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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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Creating a ‘church without walls’
St Hilary’s Church in Killay, Swansea has seen its services transformed by technology thanks to the expertise of audio-visual integrator, Vaughan Sound.
The worship venue is located around three miles west of Swansea city centre and forms part of the Gower Ministry Area – a community of 20 Anglican churches in the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon.
Vaughan Sound was approached by the parish as they sought a new live streaming solution for St. Hilary’s Church that would be ‘very simple to operate’. The primary goal was to broadcast services on their new YouTube channel, to bolster a core aim of the parish in creating a ‘church without walls’.
Now you can have the aesthetic of clay within a cladding system
FabSpeed, a Michelmersh Group brand, has introduced its CMS40 façade system, in collaboration with fellow industry leaders Cladmate Façade Systems.
CMS40 is a lightweight, easy-to-install, cost-effective system that integrates mechanically fixed, non-combustible brick slips into façades to offer the beautiful clay aesthetic that we all know and love. It is suitable for a range of construction projects – from volume high or low-rise or single new build projects to retrofit applications – and can be applied to both indoor and outdoor façades. By seamlessly blending traditional brickwork aesthetics with advanced rainscreen cladding solutions, CMS40 sets a new standard in architectural versatility and performance.
Churches and Chapels across Yorkshire throwing open their doors for ‘Yorkshire Churches Day’
Hundreds of places of worship across the region are gearing up to welcome visitors for Yorkshire Churches Day, taking place on Saturday 14 September. Yorkshire’s churches are treasure troves full of amazing history and heritage and Yorkshire Churches Day is a chance encourage visitors both new and old to discover what’s behind their doors.
Churches from all corners of the County will be opening up, offering tours, refreshments, music, exhibitions and treasure hunts for visitors to enjoy. Many are joining together to put on trails between a number of churches for those looking for a fun day out.
Listed church connects old to new with glass link
Grade II listed, the church of St John the Evangelist in Manthorpe has been transformed with the addition of a new community hall. An innovative full height glass link connects the church to the new hall, interfacing with a glass rooflight that extends the full length of the building, flooding the space below with natural daylight.
Like all our bespoke glass installations the result is deceptively simple, with minimal fixings and a flawless result with no indication of the technical challenges involved.
Heritage-friendly basement waterproofing: what the Romans did for us
The heritage-friendly waterproofing of basements and cellars sited partially or fully underground, and subject to on-going moisture problems, can come with significant technical challenges. The primary challenge is how to keep water out of the building without causing long-term damage to the building fabric.
Why video surveillance on scaffolding matters
Churches are more than just places of worship: they often serve as community centres, historical landmarks and even home to valuable artwork and artifacts. When scaffolding is erected for maintenance or restoration projects, the vulnerable structures require an extra layer of security. That is where having a video surveillance system monitoring the scaffolding and the building becomes an important deterrent to crime.
There have been some high-profile examples of scaffolding being used to access churches for vandalism:
Works of art: value beyond structure
Fine art consultant Patrick Bowen uses his experience in valuing stained glass to propose a new appreciation of its true value – both financially and artistically
In a recent issue of Ecclesiastical and Heritage World (No 97) I drew attention to the possibility of a ‘grey area’ between a structural aspect of a building and a chattel which may be considered as movable property. It is an area of concern to all building surveyors and chattel surveyors.
A successful AV system design starts with an informed customer
It’s fair to say that, when it comes to the world of AV, it is easy to become quickly overwhelmed by the often-complex jargon that is prominent throughout the industry. APi Sound and Visual, specialist audio-visual installers for the church and heritage markets, want to ensure customers can access information they understand. No technical language, no in-depth explanations of the internal workings of equipment, just straightforward answers of what something is, what it does and why it is important (or not).
Celebrating 40 years of Cadw: caring for our precious heritage, discovery and learning
This year marks a significant milestone for Cadw as it celebrates its 40th anniversary and continues on its mission to care for Wales’ historic places while inspiring current and future generations to connect with the nation’s rich cultural heritage.
Since it was established in 1984, Cadw has welcomed over 50 million visitors from across the UK and the world to its historic monuments in Wales. There are now over 30,000 listed historic buildings, over 4,200 protected historic monuments, nearly 400 registered historic parks and gardens, and four World Heritage sites.
Important CSCS Card update from NCTS
Part of the Construction Leadership Council’s drive for a fully trained and competent workforce, the Industry Accreditation CSCS cards, which were issued through the Grandfather Rights period from 1st Jan 2020 will expire on 31st December 2024. Please note the current CSCS cards cannot be renewed.
Anyone who was issued with a CSCS card during that process, will have to consider renewing now to allow enough time to complete a formal assessment.
ISCVE announces ISCVEx 2025 Exhibition and Seminar Event
It's the event all professionals in the Sound, Communications and AV industry should attend, the ISCVEx 2025 Exhibition and Seminar Event, organised by the Institute of Sound, Communication and Visual Engineers (ISCVE), taking place on 25-26 March 2025, at the prestigious Coombe Abbey Hotel.
This two-day industry event brings together experts, manufacturers, and installers to showcase the latest technologies and innovations in the industry.
ICS Furniture completes chair installation in Belfast Cathedral
Also known as the Cathedral Church of St. Anne, Belfast Cathedral is a Church of Ireland Cathedral and is the focal point of Belfast's Cathedral Quarter. Their old seating was 120 years old and were not stackable. The church required a chair that allowed for the flexibility and comfort that the older seating did not provide.
Stockport tree surgeon faces a challenge at Mellor Church
Stockport’s local tree surgeons, Myers Tree Care, are often presented with an unusual challenge. On this occasion, they were approached by the bell ringers of St Thomas’s Church at Mellor to see if they could assist in the scheduled maintenance of the clock face.
As a school governor at Mellor School, tree surgeon David Myers was teamed up with the headmaster, Jim Nicholson, and between them took on the challenge with both hands!
Manchester Town Hall - cleaning and restoration of the Great Hall
James Stone Masonry Ltd in association with McCrory Holding are proud to have been involved in this prestigious project to restore the historic Grade One-listed Victorian Gothic edifice. The Great Hall in Manchester Town Hall is of immense importance: within the Great Hall there are 12 murals painted by Ford Madox Brown. These murals had to be protected and great care had to be taken when we were working around them.
The superb painted ceiling in this room is also quite remarkable, the ceiling is separated into panels bearing the coats of arms of principal countries and towns with which Manchester traded. The timber panels around the ceiling were cleaned taking great care not to damage the gold leaf and paint work to the woodwork.
CXD supply William Morris Gallery with bespoke showcases following refurbishment
Conservation By Design (CXD) has supplied bespoke showcases to the William Morris Gallery in London following a £5 million major refurbishment. The Walthamstow gallery has been transformed to create a new world-class destination and international centre of excellence for the study of Morris, one of the foremost creative artists and original thinkers on the nineteenth century.
It reopened its doors to the public in August 2012, giving visitors the chance to view almost 600 objects and previously unseen work. The collection housed at the William Morris Gallery is the only one in the world to represent all aspects of Morris’ work.
New AV system provides the complete solution
The re-ordering of Holy Saviour Church in Bitterne, Southampton, has seen the culmination of over four years of project work by Creative Audio-Visual Solutions (CAVS).
Within the main church, full sound, visual and streaming systems have been installed for complete versatility and long-term development potential. The audio system features eight Electrovoice EVC 8” speakers for effective coverage throughout the main nave and side aisles – supplemented by dual compact ELX-200 active subwoofers. Additional S-series speakers provide additional chancel coverage for service leaders.
Shedding light on conservation rooflights
Paul Trace from Stella Rooflight offers advice on navigating UK Building Regulations and Planning Laws.
In his address to the House of Lords in 1943, Sir Winston Churchill emphasised the profound influence that the built environment has on our lives, advocating for the faithful restoration of the House of Commons following its wartime destruction. “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us,” he said. His sentiment underscoring the significance of preserving the character and identity of historic buildings, which form an integral part of our national heritage, evoking a sense of pride and identity among many Brits.
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