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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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Cardiff University - Civic Trust Open Doors initiative
Cardiff University is throwing open the doors of one of its most iconic buildings to give members of the public a rare opportunity to explore its history and find out more about the ground-breaking work that goes on there.
Formally opened in October 1909, the University’s impressive Main Building is Grade II listed and a thriving focal point for the campus and the city. As part of the Civic Trust Open Doors initiative, a special open day will be held on Saturday 17th September giving Cardiff residents and visitors to the city the chance to look behind the building’s familiar exterior.
As part of the day, visitors can see first-hand some of University’s newly acquired Rare Books collection, which includes 175 incunabula (the earliest printed books from before 1500), around 500 rare Bibles and a rare set of early Shakespeare works.
There will also be an interactive children’s area with hands-on exhibits based on the human body, demonstrations and exhibitions by some of the researchers based in the building about their world-leading work and the chance for people to find out more about the courses offered by the University’s Centre for Lifelong Learning.
Main Building, which is located on Park Place, will be open to members of the public from 11.00am until 3.00pm on 17th September. During the day, two special tours of the building will be given by Jim Cowan, a professional guide from Cardiff History and Hauntings. These start at 12.45pm and 1.45pm and will last approximately 30 minutes. Tours of the Rare Books collection will run at 1.00pm-2.00pm (Welsh language) and 2.00pm-3.00pm (English language).
All tours are free and places must be booked in advance by contacting This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 02920 876935. More information is available at www.cardiff.ac.uk/opendoors.
Visitors who would like to take a building tour through the medium of Welsh, or who have accessibility issues should contact the University’s Community Engagement Team on the email address or number above in advance.
The Open Doors initiative is organised by the Civic Trust for Wales and gives members of the public free access to visit some of the country’s most beautiful buildings and places of historic and architectural interest. This year there are over five hundred events at more than three hundred sites across Wales. The programme is Wales's contribution to European Heritage Days.
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