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Tudor Roof Tiles is awarded certified ‘Sign of Quality’ by the Guild of Master Craftsmen

Tudor Roof Tile Co Ltd, Britain's foremost independent manufacturer of handmade clay Peg and Plain roof tiles, has been awarded membership by the Guild of Master Craftsmen for its skill and excellence in the art of traditional clay roof tile making.

The Guild of Master Craftsmen is the UK’s most established trade association, representing skilled and rated tradesmen, craftspeople, artisans and other professionals who strive for excellence in workmanship and customer service. All members sign up to the aims and objectives of The Guild and the logo and coat of arms are a sign of quality instantly recognised by consumers.

Tudor Roof Tiles uses traditional handmade techniques that have hardly changed over the ages. Each tile is individually hand pressed, moulded and trimmed to give its distinctive ‘olde world’ character, and then strengthened by advanced firing techniques in order to give the final product exceptional performance and durability, which exceeds current building regulations.

Tonbridge town centre shortlisted for best outdoor space at the 2016 Brick Awards

The overall principle of this Kent County Council scheme, designed by Russell Florey at Amey Consulting, was to shift priority from vehicles to pedestrians in Tonbridge town centre and thus provide a more pleasant environment for shoppers. Russell explains that “previously the pedestrian experience in Tonbridge had been poor with very narrow footways, wide carriageways and three Pelican crossings. The new scheme has widened the pavements significantly, narrowed the carriageway, constructed designated loading bays, imposed a 20mph speed limit and introduced a table top feature (carriageway & footways all at one level) to allow able-bodied pedestrians to cross more easily.”

Luxury Italianate brick architecture by Millgate

Only walking distance from Ascot Racecourse and high street, the grand Englemere development by Millgate offers 17 luxury apartments, set amongst 12 acres of manicured landscaping. This spectacular development is situated alongside the world famous sporting venue, with over 300 years of rich heritage, the grandstand shadows Ascot’s picturesque high street and nearby quaint villages, boasting extensive shopping opportunities and a wealth of bustling bars and restaurants.

St Albans Cathedral Chapter House

The new Chapter House at St Albans Cathedral, one of the oldest cathedrals in Britain, was opened in 1982 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Designed by the renowned architect Sir William Whitfield and his Assistant Andrew Lockwood, the new Chapter House was rebuilt, on the footprint of its Benedictine predecessor, once the ancient site had been thoroughly excavated. These archeological excavations revealed the remains of eleven abbots, four monks plus monastic officials.

The revival of Liverpool’s famous tiled pavement

St. George’s Hall, Liverpool is regarded as one of the finest examples of a Neo-Classical building in the world. When constructed in the 1850s, the intricate encaustic tiled floor was the largest Minton pavement in the world at over 30,000 individual pieces. Today, the tiled floor is undergoing major restoration and the first stage is successfully completed. The complexity of the original Minton design makes this project one of the most exacting ever undertaken by the UK specialist tile manufacturer Craven Dunnill Jackfield.

Harvey Lonsdale Elmes, a London architect aged just 25, won a competition to design the original Hall, along with the new assizes court. Construction started in 1841: the building opened in 1854.

39 cathedrals to benefit from First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund

Thirty-nine grants totalling £14.5 million have today been announced by government for urgent repairs to Church of England and Catholic cathedrals in England. This is the second phase of grants awarded by the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund.

York medieval gateway restored

Walmgate Bar is the most complete of the four main medieval gateways into the City of York. It is the only one to retain its barbican, portcullis and inner doors and has recently undergone a major programme of restoration work. This included repairs to stonework dating back to the 12th century and improving public access.

At the city centre side of the Bar is a two storey oak timber framed structure dating back to the 16th century. This part of the building had suffered from timber decay, structural defects and the rectification of failing repair works undertaken back in the 1970s and 1990s.

Advanced chosen for Atlantic Islands Centre

Even the smallest buildings can be of critical importance to their users, especially in relatively isolated communities. The performance and reliability of Advanced’s MxPro fire alarm panels has seen them installed in another remote coastal location, the Atlantic Islands Centre on Luing, off the west coast of Scotland.

Situated south of Oban in the Firth of Lorne, the largely unspoilt 5.5 square mile Isle of Luing is one of the Slate Islands. The Atlantic Visitor Centre, in the village of Cullipool, is set to revitalise the island’s economy, raising awareness of Luing as a tourist destination and offering a range of outdoor activities. The Centre will also provide a community hub for the island’s 200 residents, providing workshops and office space. It also has the capability to be used as an emergency refuge.

Young roofing olympians seek gold at international competition

Four outstanding young roofers from around the United Kingdom will be heading to Poland this coming October to take part in the bi-annual World Championship for Young Roofers, organised by the International Federation of Roofing Contractors (IFD). This year the competition is being hosted by the Polish Roofing Trade Association, PolskieStowarzyszenieDekarzy (PSD).

Through this international competition, the IFD aims to harmonise professional roof training, raise the profile of training to the public and create a common international message to promote the standards of skilled young roofers. The competition itself covers the three major roofing disciplines; Flat, Pitched and Metal and Team GB will be aiming for gold in Flat and Pitched.

Flexible seating helping churches to reach the wider community

It might be difficult to imagine, but the earliest churches in England had no fixed seating; just a few stone benches around the walls and the pillars. People were encouraged to be active during worship, to move freely throughout the space, and to engage with others around them. The congregation was mobile and the interior of the church was not regimented into fixed rows of inflexible pews.

Not until the late thirteenth century was seating gradually introduced. Simply formed benches were introduced to which backs and ends were subsequently added. In time these became more sophisticated in form and design until churches were fully pewed.

Beware: your building might not react to fire as you think it will

As building owners or operators we are custodians of a number of valuable assets, such as the premises themselves and the often overlooked element of the need for continuity of operation. Plus, of course, when our buildings are occupied – human life.

So, as conscientious people we try to ensure our buildings are designed to be safe and managed as much as possible so as to prevent a fire.

They are equipped with fire detection systems and possibly fire suppression systems. We even develop and practice emergency evacuation strategies as part of our management plans. All of these aspects of fire safety are reasonably obvious and tangible items for responsible building operators.

Rainclear add innovation in cast aluminium gutter sealing online

A new gutter sealing system called, Metseal, which means you no longer need to use messy silicone to make Cast Aluminium guttering watertight is available to buy on the Rainclear website along with all your guttering components, downpipes and fittings.

Enhanced artistic expression at ACCA

Heritage buildings, successfully refurbished, can make a significant contribution to community participation. When in need of a new or continued lease of life, sensitive creative intervention, new ideas, artistic expression and local interaction have the potential to help the buildings flourish.

The work of Sound Space Vision (SSV) in this field includes transforming a redundant Grade II Listed church in Hammersmith into a performing arts venue. Also, in Manchester, a sought after orchestra rehearsal space has been borne for the Hallé Orchestra out of a disused chapel.

At the University of Sussex Attenborough Centre for Creative Arts (ACCA), SSV, in collaboration with RHP Architects, have reinvented the facilities at the former Gardner Arts Centre. Remaining within the vestiges of the original 1960s design by Sir Basil Spence, it has been upgraded and transformed into effective rehearsal and performance spaces, teaching and workshop arenas and public gathering spaces for both its students, the wider community and professional ensembles.

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