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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.
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.
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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Iechyd da! Reasons to be cheerful on St David’s Day
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has announced today initial support² for major redevelopment projects in Cardiff, Halifax and London. These are: St Fagans, one of the UK’s earliest open-air museums which has been pivotal in shaping Welsh cultural identity; the Piece Hall, an 18th-century square and monument to Yorkshire’s textile industry; and the Science Museum’s new galleries designed to honour achievements in science and digital communications.
Dame Jenny Abramsky, Chair of HLF, said:
“It’s fitting to announce HLF’s initial support for St Fagans – a place which has contributed so much to the understanding of Welsh identity - on St David’s Day. We were also impressed with exciting plans for the Piece Hall and the Science Museum. These three major projects highlight the special role heritage can play in bringing people together and recognise the importance of creating wonderful places for learning and recreation.”
St Fagans, Cardiff - initial support for a £8.7m HLF bid, including £450,000 development funding
Established in 1948, St Fagans has played a crucial role in defining Welsh identity and is the country’s top tourist attraction with 600,000 visitors each year. Part of the National Museum of Wales, it comprises historic buildings, parkland, archaeological sites and collections. Plans for redeveloping the site include the introduction of the National Archaeology Collection, modernising galleries and adding storage space, refurbishing the main building and creating a ‘Green Pavilion’ where people will be able to watch archaeologists at work. The vision for the project is to produce ‘a world class museum of learning’.
The Piece Hall, Halifax – initial support for a £7m HLF bid, including £239,700 of development funding
Each year, over one million people walk through the Grade I listed Piece Hall’s open courtyard which was originally designed as a place for cloth manufacturers to trade ‘pieces’. Whilst currently underused as an open civic space and tourist destination, Calderdale Council hopes to transform it into a vibrant European-style piazza in keeping with the Hall’s 18th-century Italian architecture. A space will also be created to explain the important role that the Hall has played in Yorkshire’s history.
The Treasury Galleries at the Science Museum, London – initial support for a £6.34m HLF bid, including £346,200 of development funding
The National Museum of Science and Industry is planning to create a set of ‘Treasury Galleries’ at the Science Museum in South Kensington. Proposals are for four floors of the current museum to be redeveloped and turned into major galleries. HLF would support two of these galleries: one focusing on the ground-breaking achievements of scientists and the other highlighting revolutions in digital communications. These would be part of a wider £100m master plan to reinvigorate a significant part of the museum’s total public gallery space.
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