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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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Lead casting by John Williams & Co
Kent-based roofing and heritage conservation specialists John Williams & Company have recently celebrated 150 years of working on prestigious historic and ecclesiastical buildings. The company offers a bespoke lead casting service, using traditional moulded sand techniques to create seamless lead plaques and decorative features. Here they give us an insight into this aspect of their work - if you would like a quotation for a lead casting or just some advice please contact them directly.
Method of Sand Casting
Stage 1
A template is made in the exact form as the required finished lead feature. Templates can be mafrom any material so long as it is relatively smooth. Sand moulds will take the shape of even the finest of details so if materials such as natural timber are used the mould is likely to also incorporate the grain of the wood in the casting process.
King of Prussia Gold Medal 2016 - Shortlist
Five projects have been shortlisted for the 2016 King of Prussia Gold Medal church architecture award for repair and conservation work, run by the Ecclesiastical Architects and Surveyors Association and the National Churches Trust.
The winner will be announced by Prince Nicholas von Preussen at a special awards ceremony to be held at St Mellitus college, London SW5 on Thursday 3 November 2016. Also at the awards ceremony, The Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO ARIBA, will announce the 2016 winner of the Presidents' Award for new church architecture.
Get gutters ready for Autumn – Scoop out and then install Brushes
Your guttering helps protect your house, keeping rain and snow from causing water damage to your roof, rafters, exterior and interior walls. Climbing ladders in miserable weather to clear out blocked gutters is something no one enjoys. To help you get your gutters ready for Autumn now, Rainclear are offering a specially designed GutterScoop™ at just 99p with every order of Gutter Guard Brushes.
Why fit gutter brushes?
Once installed the Hedgehog™ Gutter Guard Brushes mean any falling leaves and debris get caught on its spikes leaving the rainwater to run clear and the debris to simply blow away when dry. Take action now so you can relax when Autumn arrives.
Protect your church and heritage property permanently with wireless alarms and CCTV
Based in Sheffield, Scaff Security Alarms Ltd can offer permanent battery powered, wireless monitored CCTV protection for churches and heritage properties nationwide. The company is listed on the National Churches Trust Trades Directory and use Ecclesiastical approved equipment.
Indeed, with over 20 years experience and access to the latest security products, Scaff Security are well placed in the security industry to provide protection for both churches and other heritage properties.
Two Norfolk-based architectural practices unite - Reynolds Jury Architecture merges with architects Purcell
Purcell is pleased to announced its merger with Norfolk-based architectural practice Reynolds Jury Architecture. Combining expertise and skills will increase Purcell’s service offer in the region.
Janet Jury, co-founder of Reynolds Jury Architecture, is appointed partner of Purcell’s Norwich studio. With 33 years’ experience, Janet brings her contemporary residential, community and care-sector design skills, project management capabilities, urban design qualifications and conservation expertise to the team. Janet previously worked at Purcell for 12 years and was involved in high profile projects including the National Gallery and the British Museum, Wimpole Hall in Cambridgeshire and works in the Hanseatic coastal town of Stralsund in Germany, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Tudor Roof Tiles is awarded certified ‘Sign of Quality’ by the Guild of Master Craftsmen
Tudor Roof Tile Co Ltd, Britain's foremost independent manufacturer of handmade clay Peg and Plain roof tiles, has been awarded membership by the Guild of Master Craftsmen for its skill and excellence in the art of traditional clay roof tile making.
The Guild of Master Craftsmen is the UK’s most established trade association, representing skilled and rated tradesmen, craftspeople, artisans and other professionals who strive for excellence in workmanship and customer service. All members sign up to the aims and objectives of The Guild and the logo and coat of arms are a sign of quality instantly recognised by consumers.
Tudor Roof Tiles uses traditional handmade techniques that have hardly changed over the ages. Each tile is individually hand pressed, moulded and trimmed to give its distinctive ‘olde world’ character, and then strengthened by advanced firing techniques in order to give the final product exceptional performance and durability, which exceeds current building regulations.
Tonbridge town centre shortlisted for best outdoor space at the 2016 Brick Awards
The overall principle of this Kent County Council scheme, designed by Russell Florey at Amey Consulting, was to shift priority from vehicles to pedestrians in Tonbridge town centre and thus provide a more pleasant environment for shoppers. Russell explains that “previously the pedestrian experience in Tonbridge had been poor with very narrow footways, wide carriageways and three Pelican crossings. The new scheme has widened the pavements significantly, narrowed the carriageway, constructed designated loading bays, imposed a 20mph speed limit and introduced a table top feature (carriageway & footways all at one level) to allow able-bodied pedestrians to cross more easily.”
St Albans Cathedral Chapter House
The new Chapter House at St Albans Cathedral, one of the oldest cathedrals in Britain, was opened in 1982 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Designed by the renowned architect Sir William Whitfield and his Assistant Andrew Lockwood, the new Chapter House was rebuilt, on the footprint of its Benedictine predecessor, once the ancient site had been thoroughly excavated. These archeological excavations revealed the remains of eleven abbots, four monks plus monastic officials.
39 cathedrals to benefit from First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund
Thirty-nine grants totalling £14.5 million have today been announced by government for urgent repairs to Church of England and Catholic cathedrals in England. This is the second phase of grants awarded by the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund.
Advanced chosen for Atlantic Islands Centre
Even the smallest buildings can be of critical importance to their users, especially in relatively isolated communities. The performance and reliability of Advanced’s MxPro fire alarm panels has seen them installed in another remote coastal location, the Atlantic Islands Centre on Luing, off the west coast of Scotland.
Situated south of Oban in the Firth of Lorne, the largely unspoilt 5.5 square mile Isle of Luing is one of the Slate Islands. The Atlantic Visitor Centre, in the village of Cullipool, is set to revitalise the island’s economy, raising awareness of Luing as a tourist destination and offering a range of outdoor activities. The Centre will also provide a community hub for the island’s 200 residents, providing workshops and office space. It also has the capability to be used as an emergency refuge.
Flexible seating helping churches to reach the wider community
It might be difficult to imagine, but the earliest churches in England had no fixed seating; just a few stone benches around the walls and the pillars. People were encouraged to be active during worship, to move freely throughout the space, and to engage with others around them. The congregation was mobile and the interior of the church was not regimented into fixed rows of inflexible pews.
Not until the late thirteenth century was seating gradually introduced. Simply formed benches were introduced to which backs and ends were subsequently added. In time these became more sophisticated in form and design until churches were fully pewed.
Rainclear add innovation in cast aluminium gutter sealing online
A new gutter sealing system called, Metseal, which means you no longer need to use messy silicone to make Cast Aluminium guttering watertight is available to buy on the Rainclear website along with all your guttering components, downpipes and fittings.
Luxury Italianate brick architecture by Millgate
Only walking distance from Ascot Racecourse and high street, the grand Englemere development by Millgate offers 17 luxury apartments, set amongst 12 acres of manicured landscaping. This spectacular development is situated alongside the world famous sporting venue, with over 300 years of rich heritage, the grandstand shadows Ascot’s picturesque high street and nearby quaint villages, boasting extensive shopping opportunities and a wealth of bustling bars and restaurants.
The revival of Liverpool’s famous tiled pavement
St. George’s Hall, Liverpool is regarded as one of the finest examples of a Neo-Classical building in the world. When constructed in the 1850s, the intricate encaustic tiled floor was the largest Minton pavement in the world at over 30,000 individual pieces. Today, the tiled floor is undergoing major restoration and the first stage is successfully completed. The complexity of the original Minton design makes this project one of the most exacting ever undertaken by the UK specialist tile manufacturer Craven Dunnill Jackfield.
Harvey Lonsdale Elmes, a London architect aged just 25, won a competition to design the original Hall, along with the new assizes court. Construction started in 1841: the building opened in 1854.
York medieval gateway restored
Walmgate Bar is the most complete of the four main medieval gateways into the City of York. It is the only one to retain its barbican, portcullis and inner doors and has recently undergone a major programme of restoration work. This included repairs to stonework dating back to the 12th century and improving public access.
At the city centre side of the Bar is a two storey oak timber framed structure dating back to the 16th century. This part of the building had suffered from timber decay, structural defects and the rectification of failing repair works undertaken back in the 1970s and 1990s.
Young roofing olympians seek gold at international competition
Four outstanding young roofers from around the United Kingdom will be heading to Poland this coming October to take part in the bi-annual World Championship for Young Roofers, organised by the International Federation of Roofing Contractors (IFD). This year the competition is being hosted by the Polish Roofing Trade Association, PolskieStowarzyszenieDekarzy (PSD).
Through this international competition, the IFD aims to harmonise professional roof training, raise the profile of training to the public and create a common international message to promote the standards of skilled young roofers. The competition itself covers the three major roofing disciplines; Flat, Pitched and Metal and Team GB will be aiming for gold in Flat and Pitched.
Beware: your building might not react to fire as you think it will
As building owners or operators we are custodians of a number of valuable assets, such as the premises themselves and the often overlooked element of the need for continuity of operation. Plus, of course, when our buildings are occupied – human life.
So, as conscientious people we try to ensure our buildings are designed to be safe and managed as much as possible so as to prevent a fire.
They are equipped with fire detection systems and possibly fire suppression systems. We even develop and practice emergency evacuation strategies as part of our management plans. All of these aspects of fire safety are reasonably obvious and tangible items for responsible building operators.
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