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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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Martin-Brooks showcases skills at heritage day
Sheffield’s Martin-Brooks has joined forces with fellow heritage building experts to share the unique work it is undertaking at a North Lincolnshire church with next generation roofers.
The specialist firm played an integral role in a heritage skills day, held at Holy Trinity Church in Messingham, to provide awareness and training for apprentices and young site operatives.
Home Farm in Suffolk restored to former glory
Home Farmhouse in north-west Suffolk is a two storey timber and attic framed house. The original part of the house dates to 1325 and can be attributed to a St Cross family called Collebells. Indeed Collebells was the original name of the house and only became Home Farm 200 years later. Originally a high-status Yeomans’ house it gradually expanded and became a large dairy farm sometime in the 16th century.
Safe and cost effective visual inspection at height
Compared with traditional methods, Chichester-based RTF Imaging can provide faster, safer and more cost effective methods of visual inspection at height, reducing the need to send human operatives into dangerous and inhospitable places.
They serve the domestic, commercial and industrial sectors, specialising in the close inspection of hard to reach places, and are now increasingly being asked to employ their services on ecclesiastical and heritage properties where minimal disruption to the building fabric is of key importance.
Drone images used in national promotion
Peterborough based Sky Revolutions Ltd carried out an aerial survey of the 18th Century Marple Aqueduct for Arcadis recently to help them understand the condition of the brickwork underneath the arches. The images were picked up by the UK Canal and River Trust and are now being used to promote a refurbishment project and parapet installation.
Marple Aqueduct in Stockport is the highest canal aquaduct in England and the highest masonry-arch aquaduct in Britain. The client, Arcadis, needed to inspect the underside of the brickwork arches and the face of the brickwork to highlight any defects.
Lighting upgrade illuminates the full majesty of Worksop Priory’s interior
The second phase of a project to completely upgrade the interior lighting at Worksop Priory in Nottinghamshire has recently been completed by Lighting Dynamics UK, one of the country’s foremost specialist church lighting companies. This latest phase, the upgrade of the lighting for the complete interior, follows completion by the company of a previous phase in the beautiful Lady Chapel which also featured in Ecclesiastical and Heritage World.
Your surveys no longer need to be done on a wing and a prayer
The use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) is rapidly expanding as the carers and keepers of old buildings and churches learn how much easier and more cost-effective completing surveying and maintenance projects can be with the professional use of drones.
The use of such machines has proved revolutionary in carrying out surveys of areas in ancient buildings and churches which had previously required extensive preparation, followed by expensive and in some cases hazardous operations. Indeed, in some churches there are parts of the building that had not hitherto been accessed at all for many years.
UK Roofing Awards 2018 - Winners Revealed
The winners of the UK Roofing Awards 2018, hosted by the NFRC, were announced at a ceremony hosted by BBC’s Dan Walker at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge hotel on Friday 11th May 2018.
Now in its eleventh year, the UK Roofing Awards has become a firm fixture for the roofing sector to come together and celebrate outstanding standards of design workmanship and safety demonstrated throughout the year.
NFRC Chief Executive James Talman, who introduced the Awards, said: “These awards stand as a reminder to us all of the important contribution the roofing sector makes through innovative products, design and workmanship, to the construction industry.”
Trace-in-Metal - protecting lead roofs since 2012
St Peter’s Church in Huddersfield in December 2012 was the very first Trace-in-Metal installation and the church and parishioners have since that time, benefitted from the most comprehensive metal theft protection system on the market. It was indeed fitting that a Yorkshire innovation, should be applied for the very first time on a Yorkshire Church.
Since that time, Trace-in-Metal has been applied on numerous buildings across the country, from Cumbria in the west to north Lincolnshire in the east. From Ripley Castle in rural North Yorkshire to the urban streets of Hemel Hempstead, where it continues to protect the lead on the roof of the Registry Office.
Heritage Ironwork: An Endangered Species
This seminar on 14 June is part of the BathIRON Festival of Iron organised by the National Heritage Iron Group between 14 - 17 June in Bath.
There is a fantastic line-up of speakers exploring various aspects of heritage ironwork, so this day is sure to be of interest to anyone who works in the field of built heritage, or simply has an interest in it.
£400,000 spring boost for the UK's historic churches
55 churches and chapels in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland that are set to benefit from rescue funding of £425,183 from the National Churches Trust, the UK’s church support charity.
Churches receiving grants from the National Churches Trust include:
- St Botolph, Colchester, Essex. The Grade II Listed church receives a £10,000 National Churches Trust Repair Grant to help fund urgent tower repairs.
British Islamic heritage celebrated by Historic England
In March, two mosques in London were listed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic England, in recognition of their historic, architectural and cultural importance.
The London Central Mosque and Islamic Cultural Centre in Regent’s Park (1970-77) has been listed at Grade II* and The Fazl Mosque, Southfields (1925-26) at Grade II.
In addition, two of Britain’s earliest Islamic places of worship have been given greater protection and recognition. Britain’s first purpose-built mosque, the Shah Jahan Mosque in Woking (1888-89), has been upgraded to Grade I and an important guesthouse on the site newly listed, while the home to Britain’s first functioning mosque, 8 Brougham Terrace in Liverpool, has been upgraded to Grade II*.
Martin-Brooks finds church past can be read in lead
Sheffield roofing specialists, Martin-Brooks, are adding their name to a roll call of craftsmen who have helped preserve an historic North Yorkshire church.
Whilst reconstructing the tower roof at grade I listed All Saints Church in the village of Bolton Percy, near York, the firm discovered the names of previous workmen engraved into the lead.
As part of the renovation, these areas of the roof were saved by Martin-Brooks and welded back into the new Code 8 lead covering in exactly the same place. A new stainless-steel shoe and lead slate were also incorporated for a flagpole.
The Lead Sheet Association is now a new Training Academy offering lead and hard metal training
In March The Lead Sheet Association became the Lead Sheet Training Academy Ltd - however, although the name has changed, their focus remains the same. They are dedicated to providing first class training courses delivered by the country’s best tutors from their purpose built training centre in the heart of Kent. Their lead and hard metal training courses are the only courses of their kind which are approved and accredited by City & Guilds and CITB.
Rejuvenating tired external surfaces does not have to cost a fortune
Most of the discolourations are due to the presence of a biological layer, the biofilm. The appropriate use of a mild surface biocide is often all it takes to recover the original surface in a matter of days, the time it takes for the dead biofilm to disperse.
The biocide has to tick the right boxes for the task, Algoclear Pro - the market leader - is recommended by KRend.
A Perry launches new market leading black antique ironmongery range
Reinforcing its long established West Midlands roots, A Perry & Co (Hinges) Ltd, a leading independent, family-owned British manufacturer and supplier, is introducing Old Hill Ironworks, a high-quality door furniture range which specialises in black antique ironmongery originating from the heart of the Black Country.
The products are designed to appeal to consumers through their premium components, superior finish, 12-year mechanical guarantee plus pricing which potentially delivers higher profit margins for distributors and stockists.
There's more to lightning protection than Franklin could have imagined
Most churches still rely on the traditional ‘tower only’ system of lightning protection, using a conductor mounted on the highest point of the church – the tower or steeple.
However, protection against lightning is also an essential element of the electrical installation of historic buildings of all kinds, many with large and complex structures. The ‘tower only’ system is unlikely to be appropriate and, indeed, the current British Standard BS EN 62305 recommends the more sophisticated Faraday cage system plus surge protection for electrical and telecoms equipment.
Lightning protection and steeplejacking apprentices honoured at SLPTG Apprentice Awards
Members of The Steeplejack and Lightning Protection Training Group (SLPTG) came together to celebrate the achievements of apprentices at the Apprentice Awards Dinner at the Oxfordshire Hotel on the 28 February.
Two apprentices who demonstrated outstanding individual achievement throughout their training were recognised with the following awards:
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