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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
Exhibitors enthuse over the CRE experience
By 4pm on the first day of CRE 24 at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, exhibitors Chris and Kim Dunphy had already had so many helpful and detailed conversations with visitors that they were “completely talked out”.
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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The Mary Mags Project
Twenty years ago St. Mary Magdalene’s was in a sorry state, as the vast building was decaying visibly and its maintenance was well beyond the resources of the small congregation. The Archdeacon of Charing Cross, Dr Bill Jacob, was the consistent presence over the intervening years as with others he sought solutions to the conundrum of what to do with an outstandingly beautiful and important church now anomalously situated on a very un-Anglican council estate (widely perceived as dangerous) and with other churches with better facilities close by.
Phil Price appointed President of ISCE
At the recent AGM of the Institute of Sound and Communications Engineers (ISCE) Phil Price MInstSCE was appointed President for a term of three years, taking over from Tony Smith.
At the same time, Helen Goddard FInstSCE, managing director of AMS Acoustics (below), was appointed Vice-President.
Pavers from Ketley deliver on award-winning Barbican restoration
Paving tiles from West Midlands based Ketley Brick Company Ltd are helping to deliver the renovation of the Barbican podium area which began late 2013. As a listed building, the requirements were to maintain the general appearance of the paving while freshening the look of the area and delivering good slip resistance. Over 280,000 paving tiles in three brindle colours were supplied for the first phase of the restoration.
Church re-roofing leads to two new product lines from tile manufacturer
When the call came through to Dreadnought Tiles requesting tile samples for a church re-roofing project little did the manufacturer realise that the contract would lead to the development of two new product lines aimed specifically at plugging a gap in the restoration market.
Discreet heating solution for heritage warehouse conversion
When a 19th Century wharfside store in Carmarthen was transformed into a luxurious family home, choosing a heating system that would complement the interior aesthetics while maintaining energy-efficient comfort was essential. The answer proved to be a Unico small duct warm air heating system, where the only visible signs of the system are discreet outlets in each space.
BTP Architects gets the vote for landmark historical project
BTP Architects has been appointed to restore the landmark Pankhurst Centre in Manchester. Subject to successful fundraising, the £2.6m project will see a complete refurbishment of the site which is the former home of suffragette, Emmeline Pankhurst.
Following a design competition, BTP Architects was selected by the Pankhurst Trust to restore the Grade II* listed building and support its Stage 1 Heritage Lottery Fund bid.
Short on music rehearsal space at your church? Help is at hand!
You could say that music is the heart and soul of our churches. Unfortunately, space is often limited for rehearsal and practice, however there is now a low budget tried and tested innovative solution.
BeatBox™ is a fantastic contemporary music space offering a dedicated soundproofed environment for music creativity. Providing a unique music practice room for bands or solo players, it is transportable, compact and tenacious.
Multiple wins at London Planning Awards for Trafalgar Place
Trafalgar Place, residential scheme designed by De Rijke Marsh Morgan Architects (dRMM) has won the ‘Best New Place to Live’ and the ‘Mayor’s Award for Planning Excellence’ at London Planning Awards, 2016.
As the first phase in Lendlease’s regeneration of the former Heygate Estate, Elephant & Castle; Trafalgar Place is a scheme of 235 homes integrated within the historic fabric of the predominantly 19th century neighbourhood. The design reconnects the existing monolithic architectural interventions of the Heygate Estate and integrates the adjacent neighbourhoods.
2016 UK Roofing Awards – finalists revealed
After receiving almost 300 entries this year, we are delighted to announce the finalists for the UK Roofing Awards in 2016. The competition ran from September until the end of January when a panel of technical experts from supporting trade associations whittled the entries down to just 56 projects across 14 categories. The winners are then chosen by a small panel of construction professionals.
The winners will be announced at the UK Roofing Awards ceremony on Friday 13th May 2016. We wish this year’s finalists the very best of luck. All the short-listed projects, sponsors and more information on the Awards can be found at www.roofingawards.co.uk.
Maximizing experience and expertise to custom build for the future
Frimley Green Methodist Church is a brick built building in the heart of Frimley Green, serving both the church and the wider community. The building was first completed in 1940, and replaced an old tin chapel, since then an extension has been added and the wooden stalls replaced with more comfortable seating. The church is a busy multi-functional venue with many activities taking place each week. In 2015 a decision was made to update the building and Fullers Finer Furniturewas commissioned to carry out the work.
The brief was to modernise and improve the functionality of the space at the front of the church and to provide new furniture that was both aesthetically pleasing and pleasingly functional.
New church hall meets stringent building requirements
When St John The Evangelist Church in Redhill, Surrey decided that they needed a church hall, to address the lack of children’s facilities as well as the need for office space, they approached specialist contractors Surrey-based Corniche Builders Ltd to undertake the project which had to meet a number of stringent requirements.
The church is a Grade B Ecclesiastical Listed Building, whilst the churchyard and boundary wall are curtilage listed. The proposal required work to be carried out within the graveyard and so there were issues relating to the sensitivities of the relocation of graves. The site also lies close to the Earlswood and Redhill Common Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI).
Record breaking year for Stirling Castle as visitor numbers rise
Stirling Castle is amongst a string of Scottish tourist attractions that had a record-breaking 2015, according to figures released by The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) today, Monday 7th March.
ALVA reports a 5.48% increase in visitors to its member sites across Scotland, with Historic Environment Scotland confirming a 4.1% increase in footfall – a total 458,932 visitors – to Stirling Castle last year.
Steel windows - the important questions answered
Our picture shows W40 steel windows and doors. The Steel Window Association have provided answers to nine of the most important questions surrounding steel windows:
1. Do steel windows rust?
Modern steel windows, positively rustproofed by the hot dip galvanizing process and then polyester powder coated, together with brass and stainless steel hardware, will provide as good if not better durability than is offered by competing materials.
Edinburgh Castle seeks modern apprentices
Historic Environment Scotland is celebrating Scottish Apprenticeship Week by offering 9 school leavers the opportunity to join the team at Edinburgh Castle on a two-year Modern Apprenticeship.
Starting in June 2016, the Modern Apprentices will spend their first three months taking part in a thorough induction of the castle, before being thrown into working life at Scotland’s most popular visitor attraction. Over the two years, apprentices will divide their time between college and hands-on experience of working in one of three main areas: admissions, tour guiding, or retail.
Glass artist shines a light on notable events
York-based stained glass artist Ann Sotheran has more than 25 years experience of designing and making stained glass for a wide range of locations. She works in the traditional English method of stained glass making, selecting and cutting glass from hand-made sheets sourced from English Antique Glass at Alvechurch, Lamberts in Germany and St Just in France, along with precious remnants of glass once made by Hartley Woods in Sunderland. The glass may be acid etched, painted and stained before being leaded.
Oak coffer at historic church restored to former glory
Southampton based Ian Wall Furniture Restoration were contacted by the Parish Church of St Margaret of Antioch, East with West Wellow about an old oak coffer that had been used for many years to store the flower arranging paraphernalia.
The back and base had become detached and it was no longer stable. Upon inspection it was found to have suffered badly with woodworm and the bottom rail at the rear was so badly damaged it fell away.
With a limited budget it was decided to insert a section of oak so that it was able to hold the back panels and floor in situ. A length of oak was dimensioned and machined to accept the old structure and then inserted into place. It was then coloured to bring it to a dark colour to match as best possible within the time constraints.
York Theatre Royal to reopen on Friday 22 April following a £6million redevelopment
York Theatre Royal, founded in 1744 and one of the UK’s oldest producing theatres, reopens its doors on Friday 22 April 2016 following a £6million redevelopment. The project by architects De Matos Ryan has transformed the 270 year old theatre into a building fit to serve a 21st century audience with improved access and flexibility.
The project has been funded by Arts Council England, City of York Council and York Conservation Trust with generous grants and donations from local and national trusts and foundations, corporate and individual supporters. A further £153,000 has been raised through a public fundraising campaign.
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