into a form of lockdown.

An international author, speaker and broadcaster, Jeff’s passion is to equip the church with practical Bible teaching, marked by vulnerability and humour. He has addressed many conferences and churches worldwide and is a popular contributor at CRE. He will be joined at the opening ceremony by Roy Francis and the Ken Burton singers.

In addition to the opening ceremony, Jeff will be speaking on all three days of CRE in one of the seminar rooms – aptly named after Daniel’s fellow Jews living in Babylon, who survived the fiery furnace: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

“There are so many lessons we can learn from their experiences,” said Jeff. “In fact, much of the Bible is written from lockdown – whether it’s Daniel and his friends, Joseph, Esther or the apostle Paul. Their stories show us how to thrive rather than just survive.” q

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Seminars cover the full gamut of church concerns [A FULL PROGRAMME of

over 50 seminars will be running alongside the exhibition at CRE National 2021, in four seminar rooms. The Biblical figures in the story of Nebuchadnezzar and the fiery furnace – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – add their names to three of them, while the fourth is the Park View Suite.

Some of the seminars are grouped into a number of themes: Church Digital, Church Universal, Church Worshipful, Church Resilient, Church Gen Z, Church Connected and Church Creative.

As may be imagined, Church Digital comprises a number of sessions regarding the blossoming phenomenon of live streaming, together with a debate on the use of social media. The impending Festive Season is acknowledged

by See and hear the Christmas message as never before.

The Church Universal theme has diversity and equality as its subject matter, including the series of events based around the Windrush generation, as detailed below.

Church Worshipful is the theme of a series of seminars on Mission Worship Wednesday, aimed at equipping visitors with new ideas and fresh

strategies to ‘go again’ in a new season for church and community.

Church Resilient contains a trio of seminars concerning financial issues: Faith and Finance, Digital Giving and the Hybrid Church and Fundraising for Capital Projects for Churches.

Church Gen Z, as the name implies, deals with what used to be called ‘youth issues’. That includes taking over the Abednego Room for the whole of Thursday 14 October, a well as a discussion on drugs and the young the previous day.

Church Connected is the theme of a series of home groups miniconferences – one per day of CRE National 2021 – for leaders and would-be leaders of home groups, the lifeblood of local church communities. Each is led by different team of well-known personalities.

Church Creative is where visitors can let their hair down in Cindy’s Bar, celebrating 50 years of the Arts Centre Group.

In addition to the various themes, a number of stand-alone seminars complete the comprehensive series. They deal with a broad range of issues that face the church today, including Church buildings – How to make them happen! q

Concert, seminars address the Windrush legacy

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FOR THE FIRST TIME CRE will address the legacy of the Windrush Generation, looking beyond the discrimination to look at ways in which the church from the Caribbean has influenced its counterpart already established in Britain.

Immediately following the opening of CRE on 12 October, in Cindy’s Bar, Windrush: word and song will feature a celebration of the history of British gospel music in words, music and song, presented by Roy Francis with the Ken Burton Singers.

The following day, in the Meshach Room, a panel discussion introduced and chaired by Roy Francis will debate Windrush: the Caribbean story, while on 14 October After Windrush: reverse mission will be the subject of a paper by Rev David Shosanya, former regional director of the London Baptist Association.

The leaders of many fast-growing UK churches are from Africa and as Britain brought Christianity to them, now they believe it is their turn to lead Britain back to God. Rev David will explain how they intend to accomplish this ‘reverse mission’? q www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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Latest technology to be deployed in Parliament restoration to ensure safe working [THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT

Restoration and Renewal Programme has partnered with experts at Heriot-Watt University to help protect both the building and those working on the complex restoration of the Palace of Westminster.

The challenges inherent in any large construction programme involving thousands of contractors working together on a busy and noisy site will be amplified when those works are being carried out on a congested heritage site like the Palace of Westminster. In order to help manage those challenges, experts will advise on how construction workers, designers and building users could work together in a safe and efficient way while on site.

The work will include looking at the full construction project, from design stage through construction and to future operation, and will use technology to rehearse difficult construction challenges to make sure they are not dangerous for workers or damaging to the building.

David Goldstone, the CEO of the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority, said: “As we get on with the job of developing the plan to restore and renew Parliament it is critical that we create the safest environment for future construction work by working with experts across the UK as part of our commitment to support thousands of jobs.”

Professor Guy Walker, from Heriot-Watt’s School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, is leading the project. Heriot-Watt is a global leader in construction teaching and training and in key areas of research around smart construction and robotics, including health and safety, productivity, digital twinning and autonomous systems.

Professor Walker explained: “We want to create an environment where the most natural behaviour is also the safest and most efficient. With technology we can rehearse construction activities in safety. Designers, engineers and construction workers can sit

together in a room and use a digital platform to run scenario tests. We can rehearse ways to work better as construction teams and deal with inevitable unexpected problems.”

Professor Walker and his team worked with the Restoration and Renewal Authority to prioritise areas and projects where HeriotWatt’s expertise in the sociotechnical approach and enabling technologies can help design safer work. In the next few months they will focus on delivering initial work packages. That effort will be complemented by Heriot-Watt colleagues, who will look to increase further collaborations with construction companies. q

Parliament renewal embarks on an apprentice search [

AT THE BEGINNING of July the search began for apprentices to work on the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster.

The initial recruitment effort sees four apprentices brought into the teams overseeing and delivering the programme in digital engineering, finance, project assurance and project management roles. A further two apprentices are to be seconded to the programme from heritage organisations.

As the Restoration and Renewal Programme moves forward, several hundred more apprentices will be employed across the UK. A unique shared apprenticeship scheme will see up to 160 apprentices ‘loaned out’ on rotating placements to the more than 300 British SMEs expected to be part of the project’s supply chain.

Apprentices who are employed directly by the Delivery Authority or through the shared apprenticeship scheme will have the opportunity to learn while they earn and contribute to the biggest and most complex restoration of a heritage building ever undertaken in the UK. Mike Brown, chair of the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority, said: “As we restore and renew the Palace of Westminster we will be hiring many hundreds of

apprentices and I am delighted to kick off recruitment of the first opportunities in specialist roles in digital engineering, heritage, finance and assurance.”

The restoration project is placing particular emphasis on retaining apprentices by creating high-quality opportunities. More than 30% of people who start apprenticeships in Britain do not complete them, according to The Skills Commission.

Apprentices will be assigned a mentor to guide and inspire them throughout their time on the project and to provide wellbeing support. There will be an internal apprenticeship network to allow apprentices working on the project to connect, share experiences and assist one another throughout their training.

The project has also established its own continuous learning platform which will allow apprentices to connect with professionals from across the project and learn lessons from other major projects across the UK and beyond.

It is an opportunity for apprentices to kick-start their career or develop new skills while being a part of the nationwide effort to restore and renew one of the world’s most iconic buildings and the home of UK democracy. q www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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High streets’ cultural offering to benefit from new funding [IN MAY Historic England announced that more than 60 High

Streets Heritage Action Zones (HSHAZ) will receive substantial grants totalling £6m for local arts organisations to create and deliver community-led cultural activities on their high streets over the next three years.

With several hundred organisations involved through cultural consortia across those high streets, the grant scheme involves one of the biggest-ever networks of cultural community organisations to come together under the same funding.

The funding is part of the four-year-long High Streets Heritage Action Zones Cultural Programme, led by Historic England in partnership with Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The Cultural Programme aims to make high streets more attractive, engaging and vibrant places for people to live, work and spend time. It is the widest-reaching, community-led arts and heritage programme in the public realm that has ever been organised, and is the biggest ever community-led arts and heritage programme celebrating the high street.

The overall £95m High Streets Heritage Action Zones scheme is

the biggest ever single investment by government in the UK’s built heritage.

Announcing the funding, Culture Minister Caroline Dinenage MP said: “Each high street taking part in the Heritage Action Zones scheme has been awarded grants of up to £120,000 to fund cultural activity. High streets are often the heart of our communities and should be places we all want to engage with and enjoy. These grants will help transform high streets into thriving cultural hubs, encouraging us to embrace all the joys our town centres have to offer.”

The funding builds on the success of a series of pilot cultural projects that have run since last August across 43 High Streets Heritage Action Zones. From Selby High Street offering interactive workshops for young gamers to help ‘build’ Selby Abbey in Minecraft, to people in Weston-super-Mare gathering memories of the town, to an installation in Middlesbrough that shone a light on the town’s motorbiking culture, they have not only helped high streets offer cultural activity during lockdown, but also test what local people would like to see happening on their high streets. q

Sound walks will bring high streets to life [THIS SEPTEMBER, as part of the Heritage Open Days initiative, a series of new High Street Sound Walks on six HSHAZs will be launched, commissioned by Historic England and the National Trust from Sound UK. The walks are being co-created with local artists, or artists with a connection to the place, together with the community, in association with local arts organisations. The result will be distinctive, immersive

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soundscapes to inspire people to look again at their high streets.

In Redruth, Anna Maria Murphy, Sue Hill and Ciaran Clarke will explore the layers of time to unlock the fascinating strata of sound, voice and story within the town’s high street. Their sound walk will represent the broad spectrum of people and experience of the town.

In Reading, Aundre Goddard and Richard Bentley will combine music, audio drama and outdoor museum spaces. At its heart is London Street’s community, and its narrative will be interwoven throughout the piece. Listeners will be taken on a dream-like journey through time.

In Barrow-in-Furness, Dan Fox will embrace the diversity of people in Barrow. He will explore the changes it has witnessed, such as when Barrow’s high street had 12,000 ship workers descend on it at lunchtime. Listeners will explore the landmarks of work and play on the high street, including iconic shops, businesses and the clubs of Cornwallis Street, alongside civic events like cycle races, and the centenary of the town hall.

Hull will see Jez Riley French explore the positive sub-culture histories of Whitefriargate within living memory. It will include the hidden histories now often pushed to the outskirts of the city. Through microphones, Jez will also uncover the hidden sounds of the environment, including the invisible mesh of electronic signals and urban wildlife on the high street.

In Great Yarmouth, Oliver Payne aims to capture the charm of enigmatic, contrasting and diverse Great Yarmouth, creating an authentic portrait of the street, from stories of local people that have witnessed its changes or studied its rich history, alongside those who have recently made it their home or are not yet settled.

Finally, in Grantham Sandra Kazlaukaite will incorporate a collage of aural histories, archives and local residents’ memories to tell a story about the histories of Grantham high street. It will explore how this space of socialising and cultural exchange has transformed over time, and will question what has been forgotten during the process of change. q

Shortlist announced for Museum of the Year [ART FUND HAS announced five museums

as finalists for its Museum of the Year 2021 – the world’s largest museum prize.

The shortlisted museums are the Centre for Contemporary Art in Derry-Londonderry, Experience in Barnsley, Firstsite in Colchester, the Thackray Museum of Medicine in Leeds and Timespan in Helmsdale, northern Scotland.

According to Art Fund, this year’s list reflects the resilience and imagination of museums throughout the pandemic.

Announcing the finalists, the charity said: “At this moment of museums re-opening and starting their recovery, the 2021 prize highlights and rewards the extraordinary and

innovative ways in which museums have, over the past year, served and connected with their communities, even when they have had to close their physical spaces.”

The judges will visit each of the finalists to help inform their decision-making, while each museum will make the most of being shortlisted over the summer through special events and activities for both new and current visitors.

Speaking on behalf of the judges, Art Fund director Jenny Waldman said: “Art Fund Museum of the Year 2021 attracted a flood of applications and it has been incredible to see what museums, galleries and historic houses across the UK have achieved, overcoming the

challenges of the past year. Their resilience is nothing short of heroic.

“Our five finalists are all deeply embedded in their communities and alive to the possibilities of reaching far beyond their locality digitally.

They have each shown extraordinary innovation and resolve. I would encourage everyone to visit them if they possibly can – in person or online – or make a beeline to a museum close to you this summer.”

The winning museum will be announced at a ceremony in the week commencing 20 September and will receive £100,000. The other four shortlisted museums will each receive £15,000 in recognition of their achievements. q

What the judges saw...

Centre for Contemporary Art, Derry-Londonderry

Timespan, Helmsdale

CCA creates opportunities for audiences to experience ambitious, experimental and engaging contemporary art, and for emerging artists to develop successful careers. It commissions new artworks, presents solo and group exhibitions, public programmes and artist residencies and has its own publishing programme. It is located in an interface area within the city walls and also provides a library/workshop and offsite and online activities.

Timespan is a cultural organisation in Helmsdale, a village of around 800 inhabitants in the north east of the Scottish Highlands. It comprises a local history museum, contemporary art programme, public archive, geology and herb gardens, shop, bakery and café. Timespan responds to urgent contemporary issues, which are rooted in the local context of remote, rural Scotland, approaching these from a global and multidisciplinary perspective. q

Experience Barnsley Located in Barnsley Town Hall, Experience Barnsley opened in 2013 and is part of Barnsley museums. It traces the known history of Barnsley from pre-historic times to the 21st century. Its collection has developed over many years, created thanks to the thousands of local people who have shared precious memories and objects. Their generosity continues as they regularly donate items.

Firstsite, Colchester Firstsite is the East of England’s contemporary visual arts organisation, based in the heart of the community in Colchester, where visitors can experience a diverse mix of the very best historic, modern and contemporary art from around the world, in a fun and inclusive environment.

Firstsite’s curved building, designed by Rafael Vinoly, creates a unique environment – with a dramatic frontage leading through to stunning gallery and studio spaces and a state-of-the-art cinema.

Thackray Museum of Medicine, Leeds The Thackray Museum of Medicine is the UK’s leading independent medical museum located between Europe’s largest teaching hospital and some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in West Yorkshire. It opened in 1997 and has its origins in a small family-run chemist shop, opened in 1902 by Charles Thackray in Leeds. Charles’s grandson, Paul, established the museum to enable the wider public to learn more about the story of medicine. www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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COVID resilience recognised in Museums + Heritage Awards [

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS during the pandemic were recognised at the 2021 Museums + Heritage Awards. Celebrating a year of excellence, which unfolded in the most challenging circumstances imaginable, the winners of this year’s awards were announced in an online ceremony on 1 July.

The 17 category winners and many other highlycommended entries shortlisted by the judges received glowing acclaim during the livestreamed event hosted by journalist and broadcaster Samira Ahmed.

Central to this year’s event was marking the achievements of organisations and individuals who have evidenced remarkable levels of ambition and resilience throughout the pandemic.

In a first for the awards, two categories – COVID Supplier of the Year and COVID Special Recognition Award – were decided by a public vote. It was specialist heritage consultancy Tricolor Associates that scooped the supplier prize, while ALVA director Bernard Donoghue garnered the most votes for the Special Recognition award.

The entrance to Beamish, The Living Museum of the North - one of the winners of the The other category dedicated to achievements Pandemic Pivot Award specific to the past year’s unique terrain saw Gloucester History Trust – with fewer than 20 full-time equivalent paid full-time equivalent paid employees – triumph in the Pandemic Pivot Award. employees – and Beamish, The Living Museum of the North – more than 20 “We have experienced some very tough times…but we have also seen extraordinary generosity, creativity, resilience and risk-taking,” said Maggie Appleton MBE, chief executive of the RAF Museum, who chaired this year’s judging panel. “These awards celebrate those fabulous traits of our sector, and of the remarkable people that make it one which is such a joy to be part of.”

Samira Ahmed pictured opening one of the award envelopes The other members of the judging panel were Diane Lees, director general of Imperial War Museums; Matthew Tanner, chief executive of the SS Great Britain Trust; Sam Mullins, director of London Transport Museum; Caro Howell, director of the Foundling Museum; Stephen Duncan, director of commercial and tourism at Historic Environment Scotland; and Bernard Donoghue, director of ALVA. “It is truly inspiring to see how our winners have been at the very heart of their communities, playing a vital role in helping to ensure people stay connected and supported during the most challenging of times,” commented Anna Preedy, director of the Museums + Heritage Awards.

“I have been awestruck by the sector’s collective energy to not only ride out the storm but to seize opportunities, to transform and to challenge. I am delighted that these awards shine a spotlight on the crucial role museums and heritage visitor attractions play in helping society to reshape and recover from the impact of the pandemic.” q

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Illegal metal detectorists sentenced [A ‘NIGHTHAWKING’ gang from

Tameside in Greater Manchester has been sentenced after admitting unlawful metal detecting at Beeston Castle in Cheshire and Roche Abbey in South Yorkshire.

Five men – four from Droylsden and one from Audenshaw – appeared at Chester Magistrates on 7 May for sentencing, following a lengthy and complex investigation by Cheshire Police, Historic England and South Yorkshire police.

All five were fined and handed five-year Criminal Behaviour Orders, which prevent them from entering any historic site in England and Wales –­ a first for Cheshire and indeed the whole of the North West.

The men’s illegal activities were unearthed when a number of holes were found in the grounds of Beeston Castle and Roche Abbey in December 2019, sparking an investigation. Both sites are in the care of English Heritage.

Further information led investigators to one of the men and hence to a second. Both men were arrested and interviewed while mobile phones and other devices were seized. When analysing their phones officers discovered both men were part of a nighthawking WhatsApp group, leading to the arrest of the other three members.

PC Ashley Tether, who led the investigation, explained: “Their

WhatsApp group clearly showed what they were up to and our subsequent forensic investigations, alongside South Yorkshire police, put them at the locations where the incidents had occurred.

“What followed was a number of months of carefully identifying and cataloguing the historic artefacts they had taken, with the help of Historic England experts. The evidence we put together was such that they pleaded guilty at their first hearing.”

The five men are now barred from going anywhere near historic sites in England and Wales, and if people see them not adhering to this restriction they should report it to police on 101.

Breaching such orders can result in a prison sentence.

“A decade ago, we did not have the skills and techniques necessary to investigate this form of criminal behaviour,” said Mark Harrison, head of heritage crime strategy at Historic England. “We have now developed the expertise, capability and partnerships to identify and prosecute the small criminal minority of nighthawks.

The overwhelming majority of metal detectorists comply with the legislation and codes of practice.

“When thieves steal artefacts from a protected archaeological site, they are stealing from all of us and damaging something which is often irreplaceable.” q

Scottish heritage organisations funded to engage with COP26 [HERITAGE ORGANISATIONS across Scotland are waiting to see

which have been awarded funding from the #COP26Conversations Fund, applications for which closed on 30 July. With Scotland hosting COP26 in November there will be a huge amount of energy and debate centred around the climate emergency. The new fund will support museums, libraries and historic environment organisations to engage with the conversations around important climate issues emerging in communities across Scotland.

The #COP26Conversations Fund is designed to help cultural and historic environment organisations raise their profile as spaces for communities to engage with the climate challenge and explore positive actions. It is about supporting activity around COP26 to take place in communities across Scotland.

Rachael Rowley, head of resources at Museums Galleries Scotland, said: “The Race to Zero is something we all need to participate in and connecting with culture and our heritage offers an invaluable way of bringing empathy and understanding to the challenges we are all facing as a result of the human impacts of climate change and the opportunities we have as a sector to create positive change.”

Her words were echoed by Ewan Hyslop, head of technical research and science at Historic Environment Scotland, who said: “Through the #COP26Conversations Fund we are encouraging all organisations across the culture and heritage sectors – from museums and libraries to heritage attractions and landscapes – to engage in conversations on the climate issues emerging in communities across Scotland, and play their part in the journey to a net-zero and climate-resilient Scotland.

“These organisations hold the knowledge, skills and resources to tell Scotland’s climate story in a way that engages and can inspire climate action. To get Scotland to net-zero, we need transformative change, and our cultural heritage has the power to do this through telling new stories about who we are in order to shape our future.” q www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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Fire-ravaged Glasgow Golf Club rises from the ashes [

THE HISTORIC Glasgow Golf Club in Bearsden has risen from the ashes following a devastating 2018 blaze with the completion of engineering works to stabilise and strengthen the surviving structure.

Engineering work overseen by Will Rudd Davidson has seen the threestorey clubhouse on Killermont Avenue reinstated, incorporating as much of the surviving listed building as possible.

The painstaking process saw existing stonework salvaged with steel window lintels and internal load-bearing masonry helping to shore up the weakened façades. The complex build necessitated inserting a new build structure within the historic skin with care taken to marry modern and period materials while upgrading services to current standards through the provision of passenger and catering lifts.

MJ O’Shaughnessy (left), managing director at Will Rudd Davidson Glasgow, said: “This was such a prestigious project to be involved in, with Glasgow Golf Club being one of the oldest golf clubs in the world and steeped in heritage. It involved extremely complex

The dangerous roof was carefully dismantled, preserving surviving slate

The front façade has been restored as close to its original appearance as possible conservation engineering works; and having both the temporary works and permanent works design in our remit allowed us to bring the added value of our conservation experience and retain the main carcass of the existing building that could have otherwise collapsed.

“We are really pleased that club members can finally move out of their temporary accommodation and return to the grand setting of the clubhouse.”

A large extension has also been built to the rear to designs by Wellwood Leslie, as well as a freestanding steel terrace offering views across the opening tee. q

The interior was gutted, necessitating a building within a building approach www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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Date confirmed for Gormley installation in Wells [WELLS CATHEDRAL has announced a date of 26 August

for the installation of Sir Antony Gormley’s new sculpture, DOUBT (2020). The project, facilitated in collaboration with local community initiative Project Factory CIC, will see the sculpture installed on the west front of the cathedral, where it will remain for the next 18 months.

The west front of Wells Cathedral exhibits many renditions of the human form, from Old Testament stories to resurrection, kings and bishops to angels and apostles. Cast in iron and just over life-size, the sculpture will be loaned by the artist and occupy Niche 338 below the north west tower of the cathedral.

Sir Antony has said of the piece: “I am very aware of the paradox of placing an object called DOUBT on the facade of a building devoted to belief, but it seems to me that doubting, interrogating, questioning, are all part of belief. For me doubt can be a positive force and the imaginative engine of future possibility.

“I have chosen this niche on the west front of Wells Cathedral for its exposed position and visibility: the book at the end of the bookshelf. Most of the figures on the west facade stand facing the world in an open attitude of confidence, proudly displaying their attributes – regal, military and divine. In contrast, I have used the orthogonal geometry of our modern habitat to evoke the body as a place.

“DOUBT is literally on edge and teeters uneasily out of its niche, one foot perilously off the ledge and one shoulder jutting forward.

This cast iron body has collapsed into itself, compressing torso to pelvis; energy is drawn inwards but the head juts out enquiringly into space at large.

“In the context of an 800-year-old celebration of hierarchy, I wish to make a space for a contemporary state of mind. Perhaps paradoxically, by using a rigorous abstract language, my primary purpose is to engage the eye and body of the viewer in empathic projection, to consider our time in the shelter of other times.”

The Cathedral Works Department and the team from Gormley Studio are working collaboratively to ensure the installation is part of the west front but has no impact on the historic fabric. A temporary plinth, secure non-invasive fixings and protective measures have all been specifically designed to seamlessly integrate the sculpture with the medieval architecture while it is in position, and then be fully reversible to return Niche 338 to its original condition.

The Very Reverend Dr John Davies, Dean of Wells, said: “The west front of Wells Cathedral is one of the wonders of medieval architecture – a triumph of statuary and design. And now is to be added, for a period, a sculpture by one of our greatest contemporary sculptors, Antony Gormley. Medieval and modern, ancient and contemporary. Will we see contrast or complementarity?

Come and see, then decide!” q

Stonemasons add to converted property’s features

The twin storey extension being built; and the property now, after cleaning and pointing and the addition of the extensions

[ A STONE BUILDING in

lime mortar and pointed to match the original. the Yorkshire Dales National On the inside of the property Park showcases the expertise of several feature walls have Manchester-based James Stone been created by leaving the Masonry. stonework exposed, and then The property had originally cleaned and repointed with lime been built for keeping livestock mortar. The original roof trusses and at some time in the 1970s were cleaned and stained to had been transformed into a create another stunning feature. house. Now it is again being Being situated in the modernised to an exceptionally magnificent Yorkshire Dales high standard.

National Park, the property The stonework on the The stonework before (left) and after cleaning offers some stunning views of outside has been cleaned and the surrounding landscape. q repointed with lime mortar and two extensions have been added using stone to match the original • For further information call James Stone Masonry on 0800 8600 173, stonework – which consists of limestone, slate and a small amount email info@jamesstonemasonryltd.co.uk, or visit the website at of sandstone – sourced from another stone building. That stone was www.jamesstonemasonryltd.co.uk carefully taken down and transported to site, then built up using

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www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

Only bricks and mortar? Think again!

[BRICKS – they surround us in our houses, factories, offices and public

buildings in our cities, towns and villages. With few exceptions, bricks are the predominant building material for our homes and have been for nearly two centuries.

The Romans brought brickmaking to this country. Remaining examples often comprise brick courses included in stonework, such as at Burgh Castle Roman Fort in Norfolk (right).

The Romans learnt their brickmaking from the Greeks, who are said to have seen brick walls as more durable than stone. However, the craft fell into decline after the departure of the Romans and apart from reused bricks from Roman sites did not reappear until the 12th century, when bricks imported from Flanders began to appear. Indeed, when British brickmaking began in the early 15th century it was the work of Flemish immigrants.

The use of brick in great houses made great strides in the Tudor period,

reaching its apogee in buildings such as Hampton Court Palace (below).

At that time brickmakers travelled from site to site to make bricks from local materials ­– a practice that endured until the early 19th century when local brickyards began to appear to feed the building boom of the Victorian era.

Even into the mid20th century local bricks had their particular traits, such as the iron content of Accrington brick in Lancashire, identifiable by the reverse nomenclature stamped on them – NORI. Although there are a number of sizeable manufacturers of clay bricks, enabling the material to remain as the country’s ‘go-to’ material for housing, the traditional craft of hand-making bricks or making in small batches is now classed as endangered by the Heritage Crafts Association. q

The spiritual element of bricks and mortar [ is older than you think

THE USE OF BRICK for church buildings is much more recent than its temporal counterparts – at least in the public perception, which associates churches with stone. In reality brick has been a more predominant material for churches for longer than most people realise. In particular the Catholic neo-Byzantine building boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries incorporated fine examples of decorative brickwork. The Grade One-listed Church of St John the Baptist in Rochdale (right) is a particular example – built between 1925-27 to replace an earlier, 1860 church, which was also built of brick. It was inspired by the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul and also borrows from Westminster Cathedral.

The 1960s and 70s were the boom period for brick churches, exemplified by the modernistic edifices of the Mormon building programme, such as the one in Croesyceiliog, Wales (left).

Notable examples of brick in religious buildings are still being produced. The winner of the Public category of the 2019 Brick Awards was Cambridge Central Mosque (below).

The citation read: “The idea emerged of a calm oasis within a grove of trees, inspired by an image of the garden of paradise. Also, a source of inspiration were elements from both Islamic and English religious architectural traditions – in particular English fan vaulting, as seen in King’s College chapel, and sacred Islamic geometry.” q

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Materials Matter: leading brickmaker showcases a decade of BIM files

[

REACTING RAPIDLY to the government’s Construction Strategy, published in May 2011, brick manufacturer Michelmersh responded with its first range of clay product files, and was the first brick manufacturer to introduce BIM files to the UK – years before the competition.

A decade on and Michelmersh is now delighted to release BIM Version 4 (V4), its most advanced files yet. It is the only manufacturer to include Revit 2021 files to take advantage of the newest release capabilities, including its advanced rendering features, enabling customers to download the highest resolution brick walls on the market.

BIM V4 is also offered in a 2018 Revit version, to ensure designers and contractors using previous releases of the software can also continue to benefit from Michelmersh’s BIM files. It is also the first manufacturer to provide its files in seven different formats, to allow true interoperability among the BIM world.

Michelmersh remains at the forefront of industry innovation and sustainability, continuing to lead the way in offering intuitive, informative and supportive product data through the most up-to-date construction technology procedures. BIM advances sustainability using data generated during design and build over the whole project lifecycle, enabling faster, safer, less wasteful construction and more cost-effective and sustainable operation, maintenance and eventual decommissioning of the architectural landscape.

Since the government mandate for BIM on public procured projects in 2016 Michelmersh has observed a surge in downloads from its dedicated bimbricks.com website, from the group’s websites and from many other third-party sites such as bimstore.co. Michelmersh is also proud to be the first brick manufacturer to offer its BIM files in a variety of software, including Revit, Vectorworks, ArchiCAD, Bentley, IFC, 3DS Max and Dwg – giving true flexibility throughout the BIM project lifecycle.

The British manufacturer continues to show its commitment to upgrading its files alongside the latest BIM software developments, including the ISO 19650 standard, which has now superseded the PAS1192 standard and is compliant with BS8501 (all parts) and BS1192-4 (COBie). With V4, Michelmersh is leading the industry in providing the most advanced and accessible BIM brick files on the

market, including the new 20-core range from its contemporary Floren brand. This recent revision includes over 150 brick and paver products, each containing over 220 parameters and all with improved textures to demonstrate that ‘Materials Matter’ when it comes to specifying the highest quality clay products for a project.

Michelmersh has elaborated on its easy-to-use schedule material takeoff sheets to offer intuitive material and object tags – making the process of specifying its products even more perceptive and practical for its users. With a wider breadth of product meta-data parameters, the group is confident it is offering the most current and advanced standards, complying with the government’s programme for sector modernisation objectives. The group's adoption of information-rich BIM technologies, process and collaborative behaviours will contribute to the construction industry’s ability to unlock more efficient ways of working at all stages of the project’s life cycle.

Michelmersh continues to promote its BIM product files through bimbricks.com – the one-stop website for designers, contractors, facilitators and BIM managers to visit, explore, download and interact with freely available files and product information.

Frank Hanna, joint chief executive officer of Michelmersh, proudly states: “Our latest upgrade epitomises the group’s drive for innovation and sustainability. V4 has again pushed the boundaries, ensuring Michelmersh continues to lead the industry in BIM. Offering the latest high-resolution rendering capabilities, with files available in six different software formats over two different upgrades, shows we have gone above and beyond for our wide base of customers.

“Sustainability is a vital component of heavy industry practices and the concept of BIM is aimed right at the heart of this. It actively encourages builders and manufacturers to work in an efficient and collaborative way, reducing waste while saving money and contractors’ time onsite, so we endeavour to continue our commitment to offer the most advanced BIM brick files to the UK construction sector.”

To watch Michelmersh’s new BIM animation Materials Matter, made using BIM textures to showcase what true innovation entails, visit https://youtu.be/4feyCSRzbp8 q www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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Roofing Awards: entries are finally closed [ ENTRIES TO THE 2021 UK Roofing Awards closed on 31 July.

The unusual closing date was the result of the postponing of this year’s awards to November – the awards usually take place in May but fell victim to the COVID lockdowns.

The 2021 awards include any roofing or cladding project completed between 1 January and 31 December 2020. In addition to the specialist Heritage Roofing category, the awards often feature among the shortlists a number of heritage or ecclesiastical roofing projects, as they are of necessity of a high quality. They are open to roofing contractors who are members of NFRC, the NFRC Competent Person Scheme (formerly CompetentRoofer) or another listed industry

trade association. Manufacturers, architects, specifiers and other stakeholders can submit projects, but they must ensure the roofing contractor is a member of one of the listed trade associations.

Commenting on the award nominations, NFRC chief executive James Talman said: “The UK Roofing Awards are all about recognising and rewarding outstanding standards of workmanship and safety across our industry.

“I would like to offer particular thanks to all of our sponsors who have supported the 2021 Awards so far, including Radmat, BMI, SIG Roofing, QANW, Axter, GRO, WJ Horrod, Chandlers Roofing Supplies, Sika, Cupa Pizarras, Marley, EJOT, Recticel, FAKRO and Cromar.” q

Roofers can help preserve iconic summer species [ AS PART OF Swift Awareness Week at the beginning of July, the

National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) urged its members to keep an eye out for swift nests before starting work on a roof, to help reverse the decline in the swift population seen in recent years. NFRC is working proactively with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to raise awareness among the roofing industry and encourage the installation of swift boxes in roofs.

Swifts (apus apus) evolved 60 million years ago; yet in the past 20 years their numbers have almost halved. It is mostly due to the loss of nesting sites, often unintentionally as a result of roof renovations.

Swifts migrate from Africa to the UK each year to breed, usually starting to nest in May and remaining until August. The summer is therefore the time for roofing contractors to be checking if there are any swifts nesting on the site they are working on and ensure they are protected.

NFRC and RSPB are advising roofing contractors to check if there are swift nests where they are working – using www.swiftmapper.org.uk – and if they do discover a swift nest on the site, to discuss delaying the project with the client, in order to undertake the work outside of the MayAugust swift nesting season.

If they discover a swift nest outside of the swift nesting season they should try to protect it, as swifts tend to come back to the same nest sites year-on-year. There are lots of examples where, with careful design, roofing work has taken place while maintaining entrance points for swifts.

If there is no way of preserving the nest, then as long as it is outside of nesting season, swift nest boxes and bricks can be installed to replace nesting sites.

Contractors should consider installing swift boxes as an additional service for their clients. Demand for them is set to become higher as more and more local authorities introduce biodiversity targets and the UK government introduces Biodiversity Net Gain into planning legislation.

Commenting on the partnership with RSPB, NFRC’s safety, health and environment officer Gary Walpole said: “The decline in the swift population over the past 20 years is shocking – but it doesn’t have to be that way. With a little bit of forward planning, education and collaboration, we as an industry can play our part to help reserve this trend.

“Not only can roofing contractors help stop the decline, but they can actually encourage more swifts to nest here by offering to install swift boxes as an additional service or improve the biodiversity of buildings for decades to come.” q

Martin-Brooks (Roofing Specialists) Ltd T: 0114 244 7720 E: mb@allroofing.co.uk W: www.martin-brooks.co.uk

Ross Street, Darnall, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S9 4PU

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Apprenticeships are key to roofing craft’s survival – and green impact [

ONE OF THE PRIORITIES for traditional crafts is the development of apprenticeships. That is particularly true of the mastic asphalt sector.

As the Mastic Asphalt Council (MAC) explains: “As one of the few construction activities still regarded as a ‘craft trade’, it’s important that we develop and train the next generation of mastic asphalt installers.”

New City College Hackney – formerly Hackney Community College – is the national centre for mastic asphalt education and training and relies upon support from the MAC and its members. The mastic asphalt craft is taught by professional tutors and the traditional timeserved apprenticeship is now incorporated into national vocational qualifications, leading to a Level 2 qualification.

MAC aims to protect the future of the industry by supporting apprentices through an intensive three-year training programme that will ensure they can install mastic asphalt to the highest standards. The craft training programme is said to be one of the most demanding in the construction industry, and includes practical and theoretical training to use mastic asphalt across a wide range of applications.

The MAC recently profiled one of the apprentices working towards the Level 2 qualification in mastic asphalt. Thomas Sutton works for Brindley Asphalt Ltd and attended New City College on a block release basis, travelling from Birmingham and attending the college in blocks of 2-3 weeks at a time. He completed his apprenticeship in June.

Thomas actually entered the profession by chance. He was working temporarily as an agency labourer for Brindley Asphalt Ltd, sweeping up and carrying buckets. He took a keen interest in the asphalt work and it

wasn’t long before Brindley Asphalt Ltd employed Thomas directly as a labourer. Some 12 months later he was offered an apprenticeship.

Thomas said: “Apprenticeships are crucial to the sector. It’s important the industry has a skilled workforce as there is a skills gap within the industry. Apprenticeship training is the best way to provide the necessary skills to fill this gap.

“I would recommend the mastic asphalt sector as a great industry for any young person who enjoys a challenge, working outdoors and the opportunity to progress to a well-paid career. It has provided me with experience while enabling me to work towards an industry-recognised qualification. I also feel that by contributing to the productivity of the company, this has increased my future earning potential.”

After completing his apprenticeship Thomas plans to start a distance learning degree in Environmental Science while working full time for Brindley Asphalt Ltd. “While I’ll always be on the tools, I hope that I can use the knowledge acquired from the Environmental Science degree to help promote mastic asphalt’s environmental policies in compliance with the government’s 10-point plan. While mastic asphalt has been around for centuries, it is moving with the times and the future looks very bright.” q

Lead training goes mobile again [

TRAINING IN LEADWORK from the Lead Sheet Training Academy (LSTA) is to be made available around the country once more from November as the LSTA takes to the road.

Their City & Guilds-accredited Lead Bossing and Welding mobile courses will be taking place in Hull from 22-26 November, followed

by Sheffield from 17-25 January and Newcastle from 21-25 March next year.

The courses qualify for Tier 3 CITB grant funding of £120 for those companies that pay the CITB Levy or are registered with CITB. Numbers have been limited to eight people per course, so early booking is recommended via info@leadsheet.co.uk.

Meanwhile, the LSTA has expanded its hard metals offering with the establishment of a satellite centre in Bolton. The LSTA is partnering with Metal Solutions Ltd in the town, who will be delivering the Traditional Hard Metals Basic Craft Course, which is City & Guilds and CITB accredited. q

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Onward and upward: training body expands through the pandemic [

THIS PAST YEAR National Construction Training Services (NCTS) has engaged in a massive expansion of its facilities in addition to forging ahead with its on-going training provision – all the while dealing, like all businesses, with the global COVID pandemic.

Last year NCTS joined forces with Master Roofers UK, leading to the launch of prestigious new training premises in Salford.

In addition, NCTS’s existing training facility in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, is seeing the restructuring and modification of its premises, with new classroom facilities, the expansion of its workshop area, and new training rigs. Those works do not affect the running of the current training programme.

The range of courses available at each centre covers sector-specific training, such as qualifications in lead and hard metals, slating and tiling, and health and safety. However, new courses will be added wherever there is a demand: an ornate slating course – the first of its kind – is scheduled to start in August, while a lead casting course will be available in September.

Together, these new and existing courses have led to the recruitment of five additional tutors/assessors, who jointly cover the entire range of the training and assessment programmes at the two training sites.

NCTS/Master Roofers have also teamed up with Burton Roofing Merchants to deliver lead and hard metal courses at the following locations: Hull, Kenley, Livingston, Newcastle upon Tyne, Southampton,

Stockton-on-Tees and York. The training will start towards the end of this year and will continue until the end of 2022. Dates for each venue will be confirmed shortly, but anyone wishing to register their interest can do so by contacting NCTS/Master Roofers.

Meanwhile, the On-Site Assessment and Training (OSAT) programme is proving as popular as ever. OSAT is an efficient route for experienced workers without formal qualifications to obtain recognition of their skills by obtaining an NVQ Level 2 or Level 3.

Assessments are carried out on site, reducing the amount of time the candidate has to spend away from normal work.

In the past, experienced lead and hard metal workers were issued CSCS cards through the industry accreditation process – also known as ‘grandfather rights’ – through employer recommendations rather than the achievement of a recognised qualification. CSCS closed that process to new applicants in 2010, but existing cardholders have been allowed to renew on the same basis.

However, as of 1 January last year, all cards renewed under industry accreditation will expire on 31 December 2024, and CSCS will stop issuing the cards from 30 June 2024. q • For further details on courses and venues, call 01992 801914, email training@ncts.org.uk or visit www.ncts.org.uk.

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Traditional windows: why they are worth preserving [

IF OUR EYES are our window on the world, then windows are certainly the ‘eyes’ of our streetscapes. Window design is a very visible catalogue of historic development – from the delicate iron casements that decorate our medieval market towns to the solid, no-nonsense sash windows standing in rows along Victorian streets in historic mill towns.

Historic England has it thus: “Windows do more than keep the weather out. They are eye-catching features that give your house character through their design, materials and workmanship and help tell its story.”

The preservation of our streets and towns, therefore, goes hand in hand with the preservation of the windows that look out on them. In some case the windows themselves are the subject of historic interest.

Historic England again: “Historic windows of interest should be retained wherever possible using careful matching repair. Their complete replacement should be a last resort and is rarely necessary. If repair is beyond the skills of a good joiner or metal worker, an accurate copy should be made.”

In 2017 Historic England published a guide

to the maintenance of historic windows.

Traditional Windows: Their Care, Repair and Upgrading covers both timber and metal windows and is aimed at building professionals and property owners.

In its introduction the guide sets out the need to preserve historic windows. While accepting the pressure for energy efficiency, it points out that double glazing in older houses, for example, is unlikely to deliver the energy saving needed to offset cost as the windows are likely to be smaller than modern windows and so less energy profligate.

The guide then offers a brief history of windows before getting down to the practicalities of maintenance and repair of timber windows, metal windows and glazing.

Thermal upgrading is dealt with as a separate section – including a feature on Historic England/Historic Environment Scotland windows research.

Bowing to the sometimes inevitable, the guide addresses the issues associated with replacement before detailing the consents needed. Finally, the guide offers useful sources of further advice.

Traditional Windows: Their Care, Repair and Upgrading is available to download from historicengland.org.uk. q

Steel windows are a sensitive replacement for Pugin abbey [

WHEN REPLACEMENT of historic windows is necessary, it is essential to replace them with discreet and sensitive units.

Such was the case at Mount Saint Bernard Abbey in Leicestershire.

The abbey opened in 1844 after a donation from John, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury, enabled a permanent monastery to be built to replace the original building. None other than Augustus Welby Pugin offered his services gratis and designed the beautiful building which still stands today.

Surrey-based Clement Windows Group were chosen to supply and install the new windows. Clement’s EB20 range of steel windows was specified by the architect to best replicate the originals, while still improving the thermal efficiency which was so important for the building’s residents, the religious order of Saint Bernard.

Peter Clement of Clement Windows explained: “Naturally this was an incredibly sensitive project for Clement. The listed building is of great architectural significance and the fact that we would be replacing metal windows, some of which were over 170 years old, meant a great deal of planning and thought went into deciding the correct specification.”

The slim, elegant sections of EB20 allow the creation of the beautiful club and arch heads – seen in the picture above – which add to the charm of this wonderful historic building. All the new windows are Part L compliant. q

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National body cares for more than just the Cenotaph [ MOST PUBLIC WAR MEMORIALS

are in the care of local authorities – in most cases the bodies that commissioned them.

An exception is the Cenotaph in Whitehall, created as a national memorial following the First World War. That is in the keeping of Historic England, as the national body for preserving England’s heritage.

Historic England also looks after five further memorials in London. The most expansive and dramatic is the Royal Artillery Memorial at Hyde Park Corner (pictured), with its depiction of a 9.2” howitzer in Portland stone. On one side of its base is a covered corpse, one of the few depicted on British war memorials.

Standing next to it is the Machine Gun

Corps Memorial – with its less dramatic but equally poignant representation of David holding Goliath’s sword. The image aptly describes the slaughter wrought by that weapon of the trenches.

Facing the Cenotaph is the Field Marshall Earl Haig Memorial. A controversial figure depicted by an equally controversial statue, Earl Haig nonetheless was in charge of the largest British army ever assembled.

A more down-to-earth hero is commemorated in Trafalgar Square. Edith Cavell was in charge of a nursing school in Belgium when the Germans invaded in 1914. She refused to leave, helping many soldiers to return to Britain, and was shot by firing squad in October 1915.

The final memorial in the care of Historic England is the Belgian Gratitude Memorial, or Belgian Refugees Memorial. It was erected to mark

Memorial stone will honour Bannister – the physician

the acceptance into Britain of the many refugees from Belgium at the start of the First World War, funded by subscriptions from Belgian soldiers and the country’s royal family. q

[

SIR ROGER BANNISTER, the first man to run a mile in under four minutes, is to become the first athlete to have a memorial ledger stone in Westminster Abbey, the abbey has announced.

The stone will be sited, however, in Scientists’ Corner in the nave of the abbey, reflecting his prowess as a neurologist. Sir Roger himself always maintained that his achievements in neurology far outshone his time on the track. Sir Roger specialised in understanding and treating disorders of the autonomic nervous system, which controls all the automatic functions of the body such as heartbeat, blood pressure and digestion.

To the general public he will always be remembered for the day in May 1954 at Oxford, when he ran the mile in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds – breaking the previous world record which had stood for almost nine years, and a general perception that it was beyond human capacity to run a mile faster than four minutes.

The Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, said: “Throughout his life Sir Roger Bannister reached out for that which lay beyond: as a sportsman, pushing himself towards a prize some considered beyond human reach, as a scientist ever eager for deeper understanding of neurology. We are delighted that his memory and his achievement will be set in stone in the abbey. He ran the race set before us all.” q

Professionals in Cleaning Stone Monuments All works undertaken to the standards and methods required by English Heritage and The War Memorial Trust. No use of chemicals, none damaging cleaning methods and current conservation methods used.

T: 07870 984556 E: i.m.i@ntlworld.com W: www.imi-cenotaph.co.uk 81 Main Road, Watnall, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG16 1HE

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Loop body looks to widen knowledge base [

THE International Hearing Loop Manufacturers Association (IHLMA) is continuing to develop and share information services on hearing loops and assistive listening technology.

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A recent report on the website of the Institute of Sound, Communications and Visual Engineers (ISCVE) described two recent updates: the transfer of the Let’s Hear Rate and Review website over from Hearing Link and the release of a new guide on available assistive listening technology.

Let’s Hear Rate and Review helps people find facilities close to them with a loop system and allows them to share their experiences of those facilities. With the transfer to IHLMA, the Let’s Hear site will now include reviews of all forms of assistive listening, including loops, infrared, radio and WiFi. ISCVE has asked its contractor members to help to share the location of all facilities with assistive listening technology by promoting the site to their customers and by signing up and registering their projects.

In addition to the review site relocation, IHLMA has summarised all of the available assistive listening technologies and provided easy-to-use comparison tables and links to further information.

Each technology is listed, together with associated advantages, disadvantages, applications, user benefits and venue owner benefits.

According to ISCVE: “The new guide is exceptionally helpful when deciding which technology to use in any given circumstance. With contributions from some of the world’s leading authorities, this guide looks to become the de facto source of information on assistive listening technology for policy makers, engineers, specifiers, end users and venue owners/managers.” q

New annexe provides opportunity for an AV upgrade

[ ST WILFRID’S CHURCH in Grappenhall – a village near

to Warrington, Cheshire – is designated as a Grade One-listed building. Built in red sandstone, the church dates from the earlier part of the 12th century.

In August 2020 building work was started on an annexe on the hidden side of the church, with a flexible welcome/discovery room,

refreshment area, service and storage area with toilets. As part of the scheme the church required the incorporation of audio-visual facilities in the annexe and major AV improvements within the church building.

Following a selection process Richard King Systems were selected as the AV specialists for the scheme.

The facilities in the church now include four large screen TVs for use both during services and for providing historical information to visitors.

The sound reproduction has been vastly improved by the inclusion of best-in-class column speakers in the nave, choir stalls loudspeaker coverage, new amplification and mixer control. To blend in with the interior and provide an AV/sound control desk position a bespoke cabinet has been included.

The system in the church links with the new system in the annexe For live streaming of services, a high-performance camera and control system has also been incorporated into the scheme.

All the installation work has been sympathetically carried out in accordance with the approved faculty, with no new holes being drilled in the masonry.

The church AV and sound system links with the new, corresponding systems in the annexe, to duplicate both the images and sounds of church services. In addition, the annexe systems can be used independently for presentations, classes and information purposes. q www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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Choosing the right keyboard for your music IAN BRADSHAW, marketing manager of KORG UK, offers some guidance on the latest keyboards for the modern church

[

MUSIC HAS ALWAYS played an important role in worship, with instruments of varying types, sizes and complexity accompanying the human voice. The pipe organ is probably the instrument most commonly associated with music played in church: indeed, organs have been used in churches for hundreds of years, with the reportedly oldest playable pipe organ being located in the Basilica of Valère in Sion, Switzerland – built almost 600 years ago.

Going even further back, the earliest precursors of the pipe organ appeared in ancient Greece around the third century BC – the term organ deriving from the Greek órganon, a generic term for an instrument or a tool.

Over the past 50 or so years, keyboard instruments have been developed and improved at an ever-increasing pace, frequently adopting exciting and innovative technology as soon as it emerges. The range of keyboards currently available provides hundreds of options to suit a very wide range of applications and budgets.

Such a vast amount of choice can be bewildering, so this piece aims to make readers aware of some of the most important considerations when selecting an instrument for use in a worship setting. I’ll look at the different keyboard categories, their features and benefits, what you can expect in terms of performance and how they should be installed. Providing a simple introduction to these wonderful instruments will help you make a well-informed purchase decision, whatever the application.

Decoding keyboard categories Throughout this piece, I will be referencing the principal keyboard families. The majority of instruments will fall into one of five of these families, but occasionally an instrument may bridge two. By understanding the general terminology, you should be able to significantly narrow down your choice.

Digital pianos: These typically have 88 keys and entry-level models will have at least 10 ‘sounds’.

Typically, these will include a few acoustic pianos, a similar number of electric pianos, a harpsichord and a handful of other simple sounds such as strings, church and tone wheel organs, and sometimes choir.

There are many digital pianos at a similar entrylevel price point with 100’s of sounds, automatic rhythms, and recording. Consider those with caution, as including that level of functionality at a low price point is only possible by compromising on sound, keyboard quality and reliability. The majority of digital pianos include built-in speakers and amplifiers; those without lean more towards digital stage pianos or tend to be very low quality.

Workstations: This family is one of the stalwarts for Gospel and professional players. The genre

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The elegant and understated KORG G1 Air digital piano was firmly established in 1988 when KORG introduced the best-selling M1. Workstations are completely self-contained instruments possessing a huge amount of flexibility. They will also boast the broadest range of high-quality sounds, including essentials such as pianos, organs, woodwind, string, vocal, guitar, bass and drums, as well as radical synthesizer voices. Sounds can be played individually, layered, or combined to create complete soundtracks or arranged into a full score using a built-in sequencer, with final production polish through multiple digital effects.

In terms of complexity, entry-level workstations have been cleverly designed to be very intuitive, with the majority of functions immediately accessible. At the higher end of the price range, they too have similar simplicity, but also have greater depth. Whatever level you chose, the user can edit and make changes to every aspect of the sound. With higher-end machines, you will find more accurate instruments, beautiful touch screen interfaces and extensive connectivity.

Built-in amplification is not usually found within these types of products but, due to the broad user segment, a choice of keyboard configurations is usually available.

interface that lends itself towards editing sounds ‘on the fly’. They can quickly recall sounds and they’ll feature a high-quality keyboard action. You will also find a variety of connections for external pedals and switches, as well as plenty of options for connecting to professional sound equipment.

Just like workstations, they have a broad range of sounds, but with a particular focus on the various types of pianos and solo instruments.

With more recent stage keyboards, the different instrument groups are often separated on the panel with dedicated controls allowing for streamlined and intuitive control. Built-in speakers are rare, with the KORG SV2S being a notable exception – boasting studio-quality speakers developed by pro-audio specialist K-ARRAY.

Stage pianos can be elegant yet retro, as with the SV2S

KORG’s latest workstation, NAUTILUS, features a colour touch screen Stage keyboards: As the name suggests, these are designed primarily for live performance.

Usually, they are robustly built and possess an

Arranger keyboards: The roots of these keyboards lie in the two-manual home organs, which enjoyed huge popularity between the 1970s and 1990s; and just like their predecessors, these provide an autoaccompaniment in almost every imaginable genre. The accompaniments allow the player to perform immediately as if backed by a group of several musicians. The two-manual configuration is no longer mainstream, with just a handful of

manufacturers still producing them. The majority of arranger keyboards have a single manual that can be split, giving similar playability to a twomanual organ.

The mid-range PA1000 is unquestionably one of the finest arranger keyboards available today Arranger keyboards are one of the most popular formats around the world, and as a result are available covering the broadest price range.

As with digital pianos, low-cost instruments tend to compromise in some areas to pack in the features; but with advances in technology, models made today are light years ahead of those made 10 years ago. Similar to workstations and stage keyboards, higher-end arranger keyboards will have more detailed voicing, high-quality cosmetics, and touch screen interfaces. With their intricately programmed accompaniments they’re difficult to distinguish from a real band. Built-in high-quality amplifiers and speakers tend to be featured, providing impressive audio quality.

The synthesizer: This family of products is viewed by many as one of the most exciting groups of keyboards and is more or less where all modern-day electronic keyboards originate. At their heart, sound generation is centred on either a digital or analogue platform, each with its own very distinctive personality.

The legendary KORG MS20 started life back in 1978 and is still in production Broadly speaking, analogue synths are synonymous with a ‘warmer’ sound than their digital counterparts, as well as a more accessible interface to creating sounds. Modern-day analogue synthesizers, unlike earlier models, are extremely reliable and stable thanks to precision components, modern manufacturing techniques and microprocessor control. Over the past 10 years analogue synthesizers have seen a renaissance, going full circle from the early 1990s when digital synthesizers became completely dominant.

However, digital synths offer huge sound design capability with the potential to create unimaginable sounds, but that comes with a higher level of complexity. With the power of modern-day technology, digital synthesizers tend to have a particular synthesis style, often emulating analogue instruments or specialising in one or more methods. Although these devices are becoming increasingly powerful, they can never

The latest technology in digital FM synthesisers – Opsix from KORG quite deliver the same result when emulating an analogue counterpart.

Who? If you are not the only person playing the instrument you need to consider who else will be using it ­and their ability to understand technology.

Spending a lot of money on a complex instrument will, with investment in time, deliver fantastic results. But if the user(s) have little opportunity to explore an instrument, the full potential may never be realised.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that, because you have bought the most expensive or ‘best’ model, that it’s necessarily the best for you and your application. Carefully consider if you want to simply play the instrument or create custom sounds. Think about your needs now and how these might change over time.

The type of keyboard is possibly the most critical consideration, as this is the main interface between player and instrument. Typically, they come in three flavours and, again depending on experience, will determine which type a player is comfortable with. Instruments with a fullyweighted hammer-action reproduce the same feel of a grand piano; the keys are heavier on the lower registers and get lighter as you go up the keyboard. At the other end of the range there are non-weighted keyboards. These have a similar feel to the electronic organs, popular between the 60s and 90s.

In between both of these, there is semiweighted; these ‘feel’ more premium to synthweight, providing a slight resistance while allowing a more comfortable and responsive connection with the player. With the graded hammer action, playing for an extended period can be tiring for some, making the semi-weighted a nice compromise of the two.

Where?

If your keyboard is only to be used for one application, it’s reasonable to assume it will remain as a permanent fixture. Many digital pianos are sold complete with a stand or a bespoke optional stand that will perfectly match

each other, but in the case of stage keyboards the stand is mostly a separate and quite generic item.

There are of course exceptions, but it’s important to consider the aesthetics within the surroundings, for example a metal ‘X’ stand would look out of place in an older or historical building.

Should you want a keyboard that can be used for a broad range of applications, easy transportation and storage should be high on your checklist. Although more of an exception, sometimes players may be asked to perform at locations without mains power. In those instances generators are usually called upon, but would be overkill if only running one or two pieces of equipment. With advancements in power efficiency, several great and capable professional instruments have the option to run on just six AA batteries or mains power.

The powerful, simple and extremely portable KROSS-88 can be powered from just six AA batteries

Amplification With any equipment, in addition to the points already made, convenience is an important consideration. An all-in-one solution with internal amplification and speakers can yield flexibility and simplicity as well as portability. In the past, instruments with built-in speakers had a reputation for delivering poor sound quality; but thanks again to technical advancements many instruments are capable of filling a small-sized room with beautiful sound.

Where setting up is concerned, you just need the instrument and power, and within a little time you are ready to perform. In larger installations a built-in amplifier and speakers can be used for monitoring, but be mindful to check that the internal speakers can be switched off if not required, and that there are connections to plug into a larger amplification or speaker system. q • For further information visit korg.com www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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Cotswolds church has ‘epic sound’, whichever way you turn

[ST JOHN’S CHURCH in Burford, on the edge of the Cotswolds in

Oxfordshire, is a fine Grade One*-listed building with many interesting features accumulated since construction began in 1175.

Not surprisingly, proposed works to update the sound system and add an installed camera, streaming and projection system were examined in fine detail by the DAC to ensure that the aesthetic impact was minimal. APi Sound and Visual were chosen as the supplier of their new system.

With its large evangelical Anglican congregation, the church decided that it was more inclusive to turn through 90º so they could gather in a more relaxed theatre style layout of chairs. However, for more traditional services, such as funerals and Remembrance Sunday, they need to be able to switch back to the original layout. That has been achieved by adding a third loudspeaker – with a simple switch the audio orientation can be changed.

The audio system is based on an Allen and Heath digital desk, which offers a good-sized touch screen plus full wireless control via an iPad. It is a great step up from their existing digital desk, with its microscopic screen and fairly daunting control app.

A four-channel digital amplifier gives a good choice of equalisation options, limiting and crossover adjustment, which allowed for their existing subwoofers to be included in the new arrangement.

Two remote HD pan, tilt, zoom (PTZ) cameras were installed in locations which suit both church orientations. These are controlled by APi’s own ultrasimple button control pad with back-lit display behind each button, allowing the functions to change over various pages of options. That unit also controls the video switching and streaming unit, thereby removing the need to understand a potentially baffling array of additional controls. Streaming to YouTube is just a matter of a single button push, with a monitor screen displaying both camera images, the outgoing image and the sound levels.

APi Sound and Visual set up the audio processing so that the sound is optimised for listening on a device with smaller speakers – such as a tablet or laptop – by compressing the music and speech to deliver a comfortable, consistent level.

The projection scheme is yet to receive Faculty approval. The proposed scheme will consist of two winch-down screens hidden behind the arches between the nave and side aisle, plus two long-throw HD projectors in the opposite aisle.

On the day the sound system was handed over APi Sound and Visual received this message from the customer: “Trial run this afternoon with band practice. All very good and epic sound. iPad App is very easy to use and so great to be able to wander around the church with it.”

APi Sound and Visual look forward to returning to complete the project with the installation of the projection system.

• If you would like help with a sound, projection or streaming solution for your church, contact APi Sound and Visual on 01392 677668 or email at info@apicommunications.co.uk.

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Traditional church adapts to a streaming future

[ THE PARISH CHURCH of St Simon Zelotes is a traditional,

conservative evangelical church nestled in Milner Street, Upper Chelsea. Built in 1858-59 to a design by architect Joseph Peacock, the building is regarded as being his most complete surviving work: other examples can be found in London and Derby and include Holy Cross Church at St Pancras.

During the recent coronavirus lockdowns, as church buildings were closed, an online presence allowed the vicar of St Simon Zelotes, Rev Mike Neville, to stay connected to his congregation.

Later, as buildings were allowed to open, it became clear that the temporary live streaming set-up needed to be replaced by equipment which could be integrated into the building. Rev Mike, along with the staff at St Simon's, approached church audio visual specialist Cunnings Recording Associates to provide a more permanent live streaming solution.

The team at Cunnings gave careful consideration to choosing a remotely controllable camera, positioned to view key areas within the church while remaining discreet, and having minimal impact to the fabric of the Grade Two*-listed building. The controls for the camera and streaming equipment were carefully integrated into the existing wooden equipment cabinet. Operators can easily position the camera to view the choir, musicians, chancel or pulpit at the touch of a button. Streaming is provided directly to YouTube, with the provision to include liturgy and notices via a separate laptop for those watching at home.

The church is known for an excellent standard of music, provided on most weeks by a professional choir and overseen by music directors Daniel Philips and Chris Stokes. A recent upgrade to the AV system had seen dedicated microphones installed for the choir, to allow them to be heard clearly on recordings and via the live streamed broadcast.

Again, Cunnings worked closely with the church team to recommend a microphone solution which was unobtrusive, but provided a balanced sound from the choir. A pair of microphones was provided on a trial basis and, following good results, four microphones have now been installed in the choir stalls with the cables hidden from view.

Now, as congregational singing is returning to worship for churches in England, St Simon's can be confident that its

congregation can experience the beauty of the music and the building, whether they are watching online or meeting in person.

To find out more about live streaming solutions and audio-visual systems for churches, contact the friendly team at Cunnings. q

www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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How to make a church the leading light in the community [

WHEN CONSIDERING lighting schemes in churches, the first thought is the internal lighting, used for both the practical considerations of being able to see to read and to move around safety, as well as the aesthetic considerations of highlighting features of the church and its decoration.

Many churches now also have extensive external lighting schemes and these have somewhat different functions and entirely different considerations in their planning.

Historic England has published guidance on the planning and installation of external lighting at historic sites and buildings, which is applicable to any church.

The guidance begins with a caveat: “The design and installation of an external lighting scheme should be carried out by a professional lighting designer or engineer and not by a lighting equipment supplier.”

The first matter to be considered is the brief.

That forms the overall basis for the scheme – deciding what is be achieved and what the scheme is for. At that stage any ‘do-nots’ should be established, although ideas that on the face of it are outlandish may give rise to interesting concepts.

Having established what is needed from the lighting scheme, the guidance goes through the various stages of guidance, consents, the

installation and, crucially, maintenance. That aspect is often left out of the initial planning.

The guidance reminds us: “Unfortunately, lack of maintenance will eventually result in system, LED driver and lamp failures. Even something as simple as cleaning will impact the resulting light output if not made part of the regular and routine building repair and upkeep.”

Although the external lighting of a church will add to the impact it has on the surrounding area, issues such as environmental effect need to be considered.

In many cases the security of the building and its environs will be a key consideration. Such was the case at St Mattias’s in Stoke Newington, a Grade One-listed church (pictured). The lighting scheme was carried out by CES LLP and had regard to Home Office requirements.

The contractor wrote: “The external lighting was also a concern for the church – security being a priority. The church was offered a grant from the Home Office in an attempt to reduce crime in the area. CES LLP had to ensure that that element of the lighting design met both Home Office requirements and DAC approval.” q

New lighting scheme helps Bunyan Meeting progress [

BUNYAN MEETING, in the centre of Bedford, is an unusual project in that it combines an independent church with a museum/library and now a community arts centre.

At the heart of the complex is the church building (right), which reflects the independent religious thinking of John Bunyan himself, on the site of whose original Meeting House the 19th-century church is built.

The building has recently benefited from a new lighting system from specialist consultants CLS Electrical Services Ltd, who were also invited to offer some suggestions on how to enhance the interior of the building.

CLS take up the story: “We installed a new DALI controlled lighting system throughout, adding track mounted LED light fittings at high level above the gallery to provide general illumination and low-level lighting below the gallery, illuminating the windows and wall plaques.

“Additional lighting was provided to give the choir and organist a greater level of illumination and features such as the organ pipes were also highlighted. Warm white DALI controlled LED tape was also installed to illuminate the barrel roof.

“DMX controlled RGB tape was installed around the perimeter of the gallery, providing a wash of light to the wall and ceiling. Any colour can be selected for use within the general lighting scenes and is fully programmable.

“WIFI connectivity means that the lighting can be controlled and programmed using a smartphone or laptop from anywhere within the church. A simple push-button switch located near the entrance can be used to operate a few lights upon entry and a 10-button control plate was installed to select a number of pre-programmed lighting scenes.” q www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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When it comes to lighting design, this company’s at the heart of things

[

LOCATED IN THE heart of the UK – in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands – Lighting Dynamics UK have developed into one of the country’s premier companies that specialise in the interior and exterior lighting of cathedrals, churches and other places or worship, of all religious denominations. They are dedicated to offering a totally independent, creative, imaginative and unbiased lighting design, as well as an in-depth consultancy service and – where required – the supply of all the associated or specified lighting equipment.

Since its conception the company has set about establishing a reputation for creating practical and architecturally sympathetic lighting schemes. 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.

Their comprehensive ranges of modern, energy-saving and 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.

Commercial grade lighting In recent times the company has launched – and continues to develop – a brand new family of the very latest bespoke, highquality ‘commercial grade’ LED luminaires: specifically designed for all types of ecclesiastical lighting tasks. This extensive range of LED products, along with a host of related LED luminaire lighting accessories, has been under development for some time and takes the company’s overall lighting portfolio to the next level of technical innovation.

‘Colour change’ lighting, linked to DMX controls, is also proving popular for selected church illumination applications and in addition the company has an unrivalled knowledge of, and expertise in, all modern, intelligent dimming and ‘smart’ lighting control systems.

While popular systems such as DSI, 0-10V and DALI all have their respective advantages and disadvantages, the company is proficient in utilising both alternative wired and wireless lighting control systems. The more recent Casambi controls system – a low-energy Bluetooth wireless solution – can also have a number of benefits for the end user.

However, the Casambi solution can prove to be somewhat restricted in older type church buildings, especially those which incorporate thick walls. In these scenarios further design solutions have been developed and implemented by Lighting Dynamics UK to overcome the operational limitations of the system.

Lighting Dynamics UK has a significant number of very prestigious

church lighting projects currently in progress, with a number at advanced stages of planning and design. The entire team believe that now 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 available.

It has been established that most customers are increasingly looking for someone with the flair and experience to provide a quality lighting design, while also specifying top-grade, high-quality ‘commercial grade’ lighting equipment and controls that will offer longevity, reliability and overall flexibility for their specific ecclesiastical lighting upgrade project.

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 floodlights to resemble an industrial style installation; however, achieving the optimum lighting design solution is a long-term process, which involves educating, informing and demonstrating to all members of a specific project team what can be achieved.

Energy conscious In this modern age it would appear that the never-ending increase in the number of new energy regulations is only surpassed by the cost of energy itself. With the advent of easy internet access and the more recent LED lighting technologies, many clients have tremendous difficulty in differentiating between the various price points available online, and in particular understanding the prime differences between high-quality ‘commercial grade’ LED luminaires and their counterpart low-cost alternatives – which in many situations would not even be deemed suitable for a domestic type lighting application.

The issue is further compounded when modern LED light sources need to be dimmed and linked to any form of separate lighting control systems.

Lighting Dynamics UK has, if required, a fully qualified team of NICEIC-registered electricians to carry out the installation of its interior and exterior lighting systems to current electrical standards and regulations. The team is highly experienced in working within all types of ecclesiastical buildings, including and especially those with listed status.

The company provide a bespoke design service for each individual church lighting project, be it interior or exterior, from initial meeting and informal discussions right through to final focusing and commissioning of the completed project. q • For an initial discussion contact info@lighting-dynamics.co.uk or visit www.lighting-dynamics.co.uk www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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New wheel shaft forms part of mill restoration

[THE RESTORATION OF historic metalwork is one of the

specialist undertakings of Dorothea Restorations. The company has recently embarked on a series of large mill projects, including Alton Mill, which is located within the Museum of East Anglian Life in Stowmarket, Suffolk. The mill is unusual for East Anglia in that it uses an overshot wheel.

During March and April the firm’s specialists manufactured a new waterwheel shaft for the mill. The existing shaft had reached the end of its working life.

At 15ft long and 18½in square it is one of the larger waterwheel shafts in use today. The gudgeon was wedged in place and three metal bands were heated to a high temperature and installed around the outside to secure the gudgeon in place (pictured).

When the mill restoration is complete the museum hope to be able to grind grain from it, putting it back into use. q

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Country’s industrial heritage is logged for #IronworkThursday [ON 22 JULY people from around the country tweeted photographs

of iron street furniture for #IronworkThursday, a digital event hosted by Historic England’s archaeology section.

The aim was to highlight the amount of historic ironwork that remains in our streets and is passed by daily. It was hoped to stimulate interest in the country’s industrial archaeology. It formed part of the Council for British Archaeology’s (CBA) annual Festival of Archaeology.

According to the CBA: “The fabrication of metal objects played a large role in our 19th century industrial past and artefacts of that industry, in the form of street furniture, can be found around us everyday. These objects are studied by industrial archaeologists, metallurgists and social historians with a view to understanding: • What items were being produced, at what date, by which • manufacturers and at what scale of production • Changes in manufacturing technology • Changes in design with time • Alterations to the streetscape over time as items of street furniture • were newly introduced or became obsolete • Changing social attitudes, particularly to use of public spaces.”

All of the items posted are to be added to the growing database of foundry products which is hosted by the Historical Metallurgy Society, and will serve as a resource for future research.

Many people also added pictures of ironwork on church doors as part of #AdoorableThursday. q

Go-to heritage access platform sees sales soar [

DISTRIBUTORS OF Hinowa spider platforms have reported record sales for the machines in the UK. The marque has become a key access platform for working at height on heritage buildings and churches.

Sales of the highly-compact and versatile platforms for the first six months of 2021 have ‘far exceeded’ those achieved in the same period last year, according to UK and Ireland distributor Access Platform Sales (APS).

APS’s managing director Steve Couling said: “Sales of Hinowa spider platforms have risen across all sectors, including access rental and industries like tree management and building maintenance.

“We put the success down to growing awareness of the special capabilities of Hinowa spider platforms, and their unique features that enhance their performance and make them easy to operate.

“At APS we also provide excellent training and after-sales care and maintenance, which helps customers to take on Hinowa spider platforms smoothly and always get the best from the machines.”

The Italian-made platforms have working heights from 13m to 33m.

They are also highly compact: in travelling mode some are narrow enough to get through a standard single doorway.

Higher platforms, such as the 25.7m Hinowa Lightlift 26.14 Performance IIIS and the 32.7m Hinowa Lightlift 33.17 Performance IIIS, are most popular for working on churches, especially those with tall towers and spires.

Bi-energy and all-electric lithium battery versions allow the same platform to be used for internal and external maintenance and inspection. Hinowas can also be fitted with non-marking tracks for operation across sensitive floors.

Their articulating booms are ideal for reaching over obstacles, like shrubs and gravestones, and positioning operatives close to complex structures inside churches, cathedrals and historic buildings. q

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The following companies are all specialists in Lightning Protection Systems: Direct Strike Ltd

Lightning Protection and Earthing Solutions • Lightning Protection • Inspection & Maintenance • BSEN 62305:2011 • Consultancy & Design Services • Supply & Installation • Earthing Systems • Height Safety & Fall Arrest Systems • Surge Protection

Head Office: 01461 337951 Rep of Ireland: +353 45 913 129

E: enquiries@directstrike.co.uk W: www.directstrike.co.uk 18 Canberra Road, Gretna, Dumfriesshire, Scotland DG16 5DP

Harrison Lightning Protection & Earthing Ltd T: 01325 464464 E: contact@harrisonlp.co.uk W: www.harrisonlp.co.uk

2 Lakeland Estate, Faverdale North, Darlington, County Durham DL3 0PX

Rafferty Lightning Protection 70 years experience in the steeplejack and lightning protection industries • Surveys • Risk Assessments • Design and Installation to BSEN 62305 • Specialist Earthing • Annual Testing, Inspection & Maintenance • Surge Protection

Wiltshire Steeplejacks

and Lightning Conductor Engineers Trading for over 40 years, we specialise in: • Lightning protection systems • BS EN 62305 & BS 6651 • Earthing and resistivity testing • High maintenance work • Flagpoles • All rope access work • Full architectural surveys & cover meter surveys T: 01225 761330 M: 07973 397770 E: wiltssteeplejack@aol.com W: www.wiltshiresteeplejacks.co.uk The Coach House, 5 Court Street, Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 8BR

A C Wallbridge & Co Ltd Steeplejacks and Lightning Conductor Engineers

Providing lightning protection services since 1978 Installation, maintenance and testing of lightning protection systems, utilising rope access systems for safe access.

• Cathedrals • Churches • Towers • Sports Centres

• High Rise Office Blocks • High Rise Residential Blocks • Schools • Hospitals

T: 01722 322750 E: mail@wallbridge.co.uk W: www.wallbridge.co.uk Unit 7, Centre One, Lysander Way, Old Sarum, Salisbury SP4 6BU

Horizon Specialist Contracting Ltd

With over 25 years experience our in-house design team are trained and certified to the current British & European Standards BS EN 62305:2011 for Lightning Protection Systems and BS 7430:2011 for Earthing.

• Lightning Protection Systems and Surge Protection Design • Testing and Inspection surveys • Steeplejack maintenance • Fall arrest safety systems

T: 01782 834567 E: enquiries@rafferty1949.com W: www.rafferty-steeplejacks.com

T: 0115 965 7400 E: sales@horizonsc.co.uk W: www.horizonsc.co.uk

G & S Steeplejacks Ltd

Lightning Protection Services

Nash Peake Works, Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent ST6 5BT

Over 30 years experience in the Design & Installation of Lightning Protection Systems.

• Annual Testing • Surge Protection • Inspection & Maintenance • Height Safety Systems

Unit 7, Burma Road, Blidworth, Nottinghamshire NG21 0RT

North(Head office): 01461 800323 South: 01582 511036 N.E: 01914 661145 E: info@lightningconductor.co.uk W: www.lightningconductor.co.uk

Churches, Schools, Hospitals, Universities, Colleges

South West Lightning Protection T: 01761 437796 M: 07974 184449 E: graham@gnssteeplejacks.co.uk W: www.gnssteeplejacks.co.uk

T: 07807 334441 E: south@lightningconductor.org W: www.lightningconductor.org

Unit 3, Bath Business Park, Peasedown St John, Somerset BA2 8SF

Airport Business Centre, 10 Thornbury Road, Estover, Plymouth PL6 7PP

Lightning Strike Ltd

Cuttings

Lightning Protection and Earthing Specialist for Churches and Historic Properties • Lightning Conductor Testing • Earthing Systems • Earthing System Testing • Surge Protection • Safe Strike ESE Systems • Soil Resistivity Testing

T: 01158 752686 M: 07581 266493 E: info@lightningstrikeltd.co.uk W: www.lightningstrikeltd.co.uk 11 Bedford Grove, Bulwell, Nottingham NG6 9DE

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The UK’s largest independent Lightning Protection & Earthing contractor Design, installation and maintenance • Lightning Protection • Earthing Services • Surge Protection

• Height Safety Services

Offices in London, Manchester, Sussex, Essex and Bristol.

T: 020 8371 0001 E: info@cuttings.co.uk W: cuttings.co.uk

10-12 Arcadia Avenue, Finchley Central, London N3 2JU

Summer storms act as a wake-up call for lightning protection testing [ THE RASH OF THUNDERSTORMS

following the July heatwave, resulting in lightning strikes on homes in the south of England and a hospital in Greater Manchester, are a cogent reminder of the role played by lightning protection in avoiding damage to historic fabric and even, tragically, loss of life.

Lightning protection is of course of limited use if it is not maintained on a regular basis and July’s events should prompt churches and other historic buildings to ensure a proper maintenance regime is in place.

In its guidance document Lightning Protection: Design and Installation for Historic Buildings, Historic England states: “Maintenance is an important part of lightning protection. A poorly maintained installation will be unable to discharge voltage safely, and puts a building at

greater risk than if it had no protection at all. However, lightning protection systems are fairly robust. They need only basic routine maintenance involving periodic visual checks and testing of the conductor continuity and resistance to earth.”

As part of its Inspect and Protect campaign, ATLAS, the Association of Technical Lightning and Access Specialists, urges: “Electrical testing should be undertaken every year by a competent person who has the training and experience of working within the lightning protection industry. ATLAS recommends that clients use the services of a specialist contractor which has the knowledge and skills to test and inspect the system in line with its design and installation.

“Additional testing will also be required to the lightning protection system after any building remedial works have taken place.” q

Abseiling steeplejacks film clock repair [

ONE OF THE specialist access techniques employed by modern steeplejacks is abseiling. Rather than approach the project from the ground, contractors abseil from the roof of a building and hang suspended high in the air. The technique has over recent years replaced many of the uses of the traditional bosun’s chair method.

One notable job involving abseiling was the repair and restoration of the clock on Nottingham Council House, undertaken by Horizon Specialist Contracting’s steeplejack division.

Standing at 42.7m the clock had not been accessed for repair in 25 years. A team of three steeplejack engineers abseiled from the roof of the Council House over a period of three weeks to replace sections of steel on the clock face, which had rusted and rotted over the years.

The 91-year-old clock face was also re-painted to give it a fresh look.

The works had been carefully planned by Horizon’s project team in co-ordination with the council and a specialist clock repairer, who had been refurbishing the mechanism.

Work was also carried out to the hammers of the clock’s famous Little John bell.

Horizon also carry out cyclical compliance inspections at the Council House on the lightning protection, fall arrest safety systems and flagpoles, alongside specialist repair and refurbishment projects such as the one carried out on the clock.

The operation was captured for posterity by the BBC, which carried a clip from a camera showing gutwrenching views from one of the steeplejacks down to the ground below.

The clip can be viewed at www.bbc.co.uk/news/.

www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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This once-opulent playground of the rich is now getting a rum deal

[

THE NAMES OF a few great houses come up time and again when conservation specialists get talking. One such is Kinloch Castle on the Isle of Rum, 15 miles south-west of the Isle of Skye. The playhouse of unimaginably wealthy and eccentric industrialists the Bullough family – mass-manufacturers of spinning and weaving machinery during Britain’s imperial century – it was built between 1897-1900 and finished, furnished and equipped as befitted the most ambitious of society hosts of the forthcoming Edwardian era.

It was the first Scottish house built to have electric light, probably the only one to have its own fully-equipped dental surgery and its gardens were made fertile with 250,000 tonnes of soil imported from Ayrshire.

The island became George Bullough’s sporting retreat and the castle his party-piece. Seasonal guests included relatives, royalty, stalkers, and showgirls – all ferried to-and-fro by his steam-yacht Rhouma. During its short-lived hey-day its hothouses were so opulent they sustained a population of hummingbirds, with alligators lurking in pools beneath.

The outbreak of World War One brought the end of the party, the modernisation of industry, the democratisation of technology and the dissipation of wealth.

After George’s death in 1937 the island was hardly visited and in 1957 his widow disposed of it to The Nature Conservancy with contents intact – initialled hairbrushes still on dressing-tables, monogrammed cutlery on the sideboard, taxidermy around every corner, paintings undisturbed on every wall – to be used as a National Nature Reserve.

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The successor body, NatureScot, is an unwilling custodian. Its purpose is at odds with that of the builder, and with no need for a castle or skills to look after it Scottish nature is gradually reclaiming the building. Vegetation sprouts from gutters and chimneys, moths flutter among the skins and silks and fungus creeps through the timbers. Some contents have been removed ‘for safekeeping’ and room-by-room the panelling is ripped out to track the progress of dry rot.

When the voluntary group Kinloch Castle Friends Association asked specialist surveyors Smith & Garratt to inspect the building and report on the causes of its woes, director Hugh Garratt jumped at the chance.

“I was intrigued because it’s widely thought of as a basket case,” he said, “but underneath it’s beautifully built and an astonishing achievement. I’ll give just one example – the castle is constructed of brick and faced in George Bullough’s favourite stone, which was shipped in from Arran; in between is a layer of hot-applied bitumen mortar, which prevents the worst of the west coast weather penetrating the walls. Legend has it that it took 300 craftsmen three years to build, and they knew what they were doing – it’s a showcase of late Victorian innovation. Kinloch’s problems arise through a lack of understanding; it only remains upright due to the foresight and attention to detail of the original architects, Leeming & Leeming.”

The Friends commissioned a rescue scheme to restore the whole, funded by providing B&B accommodation for up to 50 in the staff wings with 13 grand suites at the front. Studies were made, planning and listed building consents were obtained, a competent budget and business plan were written.

Their application for transfer as a community asset failed for lack of government support…and now NatureScot offers it for sale.

“It’s great shame the bid failed,” lamented Hugh. “It put the Friends in the same boat as Prince Charles, who attempted to save Kinloch 10 years ago, when it would have been easier. The castle needs a new owner who will love it, has the sense to understand it before leaping to

conclusions, as well as deep pockets and even deeper reserves of fortitude.”

Apart from the damp-proofing layer of hot-applied bitumen mortar, innovative details at Kinloch include steel beams – not cast iron – rivetted together in the manner of shipbuilding and set with vents in their bearing plates. The kitchens are fire-separated using concrete ceilings; purlin-ends set into walls containing flues are fire-proofed with iron shoes; and rooms are ventilated by a venturi system at each of the corner turrets, drawing air through an amazing array of ducts inside the walls and through the roof voids.

That allowed the building to be constantly heated by coal fires, and heat loss was minimised by minimising air flow through the roof voids.

Despite being the first house in Scotland to be built with electric lighting – the power supplied by its own hydro scheme – it also has an acetylene gas plant. All the materials arrived by barge and beside the old jetty stands a lime kiln, erected to ensure a reliable supply of mortar for the masons and lime for plaster.

So why is this Leviathan in such trouble? Lack of maintenance, for sure; but the single biggest disaster was a drain left blocked for 25 years. That simple and avoidable issue allowed the basement to flood routinely to a metre deep, extinguishing the oil-fired boilers.

Engineers would come from the mainland, pump out the water, repair the boilers and send a blast of heat through the building to dry it out. The heat carried moisture to the roof voids, where it condensed on the underside of the cold roof and dripped down through the fabric like a rain forest – stimulating multiple outbreaks of dry rot.

Despite widespread decay, one cannot help but wonder at the innovations and achievements of the castle’s construction. Even ignoring its aesthetic, its majesty and the extraordinary timecapsule quality of its fixtures, fittings and contents, the character of its construction is sufficiently interesting to merit its Category-A listing…and it also merits restoration. q www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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ANTIQUE FURNITURE RESTORATION

ARCHIVE STORAGE BOXES

ARBORICULTURAL CONSULTANTS

BATHROOMS

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BELLS

BUSINESSES FOR SALE

CARVERS – MASTER CARVERS ASSOCIATION

BOOK & PAPER CONSERVATION

BUILDING CONSERVATION & RESTORATION CHURCH HEATING & INSULATION

CLOCKS

BUILDING SERVICES

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ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING

EXHUMATION SERVICES

HYMNODY DAMP SPECIALISTS

JOINERY

DISABLED ACCESS

DISASTER RECOVERY LANDSCAPING

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LEADED LIGHTS

LEADWORKERS – LCA MEMBERS

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LECTERNS

LIGHTING

LIGHTNING PROTECTION

Wiltshire Steeplejacks

and Lightning Conductor Engineers Trading for over 40 years, we specialise in: • Lightning protection systems • BS EN 62305 & BS 6651 • Earthing and resistivity testing • High maintenance work • Flagpoles • All rope access work • Full architectural surveys & cover meter surveys T: 01225 761330 M: 07973 397770 E: wiltssteeplejack@aol.com W: www.wiltshiresteeplejacks.co.uk The Coach House, 5 Court Street, Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 8BR

Lightning Strike Ltd Lightning Protection and Earthing Specialist for Churches and Historic Properties • Lightning Conductor Testing • Earthing Systems • Earthing System Testing • Surge Protection • Safe Strike ESE Systems • Soil Resistivity Testing

T: 01158 752686 M: 07581 266493 E: info@lightningstrikeltd.co.uk W: www.lightningstrikeltd.co.uk 11 Bedford Grove, Bulwell, Nottingham NG6 9DE

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Lightning Protection Services

North(Head office): 01461 800323 South: 01582 511036 N.E: 01914 661145 E: info@lightningconductor.co.uk W: www.lightningconductor.co.uk

A C Wallbridge & Co Ltd Steeplejacks and Lightning Conductor Engineers

Providing lightning protection services since 1978 Installation, maintenance and testing of lightning protection systems, utilising rope access systems for safe access.

• Cathedrals • Churches • Towers • Sports Centres

• High Rise Office Blocks • High Rise Residential Blocks • Schools • Hospitals

T: 01722 322750 E: mail@wallbridge.co.uk W: www.wallbridge.co.uk Unit 7, Centre One, Lysander Way, Old Sarum, Salisbury SP4 6BU

Direct Strike Ltd

LIVE STREAMING

Lightning Protection and Earthing Solutions • Lightning Protection • Inspection & Maintenance • BSEN 62305:2011 • Consultancy & Design Services • Supply & Installation • Earthing Systems • Height Safety & Fall Arrest Systems • Surge Protection

Head Office: 01461 337951 Rep of Ireland: +353 45 913 129

E: enquiries@directstrike.co.uk W: www.directstrike.co.uk 18 Canberra Road, Gretna, Dumfriesshire, Scotland DG16 5DP

South West Lightning Protection T: 07807 334441 E: south@lightningconductor.org W: www.lightningconductor.org

Airport Business Centre, 10 Thornbury Road, Estover, Plymouth PL6 7PP

Harrison Lightning Protection & Earthing Ltd T: 01325 464464 E: contact@harrisonlp.co.uk W: www.harrisonlp.co.uk

2 Lakeland Estate, Faverdale North, Darlington, County Durham DL3 0PX

LIME & LIME PLASTERERS

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MEMORIALS & MONUMENTS

ROOFING

METALWORK

ORGANS

RAINWATER SYSTEMS

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FTMRC

SOUND, AUDIO VISUAL & LOOP SYSTEMS

ISCVE

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STAINED GLASS

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TRAINING

TRANSPORT & STORAGE

STONE & STONE SUPPLY

SURVEYING

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