Ecclesiastical and Heritage World by DMMonline

contents

Features... ROOFING 11 S.O.S. – Save Our Specialists! 12 Clarkgrant Roofing complete work at B-listed Finnart Oil Terminal 13 Roofing Awards – the finalists are announced 13 Municipal building sports new roof 15 Roofers go for Gold on safety 15 Gold award celebrated by IBiS Roofing 15 Martin-Brooks supports solar revolution 16 Hardwick’s furry residents drive Martin-Brooks batty 17 Roof fund sends vicar ‘over the top’ 17 PV’s bring a ray of sunshine to the inner city 17 Clearing gutters is better than paying for a new roof COVER STORY: National Treasure – Modern expertise lights the way – Page 4

ASBESTOS 19 Asbestos – an unholy problem?

In this issue...

LIME & STONE 20 Tarmac Building Products’ Limelite Renovating Plaster 22 Feel the burn at a lime kiln demo 22 Heritage built on lime mortar 23 What’s in a name? Why, everything they do 25 Chatsworth restoration uses over a tonne of lime 25 How blue is my valley! 27 Lime dissident shows how it’s done

Rosehill – still reaching new heights, after 30 years!

Heritage sector unites to oppose VAT hike

SPAB announces successor to FiM

Titanic talks accompany exhibition

Great bed has come home!

Classified Section p37

Blinging heck! Govt art goes on display

Richard Shepherd – Business Development Manager Tel: 07429 516265 Email: richard@dmmonline.co.uk

Trade body launches new group to tackle knotweed problem

PROJECTS 30 Hidden war memorial restored to former glory 36 Gradus provides Wetherby Methodist Church with a divine flooring solution LIGHTING 32 Latest trends in residential period lighting 32 Changing a bulb could save the planet 33 Lighting Dynamics complete another stunning church lighting project WINDOWS 34 Diocese goes greener with recycled window decision 34 Ventrolla graces Liverpool Docklands 35 Traditional box sash windows are making a comeback 35 Boxford window ‘oldest in country’ 35 Any old iron? Not any more

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. 1DPP

National Treasure Modern expertise lights the way

indsor castle is the oldest – and largest – occupied castle in the world and has been the site of a royal fortress for almost a millennium. Inside, in the Lower Ward, is the College of St George with its famous chapel. The college was founded by Edward III, along with the Order of the Garter, the highest chivalric award in Britain. Thomas Cromwell, Earl Kitchener, Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher are among the legion of past and present members and St George’s Chapel remains the ceremonial home of the order. The chapel itself is a pre-eminent example of perpendicular Gothic architecture. It has been an almost organic structure throughout its long history and is no stranger to modifications and rebuilding. Extensive work in the 15th and 16th centuries, commissioned by Edward IV following success in the Wars of the Roses, and extensive repairs at the conclusion of the Civil War and following the restoration of the monarchy have been expanded upon ever since. Royal interments date back centuries and include Edward IV himself, as well as Henry VIII and his third wife Jane Seymour. Charles I was laid to rest in an unmarked grave within the chapel following his execution. The building was restored heavily in the 18th century and a vault which now houses numerous other royal tombs was added. A further major restoration project was begun in 2004, to ensure the continuation of the chapel as a national monument into the 21st century. One particular project – several years in the making – has defined exactly what it is to try and preserve the nation’s heritage while bringing use of the building into the modern age. The chapel’s west steps are synonymous with the annual service for members of the Order of the Garter and their procession through the castle grounds. Sir George Gilbert Scott installed them to give a sense of grandeur to the west elevation, at the same time as his reworking of the adjacent Horseshoe Cloister in 1871, and they are instantly recognisable. Over a century later, that area of the Lower Ward had established a reputation for being dark. The welfare of the lay clerks who are resident in the cloister was a concern, along with the safety of any occupants of the chapel who needed to evacuate the building during an emergency.

Two carriage lamps were installed as a temporary solution while the current Surveyor of the Fabric, Martin Ashley, began to develop a more permanent solution. He approached James Hall, a historic lighting consultant and managing director of Madson Black Ltd, and together they began to address the multitude of issues which would arise in modernising the west steps by mounting lamps on the balustrades, while remaining faithful to the exemplary architecture and historic nature of the original building. Firstly, the illuminance of the new lamps was of great importance – that is, the amount of light that falls on a given area of surface. During an on-site trial a lamp was selected that would not only require little maintenance, but also gave a high quality of colour rendering, providing a warm, natural light. Once installed, it was decided that the lamps would be cloaked by storm shades in order to gain a soft, lamp-like effect from the modern and highly energy efficient lightbulbs. Beginning with the surveyor’s sketches, Mr Ashley’s ideas for the lamps themselves were adapted and refined, in part according to James Hall’s advice, in order to be worked into computer-aided designs. No small amount of effort was put into ensuring that the new fittings would harmonise with their surroundings. The Ogee on top of each individual lamp replicates leadwork from the roof of St George’s, while castellated sections

10 Murdock Road, Bicester, Oxon OX26 4PP

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also replicate architectural features of the chapel. The gilded crown embellishments were not designed freehand, but based on a chosen interpretation of Edward’s crown, to try and remain faithful to their environment. Once the design was finalised, individually carved wooden mock-ups were produced to be taken to the site and their appearance assessed on the steps themselves. That was followed by yet more tests using cast prototypes, before each component of the unique lamps was cast in brass and powder coated for longevity: a process which involves spraying the brass with paint before finishing it with an electrical charge, matching similar paint finishes in the vicinity. The process of drilling the balustrade was undertaken with great care. In order to house the structures themselves and conceal the elements required to power them, pinpoint accuracy was needed to diamond drill into the stonework and through to the area underneath the steps where the electrical installation would be housed. Finally, each individually numbered component was assembled on site in order to mount each of the six lamps. As testimony to the long efforts of all involved they have succeeded in adding thoroughly modern lamp technology to the West Steps, while appreciating their historical setting and enhancing a site of great importance to the nation’s heritage. R

Phone: 0207 856 2085 Email: sales@madsonblack.com

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Rosehill Still reaching new heights, after 30 years! R

osehill Furniture Group are pleased to introduce one of their latest church chairs. The R1 Ultra stacks 10 high for storage, 8 high in general use. Included on the chair is Rosehill’s new and unique Sliding Bookbox. This is a simple yet effective design that can be pulled out when in use and pushed back in when not required so as not to impede the stackability of the R1 Ultra. The R1 Ultra is competitively priced with a solid hardwood frame. The simple clean design will sit comfortably in traditional, modern or multipurpose ecclesiastical environments. Available from just £52.95 + VAT the R1 Ultra promises to be a great addition to the range. Rosehill are celebrating their 30th year supplying quality contract furniture during which time they have supplied thousands of churches throughout the UK and internationally. To view the R1 Ultra or images of churches they have supplied visit their website at: www.rosehill.co.uk. If your church would like to try the R1 Ultra or other sample chairs please contact Rosehill’s sales team on 0161 485 1717 or e-mail your enquiry to sales@rosehill.co.uk. Alternatively visit the showroom in Handforth, Cheshire to benefit from a £100 visitor’s voucher. q

Registered design: 4023474

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Heritage sector unites to oppose VAT hike

little-regarded item in the Budget of 21 March was the announcement, alongside the more widely bemoaned ‘pasty tax’, of the removal of the zero rate VAT from ‘approved alterations to protected buildings’. According to the HMRC Consultation Document a protected building is ‘a listed building or scheduled monument that is, or will become on completion of the work, a dwelling, a residential building such as a nursing home or student accommodation, or a building used by a charity for non-business purposes such as a place of worship, a village hall or similar.’ In addition to the issue of hot food, the measure was lumped in with other such ‘borderline anomalies’ as holiday caravans, self-storage, sports drinks and hairdressers’ chair rental. It is intended to remove the ‘perverse incentive to change listed buildings rather than repair them’. Repair and maintenance of listed buildings is standard rated at 20%. The announcement, which was unexpected, drew an almost immediate response from the Listed Property Owners’ Club. LPOC’s VAT adviser Dave Brown commented “The majority of projects that I get involved with are simply restoration jobs – and with VAT at 20% being payable on these works in future, home owners are likely to ‘make do and mend’ – or else purchase non-listed buildings next time. The end result, unfortunately, is that many historic buildings will simply fall into a state of disrepair. “Listed property owners have a hard enough time looking after the often fragile state of their homes that any disincentive introduced will, in the long-term, damage the heritage of the United Kingdom.” The sentiment was echoed by Loyd Grossman, chairman of the Heritage Alliance, who said: “The very real fear is that this will

Repair and maintenance are already taxed at 20% discourage people from making improvements to listed buildings. It may make the difference between them having a future and losing them altogether. “Previously the Treasury has never accepted that VAT was a single issue that could change development decisions, but this change may have the power to really influence decisions. I think it may prevent buildings from being altered in a way that gives them a sustainable future. Without mod cons such as kitchens, loo’s and disabled access, how can these buildings be adapted to modern use and earn their keep?” The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings declared: “The government indicates that it wishes to remove the ‘perverse incentive’ that currently encourages alteration rather than repair of listed buildings. The Society has long argued that this perverse incentive should be removed, but not through the imposition of VAT on alterations. We believe that zerorating should be applied to works of repair, or that there should be a lower rate of VAT

for all works of repair and alteration to listed buildings.” The argument to reduce VAT on all repairs and alterations was also put forward by RICS, whose UK head of external affairs, Stephen Thornton, said: “The Chancellor has missed a golden opportunity to create a level playing field of 5% VAT on all home repair, maintenance and improvement work.” RICS is a member of the Cut the Vat Coalition (www.cutthevat.co.uk), a group of over 50 organisations and individuals who have campaigned over a number of years for a reduction in VAT on all home repair, maintenance and improvement work. The time given to respond to the consultation was originally 4 May, but that has since been extended to 18 May. The consultation document can be viewed at www.hmrc.gov. uk/budget2012/vat-con-4801.pdf. In addition to responding to the measure via the HMRC website, LPOC is encouraging people to protest to their MP’s over the measure. R

SPAB announces successor to FiM

n April SPAB announced it has received initial support from HLF – including a development grant of £67,900 – for a successor to its Faith in Maintenance (FiM) scheme, designed to create and sustain a series of ‘local maintenance co-operatives’ which will link groups of people caring for places of worship and encourage them to work together to tackle common problems. SPAB plans to use the development grant to shape and co-ordinate the Maintenance Co-operative Movement, a network of mutual support, information and practical advice for volunteers who look after historic faith buildings, with the help of the National Churches Trust. The aim is to help people at the sharp end of maintenance to help each other.

According to SPAB: “FiM was never intended to last beyond five years, but its success and enthusiastic reception has proved that there is a strong and definite need for a successor scheme to develop and continue the key elements of the project. The new Maintenance Cooperative Movement will allow people to share ideas, resources and good practice as well as to benefit from mutual support.” During the initial development phase, SPAB and the National Churches Trust, in consultation with sector partners including English Heritage, the major denominations and local churches trusts, will identify five broad geographical areas where a series of linked local maintenance co-operatives will be established. R

Titanic talks accompany exhibition

o mark the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic, the Maritime Museum in Liverpool, the port where the vessel was registered and where the headquarters of the White Star Line were situated, has a year-long exhibition based on the tragedy. The exhibition features previously-unseen collections and includes material from the museum's own extensive archives. Perhaps most poignant

is the tragic letter from May Louise McMurray that was never delivered. It inspired the spectacular Sea Odyssey street theatre event by Nantes-based Royal de Luxe, in which giant marionettes of a girl, her dog and her deepsea diver uncle meet up in the city to see the letter finally delivered. A series of free lectures will accompany the exhibition, Titanic and Liverpool: the untold story, which runs until 21 April next year. q

Great bed has come home! T he Great Bed of Ware, one of the greatest treasures of the Victoria and Albert Museum, has gone on display at its home town of Ware in Hertfordshire, for the first time since it was bought in 1869 and taken to Rye House in Hoddesdon. It was acquired by the V&A in 1931. The bed will be on loan to the Ware Museum for a year. Dating from around 1590, the Great Bed of Ware is thought to have been created as a tourist attraction for travellers on the pilgrim route from London to Walsingham, and from the capital to Cambridge University. Publicised as being able to sleep 12, its lure was such that travellers were reputed to choose the town of Ware to break their journey just to spend a night in the bed. In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Sir Toby Belch describe a sheet of paper as “...big enough for the Bed of Ware!” The loan has been made possible by grant of £229,200 from the HLF. In addition, Ware Town Council has contributed £10,000, Ware Museum Trustees have given £15,000 from their reserve fund and donations, large and small, have been received from local people and institutions to support the project. Kenneth Weeks, chair of the Ware Museum Trust, said: “We are extremely grateful for

Picture courtesy of the V & A Museum © the support that the HLF and V&A have given us throughout the development of the project. The Great Bed of Ware is woven into the DNA of the town and through exhibiting it here we are able to get the heritage, history and the social history of the town to local people. This project is already making a difference to the community through the activities that are currently taking place at

Blinging heck! Govt art goes on display

Ware Museum. We want to involve all local residents, both old and new, in exploring the history of the town.” The museum has produced an exhibition telling the story of the Great Bed of Ware in the context of social history from the Elizabethan period up to the present day. There is also a year-long ‘calendar’ of events for the year, which is still expanding. q • To find out more about the bed and the exhibition, visit www.waremuseum.org.uk.

n this Diamond Jubilee year the Government Art Collection (GAC) on Tottenham Court Road is opening up for a special display on two evenings during the annual Museums at Night event, on 18 and 19 May. Three tours on each of the two nights will enable visitors to discover a selection of royal portraits on display. Highlights will include a state portrait of our current Queen, elegant 17th century companion portraits of the King and Queen of Bohemia, returned to London from Prague, and a contemporary sparkling take on the iconic figure of Henry VIII, called Bling! Henry, by Stephen Farthing. Before leaving, visitors will also have a chance to go behind the scenes to visit the workshop and racking area. Admission is free, but booking is essential, on 020 7580 9120; email gac@culture.gov.uk. The tours will start at 18.30, 19.30 and 20.30 and will last approximately 45 minutes. q

S.O.S. Save Our Specialists!

by RAY ROBERTSON, Secretary, Lead Contractors Association

The hidden, but very real, long term threat caused by the plague of metal thefts is the eventual disappearance of the specialist lead craftsman as their livelihood is stolen along with the lead.

tealing lead from a church roof has always been a problem, but one which was localised and therefore perceived to have little impact beyond a distressed and inconvenienced parish community, an overworked local police force and a disgruntled, out of pocket insurance company. Indeed there was an upside, as such occurrences initially created work for local leadwork contractors, called in to replace the stolen metal and put right the damage caused by its removal. Then five years ago rising metal prices began attracting organised gangs that attacked vulnerable buildings – particularly churches – on a far wider scale. Lead sheet stolen from a roof was quickly replaced to minimise internal damage and then just as quickly stolen again. Claims on theft insurance soared and the insurance companies involved took drastic action to reduce the cover provided on properties where theft of lead from the roof was a repeating occurrence. A general limit to claims of £5,000 per property per annum has had even the most dedicated traditionalist looking for alternative replacement materials, those that had little or no resale value and therefore were not liable to be stolen. Even English Heritage, the national defender of the use of authentic materials on our historic buildings, has acknowledged the overwhelming cost impact on the owners of maintaining like for like replacement on a building repeatedly targeted by thieves. As metal prices continue to climb, there is at last a national public and (more significantly) political awareness of the problem, brought about not by the increase in lead thefts, but ironically by the theft of its main metal roofing rival – copper. However copper theft has hit the headlines not by being stolen from a roof, but by the theft of copper cable, severely impacting on not just local parishes, but hundreds of thousands of people losing power, communication and public transport facilities. The resulting public outcry has demanded action and prompted various initiatives to address the escalating problem, involving a wide variety of public and private organisations that

St Laurence’s Church in Slough after its roof valley gutter was stripped of its lead

manufacture, design, install, transport and recycle metal products. Various remedies are under scrutiny including extended licensing, methods of payment, certificates of origin and other identification options for the scrap recovery/recycling network, police initiatives and action plans and various security measures, alarms and theft deterrent considerations to protect the metal once installed. The LCA welcomes the high profile this longstanding problem is now receiving, whatever the circumstances that caused the escalation of metal theft in public awareness. We only hope an effective course of action is determined sooner rather than later, if our specialist sector is to survive. Things are bad enough for everyone in the current economic situation, but the specialist lead contractor is faring worse than most. The continuing high price of lead sheet deters those unable to see beyond initial outlay (a longer term view would appreciate lead sheet’s unrivalled cost effectiveness over its extensive lifetime performance). Those blinkered by bottom line priorities are therefore specifying short term cut price expedient materials as (supposedly) cheaper alternatives to lead sheet. Now they are being joined by those who would like to use lead sheet and fully appreciate the long term, maintenance free performance and aesthetic appeal of this most traditional of UK roofing metals, but remain

fearful of the theft factor. Either way, this means a reducing demand for the specialist knowledge and skills of the lead craftsmen who are increasingly looking to other trades or moving away from construction altogether, in order to provide their income. If this alarming trend is not quickly addressed, the lead specialist will become an endangered species and some of our most prestigious and historic buildings will have a very different look in the future (imagine the dome of St Paul’s covered in asphalt?). When modern architects tire of the current spate of bright, shiny, sharp-angled glass and steel indulgences, what alternatives will be identified as the next fashion in the merry-go-round of building design? Why not the aesthetic warm appeal of the hand crafted curves of the most malleable roof metal used in construction, with horizons in design concept that are literally as wide as the architect’s imagination? When that happens, let’s just hope we still have craftsmen with the lead sheet skills and knowledge to rise to the challenge of making that architectural vision a reality. R • LCA members are specialists, committed to maintaining the beautiful art of the craft, and a selection of members can be found in the classified section of this magazine under the MCA logo.

Clarkgrant Roofing complete work at B-listed Finnart Oil Terminal

n September 2010 work began on the restoration of the Category B-listed administration building of the Finnart Oil Terminal on the banks of Loch Long in Argyllshire. The work was carried out by Clarkgrant Roofing & Building Ltd of Glasgow and consisted of the installation of Scotch and Spanish slate, leadwork, joinery work, painting and the application of restoration mortar on all the chimneys and walls. The roof elevations that can been seen by members of the public were reslated using approximately 800m2 of Scotch slate, while the elevations that cannot been seen were reroofed with 16” x 8” Spanish slate. There were many challenges to overcome in carrying out the work at Finnart Oil Terminal. One was the weather: the administration building is barely 20 meters from the lochside on Loch Long and is nestled between hills, which meant almost every day of the project was subject to wet weather. The other challenge was that of maintaining health and safety. Clarkgrant’s David Clark takes up the story: “We were working in a ‘live’ oil terminal, which resulted in lots of paperwork and restrictions on the workforce. The day-to-day work was completely different from any other site or project my company has ever worked on.” However, as the images on this page show, the end result turned out to be Clarkgrant Roofing’s best work yet. R

roofing & building T: 0141 946 6612 F: 0141 945 6569 M: 07817 597375 / 07932 224899 E: info@clarkgrantroofing.com Unit 11, Chapel Street, Chapel Industrial Estate, Ruchill G20 9BD

www.clarkgrantroofing.com 12

Roofing Awards

the finalists are announced I

n March the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) announced the finalists in the annual Roofing Awards. In making the announcement the NFRC declared: “The level of workmanship displayed with each and every Roofing Awards continues to underline the fact that the roofing industry has some of the most skilled, dedicated and hard-working contractors within the construction industry. “The Roofing Awards recognise and reward those companies on their outstanding roofing projects. They have been selected based on the demonstrated quality of workmanship, technical difficulties encountered, problemsolving, environmental qualities and aesthetics.” Over 300 entries were received across the 12 categories – the largest number ever – and the expert panel unanimously agreed that, year upon year, the level of quality of work produced by companies that have entered continues to be superb.

Municipal building sports new roof

n August last year the historic, listed municipal buildings in Crewe – formerly the headquarters of Crewe and Nantwich Council and now the local offices of East Cheshire Council – were finally graced with a new, bespoke stone roof. The work was commissioned by Cheshire East Council and all building repairs granted to the principal contractor Harry Fairclough Construction Ltd of Warrington. The roofing works were awarded to Fulwood Roofing Services (Northern) Ltd Heritage Division who consequently drafted Worthingtons Roofcrafts of Bolton to do the work. The whole project was overseen by BDS Consultants of Chester with English Heritage. The stone tiles, from Black Mountain Quarries in Herefordshire, had to match other roofing materials being used on the project. The tiles were unfinished when they arrived on site and were sorted, cut and dressed into position by craftsmen from Worthingtons Roofcrafts. The new roof’s cupola is surmounted by a weather vane in the shape of Stephenson’s Rocket, a reminder of Crewe’s prominence as a railway town. R

The Heritage Roofing category is one of the newest, yet attracts some of the most noteworthy projects. The finalists this year are: • Forster Roofing Services Ltd for the Camperdown House roof renewal in Dundee. • B & D Roofing and Building Ltd for Hermitage Drive in Edinburgh. • Karl Terry Roofing Contractors Ltd for Holly Lodge in Kent. • Fulwood Roofing Services (Northern) Ltd, in association with Worthingtons Roofcrafts of Bolton, for Crewe Municipal Building. Despite the existence of a specialist heritage sector, a number of important projects on historic buildings are featured in other categories. Among the most notable is Clarkgrant Roofing & Building Ltd’s reroofing of the Finnart Oil Terminal administration building, a Category B-listed building. That features in the Roof Slating category. Another project with strong historic connections is the new station building to house the Lizard Lifeboat – a new state-of-theart Tamar class vessel. The station building is equally contemporary, with its boat-shaped curved roof (pictured) by Full Metal Jacket Ltd, which is a finalist in the Fully Supported Metal Roof category. The winners in all 12 categories will be announced at the Annual Congress Awards Lunch on 18 May at the Hilton Metropole in Birmingham. The ceremony will be hosted by TV presenter Matt Allwright, best known for the Rogue Traders series.

The Roofing Awards are supported by a host of associated trade bodies, including the Green Roof Centre, the Liquid Roofing and Waterproofing Association (LRWA), the Flat Roofing Alliance (FRA), the Roofing Tile Alliance (RTA), the Lead Contractors Association (LCA), the Lead Sheet Association (LSA) and the Single Ply

Roofing Association (SPRA). Supporters also include many major suppliers and ancillary companies. • To book places contact NFRC’s head of external affairs Debbie Simcock on 0207 448 3186; email debbie@nfrc.co.uk; or visit www.nfrc.co.uk. q

Roofers go for Gold on safety

lso announced in March were the winners of the Safety in Roofing Awards. These awards have been in operation for many years to promote a positive attitude towards health and safety amongst NFRC member companies. All NFRC trade members are invited to enter these awards, which are made dependent on a company’s health and safety training and accident statistics from 1 January to 31 December of the previous year. The awards are then externally marked by an independent panel of health and safety experts and a selection of entries are randomly audited. Trade members are presented with either a Gold, Silver or Bronze award at their regional AGM’s, with the best entries receiving recognition at the Roofing Awards lunch in May. They are the members with the highest percentage scored nationally with the slating and tiling, sheeting and cladding and flat roofing disciplines. q

Gold award celebrated by IBiS Roofing

BiS Roofing, a family run roofing company based in Castleton, Rochdale for nearly 30 years is celebrating after achieving the prestigious Gold Award in the 2011 Safety in Roofing Awards scheme run by the National Federation of Roofing Contractors which is aimed at promoting health and safety among member companies. The Health and Safety Executive are urging employers to make the safety of employees their top priority for 2012 following the publication of the latest statistics which show a total of 25 people lost their lives while at work in the North West last year and 2,987 suffered a major injury. Directors Stephen and Robert Wall see this award as recognition for the knowledge, experience and investment in training which has been built up over the years. q

Martin-Brooks supports solar revolution

eritage roofing specialist, Sheffieldbased Martin-Brooks, is pioneering a new breed of solar panel installations that will enable the renewable technology to be applied to lead roofs. In what is believed to be the first installation of its kind in the UK, Martin-Brooks has added solar panel lead supports to a church near Chesterfield to manage the thermal movement. The supports are built with expansion gaps to allow natural movement of the lead roof without causing damage to the photovoltaic panels. Designed by the Lead Sheet Association, the pods were fitted by Martin-Brooks on behalf of Derby solar panel installers, C-Changes, with the approval and guidance of English Heritage. Architects, Smith and Roper, who have worked previously with the roofers on sensitive heritage projects, recommended Martin-Brooks for its historic lead work experience. The pod installation was carried out sympathetically on the grade I listed church to ensure no damage to the existing lead roof or the building’s structure. Dale Wright, Martin-Brooks’ contracts director, said: “To date, only a few churches have been granted permission to install solar panels due to concerns over structural suitability and aesthetic impact. Being involved in the first application of this groundbreaking pod support system has been extremely interesting and our work in Chesterfield will undoubtedly open up the solar market to a wider range of properties, particularly those with lead roofs.” Approval was given for solar panels on the south aisle of the grade I

The first solar panels to be fitted on lead supports, which were installed by Martin-Brooks at a church near Chesterfield listed Church of England property as a high parapet wall ensures they cannot be seen from ground level. The installation will enable the parish church to benefit from reduced energy bills and access the higher rate feed-in tariffs. q • Martin-Brooks was shortlisted for the second consecutive year in the Heritage Roofing category of The Roofing Awards 2011, run by the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) and is listed on its heritage register. For more information about its historic lead work, telephone (0114) 244 7720 or visit www.martin-brooks.co.uk.

Hardwick’s furry residents drive Martin-Brooks batty

eritage roofing experts at Sheffieldbased Martin-Brooks are putting the finishing touches to a two-year project at a local stately home where the residents insist on hanging around. Martin-Brooks has re-roofed a former cart shed and smithy that are home to a colony of bats, as part of the recently opened Stableyard at Hardwick Hall near Chesterfield. The National Trust was aware that bats were present at Hardwick and in consultation with English Nature, a bat licence was granted for the project. This restricts work during the roosting months, usually April to September, and requires regular inspections by an appointed ecologist Evidence of the protected species also meant Martin-Brooks had to incorporate purpose-made bat slates into the rear slopes of the grade II listed buildings and install special roofing felt for the winged mammals. Dale Wright, Martin-Brooks’ contracts director, said: “Having to work around bat colonies is not unusual when we are re-roofing heritage properties, particularly when they have been unoccupied. Despite the challenges we faced, the finish achieved on the Stableyard is first

class and it is a worthy addition to the Hardwick estate. It is always a pleasure to see old buildings given a new lease of life.” Martin-Brooks started work on the Stableyard in 2010, removing the Martin-Brooks’ heritage roofers survey their craftsmanship at Hardwick original stone slates Hall’s Stableyard with Paul Wankiewicz from the National Trust (far right). and repairing timbers, Left to right: Dan Lovett, Steve Whearty, Hyden Driver and Dean Feetham before the roof coverings could be returned. Around 70% of this complex and sensitive project. Working on the existing slates were re-used, although some listed buildings is always a challenge, but when additional York stone was needed to match the coupled with bat conservation, it is reassuring original finish. to know there are such capable craftsmen on The National Trust’s £6.5 million Stableyard hand who can be sensitive to the ecology, whilst project has involved the refurbishment of producing excellent work.” R a collection of disused estate buildings at Hardwick. The new facilities will be open 365 • Martin-Brooks was nominated for the National days a year, providing catering and retail space, Federation of Roofing Contractors’ heritage along with a new visitor reception. award in 2011 for its work on the Hardwick Hall Paul Wankiewicz, lead building surveyor for the Stableyard project. It is also listed on the NFRC National Trust, added: “Having worked closely heritage register. For more information, telephone with Martin-Brooks for many years, we knew (0114) 244 7720 or visit www.martin-brooks. they had the skills and experience necessary for co.uk.

Roof fund sends vicar

‘over the top’

PV’s bring a ray of sunshine to the inner city

Fundraising Fr John Wiseman, Vicar of St Matthew’s in Little Lever, Bolton

hurch roof repairs and raising the funds to pay for them may be the issue that stresses clergy and Parochial Church Councils the most, but it rarely drives the parish priest to leap off the top of a crane. That, however, is what Fr John Wiseman, vicar of St Matthew’s in Little Lever in Bolton, will be doing in May. Fr John will be performing the world’s tallest mobile bungee jump in an effort to boost funding for the restoration of the church roof. He will be leaping from a height of 200ft, which is higher than Bolton’s famous Town Hall tower. It is the latest in a series of stunts the cleric has performed in the cause. Past efforts have included a zip wire challenge (pictured). q

hen people read that an ‘industrial provident society for the benefit of the community’ would be launching a community share issue on 1 April to raise funds for generating electricity from solar panels on a church roof in Old Trafford, Manchester, they may have suspected an April Fool spoof. But it is no joke. Despite set-backs, including the Government’s moves to restrict the feed-in tariff for such projects, the photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof of St John’s in the city’s traditional industrial heart are up and running. According to Fiona Nichols of north west-based Sustainable Change Cooperative: “Individuals and organisations in or around Old Trafford are being invited to invest £100 or more in withdrawable shares, and get a piece of solar panel. “One goal involves raising income from the solar panels (and other sources) and distributing it to local projects through ‘Sunshine Grants’.” Appropriately, the co-operative is called St John’s Sunshine. q

Clearing gutters is better than paying for a new roof I

n May last year a report was published charting the progress made in its first three years by GutterClear, an initiative set up jointly by the Diocese of Gloucester and Maintain our Heritage in 2007 to help churches in the diocese carry out routine maintenance – in particular the regular clearing of roof gutters to prevent water ingress. It followed a similar initiative in London the previous year. All of this activity stems from the recognition early this century that ‘prevention is better than cure’ when it comes to maintaining historic buildings. Maintain Our Heritage (Maintain) has the motto emblazoned across its website.

In its advice to owners and managers on the repair and maintenance of historic buildings, English Heritage states: “Stopping moisture from entering a building is the first priority. This means that roof coverings, gutters, downpipes and drains must be kept in good order.” With recent heavy rainfall and flooding in mind, the advice goes on to say: “Climate change means that regular maintenance is even more important as very heavy rainfall means that gutters and drains may struggle to cope, and ensuring they are kept clear may prevent overflows and flooding.” The view that prevention is, indeed, better than cure when it comes to preservation

of built heritage is not, however, a new one (apart from it being common sense). In a paper for the IHBC, reproduced on the Maintain website, George Allen quotes John Ruskin, writing in 1849: “The principle of modern times.....is to neglect buildings first and to restore them afterwards. Take proper care of your monuments and you will not need to restore them. A few sheets of lead put in time upon the roof, a few dead leaves and sticks swept in time out of a water course, will save both roof and wall from ruin. Watch an old building with an anxious care, guard it as best you may, and at any cost, from every influence of dilapidation” q

Asbestos An unholy problem? by ALAN PECK of Tersus Consultancy

ailed as the wonder building material when first used in the 1890’s and reaching its peak use in buildings around the mid 1970’s it’s not unreasonable to find asbestos used extensively in schools and churches. Asbestos containing materials take on many forms and have many uses in construction from simple floor tiles to board materials, anti-condensation products and, of course, thermal insulation. So good was asbestos that asbestos containing materials could be mixed with other materials to produce rigid products which could be moulded, formed, compressed, machined or just used in its raw fibrous state as pipe and boiler insulation or sprayed onto surfaces as an asbestos coating. Tradesmen became so adept at working with asbestos they produced mini works of art – one can only admire the perfect roundness of hand applied pipe insulation in many, still operating boiler houses or the alabaster type finish they managed to apply as sprayed coatings to the soffits of commercial offices, department stores, hotels, hospitals, schools and churches. The thing is, of course, it is very difficult to know what is asbestos and what is not which is why the largest group at risk from asbestos is currently tradesmen and why around 5,000 people per year die from asbestos related diseases. Asbestos was finally prohibited in the UK in 1999.

Case Study Who would have thought the ‘decorative’ finish to the underside of a church roof in Yorkshire was asbestos? Over the years, water penetration had caused the surface of the asbestos coating to deteriorate and even start to delaminate in certain areas causing the risk of asbestos fibres being released to increase dramatically. The only option was to remove the problem area and to fully encapsulate the remainder. The asbestos was found to be clearly marked on the original architect’s drawings for the church but for some reason did not appear on the asbestos register. It was clear that a definitive asbestos survey was required in order to fully locate the presence, condition and location of any asbestos containing materials. Access to the high level areas was extremely difficult as elevating equipment had to be sourced that would fit through a standard door and be capable of reaching the height required. Following a thorough site inspection it was possible to formulate an asbestos management plan and confirm that all areas, with the exception of the two areas of low level

Tersus surveyor taking samples of sprayed asbestos roof, were sound, well encapsulated and posed a manageable risk. The recommendation therefore was the removal of the whole of the sections of roof containing the damaged areas and to commence an air monitoring regime within the church to check the airborne fibre concentration of the remainder of the building. This was to prove that the building would continue to be safe for occupation by unprotected people after the removal works. Asbestos removal works presented their own problems. Firstly the removal contractor had to be carefully selected to ensure they had the experience to deal with this type of asbestos material and could approach the works in a sympathetic manner given the nature of the building. The other problem was that the church was regularly used, allowing only seven days to complete the work between weddings. The removal of this type of asbestos, commonly known as limpet, is notoriously difficult as the individual asbestos fibres adhere to any rough surface. The material is also extremely friable and capable of releasing fibres many thousands of times above the control limit. Under these circumstances fibre suppression is all important, not only for the safety of the operatives but to reduce the amount of free fibre when the area is finally cleaned and decontaminated. To cope with the very rough surface, the underside of roof was hand painted with an asbestos encapsulation product to lock down any residual fibres prior to being plaster rendered and redecorated by other tradesmen to match the treated areas. q

Above (left) – damage to sprayed asbestos coating visible either side of the lower roof valley; and (right) – inside the asbestos enclosure, an asbestos operative carefully removes the asbestos under controlled conditions

• The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 requires all dutyholders to formulate an asbestos management plan for the property for which they are responsible. The starting point for this plan is an Asbestos Survey Report in accordance with HSG 264, preferably by a UKAS accredited consultancy to ISO/IEC 17020.

Tarmac Building Products’ Limelite Renovating Plaster

any heritage buildings affected by wet weather, torrential rain and flash flooding are facing the prospect of extensive repairs. In older buildings that still have their original lime and sand plaster, the ideal solution is to replace like-for-like and use a traditional ‘lime-haired’ plaster, which allows walls to breathe and retain flexibility and setting. Gypsum-based plaster and plasterboard are not compatible as they are very sensitive to moisture and salts and degrade in the presence of both. Certain types of gypsum plasters are also resistant to damp and contain water repellants that seal the surface and prevent walls from breathing. It is not always practical to use an authentic lime plaster, so Tarmac Building Products has created their Limelite range of plasters, mortars and grouts as modern equivalents of traditional products. Our Heritage Range of bagged, high performance plaster products is a range of specialist renovating plasters, mortars and grouts designed to give historic buildings the care and protection they need and deserve. To ensure the correct selection and application of these products, you can rely on the unrivalled expertise of our support team. For buildings that are in need of sensitive historic restoration, look no further than the Limelite range of heritage mortars, grouts and plasters from Tarmac Building Products to deliver the ultimate property face-lift.

Key features of our Limelite Renovating Plaster Limelite Renovating Plaster includes man-made fibres that imitate traditional ‘lime haired’ plaster, which adds to the authentic appeal of the product and reduces the likelihood of cracking. Limelite is considered by conservationists to be a replacement for original lime plaster. The plaster controls dampness passing through walls and provides an effective barrier against salt transfer. It also retains a level of ‘breathability’ and flexibility once it has set. Limelite Renovating Plaster has been used for more than 30 years to help solve the common problems of dampness associated with heritage buildings and for remedial work after damp proofing. The plaster reduces the possibility of condensation, whilst adding thermal qualities to the building. It also helps to minimise efflorescence and rusting of metal lathing and conduits, as well as controlling stain and mould growth. The range is available as a pre-blended product from a nationwide network of builders’ merchants or as a custom made, blended product for unique properties direct from Tarmac Building Products. q

Benefits of using our Limelite Renovating Plaster: • Uniquely formulated to control dampness • passing through plastered walls • Consistent, pre-blended quality assured • mix • Conveniently pre-packaged, reducing • • waste • Resistant to mould growth, reduces • • • • • condensation and inhibits efflorescence • Can be applied shortly after the insertion • of a new damp-proof course or system • Contains man-made fibres to control • shrinkage and improve flexural strength • Use with Tarmac High Impact Finishing • plaster for a grade D impact resistant • • plaster • No problems associated with moisture • • • trapped under plaster in heritage • buildings Our Limelite Heritage products have been used in the restoration of many landmark buildings including St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Beaney Institute and St. Pancras Station.

Our Heritage Range of products

Case Studies • Beaney Institute, Canterbury city centre – This project was designed to conserve, repair and restore the existing Grade II listed Beaney Institute in Canterbury city centre. The new extension will double the building’s size, creating more and better space for both museum and library services. • St. Pancras Station, London – We provided our Heritage Mortars and Grouts which were used in the extensive restoration of St. Pancras Station into its Victorian splendour, completed by the end of 2007. • St. Paul’s Cathedral, London – We provided a specially created blend of Pulverised Fuel Ashes (PFA), cement and special additives originally developed in 1975 for the restoration of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Our St. Paul’s Grout Mix was used to strengthen and fill voids in the Cathedral’s masonry walls, completed in 1975. All of our products are manufactured to BES 6001 (sustainability standards) and factory blended, tested and packaged in accordance with BS EN ISO 9001 (quality management system). We encourage all readers to put their faith in our Limelite Plaster and see the benefits for themselves! To find out more visit www.tarmacbp.com/heritage or ask for Limelite at your local builders’ merchants.

• Limelite Renovating Plaster • Limelite Quick Drying Plaster – dries • approximately 30% quicker than • traditional plasters • Limelite Easy-Bond – pre mixed, dry • powder keying aid for Portland cement • based plasters, renders and screeds • Limelite Cement Backing Plaster • Whitewall One-Coat Plaster – Anhydrite • based, hard white, durable surface • achieved in a single coat • Whitewall High Impact Backing Plaster • – mixed with High Impact Finishing • Plaster to provide a hard white surface • unparalleled in its resistance to impact • Tarmac High Impact Finishing Plaster • – for use over Limelite backing coats • or traditional gypsum plasters and sand • • cement mixes and is a BBA approved • finishing system for damp walls

Feel the burn at a lime kiln demo O

n 26 May the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, West Midlands, will be host to a smallscale lime kiln burn, organised by the Building Limes Forum. Experts from the BLF will be on hand to explain lime to the public – what it is, how it is made and how it is used. There will also be demonstrations of lime burning and slaking. To complement the kiln burn, a programme of talks, tours and a boat trip has been arranged for BLF members and friends. The Black Country Living Museum preserves a microcosm of the area’s industrial landscape, including two mine shafts, limekilns and canals, and houses a wide range of the equipment, tools, manufactured goods, domestic furnishings and everyday objects which represent the

life and work of the people of the Black Country. There are also relocated buildings drawn from across the many small towns of the region. The limestone for the burn will come from the Wren’s Nest National Nature Reserve a short distance away. Wren’s Nest was declared the UK’s first National Nature Reserve for geology in 1956, in recognition of its exceptional geology and palaeontology. The site provides a definitive section through the Much Wenlock Limestone formation and has many disused quarries and limekilns (pictured), as well as being of interest for its limestone flora and fossils. For BLF members the day will consist of an introductory talk, loading and firing of the kiln, a guided tour of Wren’s Nest, a

canal boat trip through the tunnels on the Dudley Canal, unloading and slaking the lime, possible talks on the geology and archaeology of the area and time to visit the museum. The cost for the day is £25, which also includes lunch. q • For more information, together with details of BLF membership, visit www. buildinglimesforum.org.uk.

Heritage built on lime mortar L ime mortar has formed part of our building heritage for centuries and has been in use since time immemorial. The ancient Greeks and the Romans knew a thing or two about building and made mortar by burning limestone, slaking it with water and then mixing the resultant putty with sand. These basic steps still form the mainstay of lime mortars today, which are used extensively in restoration and maintaining the building fabric of older buildings. The benefits of lime mortar are numerous, one of which is that it accommodates movement extremely well. When lime mortars crack

they tend to do so in micro cracks and when this occurs on lime renders outside, the movement of the rainwater through the surface of the mortar dissolves the free lime which then gets deposited in the micro cracks as the water evaporates. A chemical reaction then occurs as the lime subsequently reacts with the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and is converted to calcium carbonate so that the cracks heal in a very short time. Lime mortar is a tough product – not only is it flexible and makes for a very effective filling of vertical joints, it also acts like a sponge, absorbing rainfall on an outside wall and then allowing it to evaporate rather than soaking into the wall. This means less water penetration which also minimises the risk of freeze thaw damage that is particularly harmful to masonry structures. By comparison, the modern counterpart cement is brittle and inflexible and can trap damp in behind, which can give rise to a variety of problems ranging from internal damp, mildew on interior walls, paint flaking off and general decay. In addition cement also encourages ground water to rise up a wall by capillary action. The last few decades have seen a resurgence in the use of lime mortars and the associated lime products. The popularity of programmes such as Grand Designs have raised public awareness of the appropriate materials that should be used when restoring older properties, and with that interest has come knowledge that our ancestors knew and we had forgotten. With the Government’s directive to reduce the carbon footprint in the construction industry, and the continuing development and introduction of innovative developments, such as Limelite Renovating Plaster, the future of lime in building is assured. q • Heritage Cob & Lime are manufacturers and suppliers of lime mortars and associated products. They are also a stockist for Limelight Renovating Plaster. For more information, visit www. heritagecobandlime.com or telephone 01237 477431.

What’s in a name?

Why, everything they do

ased in Norwich and operating primarily in the East Anglia region, Resurspec Construction Services is an approved installer of the Thor Helical Remedial structural repair system. The company name is derived from the combination of the terms ‘restoration’, ‘renovation’, ‘survey’ and ‘specification’, which describes accurately the work they do. In the ecclesiastical field, work carried out at the Church of St Mary the Virgin in Blundeston, Suffolk, epitomises what can be achieved. Although St Mary’s has a history dating from the 7th century, the oldest part of the church that remains is the round tower, which dates from the 10th century. A Norman church which was added about a century later was replaced by a larger structure in the 14th century. An extensive restoration sympathetic to medieval construction techniques was carried out in the 1850s, with a barrel vaulted ceiling springing from 14th century corbels. The church as it exists today has not changed much since then, with the exception of underfloor heating and a positive drainage system to divert water away from the base of external walls added in 2009. Construction is primarily flint set in a lime mortar. Externally the walls are finished in knapped flint; internally with brickwork covered in lime render up to 75mm thick in places. Infill is assumed to be random rubble or further rough flints within a lime mortar matrix. At some unknown time tie straps connected to pattress plates have been installed on the

gable end and south flanking wall, so structural movement has been an issue, particularly for the south east corner of the building. Movement has also caused considerable cracking on the south east buttress and repairs have been carried out to the window tracery at some time. Assuming that the wall would be heavily voided by movement and the wash out of fines by water ingress, the initial repair strategy was to use a Thor Helical grout tie and lime grouting procedure to stabilise and reintroduce structural stability. On closer inspection and test drilling the wall was found to be quite densely compacted, so a revised strategy of regularly spaced grout ties set in a cementitious grout was adopted. Ties were cut to suit full structural wall thickness on site and installed along its height. Cracks and delaminated flints were either repointed or reset in a lime mortar and colour blended to match the existing material. Repairs to the south east buttress were a little more complex: quite severe cracking was noted along its full height and between facing stones, indicating that movement had taken place. A custom grout tie and cementitious grout system was designed to tie the buttress, both laterally and back to the perimeter walls. Initial test drillings to accommodate grout ties found the buttress to be substantially voided. To rectify the problem and ensure a good fixing for the ties, a lime-based masonry grouting mixture was designed to fill voids, provide a sound fixing for ties and at the same time stay flexible enough

The south east internal corner before and after the renovation

The Church of St Mary the Virgin in Blundeston to accommodate any further movement. Grout was hand pumped to avoid a build-up of hydrostatic pressure that would possibly further damage the masonry matrix. The final part of the repair strategy was to repoint cracks and reset flints in a lime mortar, again colour blended. Internally, cracks in window reveals, tracery and corners were raked out to reveal substantial cracking and debonding of brickwork/plaster. Those areas were treated with a combination of grout ties, cementitious grout injection and rebuilding finishes in lime plaster to meet existing levels. To provide some lateral restraint on the north flank wall and north east corner, a bespoke metalwork strap and X-shaped pattress plate was installed. The installation mirrors the existing arrangement on the south flank wall and south east corner. Once the internal work had been completed the walls were treated with white lime wash as a final finish. q

Gable with new Pattress Plate in place and Pattress Plate in detail

Chatsworth restoration uses over a tonne of lime

n 9 March the ‘wraps’ came off one of the country’s most notable country houses to reveal one of the most extensive stone cleaning and restoration projects in recent years. The £14m project to restore Chatsworth House in Derbyshire included cleaning more than 2,200m2 of stonework and re-pointing the 20m high facades with 1.25 tonnes of lime mortar. The work was needed to reverse the effects of over 200 years of weather damage. All the new stone used to repair the house comes from the same quarry that provided the stone to build Chatsworth in the 1820’s, when the house was remodelled by the 6th Duke of Devonshire. The project also involved restoring 21 two

metre high urns on the top of the house and the re-gilding of 42 windows and the inscription Cavendo Tutus with 24-carat gold leaf. The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire instigated the ‘Masterplan’ project following a review of the building's structure and services to help realise the shared aim of the Devonshire family and Chatsworth House Trust to safeguard Chatsworth's heritage and continue its history of innovation and progress. Chatsworth's head of special projects, Sean Doxey, explained: “Although the building was in reasonably good condition, it would have started to deteriorate very quickly if we hadn’t stepped in now to repair the worst ravages caused by the weather.”

The Duke of Devonshire declared: “It’s absolutely wonderful to see the house as it must have looked to my ancestors. It has always been a thrilling moment to see the house come into view as you drive across the park and now that view has been made even more magical. With the years of blackened grime now removed from the stone it looks truly magnificent and I’m delighted that it has been preserved for many future generations of visitors to enjoy.” A team of 12 stonemasons and one carver from North Yorkshire carried out the stone cleaning and repair over a 56-week period. Further work will be taking place over the next few years to clean the East Front, which is visible mainly from the garden. R

How blue is my valley! A novel approach to stone restoration was taken with the refurbishment of an early cinema in South Wales. The Grade Two-listed Risca Palace near Caerphilly had stood derelict at the centre of the small town for more than two decades and was considered an eyesore by local inhabitants. Following a campaign to bring the building back into use, spearheaded by the local vicar, a scheme involving the creation of a Tesco convenience store, along with a new library and other community facilities, was completed earlier this year. The ornate art deco building features a stonework façade which sported vivid blue detailing. That detailing has been reproduced by West Country cosmetic repair specialists Plastic Surgeon. The company despatched two of its most experienced stone finishers to the site. Plastic Surgeon’s regional manager for South Wales, Gary Danson, recounted: “The pair of them were on site over a period of six weeks, with interruptions for bad weather and access issues, but the repairs to the classical stonework detailing progressed well.

“Then, when we came to apply the Screedcoat, great care had to be taken to ensure no ‘day joints’ were visible. It is the first time Plastic Surgeon has tackled a building of this size and importance using the Screedcoat system and it has turned out very well, with everyone being complementary about the outcome.” Behind the façade the new library is now open, as is the Tesco store alongside the cinema. R

Lime dissident shows how it’s done

Dr Lynch, pictured at a previous lecture at the museum

r Gerard Lynch is an internationally acknowledged leader in the field of brickwork and mortars and their historical conservation. His practical and technical skills in the use of traditional methods and materials are outstanding. He is author of Gauged Brickwork: A Technical Handbook and The History of Gauged Brickwork. That expertise and long experience will be available to the public at a one-day course at the Weald and Downland Museum near

Chichester, West Sussex on 12 June. Those attending will benefit from talks on such subjects as the types of lime and their uses and why historic buildings need lime, plus they will see a practical demonstration on making a decent mortar for use by a tradesman. They will also be privy to Dr Lynch’s unconventional views on some aspects of current practice in conservation and lime making. The ‘Red Mason’, as he styles himself, believes that “current understanding and

practices do not fully reflect the traditional methods of lime and mortar making and he has stood out against fashionable trends in conservation, with well-researched evidence to support this.” And the environment of the museum buildings themselves provides the physical evidence for Dr Lynch’s opinions. The course costs £110 including lunch and is supported by Singleton Birch. Booking is via the museum’s website, at www.wealddown. co.uk. q

erbyshire Eco Centre is the county hub for sustainability learning. It is a flagship building for low carbon construction, combining traditional materials and new technologies. We can help professionals, trades people and experienced DIY enthusiasts to work on heritage buildings with confidence. Our courses are a mix of theory and practical skills, taught by national leaders in their trade. • Architectural Carving Carve a decorative stone using a design inspired by Saxon Church features. Eight Wednesday evenings starting Wednesday 23 May. Also as a 3 day course over two weekends, on Saturday 7, Sunday 8 and Sunday 15 July. • Lime Mortars and Renders Get familiar with different limes and their uses in plastering, rendering and pointing. A two day course on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 July. • Heritage Roofing Gain experience of using stone, slate and tile on different types of heritage roofs. A two day course on Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 June. • Pave your Way Gain experience of using stone, slate, tile and recycled materials to make paths and paving. A two day course on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 July. •Heritage Construction Learn how to work with lime, stone and traditional roofing materials for restoration and new builds. A three day course from Thursday 9 to Saturday 11 August. •Dry Stone Walling Lantra accredited courses for working wallers at Levels 1 to 3. Contact the Eco Centre for more details of courses starting in August. •See our website www.derbyshire.gov.uk/ecocentre for details of our Holiday Workshop programme, in which we are offering courses in a wide range of topics such as stained glass, charcoal making, bodgers’ camp and building an outdoor bread oven. We also run courses in renewable energy and sustainable construction including building in timber and with straw. q

Trade body launches new group to tackle

knotweed problem

K trade body the Property Care Association (PCA) has launched a new group – dedicated to the removal and control of Japanese Knotweed. The PCA has been working with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) – supported by the Council of Mortgage Lenders and the Building Societies Association – together with Japanese Knotweed control companies that currently operate within the UK, to develop the Invasive Weed Control Group with the aim of signposting consumers to professional treatment companies. Swindon based Elcot Environmental have been heaviley involved in the formation of the group helping to build a platform that provides knotweed management contracts that are acceptable to The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). The CML requirements were that contracts: • were fixed cost, for the whole site and included for risk of knotweed • beyond the boundary. • were carried out by specialist contractors that are accredited for • knotweed management by an approved body • provided for at least three of four years of treatment or follow up • contained financial safeguards for payments made up front • protected from default by a contractor to complete the work • included a warranty Elcot have been providing this type of contract for the past 12 years and the model above was based on the Elcot standard contract. Elcot themselves are a PCA accredited contractor for knotweed management and Trustmark approved. They provide payment protection through Bondpay as well as a ten year warranty backed by £5m professional indemnity insurance. Elcot also offer the option of an insurance warranty for 25 years against structural defects caused by knotweed. The result of this work is that the PCA have become the policing body recognised by the CML for knotweed specialists. This new aspect of the Association coincides with the publication of new guidance from RICS entitled Japanese Knotweed and Residential Property, authored by Phil Parnham. The guidance – along with the development of the Invasive Weed Control Group – now offers assurance and certainty in tackling the problem.

Stephen Hodgson, general manager of the PCA, which has its headquarters in Huntingdon, said: “For several months, the PCA has been working with sections of the Japanese Knotweed control industry to provide representation, accreditation and trade association services. “Ultimately this work has drawn together a set of standards that will ensure consumers can identify companies – through the PCA – that have the skills, infrastructure, knowledge and integrity to eliminate this troublesome weed properly and cost-effectively. “Our role as an established trade body, with a reputation for high standards, ensures a recognised and effective route for the delivery of this work. “The control of invasive species, such as Japanese Knotweed, also complements the Association’s existing areas of expertise.” Professor Max Wade, director of Ecology at RPS Planning and Development, has chaired the Japanese Knotweed Working Group, which has led to the development of the PCA Invasive Weed Control Group. Professor Wade said: “The working group set out to understand lender requirements, support RICS in producing an Information Paper for surveyors and establish the PCA as the trade body for the industry, with the necessary standards and skills in place to offer assurance with respect to the completion of treatments. “We also set out to communicate the fact that Japanese Knotweed has an inflated reputation. It is just a plant. There are other plants that can cause significantly more damage to properties, such as sycamore trees for example. “The problem can be dealt with, and now there is a recognised framework to remedy it.” Philip Santo, Professional Practice Consultant, RICS Residential Professional Group, represented RICS on the Japanese Knotweed Working Group and facilitated the RICS Information Paper. He said: “What we can do now is promote certainty. We have standardisation, consistency and best practice standards in the treatment industry.” q • Further information is available at www.property-care.org where a list of professional Japanese Knotweed control contractors is available. For further information on Elcot Environmental visit www.elcotenviro.com.

Hidden war

memorial restored to

former glory T

he Memorial Baptist Church building in Plaistow, East London, was built after the First World War, and envisioned as ‘a great cathedral Church towering above the mean streets of West Ham, witnessing to the love of God and welcoming, as to a house of beauty and peace, burdened and weary hearts.’ This Grade II listed building – now known as Memorial Community Church – was built to hold 2,000 people. Its east tower holds a unique ‘chime’ of ten bells – played with a hand clavier – which are cast with the names of 200 mostly local men who were killed in WW1. One bell carries the name of Prince Maurice of Battenberg, the only member of the royal family killed in that war. In 2011 the congregation carried out phase 2 of essential highlevel repairs to make the building watertight: replacement of eroded brickwork on the tower, repairs to failed flat roofs and restoration of the tower windows. While the external repairs were going on, the bells were beautifully restored by Gillett and Johnston, who originally made them in 1925. The staircase to the belfry was made safe with a new handrail, lighting was added to the belfry, an exhibition was opened at ground level and a new website created so that more people could ‘see’ the bells and find out about the men they commemorate – of whom very little was known. This involved many volunteers including a local history club, the local branches of the British Legion and Western Front Association, young people from the Historica Apus youth club and a nearby primary school. During the project, relatives of the men commemorated found out about this ‘hidden war memorial’ and several came to the rededication of the bells as a war memorial in November 2011. The new website about the bells at www.localheroes.org.uk has all the information researched so far, as well as many photos of the restoration project. The church was very grateful to have been awarded a Repair Grant for Listed Places of Worship towards the tower repairs, along with grants from Allchurches Trust, the Friends of Essex Churches Trust and the Garfield Weston Foundation. Funds were also raised locally, with events including a Spooky Sleepover in the belfry, and many individuals within the church gave £1 a week throughout 2009 – following the example of the church members who raised funds to install the bells in 1925 by giving a shilling a week. For the project to Reveal the Memorial Bells generous funding came from Heritage Lottery Fund, Pilgrim Trust, the War Memorials Trust, Heritage of London Trust, the Sharpe Trust and the Essex branch of the Western Front Association. The church is continuing to work to restore and redevelop its beautiful building to better serve the local community in one of the most deprived parts of London. New heating and toilets were recently installed, a new growing space aims to combat food poverty and the third and last phase of high level repairs is planned for 2013. R • To find out more about Memorial Community Church see www.memorialcc.org or contact development@ memorialcc.org.

Latest trends in

residential period lighting by CHRISTOPHER HYDE

t is noticeable that the correlation between the cost of houses in London and their size appears to go in opposite directions. A decade ago you could purchase a sizeable period property for three quarters of a million pounds and today the same outlay will purchase a Victorian, small, worker’s cottage – this in turn is influencing lighting styles. Interested and well informed, the purchasers of the Victorian cottages are equally as likely to invest in period lighting commensurate with the purchase price of the house, as their counterparts did a decade ago, and so there is a noticeable increase in requests for smaller scaled, but still high quality light fittings, suitable for such properties. W.A.S. Benson is regarded as a leading designer of the arts and crafts movement and is renowned for his art metal ware, in particular oil, gas and electrical light fittings. The Christopher Hyde Benson new collection of two table lamps and a wall fixture is a tribute to Benson’s style and meets this desire for quality, smaller fittings. All are made from cast brass in bespoke finishes and glass shades. Likewise, the current woes of our economy are widely discussed, and with no quick fix in sight some have decided to invest in property rather than watch their savings languish in the bank generating little interest. Purchasing a period, country home is one solution and my experience is that new owners, including overseas purchasers, are looking to invest in their property and add value by re-instating original features, including period lighting. The interior design, particularly the soft furnishings, will often influence the finish and style of light fittings chosen. Over the last year we have seen a gradual shift away from the dark bronze and pewter light fitting finishes, which work so well with richly toned fabrics and wallpapers, and instead lighter gold, silver plate and soft, warm bronze finishes are in vogue, which complement the more delicate tones of some of the new collections. The classical lighting sector may well have its feet firmly in the past, but I believe its success lies in its continued versatility, which ensures it remains in tune with current style trends. q

Above: TL966 Tall Scroll Table Lamp: diameter 210mm, height 465mm shown in soft gold finish

• Christopher Hyde has a classical lighting showroom at Chelsea Harbour Design Centre. He also accepts special commissions. For further information call 0207 351 0863 or visit www.christopherhyde.com.

Also available: TL967 Small Table Lamp: diameter 160mm, height 335mm WL966 Wall Light: back-plate diameter 95mm, projection 270mm, height 300mm

Changing a bulb could save the planet O ne of the biggest users of energy in any historic building or church is the lighting. In museums in particular the lighting is an integral part of the experience, so when looking at energy savings in the lighting it is essential to keep the effect. One of the simplest and most cost-effective ways of reducing the energy used in lighting is the ‘retrofitting’ of existing lighting with more efficient bulbs. The National Trust is at the forefront of this process, with its supplier Lighting Services. Two recent retrofit programmes were carried out at Quarry Bank Mill in Cheshire and the Fox Talbot Museum in Wiltshire. Both saw incandescent bulbs replaced with LED’s, cutting power consumption by around 80% and paying for themselves in under two years. Eleanor Underhill, Quarry Bank’s General Manager is quoted as

saying: “The National Trust is committed to lowering its carbon footprint – both here at Quarry Bank Mill and at all our places and spaces across the UK. Measures such as switching off electrical appliances and lights when they’re not needed seem simple, but are the first step towards conserving the energy we use.” Modern LED bulbs were also used by Forge Europa for a project to light the ornate altar of St Mary’s RC church in Ulverston. The increased longevity of the LED’s also had a health and safety implication, as they would not need changing for a number of years and are high up in the ceiling. q

Lighting Dynamics complete another stunning church lighting project

ighting Dynamics UK, based in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, has recently designed and completed the installation of yet another stunning lighting project for the magnificent and sumptuous interior of St Augustine of Hippo Church in Edgbaston, Birmingham. St Augustine’s, a Grade II* building, has been a splendid Victorian landmark at the centre of the Conservation Area that bears its name since the church was first consecrated in 1868. Gerry Browne of Lighting Dynamics says the interior lighting upgrade at St Augustine’s provided a real challenge, especially in terms of the correct type and levels of illumination for both the church’s magnificent architectural and ecclesiastical features. Working closely with key members of the PCC, the DAC, the Church Architect, English Heritage and Birmingham Victorian Society, Gerry worked through all of the details and a final lighting design solution evolved. The final lighting design included a variety of all modern, long life and energy saving light sources including LED’s, ceramic metal halide and low voltage tungsten, all of which are linked to a unique and bespoke lighting controls system. These light sources are linked to a quality range of appropriate architectural light fittings all with the correct optics and the ability to take a complete range of lighting accessories, such as anti-glare louvres, spread lenses, etc. The client and all of the project team are delighted with the final result which was further celebrated with a grand opening ceremony by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham. Lighting Dynamics continue to offer a totally independent, unbiased lighting design and consultancy service and, where required, supply of all associated/specified lighting equipment. The company has a number of very prestigious church lighting projects currently in progress with a further significant number at advanced stages of planning and design.

Gerry Browne believes that this is a very exciting time in the further development of church lighting especially with such a great and diverse range of modern light sources now coming on stream.

He has found that customers are increasingly looking for someone with the flair and experience to provide a quality lighting design, whilst also specifying top grade lighting equipment and controls that will provide longevity and reliability for their respective project. q • For further information on the services offered, contact Lighting Dynamics UK on 0121 323 2926 or visit www.lightingdynamics.co.uk.

Diocese goes greener with recycled window decision T

he Church of England Diocese of Winchester is to go over to recycled PVC-U windows for all future replacements in its 250 clergy houses. Diocese houses manager Chris Mariner said the decision was in direct response to the clergy themselves, as well as the body’s environmental officer, who asked about green alternatives. “We know the benefits of PVC-U but they were not keen on the conventional product. As soon as we heard about the recycled frames, they had no objection at all and we were very happy to commit ourselves to the change. We have also asked for all new windows to be ‘A’ Rated as well as having more energy-efficient boilers so we will be saving on fuel use as well.”

The Diocese, which covers Hampshire, Bournemouth, East Dorset and the Channel Islands, is working with Andover-based KJM Group. It will replace the windows using the advanced ‘Infinity’ frame profile from VEKA plc, which is identical in looks and performance to the conventional product. KJM is a strong supporter of the use of recycled windows. Earlier this year, the company enlisted the help of snooker legend Steve Davis to install the first ever recycled PVCU window to go into a UK private house, for a family in Bishops Waltham, Hants. Steve also works as the public face of the trade organisation Network VEKA, of which KJM is a member. R • For further information please contact KJM Group on 01264 359355 or visit www.kjmgroup.co.uk.

Ventrolla graces Liverpool Docklands

entrolla Lancashire is renovating the 630 windows of the Port of Liverpool Building as part of a year long project to restore the historic property to its original glory. The Grade II* listed building was built in the early 1900’s and makes up one third of the ‘Three Graces’ based at Liverpool’s Pier Head, a World Heritage Site. It was damaged during the Blitz in 1941 and is currently undergoing major internal and external restoration work by owner Downing. The building is home to some of the most prestigious companies in Merseyside, including Rathbones investment bank, and is the largest project ever undertaken by Ventrolla Lancashire. The windows have been upgraded using the Ventrolla Perimeter Sealing System (VPSS), which has been tested to 600 Pa, the equivalent to winds of 71 mph, and achieves Class 3 of BS 6375-1. Richard Ellis, managing director of Ventrolla Lancashire, said: “At Ventrolla we are committed to renovating historic buildings in a way that allows them to retain their character and be energy efficient.

The Port of Liverpool Building’s 630 windows are being renovated by Ventrolla Lancashire

“The Port of Liverpool Building is a striking landmark on the Liverpool riverside and we are delighted to play our part in its regeneration.” Ian Orton, a director of Downing, said: “Ventrolla’s work is part of a £10 million restoration programme that Downing is undertaking to restore the Port of Liverpool Building to its former glory and enhance its appeal as a contemporary office space. The building is the jewel in the crown of

Liverpool’s World Heritage waterfront and we are committed to safeguarding its history while looking to its future.” R • With its national headquarters in Harrogate, Yorkshire, Ventrolla was established in 1986 and operates via a national network of regional offices. For further information contact Alan Bell or Charlie Glover at Ventrolla Limited on 01423 859323 or visit www.ventrolla.co.uk.

Traditional box sash windows are making a comeback

he quintessential style for windows in heritage buildings is the sash window. Essentially a sash window is any window comprising two sets of glass panels – or sashes – which slide vertically in opposite directions to open, although the earlier, Yorkshire light style moved horizontally. The word ‘sash’ is thought to derive from the French chassis (frame), although the windows we see today owe their development to the prolific English inventor Robert Hooke. Hooke’s interest in gravity and watch mechanisms led him to devise a method of counterbalancing the sashes that prevented them crashing to the floor. The first examples appear around 1690. The other distinctive feature is the box that encases the frames and the mechanism. It was in the Georgian period that they begin to develop their distinctive look, with eight panes becoming six, then four. As the window size grew the glazing bars shrunk to the elegant sight that graces many a Georgian townhouse today. The Victorians further reduced the number of panes to one over and one under. They added the familiar ‘horns’ that typically appear decorative but are entirely practical. As one modern manufacturer of traditional sash windows, Bygone, explains: “The Victorians introduced horns in the 1850’s to prevent the sash weights from damaging window frames as sash windows gained extra weight from thicker and heavier plate glass.”

A Georgian house – picture courtesy of Andrew Dunn ©

Today many older non-cherished homes are being retro-fitted with sash windows, and there are a number of specialists who still manufacture and install the real thing. It is not only ‘grand’ houses that are reverting to sash windows: many rows of Victorian terraces and factory cottages are being restored to their early charm in towns and villages across the country. R

Boxford window ‘oldest in country’

hat is thought to be the oldest working wooden window in England was discovered during repair work at St Andrew’s Church in Boxford, Berkshire, in 2010. The discovery was made by architect Andrew Plumridge of Peter Scott and Partners, when he removed sections of cement that had been added ‘inappropriately’ during the course of earlier repairs. The window was found embedded in the wall, revealed after perhaps centuries. It consists of a frame complete with a hinged wooden panel dating from the Saxon period. Andrew commented at the time: “Both the church and village are delighted with the find, especially as we believe there are, at most, just three others in the country – and this could certainly be the oldest. It raises the status of the church and confirms other Saxon evidence around the chancel. Church warden Mike Appleton declared: “We’ve always suspected the chancel end of

the church may be Saxon and the discovery of this window proves it. The church itself is a simple building and to find something like this puts us on the map.” Andrew added: “At Peter Scott and Partners we are now delighted to be able to say, officially, that we have worked on buildings spanning more than 1,000 years!” Matthew Slocombe of SPAB, of which Andrew is a member and which reported the find at the time, commented: “We were hugely excited when Andrew told us of his discovery. This is such a rare and unusual find. It is a great privilege to be able to see the work of a Saxon craftsman who lived more than 1,000 years ago. It’s a delight to see that a traditional, wooden, hand-crafted window can stand the test of time more than a millennium after its construction. “At SPAB we would love to hear from anyone who thinks they have found an earlier, wooden crafted window.” To date that has not happened. R

Any old iron? Not any more

ne type of historic window that is likely to disappear from our built heritage over time is the wroughtiron casement window. Dating from Tudor times these were side-hung with small lights held together with lead cames inside the iron frame. Sadly, with the closure of all the manufacturers of wrought iron in the country, steel or flat iron is the only replacement option. For that reason conservation bodies and authorities such as CADW in Wales recommend the repair of such windows rather than their replacement. In its guide to routine maintenance, CADW states: “Metal windows are of considerable historic interest and should be repaired, rather than replaced.” Even the later, hot-rolled steel of the Art Deco and Modernist movements have been replaced “without a second thought”, according to CADW. R

Gradus provides Wetherby Methodist Church with a divine flooring solution Gradus has supplied Genus carpet and Boulevard 6000 secondary barrier matting to Wetherby Methodist Church, as part of a refurbishment project.

etherby Methodist Church is located in the centre of Wetherby and is used by the local community for church services, activities and functions. In June 2011, the church completed a major refurbishment to its entrance area, main congregation area and staircases. Gradus’ Genus carpet and Boulevard 6000 secondary barrier matting were installed in the newly refurbished church, helping to create a fresh and contemporary environment for visitors. The main congregation area of the church was refurbished with Genus carpet in Ancient Ruby (red) which was chosen to complement the elegant and modern design of the interior. In the reception area, Genus carpet in Black Forest (grey) was installed to create a clean and welcoming environment. In addition, Boulevard 6000 secondary barrier matting in Shadow (grey) was installed in the entrance area, helping to remove tracked in dirt and moisture. The performance benefits of Boulevard 6000 secondary barrier matting help to prolong the lifecycle of the surrounding carpet and help maintain the aesthetics of the building. Rev. Steve Barlow, Minister at Wetherby Methodist Church, said: “We're really pleased with Genus in the main congregation area of the church. Not only is it in keeping with the church’s décor, it is also hardwearing and easy to clean and maintain. “In addition, we wanted to specify products which help to create a welcoming and comfortable environment for our visitors. Genus carpet provides excellent acoustic properties which help to provide a quiet and peaceful environment.” Karen Burman, Product Manager for Gradus Floorcoverings, said: “Our Genus carpet range is suitable for a variety of commercial installations and is available in cut pile construction in tile, broadloom and impervious formats, in a wide choice of colours. It was the ideal choice for Wetherby Methodist Church, as not only is it extremely easy to clean and maintain, but the chosen colours complement the interior of the church perfectly.” Genus carpet is produced with Marquesa yarn, which is inherently resistant to staining and fading and does not require any harmful topical treatments. The unique cleaning benefits of Marquesa help to reduce maintenance costs and improve the lifecycle performance of the carpet. The extended lifecycle performance helps prevent early disposal, reducing unnecessary waste sent to landfill, which as a result, benefits the environment and provides a more sustainable lifecycle plan. Genus carpet and Boulevard 6000 secondary barrier matting have been awarded the highest green guide ‘A+’ rating under the BRE’s certified environmental profile scheme. q • For further information on the full range of floorcoverings available from Gradus, contact Gradus technical support on 01625 428922 or visit www. gradusworld.com.

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