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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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ISCVE announces ISCVEx 2025 Exhibition and Seminar Event
It's the event all professionals in the Sound, Communications and AV industry should attend, the ISCVEx 2025 Exhibition and Seminar Event, organised by the Institute of Sound, Communication and Visual Engineers (ISCVE), taking place on 25-26 March 2025, at the prestigious Coombe Abbey Hotel.
This two-day industry event brings together experts, manufacturers, and installers to showcase the latest technologies and innovations in the industry.
ICS Furniture completes chair installation in Belfast Cathedral
Also known as the Cathedral Church of St. Anne, Belfast Cathedral is a Church of Ireland Cathedral and is the focal point of Belfast's Cathedral Quarter. Their old seating was 120 years old and were not stackable. The church required a chair that allowed for the flexibility and comfort that the older seating did not provide.
Stockport tree surgeon faces a challenge at Mellor Church
Stockport’s local tree surgeons, Myers Tree Care, are often presented with an unusual challenge. On this occasion, they were approached by the bell ringers of St Thomas’s Church at Mellor to see if they could assist in the scheduled maintenance of the clock face.
As a school governor at Mellor School, tree surgeon David Myers was teamed up with the headmaster, Jim Nicholson, and between them took on the challenge with both hands!
Manchester Town Hall - cleaning and restoration of the Great Hall
James Stone Masonry Ltd in association with McCrory Holding are proud to have been involved in this prestigious project to restore the historic Grade One-listed Victorian Gothic edifice. The Great Hall in Manchester Town Hall is of immense importance: within the Great Hall there are 12 murals painted by Ford Madox Brown. These murals had to be protected and great care had to be taken when we were working around them.
The superb painted ceiling in this room is also quite remarkable, the ceiling is separated into panels bearing the coats of arms of principal countries and towns with which Manchester traded. The timber panels around the ceiling were cleaned taking great care not to damage the gold leaf and paint work to the woodwork.
CXD supply William Morris Gallery with bespoke showcases following refurbishment
Conservation By Design (CXD) has supplied bespoke showcases to the William Morris Gallery in London following a £5 million major refurbishment. The Walthamstow gallery has been transformed to create a new world-class destination and international centre of excellence for the study of Morris, one of the foremost creative artists and original thinkers on the nineteenth century.
It reopened its doors to the public in August 2012, giving visitors the chance to view almost 600 objects and previously unseen work. The collection housed at the William Morris Gallery is the only one in the world to represent all aspects of Morris’ work.
New AV system provides the complete solution
The re-ordering of Holy Saviour Church in Bitterne, Southampton, has seen the culmination of over four years of project work by Creative Audio-Visual Solutions (CAVS).
Within the main church, full sound, visual and streaming systems have been installed for complete versatility and long-term development potential. The audio system features eight Electrovoice EVC 8” speakers for effective coverage throughout the main nave and side aisles – supplemented by dual compact ELX-200 active subwoofers. Additional S-series speakers provide additional chancel coverage for service leaders.
Shedding light on conservation rooflights
Paul Trace from Stella Rooflight offers advice on navigating UK Building Regulations and Planning Laws.
In his address to the House of Lords in 1943, Sir Winston Churchill emphasised the profound influence that the built environment has on our lives, advocating for the faithful restoration of the House of Commons following its wartime destruction. “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us,” he said. His sentiment underscoring the significance of preserving the character and identity of historic buildings, which form an integral part of our national heritage, evoking a sense of pride and identity among many Brits.
New York cathedral gets bespoke furniture to accommodate diverse needs
In March ICS Church Furnishers of the Republic of Ireland announced the successful completion of a bespoke seating project for The Cathedral of St John the Divine, the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. This collaboration began in 2018 when the cathedral sought a solution for their seating needs that would accommodate their diverse range of services and events.
The project, which resumed in early 2023 after a pause due to external factors including the COVID-19 pandemic, resulted in the creation of 2,000 custom-designed chairs tailored specifically for the cathedral’s requirements. Each chair, a modified version of ICS’s renowned ICON 40 chair, was meticulously crafted to compliment the cathedral’s existing architecture, featuring a darker stain, and engraved with the cathedral’s iconic Rose Window emblem.
Careful conservation allows candelabra to shine again
The Church of St Michael and All Angels is in Skelbrooke, a small village to the north of Doncaster, beside the A1 trunk road. The church is listed Grade II by Historic England, with a chantry chapel recorded on the church site as early as 1338.
Some elements of a medieval church survive, including some stone arches between the chancel and chantry chapel. They were bricked up during the reformation in 1549 and are some of the few early features to survive a serious fire that destroyed much of the church building in 1870.
How urban mining can help reach net-zero goals
When considering the heritage buildings of the future, the carbon footprint not only of the buildings in operation, but also the process of construction and the building’s life span – from design, through construction to demolition. An innovative, circular approach is emerging that has the potential to reduce the environmental impact of construction significantly: urban mining. Here, traditional brickmakers Michelmersh explain the process and its advantages.
Over £3m spent locally as Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways ‘Tell Stories & Preserve the Past’
Twenty contractors and sub-contractors from across Gwynedd and North Wales have benefited from over £3 million in funding awarded to the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways (FfWHR) for its Interpretation and Boston Lodge Project by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF), the Ffestiniog Railway Society and Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway Trust.
During the last eighteen months the railway has made use of local skills and craftsmanship, resulting in significant contracts for local businesses.
Perth heritage venues get new environmental monitoring systems
Culture Perth and Kinross care for one of the UK’s oldest nationally significant collections, which features works by influential Scottish artists, including Joan Eardley, Sir William MacTaggart, Calum Colvin and Alison Watt. These are currently on display in Perth Art Gallery.
The place of conservation in repurposing ecclesiastical buildings
Modifying places of worship for new and additional uses is one way of tackling the crisis of the growing number of historically significant churches across the UK which are crumbling away and becoming redundant. Here, Lewis Proudfoot, managing director of Cliveden Conservation, focuses on educational uses and the role of conservation in future-proofing these buildings.
Cliveden Conservation’s expertise is required for the ‘Our Cultural Heart’ project in Huddersfield town centre
Cliveden Conservation has been subcontracted by BAM – the principal contractor for Kirklees Council’s Our Cultural Heart project in Huddersfield – to conserve the Fritz Steller pieces of art and other heritage building material as part of the redevelopment of the Grade II Listed former Queensgate Market building.
A condition survey of the ten decorative ceramic panels entitled 'Articulation in Movement' created by German sculptor Fritz Steller (1941-2015) has been undertaken by Cliveden Conservation. The survey informs a programme of conservation repair works to the panels on the eastern elevation of the Queensgate Market building. The works will be carried out in 2025.
York firms embark on iconic city building’s conservation project
York’s Bar Convent is undertaking a major conservation project, in conjunction with local contractors, that will involve the careful restoration or renewal of many of the building’s original features, helping to ensure the historic property is preserved for future generations to celebrate and enjoy.
Famed for being Britain’s oldest living convent and the country’s second ever school for girls, the Bar Convent is one of the city’s best known buildings, located on the corner of Nunnery Lane and Blossom Street near Micklegate Bar. Formally known as the Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre, it houses an 18th-century chapel which features the relic of St Margaret Clitherow, a modern exhibition, an award-winning 22-bedroom guest house, café, gift shop, garden and three meeting rooms.
Ebenezer Evangelical Church adopts live streaming solution
Thanks to the expertise of audio-visual integrator Vaughan Sound, Ebenezer Evangelical Church in Neath Abbey now benefits from an intuitive live streaming system – facilitating remote, online services.
Situated between junctions 43 and 44 of the M4 motorway, the church approached Vaughan Sound looking for a means of streaming their services during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Lockdown guidelines and restrictions had greatly restricted the number of participants that could physically attend this small worship venue.
Transformative technology for Welsh chapel earns praise in Y Tyst
Capel Gellimanwydd in Ammanford has benefitted from a complete makeover, including an array of new audio-visual equipment provided by leading integrator, Vaughan Sound.
The chapel dates back as far as 1782, making it the oldest in this former coal mining town in Carmarthenshire. Rebuilt in 1836 before extension in 1865, a vestry was later added in 1882.
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