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Heritage Roofing
Heritage roofing - maintaining our iconic buildings
The UK is home to some of the most iconic buildings in the world, from stunning churches and cathedrals to historic stately homes. Each and every one of these remarkable feats of architecture requires regular maintenance to ensure they remain in the very best condition, allowing them to be enjoyed for generations.
Cathedral Care
Restoration and upkeep of cathedrals
There are some 42 Anglican cathedrals in the UK, not to mention 20 or so Catholic cathedrals. Cathedrals form the most important collection of historic buildings in England. The largest and most ancient are internationally famous, the smallest are usually among the most significant buildings in their region and even the most recent are architectural masterpieces.
Master Craftsmen
Championing our heritage with modern craftsmanship
Twenty years ago, English Heritage (now Historic England) published its first-ever Register of Buildings at Risk across England, which featured nearly 2,000 buildings and monuments that were ‘neglected, broken and unloved’. Recently Historic England was delighted to announce that over two-thirds of those buildings were now safe, in both urban and rural areas right across the country.
Traditional Lime
Lime: it’s better for buildings – and for the environment
It is now fairly well known that cement is not good for old buildings and that lime mortar should be used. But why? What are the advantages and what are the disadvantages? In order to begin to answer those questions it is necessary to understand the nature of traditional building, the process by which buildings used to be built, and how it differs from modern construction, the process by which we build today.
Audio Visual
Audio visual equipment in church buildings
This guidance is issued by the Church Buildings Council under section 55(1)(d) of the Dioceses, Mission and Pastoral Measure 2007. As it is statutory guidance, it must be considered with great care. The standards of good practice set out in the guidance should not be departed from unless the departure is justified by reasons that are spelled out clearly, logically and convincingly.
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CRE Events
After the Midlands, onward to Milton Keynes
"CRE Midlands reminded me of the giddy days when it first began – the venue was packed with exhibitors and visitors and there was a busy atmosphere. The whole thing looked great."
Insurance
You need to ensure that reasonable precautions are in place at your church to keep it safe for those who use it. To do this, you need to think about what might cause harm to people.
You will then need to decide if the precautions already in place are adequate. If they are not, you may need to identify further action to prevent any danger. When done formally, this is known as a risk assessment.
Church Maintenance
Church maintenance and repair: Calendar of Care
Just as prevention is always better than cure, maintenance is preferable to major repairs. But, such repairs may not always be avoidable. Church Care offers a monthly guide in our coming issues Starting in Spring
We can help you understand the common problems and areas that need your special attention, and give you tips for regular maintenance schemes.
Pest Control
Michael Palin warns of pest threat to churches
Michael Palin is supporting the future of the UK’s historic churches and chapels with a voiceover for a new animated film. The 80 second animation, produced for the National Churches Trust, highlights why churches are some of the nation’s best loved buildings.
Town Halls
The history of the great Victorian Town Halls of Northern England
From industrial squalor to civic pride, the story behind some of the most impressive buildings of the North involve a unique mix of economics, grand designs and noble sentiments within communities.
Lead Roofing
Lead is one of the oldest materials in the roofing industry and is still commonly used throughout the world today.
Lead roofing is a traditional roofing method which has been used in the industry for hundreds of years, and is therefore proven to be extremely reliable. Lead roofing, and sand-cast lead, in particular is ideal for old buildings such as churches or historical renovations, whereas milled lead roofing is a mass-produced alternative, used for precision and accuracy in homes and commercial buildings alike.
Lightning Protection
When lightning strikes are you protected against this act of God?
The issue of lightning protection in churches is one that has exercised this publication for many years. In this four-part series of spotlights on the issue we will be revisiting various aspects of the subject, beginning with an overview of current thinking.
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New sound system for St Peter’s Church, Hever
St Peter’s Church in Hever is the oldest of the three in the benefice, dating back to the 12th century and worship has been held here for over 875 years. It contains the tomb of Sir Thomas Bullen, father of Anne Boleyn and grandfather of Queen Elizabeth the First.
Surrey-based Scanaudio Ltd were invited to submit proposals for updating the 20-year-old sound and loop system for improved system performance and control with a clear upgrade path available for future integration with control and projection facilities. The company installed a TOA F series loudspeaker system with additional coverage for the Bullen Chapel and a small sub-bass to provide full-range sound reproduction for music sources.
Church of England welcomes further government support for churches
Listed Churches in need of vital repairs are to benefit after the Government announced the extension of a grant scheme.
The listed places of worship grants scheme (LPWGS) is to be extended by the Treasury for a further year until March 2021.
The scheme pays grants equal to the VAT incurred on repairs such as urgent structural work and new roofs, reducing the fundraising burden on churches and congregations.
York Handmade completes £60,000 order for St Albans Cathedral
The award-winning York Handmade Brick Company has provided 30,000 bricks for the restoration of the historic St Albans Cathedral in Hertfordshire.
This prestigious commission was worth £60,000 for the Alne-based firm, one of the leading independent brick-makers in the country.
David Armitage, chairman of York Handmade, explained that it was a great honour to provide for St Albans Cathedral.
Restoration project is a Barnstormer!
A Yorkshire Dales barn restoration that has become what judges described as “arguably one of the finest wedding barn properties in the country” has won a coveted Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) national award for ‘Best Commercial Property’.
The £2 million project to restore the 500-year-old Great Barn at Bolton Abbey, was overseen by Universal Projects, fit out specialists in the retail, office and residential sector.
Are Britain’s heritage attractions inclusive? Research finds parents with special needs children feel unwelcome
Research commissioned by specialist heritage insurer, Ecclesiastical, has revealed many parents of children with special needs feel uncomfortable or unwelcome while visiting museums, art galleries, theatres, stately homes or castles with their children.
The survey revealed more than two-fifths of parents with special needs children reported that staff or visitors were unfriendly or had made them feel uncomfortable (42%), compared to just one in five parents of children who do not have special needs (22%).
Halifax church and Worcester Cathedral get help from above for maintenance programmes
St Hilda’s Church in Halifax and Worcester Cathedral have taken part in a drone survey trial with specialist insurer Ecclesiastical.
St Hilda’s Church in Halifax participated in survey for specialist insurer Ecclesiastical, which has been trialling drone technology to help support its in house risk management team. The technology will give the insurer fresh insight and accurate data about the churches it insures, which will enable it to provide better and more specific advice to its church customers.
Choosing replacement timber windows for heritage properties
Finding appropriate sympathetic replacements for old and degraded single-glazed windows in period and listed properties can be a real challenge.
Architects, building conservation officers and owners of listed properties are often faced with an uncomfortable choice or compromise, as they seek to find a historically authentic-looking window, which also offers acceptable levels of energy efficiency and comfort for modern living.
Safe and sympathetic access at historic house
ECEX has installed a new fabricated stair to improve access safety between roof areas at the National Trust's Polesden Lacey property located on the North Downs near Dorking, Surrey. Polesden Lacey is an Edwardian house and estate owned and run by the National Trust - it is one of the Trust's most popular properties.
ECEX completed the survey, design, fabrication and site erection of the fabricated steel stair with non-slip GRP treads, with the additional design challenges of very limited access for materials and maintaining the aesthetic of a heritage property.
Don't miss Ladies Day at CRE National 2019
It's not too late to get to CRE National 2019
Tomorrow (Thursday 17th) is your last opportunity to experience all that the Christian Resources Exhibition has to offer, including:
- Our first-ever Ladies’ Day, with special seminars addressing issues faced by women in church and society today. Special guest speakers include the Bishop of Dorking, Rt Rev Dr Jo Bailey Wells.
- Music from Marilyn Baker, Daughters of Davis and Christine Asamoah.
- The Compassion Experience - what is life like in a slum community? Find out in this eye-opening, interactive feature.
Does hydraulic lime always give us the result we want?
When talking about the use of lime, the ‘conversation’ regarding hydraulic sets must have been going on for millennia – ever since, in fact, lime mortar became a thing. Here, Harry Cursham of Vivus Solutions Ltd postulates that hydraulics aren’t all that they seem:
"Where the local limestone contains clay minerals inter alia, the lime made from it will naturally have some hydraulic properties – it is not possible to get away from that basic scientific truth. The temperature of the burn does also have an effect: hotter leads to more efficient hydraulicity; cooler (less energy) leads to less efficient hydraulicity. An interesting correlation to our modern-day efforts to reduce greenhouse gases!
Exhibition backing for top singer
The one-time Manfred Mann harmonica-playing Paul Jones had a powerful backing group as he opened the Christian Resources Exhibition at Sandown Park, Surrey on 15 October.
Early visitors to the exhibition joined in as he played and sang through the song he helped write many years ago - 5 4 3 2 1.
And he ended with a swirl on the harmonica and the crowd roaring out the five-stroke countdown to open the show.
War Memorials Trust
War Memorials Trust works to protect and conserve war memorials in the UK. The charity provides free advice to anyone as well as running grant schemes to support repair and conservation projects. You can find a range of resources on the website http://www.warmemorials.org/ to help you engage with our unique war memorial heritage. The Trust is a charity so if you support our work please consider making a donation.
Get involved with War Memorials Online to upload photos, check location, contribute condition information and add links for your local war memorial.
Long-established roofers still have what it takes
2020 will see the 150th anniversary of the well-known roofing company John Williams & Company and our first issue of next year will carry an in depth feature on the company, showcasing one of their prestigious projects on the front cover and looking at the changes they have seen throughout the last century and a half.
When the company was established in 1870, it had already seen other manifestations that could date back as far as 1822, in Bangor, North Wales. In 2004 the present company John Williams & Company (Contracting) Ltd was formed.
In the intervening years, and since, the company's craftspeople have worked on many prestigious buildings, including Tower Bridge, St James's Palace and The British Museum in London; Rochester Cathedral and Portchester Castle in the South East and many famous hotels and mansions up and down the country.
SSV helps revitalise a South London gem
Sound Space Vision is delighted that its latest project, Fairfield Halls, opened in mid-September after a three-year restoration and renovation led by MICA Architects.
After completing a feasibility study for the council-owned building in 2011, Sound Space Vision was appointed in 2016 and charged with completely replacing the performance lighting, sound, and communications infrastructure for all of the Halls’ performance spaces – the Phoenix Concert Hall, the Ashcroft Playhouse, the Arnhem Foyer, and The Rec and Talawa studios.
In the 1,800-seat Phoenix Concert Hall we focused on restoring the canopy to its original appearance for unamplified events by raising the loudspeakers, rigging and cabling through the canopy when not required. Acoustic banners have also been integrated through the auditorium to better serve amplified events.
Secret doors by Houghtons of York
Amongst the quaint and more unusual things manufactured and installed by Houghtons of York are secret or jib doors. These will very often be part of library installation projects where the company have disguised these to blend into bookcases or elsewhere into wall panelling, wardrobe doors and even simply wallpaper.
To introduce these charming and beguiling features, Houghtons produce jib doors from of a variety of materials, faux book spines plus concealed hinges and handles to produce that convincing illusion.
Marley Alutec features traditional and tudor ranges at Historic Buildings And Gardens Event
Marley Alutec, the UK leader in innovative aluminium rainwater, fascia, soffit and coping solutions, will be exhibiting at this year’s Historic Buildings and Garden Event at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre on the 12th of November (Stand D27). The company will showcase its innovative gutter and downpipe ranges, which are the ideal replacements for cast iron.
One of Marley Alutec’s most popular ranges, the Traditional aluminium gutter system will feature at the event. Manufactured to original British Standard cast iron dimensions BS8530 and available in Half Round, Victorian Ogee and Moulded Ogee profiles, the range is an ideal replacement for cast iron rainwater systems and is suitable for listed buildings and conservation areas.
The significance of picture frames
Most people whether they have artwork at home on their wall or are visiting a gallery or museum never actually realise how important the frame is to the artwork it is housing and how it adds to their enjoyment of the piece of artwork they are looking at.
Frames are not just there to protect and support the art work inside, the structure of the frame along with the design and the materials it is made from must enhance and compliment the art work that it is showcasing, but not so much so that it overpowers of takes away focus from the art.
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