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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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Effective answer to scrap metal crime wave
In response to the huge increase in the theft of scrap metal, wireless security specialists Tag Guard Ltd have developed a purpose-designed solution that could become a major deterrent.
New faces grace Chapter House restoration
The future of one of London’s oldest buildings, the Chapter House at Westminster Abbey, has been secured following a major English Heritage-led repair and conservation project. Over the past 18 months a team of 20 master carvers and stonemasons has painstakingly cleaned, repaired and conserved the badly weathered gargoyles, stone floral friezes, flying buttresses and stained glass windows. The colossal scaffolding has now come down to reveal the majestic exterior completely refreshed, revived and weather-tight.National Trust introduce new apprenticeship scheme
The National Trust has created a new Apprenticeship Scheme in a bid to tackle the severe building skills shortage in the heritage sector.The programme, which is aimed largely at 16 – 19 year olds, will train young men and women in traditional skills including stone masonry, carpentry, joinery, lead work, plumbing, painting and decorating.
Heritage Lottery Fund invests £17m in skills
Today, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has announced an investment of £17m – treble the amount it originally set aside - in 54 projects under its Skills for the Future programme¹. This money will deliver 808 placements and adds-up to an impressive 780 years’ worth of paid training opportunities for people across the UK seeking a career in heritage. It will not only support traditional conservation training but also a wide variety of more contemporary skills, such as managing volunteers and using social media to get people involved in heritage, that will help reinvigorate and broaden the appeal of the heritage industry to job-seekers.
Heritage Lottery Fund invests over £1m in skills in the North East
Today, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) is announcing an investment of almost £1.2m into three projects across the North East under its Skills for the Future programme.
Draft Kings Park plan out for consultation
A draft plan to transform Stirling’s Kings Park to meet the needs of the whole community now and in the future is out for consultation.The Kings Park in Stirling is a park steeped in the history of Stirling and Scotland and also a much loved, contemporary green space in the heart of the city providing leisure and pleasure to City residents and visiting tourists as well as offering stunning views to Stirling Castle and the distant hills.
Major Makeover For Gateway to Ayr Town Centre
A multi-million pound project to transform the historic gateway to Ayr town centre is due to get underway later this year thanks to funding from South Ayrshire Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).The HLF monies (£1.08 million) will supplement the Council’s investment in the Ayr Townscape Heritage Initiative (Ayr THI) to provide grant funding of more than £2.5 million for the repair and refurbishment of properties within the THI area, with the priority buildings being on New Bridge Street – known locally as the ‘pink buildings’.
Knight Frank Scoops Scottish Natural Heritage Maintenance
Knight Frank’s building consultancy team has won a three year contract to manage planned maintenance to Scottish Natural Heritage’s property portfolio across Scotland.Pittencrieff House Museum Restoration Begins
An ambitious £260,000 restoration of Pittencrieff House, one of Dunfermline’s most historic buildings, gets under way this week.
To mark its 400th birthday, the exterior of the house is undergoing major restoration which is expected to be complete by the autumn.
English Heritages historical archive catalogue now online
For the first time the public will be able to search online a catalogue describing more than a million historical photographs and documents relating to England's historic buildings and archaeological sites held by the National Monuments Record (NMR), English Heritage's public archive
Chief Executive welcomes conservation of Chapter House
On Tuesday, 26 May 2010 a reception was held at Westminster Abbey to mark the completion of the repair and conservation of the exterior of the Chapter House. English Heritage's Chief Executive Dr Simon Thurley delivered the following speech, touching on the significance of the building, the craftsmanship involved in the project, the publication of a new book on the Chapter House as well as the current economic climate and as announced recently by the Government, the cuts to the public sector.
£7million to help repair England's historic places of worship
English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund announce grants to help restore Grade II listed places of worship
English Heritage (EH) and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) have today (Monday 24 May 2010) announced funding of £7million to help restore 68 historic Grade II listed places of worship in England. Places of worship from a range of faiths and denominations are set to benefit from the organisations’ joint Repair Grants for Places of Worship programme.
The buildings set to benefit include the Memorial Community Church, a Grade II listed Baptist Church in Newham, East London; the Church of the Sacred Heart, a Grade II listed Roman Catholic Church in Portsmouth; and the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Lincolnshire.
Future of Buriton Chalk Pits secure thanks to Heritage Lottery Fund grant
Buriton Chalk Pits, near Petersfield, East Hampshire, is to be saved thanks to nearly £150,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
The money will be put towards conserving the ecologically valuable chalk pits in Buriton, a well-loved Local Nature Reserve and Site of Importance for Nature Conservation.
It will pay for a programme of maintenance work including scrub clearance and the creation of new habitats. New paths will be created and existing ones improved, local school children will be shown the natural and industrial history of the pits and a part-time ranger will be employed by Queen Elizabeth Country Park to help manage the site.
Eglish Heritage Project
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded a grant of £44,900 to Eglish Historical Society for a new project that will explore and record the history of the parish, it was announced today.
The two year project, ‘Eglish through the Ages’, will capture and record the cultural and natural heritage of the area over the past centuries to ensure its preservation for future generations. At least fifteen volunteers will be recruited to help research, compile and record the heritage of the parish under the themes of history, literature, sport, folklore, politics and the industrial past.
The unique heritage of Eglish includes its ancient church site, which is believed to have been a centre of worship since the dawn of Christianity, the base of an early Celtic cross, the sweat-house at Cadian and other places of historic significance including hill-forts, crannogs and holy wells. Part of the Battle of Benburb was fought within the parish boundaries, Harper O’Neill is believed to be buried in the church grounds and connections with the milling industry date back to early monastic times, giving the area a rich heritage.
St Malachy's Catholic Church, Belfast
One of Belfast's oldest and most beautiful churches has won an important prize following a huge renovation project involving tile company Armatile.
St Malachy's Catholic Church, in Alfred Street near the city centre, has been declared NI Project of the Year.
The 19th century church beat several multi-million pound commercial and government schemes.
The results of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors competition were announced on Monday the 20 May.
Following the major renovations, many of the church's old features were brought back to life.
These included the altarpieces, the sanctuary, the "inverted wedding cake" ceiling and stained glass.
Designed by Consarc and manufactured and fitted by Armatile the main church floor has undergone a stunning transformation.
Incorporating new mosaic and water jet cut pieces, it succeeds in complimenting and enhancing the original sanctuary mosaic sections.
A bespoke original geometric design was also commissioned for the baptismal area which again was manufactured and fitted by Armatile.
All this was made possible by Armatile’s specialised manufacturing facility in Armagh, which allowed the floor designs to be realized to the exacting architectural design specifications.
Lead Sheet Association appoint new head
The Lead Sheet Association (LSA) has appointed Nigel Johnston, their former Training Manager, as General Manager responsible for all aspects of the Association’s activities.
Growth innovation and awards over the past 5 years
In June 2010 Crossroad Health and Safety Systems; based in Charfield celebrate their 5 year anniversary. During the past five years they have grown into a truly national company with more than 40 employees and associates, and the company maintains an award-winning culture which focuses on innovation and practical solutions to the challenges which safety brings, although working in a very serious sector a fun work environment is key to success and effective communication.
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