Current Issue
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.
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.
CRE Events
CRE gets the message across – At Home
When Christian Resources Exhibitions (CRE) announced in June that this year’s CRE National at Sandown would not be taking place because of COVID-19 restrictions, they had already decided that it would not be the end of the matter. If people could not come to CRE, CRE would go to the people: CRE At Home 2020 was already being planned.
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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Stained Glass
A brief history of stained glass
The origins of the first stained glass windows are lost in history. The technique probably came from jewelry making, cloisonné and mosaics. Stained glass windows as we know them, seemed to arise when substantial church building began.
By the 10th century, depictions of Christ and biblical scenes were found in French and German churches and decorative designs found in England.
Back Issues
Church Lighting
Light up your place of worship
The design of a lighting scheme and the light fittings themselves can have a positive impact on the way your building looks as well as being functional.
War Memorials
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.
UK Roofing Awards
UK Roofing Awards 2020 finalists announced
The finalists for this year's The UK Roofing Awards 2020 have been announced. The NFRC will be reopening nominations later in the year for projects completed during 2020 and additional shortlisted projects will be added to create the full list of finalists for the combined 2020/21 awards event.
Live Streaming
Why live stream is now mainstream
The restrictions around the COVID-19 pandemic have led to many churches venturing into the online world in a much more comprehensive way than before. While most churches have had some kind of online presence and the Church of England has it’s a Church Near You site, the live streaming of services has become much more common. And modern AV equipment is perfectly suited to communicating via the internet.
Lead Contractors
Members offer 25 years peace of mind
The trade body that represents the leadworking industry – and guarantees quality in that industry – is the Lead Contractors’ Association (LCA). The LCA was formed in 1984 to promote quality standards in leadwork and now comprises over 70 specialist contractors committed, supported by 15 associate members who supply materials and ancillary services.
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Decorative Leadwork
Saving the artistry of early craftsmen
Beaten, twisted, cut or cast, ornate designs bear out the skill and artistry of early craftsmen. And surviving examples are under threat.
Heritage Roofing
Heritage Roofing Register - a helping hand for architects
A unique register of heritage roofing specialists is providing much needed help and assurance for architects and specifiers when working on heritage projects. The Register is the brainchild of the UK’s largest roofing trade association, the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC).
Promotional Videos
Watch the latest videos from the church & heritage sector here
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.
Lead Training
Training at the Lead Sheet Training Academy
The Lead Sheet Training Academy is at the forefront of training for those using lead or hard metals in the construction industry.
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York Handmade plays pivotal role in new Porters’ Lodge at historic Cambridge college
The award-winning York Handmade Brick Company has played a pivotal role in the creation of a new Porters’ Lodge at Jesus College, Cambridge.
York Handmade, based at Alne, near Easingwold, supplied more than 20,000 bricks for the state-of-the-art building at the historic college.
The contract is worth £33,200 for York Handmade, one of the leading independent brickmakers in the UK.
New lighting at St Matthias Church in Stoke Newington
CES LLP is a specialist lighting design practice with a fully trained installation team in the niche market of heritage churches and listed buildings. They have been fortunate to have worked in some incredible buildings.
St Matthias Church in Stoke Newington is a Grade 1 listed building. The church was designed during the Victorian era by William Butterfield, the renown gothic revival architect, and was completed in 1853.
In addition to its role as a functioning parish church, St Matthias Church has developed an important role supporting music and the creative arts as a venue to a wide variety of performances.
Repairs and restoration to decorative plasterwork in Teeside’s Victorian Town Hall now completed!
After 18 months of working on this project, Ryedale Plasterers have now completed their part of the renovation and have restored the decorative plasterwork. After years of neglect, this building's interior was decaying and in a truly terrible state. The repairs required were throughout the entire building - to walls, a glazed dome over a stairwell, cornice, ceilings and archways. The main area of work was to the decorative plasterwork in the Civic Suite.
All repairs were completed using time-honoured plaster and lime techniques that create a durable, ecological finish. All the repairs the company have made will maintain the authenticity of this grade II listed building that dates back to 1890 and was designed by local architect James Garry.
Traditional oast construction catches programme makers’ eye
The people at Channel 4 television love a good oast house construction with its familiar cowl – and the team at Dude and Arnette are just the people to make it happen for them.
Back in 2017 the company was featured in the Village of the Year series, showcasing the history of oast cowls and Kent peg tiles. This spring a crew has been filming the construction of an oast house from start to finish. It will form part of a series showcasing different types of traditional buildings, each one being different and unique – such as a church or a windmill.
Builder who believes Actis Hybrid should be a legal requirement refurbishes scout hut
A Stroud builder who believes Actis Hybrid products should be a legal requirement in all reroofing and new build projects will be making life more comfortable for his local scout troop thanks to a donation from the insulation specialist.
Mike Nicholls, who runs a construction firm specialising in period property refurbishments including listed buildings, mill and barn conversions, is a huge fan of the range. And when his local scout group could cope no longer with the damp, dingy, cold back room in their converted farriers’ Cotswold stone building, he offered to step in and help them out.
New internal lighting completed at St Margaret's Church, Betley
St Margaret’s Church is a Grade I listed building situated within the beautiful village of Betley. With its wide and varied history, St Margaret’s has been through many changes over its existence. CLS Electrical Services Ltd were proudly asked to provide a lighting design and full specification which included the replacement of internal electrical distribution equipment.
Installation work was completed successfully in September 2020 and provided a new DALI controlled LED lighting system which will reduce the ongoing maintenance issues and lower the electricity consumption within the church. Provisions were also made to allow future installation of additional exterior lighting which shall be carried out once faculty approval is granted. Existing distribution boards were replaced bringing the complete electrical system up to date with current regulations.
For further information visit www.churchlightingsystems.com
St Mary's Church, Funtington gets new internal lighting and external renovation
CLS Electrical Services Ltd were commissioned to design and install a new lighting system at St. Mary’s Church in Funtington. They removed the existing tungsten light fittings and associated cabling, along with the banks of light switches that were used to control the original lighting. All of this was replaced with a new DALI controlled lighting scheme with simple to use controls.
A timeclock built within the system operates chosen light fittings during the daytime allowing enough light for visitors to walk around safely. The work carried out also included renovation of the external lighting as well as installing additional socket outlets within the church. The existing distribution equipment was also replaced and decluttered bringing everything up to date.
Safe use of church heating systems
The average Anglican church is a tricky place to heat. This guidance from insurers Ecclesiastical provides advice on the safe and efficient use of various church heating systems.
Churches usually have large internal spaces, high ceilings and, putting the more modern churches to one side for the moment, the construction of its doors and leaded windows will make it difficult to insulate. A well-maintained heating system is important – which means conducting a number of checks throughout the year. Furthermore, from an insurance perspective, heating systems create several risks of their own, of which trustees need to be aware.
Restoration of St Oswald's Church, Grasmere
St Oswald’s Church stands on the banks of the River Rothay in the centre of Grasmere and is a Grade I listed building that dates from 1250AD. Up until the 1890s the church was rendered in lime. At that time the lime render was removed, and the pointing raked out. This was replaced with a cementitious strap pointing which caused severe damp, so further action was required. To try and solve the damp, in 1921 the church was encased in a cementitious pebble dash render.
Easy-to-use streaming solution reaches the COVID congregation
St Pauls Weston Super Mare is the largest church in the Diocese of Bath and Wells apart from the cathedrals. It normally has a big, vibrant congregation and has strong links with the community.
When COVID restrictions meant they could only house a fraction of their normal congregation, they approached APi Sound and Visual to create a streaming solution. Craig the minister had recommended APi to the church as they had recently installed a comprehensive sound and visual system into his previous church in Ilminster. APi’s managing director ANDY PIDSLEY takes up the story.
Gowercroft Joinery wins top woodworking award for Winston Churchill’s former home
High quality timber window and door specialist Gowercroft Joinery has received one of the woodworking industry’s highest national accolades for its part in the restoration of Templeton House, Sir Winston Churchill’s former home in Roehampton.
Gowercroft saw off stiff competition from other joinery companies, to win the British Woodworking Federation’s ‘Woodworking Project of the Year’ award, which recognises the very best in design, innovation, application and ability in joinery manufacture along with craftsmanship and technical excellence.
Heritage railway’s new facilities showcase brick specialism
Opened in 1862, Bridgnorth is the working terminus of the Severn Valley Railway (SVR) – a popular heritage steam railway.
Lying within the Bridgnorth Conservation Area and overlooked by Pan Pudding Hill – a scheduled ancient monument – the site is a highly significant heritage asset and all key original buildings still remain. The main station building is Grade Two-listed, and since 1979 had been served by a ‘temporary’ Portakabin refreshment room, which has detracted from the setting of the listed station.
Ancient building material still has many uses
One of the universal building materials prior to the end of the 19th century was lime. Lime was present in various forms in almost every building, from limewash on the walls of cattle byres and cottages to the mortar used on cathedral and castle walls.
According to the British Lime Association (BLA), lime was burnt as early as the 4th century BC, when it was first used as a building material. Today, the universal term ‘lime’ includes quicklime, hydrated lime, milk of lime and dolomitic lime.
Ecclesiastical launches pilot to put 18th century Kenwood House on a technological par with The Shard
Specialist insurer Ecclesiastical is working with English Heritage to pilot cutting edge technology to monitor and manage building services at 18th century Kenwood House.
In the first scheme of its kind, Ecclesiastical and English Heritage, in partnership with technology firm Shepherd, are piloting sensors to monitor Kenwood, the former home of William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, located on the edge of Hampstead Heath in London. The sensors - which are battery-operated and do not require Wi-Fi - discreetly monitor environmental changes within the building.
Lighting developments have evolved into new LED product ranges
Over recent years, West Midlands-based Lighting Dynamics UK has continued to develop as one of the UK’s premier companies specialising in the interior and exterior lighting of cathedrals, churches and other places of worship, across all Christian denominations.
York Handmade plays pivotal role in stunning North Yorkshire development
The award-winning York Handmade Brick Company has played a significant role in a stunning new North Yorkshire residential development.
The Easingwold-based firm, one of the leading independent brick-makers in the country, supplied specially-manufactured bricks for a state-of-the art barn development at Manor Ridge Barns, Slingsby, near Helmsley.
Heritage Cast Aluminium Beaded Deep Run stocked in textured black
In response to a growth in orders for this 115x75mm (4.5x3") deeper profile, Rainclear, the UK’s leading stockist and online retailer of metal rainwater, roofline and drainage systems are adding it to stock, for next day delivery, in the popular textured black colour.
An ideal solution for properties that require a rainwater system with extra volume/rainwater flow capacity. This traditional cast aluminium beaded half round profile gutter is made deeper - for a greater flow capacity and is already available in 7 standard RAL textured colours or 25 standard Matt RAL colours in 15 days.
