St Wilfrid’s RC Parish Church in Preston city centre is a Grade Two*-listed Jesuit church which draws a substantial number of worshippers throughout the week. It is basilican in form and Italianate in style, with a particularly ornate and impressive interior carried out in exotic materials.

Frank Roberts of Preston-based Francis Roberts Architects said of the interior: “Ranks of giant columns of polished Shap granite, topped with gilded composite capitals, define the nave, which terminates in a semi-domed and coffered apse. The aisle walls are lined in rich marbles and mosaics and there is an impressive display of stained glass.”

Last summer the church embarked on a project to install a new lighting system and redecorate the interior, under the direction of Francis Roberts Architects.

A holy well covering a spring that is said to have arisen during the baptism of Wales’s patron saint, St David, has become the latest monument to gain scheduled protection from the Welsh Government’s historic environment service (Cadw).

The Pembrokeshire monument is known as ‘Pistyll Dewi’ or ‘Ffynnon Dewi’ and the water there is said to have restored the sight of St David’s godfather, who held the baby for the baptism.

A stone built, squared off wellhead is repeatedly associated with the remains of a chapel, with some accounts saying the water is sanctified by running under the chapel’s altar.

Paddy Leighton, UK director for spray foam insulation specialists Icynene, looks at heat loss in buildings and how new, high performance insulation systems can improve comfort levels in old and so called ‘difficult to treat’ buildings.

Every November SPAB (The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings) promote ‘Maintenance Week’ to encourage us to take a look at the buildings we are responsible for and consider spending a little time and money on their care. After all, we all expect regular maintenance checks to keep our cars in good shape – so why not our homes?

Gutters protect our buildings – our most valuable assets, whether ancient or not - Gutters manage the flow of rainwater away from our roofs, walls and foundations keeping them dry and preventing costly damage/repairs.

The award-winning York Handmade Brick Company has provided 30,000 bricks for the new multi-million Central Library and Archives in Halifax, which officially opened on Saturday September 9th.

About 30,000 specially-manufactured bricks make up the walls of the new building.

York restorers and conservators Andrew G Podmore & Son were delighted to be entrusted with the conservation of the great west doors at Ripon Cathedral. The work was carried out under the expert guidance of architect Oliver Caroe.

As with all restoration, it was paramount that the evidence of the timber’s age on the doors’ surface be conserved and this involved careful cleaning of the internal surfaces which can be seen as a matrix frame construction in a harlequin pattern. When the frame was cleaned and the accumulated soot and dust removed, remnants of an original waxed finish were found.

Cotswolds furniture restorer Clive Payne made a unique discovery whilst restoring an early 18th century bureau which had been bought from the estate of Agatha Christie. The bureau, which had been brought in by a private client, had been sitting in Clive’s workshop for 3 years before he began work on it.

Known as the UK’s largest producer of traditionally handmade bricks and specials, produced from its manufacturing base in Leicestershire, Charnwood combines the highest durability characteristics with the ability to tailor bespoke products to your exact specification to produce a premier finish. Two recent unique projects have used quality, premium Charnwood products to form inspiring architecture that encompass distinctive designs.

Stepping Stone House, in Hurley, is a 150sqm multi-room garden house extension located in the grounds of Hurley Manor House. Shortlisted for a RIBA South Regional 2017 Award, architecture practice ‘Hamish and Lyons’ has accomplished a beautiful design, which seeks to embrace the essence of nature using organic structure, natural materials and daylight.

The danger of fire in ecclesiastical and other heritage buildings becomes particularly acute when building or refurbishment work is being undertaken. A major concern is that most building work in churches is undertaken while it remains fully functioning. In those situations, not having a fully compliant fire alarm system can result in unnecessary risks to the congregation and other building users.

Paul Henson, sales and marketing director at Ramtech Electronics, explained: “Fire in our ecclesiastical and heritage buildings is an ever-present danger. These types of structures are particularly vulnerable during refurbishments or new build work due to the presence of flammable materials and hot works.”

The daily opening of the shutters at Mompesson House in Salisbury floods the house with light - but how does this affect the collection? National Trust Consvervation Assistant Kate Vince looks at the different ways that light is monitored to protect the collection whilst still creating a wonderful experience for visitors.

My first job in the morning is to open the shutters of the house. This lets the light flood the rooms and brings the house to life. I do a room at a time, clean it, then shut the shutters back down and plunge the house into darkness once more. This stops light from damaging the collection.

Light is an agent of deterioration and as such is monitored throughout the house. Viewing the collection in daylight is a joy but it has been well understood for centuries that light, particularly daylight, can cause objects to deteriorate. This damage is irreversible and cannot be rectified by conservation treatments.