Institute of Historic Building Conservation No 133 March 2014 Valuing heritage The conflict and controversy
UK RESTORATION SERVICES is a highly skilled in-house team of restoration specialists. Completing restoration projects around the UK on private houses, cottages, estates, historic buildings, monuments, and timber frame buildings, we are renowned for our innovative approach to problem-solving and our adapt-and-overcome attitude. • LIME POINTING • LIME PLASTERING • LIME RENDERING • STONE MASONRY • Structural repairs • Traditional Roofing • LEAD WORK • STONE SLATE ROOFING • Low Pressure cleaning • DOFF THERMAL CLEANING UK Restoration Services Herd House Farm, Halifax Road, Briercliffe, Burnley, Lancashire BB10 3QZ Tel/Fax: 01282 431155 E: office@restoration-services.uk.com www.restoration-services.uk.com AccreditedContractor CONSTRUCTIONSKILLS CERTIFICATIONSCHEME Sawley Abbey Hesketh near Carlisle Cumbria Bank Farm andThreshing Barn, Cheshire
C O N T E X T 1 3 3 : M A R C H 2 0 1 4 1 Cover: St Vedast in the City of London. Reconstructed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1695–1701 (the spire may be by Nicholas Hawksmoor), it was restored by Stephen Dykes Bower after being bombed in 1941. (Photo: Rob Cowan) www.ihbc.org.uk Registered as a charity in England andWales number 1061593 and in Scotland number SC041945. Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England number 3333780. Registered Office: 3 Stafford Road,TunbridgeWells, Kent TN2 4QZ. Officers President Trefor Thorpe, president@ihbc.org.uk Chair Mike Brown, chair@ihbc.org.uk Vice Chair Emilia Hands, vchair@ihbc.org.uk Secretary Eddie Booth, ihbcsecretary@ihbc.org.uk Treasurer Richard Morrice, treasurer@ihbc.org.uk National Office Director Seán O’Reilly, director@ihbc.org.uk Projects Officer Fiona Newton, projects@ihbc.org.uk Consultant Consultations Coordinator James Caird, consultations@ihbc.org.uk Membership Services Officer Carmen Moran, membershipservices@ihbc.org.uk Administration Officer Lydia Porter, admin@ihbc.org.uk Committee Chairs Policy David Kincaid, policy@ihbc.org.uk Membership & Ethics Paul Butler, membership@ihbc.org.uk Finance & Resources Richard Morrice, resources@ihbc.org.uk Education David McDonald, education@ihbc.org.uk Communications & Outreach Charles Strang, communications@ihbc.org.uk Branch Officers North Geoff Underwood, 0191 433 3435 NorthWest Crispin Edwards, 0161 474 2620 Yorkshire David Blackburn, 01943 603479 West Midlands Charles Shapcott, 0121 7044312 East Midlands Roy Lewis, 01623 756623 South Julia Foster, 01296 585888 SouthWest JamesWebb, 01202 732849 East Anglia David Andrews, 07760 208231 South East Sean Rix, 01483 523379 London JohnWebb, 020 8461 1190 Scotland Stuart Eydmann, 07525 479835 Wales Nathan Blanchard, 01492 583443 Northern Ireland Colin Hatrick, 028 9064 1126 Republic of Ireland Cormac O’Sullivan, 00353 5677 62907 Institute ofHistoricBuildingConservation No 133March2014 Valuing heritage The conflict and controversy 2 Briefing 3 Out of Context 4 Letters 5 Periodically Bob Kindred 9 Supporting columns Brian Morton VALUING HERITAGE 12 Valuing Heritage: plural, selective and transitory Rebecca Madgin 13 Conservation and social value: an ambivalent relationship Siân Jones 15 The vagaries of value Gareth Hoskins 18 The parks conundrum Katy Layton-Jones 22 How Leicester uses value to protect its heritage Jenny Timothy 24 Positive results for Derby city centre Chloe Oswald 26 Heritage’s economic contribution Duncan Melville 28 Fluctuating heritage values at the Borobeck Store Sophie Norton 30 Celebrating a 1970s housing estate Clare Smith, Christine Manly and James Webb 33 Worcester’s HER21 project Carl Jukes 35 The loss of the Liverpool Custom House John Watling 39 The aftermath of a fire Michael Munt 43 New directions for waterways heritage management Nigel Crowe 47 Conference report: IHBC London conference on heritage at risk Christine White 49 Conference report: IHBC North West conference on digital heritage Keith Parsons 51 Notes from the chair 52 The writer’s voice 53 Director’s cut 55 Vox pop 56 Book reviews 61 Products and services 64 Advertisers index
2 C O N T E X T 1 3 3 : M A R C H 2 0 1 4 Editor Rob Cowan Editorial Coordinator Fiona Newton, 01507 602567 editorial@ihbc.org.uk Editorial Board Nigel Crowe Peter de Figueiredo (book reviews) Rebecca Madgin Fiona Newton (chair) Michael Taylor Cartoons by Rob Cowan Context is distributed to all members of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation. © Institute of Historic Building Conservation 2014 ISSN 0958-2746 Publisher Cathedral Communications Limited, High Street, Tisbury,Wiltshire, England SP3 6HA 01747 871717 context@cathcomm.co.uk www.buildingconservation.com Non-member subscriptions to Context Context is available to corporate bodies at an annual subscription rate, including postage, of: United Kingdom £60.00 Elsewhere £90.00 The views expressed in Context are not necessarily held by the IHBC or the publisher. Neither the publisher nor the IHBC shall be under any liability whatsoever in respect of contributed articles. We gratefully acknowledge the support of firms whose advertisements appear throughout this publication.While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this issue of Context is current and correct, neither the IHBC nor the publisher can be held responsible for any errors or omissions which may occur. Briefing Context Copy deadlines Context is published five times a year, in March, May, July, September and November. The next five copy deadlines are: May, Issue 134 14 March July, Issue 135 16 May September Issue, 136 18 July November, Issue 137 12 September March, Issue 138 16 January Musical heritage The Malt Cross Music Hall in Nottingham has secured over £1.38 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This is part of a £1.7 million Heritage Outreach and Engagement Project to bring to life two unused floors and caves under the current Malt Cross so that they can be used for heritage education, tourism, arts, crafts and music. The Grade II listed Malt Cross, built in 1877, incorporates caves dating back to the 11th century Carmelite monastery that once stood on the site. Nottingham’s Malt Cross is the only surviving saloon music hall still functioning outside of London. Scottish leverage Investment in the historic environment by Historic Scotland over the past five years has levered in over £166 million of additional funding. An independent analysis commissioned by Historic Scotland and carried out by Jura Consultants assessed the impact of a range of investments from 2007-12. These include conservation area regeneration schemes, historic building repair grants, city heritage trusts, archaeology grants, ancient monument grants and voluntary sector grants. The highly oversubscribed conservation area regeneration schemes invested £27 million in communities across Scotland in the past five years. £6.7 million was invested in 2007, delivering improvements to 28,000 square metres of public realm, and the rejuvenation and reuse of 15,000 square metres of vacant floor space. This investment attracted a further £18.6 million from other sources. In addition, from 2007–12, more than 259 buildings benefited from a building repair grant, with funding for a broad range of conservation and restoration projects totalling £33 million. Many of the properties which received monies to carry out works are visitor attractions or are open to the public on a regular basis. The report concluded that for every pound invested through the programme, £4.50 (a total of £147.5 million) is generated from other sources. Resources for communities The Prince’s Regeneration Trust (PRT) has been awarded a £421,500 Heritage Lottery Fund Catalyst Umbrella grant for its new national learning and support programme, Building Resources, Investment and Community Knowledge (BRICK). The three-year programme will start in 2014. Part of the PRT’s work has always been to equip individuals and community groups to carry out their own heritage regeneration projects. BRICK will allow the charity to make its expertise available to a much wider audience, and to promote the sustainable reuse and regeneration of heritage sites across the UK. The BRICK programme will include national talks, regional workshops and targeted mentoring support. It will be supported by an innovative digital TheVictorian conservatory at Grade I listedWentworth Castle in Stainborough near Barnsley has been restored.The 300-square-metre conservatory, thought to be have been the first to have been electrically lit, was constructed in 1885 by Crompton and Fawkes of Chelmsford.William Anelay was the contractor.
C O N T E X T 1 3 3 : M A R C H 2 0 1 4 3 ‘THE CONSULTATION response to the proposals to merge Cadw and the Royal Commission was mixed and having carefully considered these views, in addition to the evidence and analysis undertaken by my officials, I have decided that both organisations will remain separate for the time being.’ John Griffiths, minister for culture and sport, on theWelsh Government’s decision not to merge the two heritage bodies. ‘WHILE I have read Sartre, I struggled a little with the existentialist nature of this. ‘However, after contemplation with a cold towel on my head, I am satisfied that not being in general conformity with something that does not exist is not a test relevant to this examination.’ The official examiner of the Tattenhall Neighbourhood Plan commenting on the absence of an adopted local plan. ‘IF A PURCHASER fails to do anything with the building within, say, two or three years, or fails to find a sensitive, sympathetic solution for it, then they should be required to return the property to the public body that originally owned it or, at least, have it transferred to a charitable body which has the experience, talent and means to do something with it. ‘There can be no doubt that the introduction of a set period of time in which to maintain or restore a building can be a key element in making the most of what is left of our heritage. ‘I suspect it must be many years ago now that I first began to see the madness of abandoning perfectly sound buildings – very sound buildings, if the Victorians had built them – simply because the original use for them had run its course.’ The Prince ofWales speaking at the English Heritage centenary dinner. ‘THE DEAL will put to rest any doubt whatsoever over Preston Bus Station. The building’s future will be 100 per cent guaranteed. In fact, the county council will be able to invest in the building to improve the facilities for the thousands of people that use it every day. We have always wanted a bus station fit platform for peer-to-peer learning, allowing projects from all over the UK to communicate with each other and attract support from volunteers and potential donors. The programme will cover nine learning topic areas, from governance and creative options development, to project promotion and fundraising. In its first year BRICK will also include a mediation pilot, led by partner Locality, which will help unlock heritage projects where communities are working in partnership with private sector development partners. Labour of love One of Scotland’s most familiar buildings is to reopen to the public. Gretna’s First House, which is being refurbished after lying dormant for several years, will begin trading as a coffee shop for visitors in the summer. The First House gained its name in 1830 after a new road from England to Scotland bypassed Gretna village and passed over the River Sark right next to the house. Runaways using the new road and bridge would stop off here to be married. Gretna’s blacksmith shop, just a few yards up the road, had already been marrying runaway couples since 1754 after a new law restricting marriage for under 21-year-olds in England came into force. The former toll bar cottage at Gretna has seen more than 10,000 marriages. White lead paints The Environment Agency is running a compliance campaign to raise awareness of restrictions on the use of paints containing lead carbonates and lead sulphates. Paints containing these substances can only be used for the restoration and maintenance of historic buildings (Grade I and II*); scheduled monuments; or fine or decorative works of art – where it is required to restore or maintain historic textures or finishes. Before you use these paints, you or your supplier must send information to the relevant competent body (this will vary depending on which country the paint is to be used in). The full text of the UK regulations is available at www. legislation.gov.uk. for the 21st century. The transfer will take us towards that goal. ‘This, I know, will be very much welcomed by the people of Preston. So too will the fact that the city council will no longer have to find the money to run the building which, given the savage budget cuts imposed on Preston, was a significant financial strain for the city council. Lancashire County Council simply has the scale, expertise and resources to manage such a large building. ‘I have always understood people’s passion for Preston Bus Station and can see why many people want to keep it. Our past decision to demolish was purely a financial one. As a city council, we couldn’t afford to either invest or indeed keep the building open.’ Councillor Peter Rankin, leader of Preston City Council, commenting on the news that ownership of the Grade II listed Preston bus station is to pass to Lancashire County Council. ‘PERHAPS we have to accept that the debate between architects and urban design will never be settled: buildings themselves as “things” are always more seductive than the spaces between them, which are more about relationships. ‘It’s easier to sell a beautiful object than to create a beautiful relationship, but it’s the beautiful relationship that usually lasts longer.’ Tim Hagyard writing in Urban Design. ‘THE CANTILEVER and the landmark will exist in different planes of urban experience.’ Preservation consultant Bill Higgins commenting approvingly on the decision of the NewYork Landmarks Preservation Commission to issue a certificate of appropriateness for a planned 1,400-foot tower to cantilever over the individually landmarked American Fine Arts Society building in Manhattan. ‘WHEN architectural preservationists meet at the tedious conferences and grim councils of despair that feed oxygen to their nihilistic and unventilated “heritage” world-view, the word
4 C O N T E X T 1 3 3 : M A R C H 2 0 1 4 Letters Consult the experts From John Fidler, John Fidler Preservation Technology Inc, Marina Del Rey, California Some points in response to John Somers’ article and questions on the Venn Arch in Hereford (‘Facing the weather’, Context 132, November 2013). English Heritage can sometimes help with definitive mineralogical assessments of stone binders through its consultant geologist, David Jefferson. Consultant geologists abound through services provided by the British Geological Survey (BGS); BRE (former Building Research Establishment); Sandbergs (testing engineers); and, not least, by reference to the UK Geological Society in London. For example, I believe that Tim Palmer (tjp@aber. ac.uk), consultant in architectural geology and recently secretary of the Welsh Stone Forum, would be familiar with this stone. With due respect to the Earth Heritage Trust, an acid test is pretty primitive and only one of many more sophisticated tools used to determine the precise provenance and constituents of building stones. Clay- and calcite-bound stones are pretty common in England. Stone consolidants are no longer considered ‘experimental miracle… cures’ – the SPAB moratorium ended long ago. English Heritage’s Research Transactions (Volume 2) contains evidence of longterm performance of silane-based treatments. For this particular stone situation Remmers Fungosil anti-hygro pre-treatment + KSE 300E elastic ethyl consolidant are specifically designed for clay-bound sandstones; and ProSoCo’s Conservare Hydroxylating Conservation Treatment and neutralising rinse are good precursors for standard ethyl silicate stone consolidation of calcareous sandstones. Poorly maintained and failing limewash can be harmful to clay-bound stones. The evaluation and treatment of arches like these should be left to accredited architectural conservators who know all this. John Fidler About 4,000 of the barns in theYorkshire Dales National Park are in the open countryside. the evidence of the last 10 years suggests that this will just lead to more of the same: more second homes and more dream homes for retired people.’ Peter Charlesworth, chairman of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, on the government’s proposal to allow agricultural buildings such as barns to be turned into homes without the need for planning permission. ‘THIS IS a stellar line-up of talent demonstrating the worldwide interest in this unique and challenging project. The rebuild of the Crystal Palace is set to produce an extraordinary new landmark for the capital, which will support the rebirth of this historic park, and catalyse jobs and growth in the local area.’ London mayor Boris Johnson, chair of the judging panel, announcing that Zaha Hadid, Richard Rogers and David Chipperfield are on a shortlist of architects to ‘rebuild’ Joseph Paxton’s Crystal Palace exhibition hall in south London. ‘WE ARE committed to renewable energy but it has to work in the landscape. The trust aims to source 50 per cent of its energy from renewables, including wind, by 2020, but this shouldn’t be at any cost. ‘Our core purpose as a conservation charity means we have a duty to protect beautiful places like Lyveden and each wind proposal should be of a scale and location that works with the special qualities of its setting.’ National Trust director general Helen Ghosh welcoming a Court of Appeal decision to quash a planning inspector’s approval of a wind farm close to the National Trust property, Lyveden New Bield. “developer” is spat out with contempt. It is as though they are speaking of Satan and his diabolical agents, who used to appear in the horror novels of Dennis Wheatley that I so enjoyed in my youth.’ Design writer Stephen Bayley writing in The Spectator. ‘THE GOVERNMENT proposals to relax the restrictions will have potentially disastrous consequences here – probably more than in any other area of England. About 4,000 of the barns in the National Park are located away from farmsteads, out among fields in the open countryside. ‘Valleys full of fields dotted with these stone field barns could be transformed into a semi-urban environment with roads and overhead power and phone lines.You would have gardens, cars, washing lines, greenhouses and everything else that goes with a home springing up in some of the most stunning – and nationally protected – countryside in England. ‘In addition, there would be major disruption of the landscape to install the basic infrastructure like sewer and water pipes – and the authority would be powerless to control it or to prevent it from happening. ‘We understand the government’s aims to regenerate our rural communities by making the best use of redundant and under-used agricultural buildings. But in the Dales, the proposals would have the opposite effect. ‘The government’s proposal would totally undermine local efforts to provide more affordable housing for local people. They would open up a flood of unconstrained, open-market housing. All
C O N T E X T 1 3 3 : M A R C H 2 0 1 4 5 Periodically After the drought (passim), the deluge! The journals that did not arrive promptly in time for the last Context deadline have been piling up since. As there is much of interest and much to cover, some of the reports here will be a little brief. Issues of the Association of Preservation Technology bulletin, the Journal of Preservation Technology, are always eagerly awaited. Two arrived shortly after one another in November. The content of the middle (double) issue of 2013 (Volume XLIV, Nos 2–3) was wide ranging.While much of the institute’s focus is on professional skills, Gerard Lynch provides a useful reminder of the importance of craft skills predating architecture as a distinct profession, and the current need to reposition craft education, strengthening the links between the skills of the artisan and the skills of the architect at a time of acute shortage of traditional expertise. Soft capping the masonry walls of ruined structures is seen as a potentially less damaging alternative to cementitious hard cappings. Trials conducted by English Heritage in Northumberland were reported in the Journal of Architectural Conservation in March last year. Similar techniques are being applied to exposed archaeological sites in the USA at Mesa Verde, Colorado, where the climatic conditions ornament in the later part of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th. The content brings together papers presented at a symposium on the history and characteristics of these materials held at Columbia University, New York, in March 2011. The participants, drawn from a wide range of heritage disciplines, considered issues of appropriate conservation, repair, restoration and replacement. The great champion of cast-iron buildings, particularly in the SoHo neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, was Margot Gayle. In the opening article Carol Gayle and John GWaite celebrate her dedication and determination in saving so many (then) under-regarded structures. A very helpful article by Richard Pieper covers a rough checklist of the nine key issues to be considered when undertaking architectural cast-iron restoration together, and a brief introductory overview of the history of the preservation of both cast and wrought iron. One of the great charms of heritage work is poring over the compendious 19th century catalogues of architectural ironworks and the accompanying sadness that almost all these traditional firms are now extinct. It is therefore valuable and encouraging to be reminded by J Scott Howell that patternmaking for architectural castings has entered the digital age by way of 3D laser scanners, modeling software and 3D routers, thereby using modern technology to ensure accurate replication. Although structural ferrous metals were largely superseded by the 1920s and are often referred as ‘archaic’, they still exist widely in historic buildings and are susceptible to modern strength assessment by rationally applying modern structural engineering methods. These are clearly explained in an article by Conrad Paulson, who addresses the challenges of identifying the strength characteristics and appropriate treatment strategies. He demonstrates how variables embedded in early, nonstandardised production processes shaped their structural performance. are rather more extreme. An article by Alex B Lim, Frank G Matero and Michael C Henry explains the technique from an American perspective and the encouraging results of the cappings as an effective and versatile protection method. The authors warn of the need for context-specific adaptation to the site and the consideration of variables such as water loading from precipitation and snow melt, thermal and convective action needed for evaporative drying, and the selection of non-damaging vegetation. Other articles with a more North American bias cover the structural assessment of historic timber railway piles on the banks of the Mississippi in Minnesota; the use of traditional skills to repair or stabilise traditional construction in Hawaii following the 2006 earthquake; an assessment of the significance (particularly for construction history) of the ‘world’s largest’ all-reinforced-concrete office building, the 12-storey, 1910 Plymouth Building in Minneapolis; and the evaluation of historic commercial unreinforced masonry buildings in earthquake-prone Seattle. The Journal of Preservation Technology is known for its advocacy of diagnostic technology. It is worth highlighting an article by Nicole Trujillo, Thomas E Boothby and Erik Valentino on the use of air-coupled, impact-echo, non-destructive testing for flaws in masonry such as cracks, delaminations, voids, honeycombing and debonding. This evaluation is done by monitoring the surface motions derived from a short duration mechanical impact and measuring surface displacement from the stress waves this generates. Two field test examples are described, one fromWyoming Seminary in Kingston, Pennsylvania, and the other from Beverley Minster inYorkshire. The last issue of the Journal of Preservation Technology for 2013 (Volume XLIV, No 4) is devoted to those most versatile of architectural materials, cast and wrought iron, particularly popular in the United States for cladding and architectural
6 C O N T E X T 1 3 3 : M A R C H 2 0 1 4 Systematic documentation and evaluation of cast-iron structural elements are critical to a building’s successful repair. Edmund Meade illuminates the importance of this and the lessons learned, including the need for close collaboration of all the stakeholders. Robert Bates examines how the removal, refurbishment and reinstallation of architectural cast iron extended its life at the former home and studio in SoHo, NewYork, of Donald Judd, the ‘minimalist’ artist (who stridently disavowed that description). Finally, Doug McLean draws on decades of experience to illustrate the perennial question of replacement versus repair of cast iron, pointing to careless or ill-advised cast-iron repairs in Galveston, Texas, exacerbated by the harsh coastal climate. Print versions of the Journal of Architectural Conservation continue to be somewhat delayed by the publication moving from Donhead to Routledge. The most recently available issue (Vol 19, No 2, July 2013) contains some interesting papers offering significant insights into policy and practice in both the UK and abroad. The paper with perhaps the greatest domestic interest is one by Roger Turner, who describes the conservation of the extraordinary serpentine Grade I-listed Shell Grotto in Margate, Kent. This subterranean structure clearly predates its first recorded existence in 1835. The author explains the origins of grottos as a type stretching back to antiquity, with particular reference to Renaissance Italy and the appeal to English taste from the 17th century onward. By 1999 the fragile structure had fallen into disrepair, caused by poor environmental conditions underground. At that stage it was added to the English Heritage Buildings at Risk Register. Turner explains how the programme of investigation, and reinforcement of the chalk bedrock and removal of an overlying back garden concrete slab was achieved with support from Kent County Council and English Heritage; and how this rescue was followed by the installation of land drainage, and internal conservation or replacement of the shell panels. Completion of the work in 2012 permitted removal of the grotto from the at-risk register. The other particularly interesting paper in the July issue of the Journal of Architectural Conservation is an account by Liesbeth Dekeyser, Ann Verdonk and Hilde De Clercq about Cimorné, a cement render with opalescent glass granules developed in Belgium as an innovative decorative façade finish in the 1930s. The unique surface texture was developed and patented by plasterer Pierre Pétroons but unfortunately the technique of application was communicated mainly by word of mouth between the originator and other plasterers, with hardly any surviving written or illustrative documentation. Additionally the marbrite glass – which resembles opalescent glasses like Vitrolite and Carrara glass – is no longer manufactured. Needless to say this has made the approach to restoration something of a challenge. Nevertheless, the authors have pieced together the evidence (illustrated some of the on-site samples in colour) and determined the original methods of application. The next step will be to try to master the techniques used as part of the process of testing suitable alternative materials, and training craftsmen to apply them. Fascinating stuff. It is to be hoped that more will be published about this in future. While on the subject of craftsmanship, a third, long and very well illustrated paper by Farzin Izadpanah looks at ‘Conservation without conservators’, and the techniques used by traditional semi-nomadic communities in rural Iran to conserve vernacular structures, with no awareness of existing conservation theories and no training in construction skills. The final paper, by Shaher Rababeh, Husan Al Qablan and Mohammad El-Mashaleh, sets out the computerised structural modeling analysis undertaken to test the effectiveness of bonding timbers in arches of first century BC Nabataean architecture (in what is modernday Jordan). The aim is to provide a basis for considering the stability and therefore the conservation of historic buildings in seismic regions. Particular attention in the latest issue of The Historic Environment: policy and practice (Vol 4, No 2, November 2013) is drawn to Malcolm Cooper’s paper on Gerard Baldwin Brown. Baldwin Brown was the author of a book that nearly everyone appears to has heard of but hardly anyone claims to have read: The Care of Ancient Monuments, published in 1905. Cooper’s perceptive paper looks at Baldwin Brown’s preservation campaigns in Edinburgh at the end of the 19th century as a precursor of his influential book. (A further examination by Cooper of Baldwin Brown’s legacy is shortly to appear in the forthcoming Transactions of the Ancient Monuments Society).The paper is a significant step in the rehabilitation of Baldwin Brown’s reputation, eclipsed by a century of unjust neglect. (In reading the 1905 book, your reviewer has recently discovered much prescient material on British and continental heritage management). One issue that exercises heritage policy makers in Europe is the appropriateness and authenticity of reconstructing in a historicist style when historic buildings have been lost, especially in an urban context and following armed conflict, and the need for better guidance and greater clarity about the most suitable response. InThe Historic Environment John Bold and Robert Pickard synthesise experience from within the Council of Europe, following the wars in the former Yugoslavia.They conclude that facsimile reproduction will take place whether the international heritage community approves of it or not. The paper is instructive in noting how the debate has moved on from post-second-world-war concepts and how current national heritage values are defined within the context of the definitions found in international charters and regional political aspirations. Suggested guidelines are put forward that the authors feel should be in place to manage reconstruction within an internationally recognised framework. These form an interesting subtext to the philosophy of approach and associational value of replacing heritage buildings after catastrophic loss not often encountered in the UK. Related to this, associational value, the multiple layering of history and its interpretation are addressed in a paper by Archonida Polyzoudi using a Byzantine Tower on the Chalkidiki peninsula, Northern Greece.
C O N T E X T 1 3 3 : M A R C H 2 0 1 4 7 In the final paper of note, Cath Neil and Steve Roskams describe the successes and limitations of community work during archaeological investigations at Heslington,York. A combination of time pressures of commercial excavation, the need to conduct student training and carry out academic research, and a programme of community engagement comprised a number of inter-related complications. These required a collaborative approach, from which the authors define wider lessons that can be drawn. The latest issue of the Institution of Civil Engineers Proceedings on Engineering History and Heritage (Vol 166, issue EH4, November 2013) contains rather more international items than usual and is wide ranging in scope. After an appallingly wet UK winter, concerns about waterway management, rivers, canals and dams have been much to the fore. The paper counterpointing this and with the greatest domestic interest concerns recent conservation engineering work to make John Rennie’s Grade I listed Lune Aqueduct watertight. This engineering marvel, carrying the Lancaster Canal over the River Lune, just north of the city, is a monumental five-span masonry structure built between 1793 and 1796. Leslie Clark, principal engineer to the Canal and River Trust, explains the history and form of Rennie’s original construction and a succession of leakages. These started (in the adjacent embankment) as early as 1798, and occurring to the canal trough at intervals, culminating in a major leakages in 2006 and 2008. This led to significant repairs assisted by an Heritage Lottery Fund grant in 2011–12. The significance of the aqueduct as heritage led to the rejection of options to seal the internal faces of the tough masonry structure, or undertake reconstruction. Sealing the trough by grouting and providing new concrete approach channels was considered likely to be the best solution. The author sets out how three stages of grouting works of the aqueduct were undertaken. He comments on the issues that arise with grouting masonry structures of this kind and notes how current practice relates to the three types of mortar originally specified by Rennie. Clark sets out nine lessons that could be applied to similar projects. The Proceedings also includes four papers on engineering history: various perspectives on 18th-century bridges in the Languedoc, France; the collapse of a cable-stayed road bridge in Germany in 1825; Gustave Eiffel’s aerodynamic experiments from 1903 to 1921 (including examples of early wind tunnels); and methods of cooling the heat build-up generated during the construction of mass concrete dams in America in the 1930s. Natural Stone Specialist has concluded its recent overviews of building stones by Barry Hunt in the November and December 2013 issues by looking at slate; its sources; fitness for roofing and other uses; a table of suggested classifications of roof slate quality; and a table of some standard tests and ranges of results. The November issue also describes the renovation of St Mel’s Cathedral, Longford, Irish Republic, devastated on Christmas Day 2009. All 28 of its solid Irish blue limestone Ionic columns have been replaced. The December issue describes how the Belgian-owned Erinstone company has been extracting this stone from its quarry at Old Leighlin in the republic, where fortuitously the stone beds are about 1.75m high, for use in architectural projects including the Longford cathedral. In his director’s notes in the latest SPAB Magazine (Winter 2013) Matthew Slocombe makes several telling points that seem to have otherwise gone unremarked in the publicity surrounding the award of the 2013 Stirling Prize for Architecture to the Astley Castle project. First, he writes, this exemplar should be a springboard to encourage architecture school students to engage more with historic building work (the society is talking to the RIBA about conservation roadshows). Second, while it was the new work that grabbed attention, the repair of the surviving historic fabric did not receive the same degree of attention, despite consolidation of the original walls being a considerable challenge.Yet again inconspicuous and self-effacing conservative repairs and the professional and craft skills required to complete them have been insufficiently recognised. Also in this issue, Jeremy Musson (this year’s judge of the IHBCGus Astley Student Awards) places the rapid decline of the country house in the mid-20th century in the context of commemoration of the start of the first world war. Timothy Easton extensively illustrates protective and symbolic markings by leadworkers on Suffolk church roofs, and seeks help in identifying similar characteristics elsewhere (including on the lead roofs of country houses). Bob Kindred MBE
8 C O N T E X T 1 3 3 : M A R C H 2 0 1 4 TCS_IHBC Advert_23-06-11 [outlined].indd 1 23/06/2011 15:49:02 ARCHITECTS, HERITAGE CONSULTANTS AND CONSERVATION EXPERTS Over 65 years’ experience 16 studios across the UK and Asia Pacific Purcell.Thoughtfully designed evolution. www.purcelluk.com @Purcelluk The finest quality at the best prices • Natural insulation • ecoCORK render/plaster • Lime mortar & plaster • Limecrete • Limewash & natural paint www.mikewye.co.uk 01409 281644 MIKE WYE —& ASSOCIATES— 6 Deangate York YO1 7JB Tel: 01904 557228 Email: info@yorkglazierstrust.org www.yorkglazierstrust.org THE YORK GL AZ I E R S TRU S T Care and conservation of historic stained glazing of all periods Expert consultancy services Condition surveys, conservation concepts, grant applications Environmental protective glazing External protection for all types of historic building Design and fabrication of new windows
C O N T E X T 1 3 3 : M A R C H 2 0 1 4 9 A church at Llanfair Gilgeddin inWales with a distorted gable wall that was about to be pulled down is now in the care of Friends of the Friendless Churches. SUPPORTING COLUMNS Structural cracking to historic structures Structural engineer Brian Morton encourages professional advisers to think twice about major rebuilding or underpinning when simply making good may be enough. I have recently been reminded how little newly qualified engineers understand about the structure of historic buildings. If the codes of practice and buildings regulations are not complied with, ‘the building will fall down’, we are told, regardless of its existence for hundreds of years. But practical experience and understanding of how structures work is vital before drawing any conclusions as to necessary work to stabilise a cracked structure. A significant amount of my involvement is in inspecting churches as honorary engineer to four diocesan advisory committees (DACs).This involves looking at proposals put forward by other engineers or architects to remedy and stabilise structures that are causing some concern to the church and parochial church council. These structures are mostly constructed of stone or brickwork, but there are sometimes elements constructed of timber. In order for this article to be balanced, I have also considered non-secular buildings, where generally I have been asked to give an opinion with regard to the stability of solid walls constructed of brickwork, thin stone or flint. To simplify this article, I have first assumed that brick and stone structures of historic buildings have similar crude foundations from earlier time, which gradually become more sophisticated.This is particularly so with brick structures which, because of their comparative thinness compared with stone walls, tend to have stepped-out spread bases. However, earlier walls of brickwork are generally found to be set onto flint or rubble stone, simply dropped into trenches of shallow depth. Stone buildings generally of comparatively massive construction were also built on rubble or flint, generally loosely dropped into trenches and usually mixed with lime to hold this fill material together. Stone columns or brick piers, on the other hand, would have spread foundations to carry the high concentrated load. Walls very rarely fail in direct compression because, historically, the builders made walls thick enough at their base to support the loading from the particular height of the structure.Walls were generally restrained horizontally by floors and roofs, and thus a wall built vertically adequately restrainedwill have a good chance of AVictorian tower to a church in Lincolnshire, built over graves, was about to be demolished, but was saved.
10 C O N T E X T 1 3 3 : M A R C H 2 0 1 4 surviving for a long time without any specific deterioration of the condition of the structure. In conservation terms we have to consider the materials of construction as ‘flexible structures’.This is because of the lime mortars holding together the building blocks in the wall, which in many cases were themselves of comparatively soft construction. In a stone wall, the walls themselves, even if built of hard stones, retain a degree of flexibility because of the soft mortars. Although Roman cement, a very hard material, was certainly used in Roman buildings to cement soft and hard stones together, this hard, non-flexible form of structure exists generally where they were building directly on to base rock.This explains why so many of the buildings of that period have retained their stability. We need to look at the method of construction adopted for stone and brick walls to start to see why cracks occur, and why walls become distorted and do not remain vertical. The very form of construction that has given our historic buildings a long life gives an explanation of the situation that we now see in some structures where there are cracks and distortions to worry the engineer, who likes to see vertical and horizontal lines that satisfy him as to the stability of the structure.These walls were built on to comparatively soft ground (ancient builders never seemed to worry about looking for solid ground when building), so inevitably the walls moved. An additional factor is the use of soft bricks, and particularly the soft lime mortars, which did not set instantly, unlike modern building mortars. Continuous movement occurred during the building process and probably for up to 10 years. The use of these mortars meant that generally work was carried out only during the times when the weather was satisfactory, allowing the mortar to set, and not building in cold weather. Distortions occurred as the building went higher, with a general limitation, particularly in the church-type structures, of building no more than 10 feet high in any one year.The result of this was that, built on soft ground in soft construction, walls leaned and distorted out of line, with the inevitable result that hair cracks developed. These cracks generally allowed the wall to settle down to a state of equilibriumwithout major movement at the time, while leaving the wall vulnerable to movement for other reasons brought about by changes in ground conditions by water penetration and inevitable lack of maintenance. The result of this flexible construction was that when the builder came back the following year to continue building, he built the next height of wall vertically on a wall that was distorted and leaning.This section of wall then also moved as the materials slowly set, resulting in the distortions seen in many tall walls, such as Lincoln Cathedral’s west wall, and in many smaller churches. Another significant factor is that if a wall is built of solid construction without any window or door openings, there was a reasonable chance that there would be no significant unequal settlement. However, where openings occur the load on the foundation is very much lower than that from the solid mass of wall, and differential settlement occurred with cracks that were initially hair cracks opening up and appearing on the surface of the walls. The damage to this church was so great that there was a suggestion that the chancel arch should be blocked up.The cracks have since simply been made good and the building remains stable.
C O N T E X T 1 3 3 : M A R C H 2 0 1 4 11 Recent significant long dry periods, or long wet periods, possibly associated with climate change, also cause problems. Although many foundation stratas may not be significantly affected, buildings on clay strata are vulnerable. Sections of buildings may articulate due to the drying out, shrinkage and swelling of the clay in these changing conditions, allowing walls to settle and move away from other more solid parts of the building that may not be affected, perhaps because of shielding from the weather. Experience over the last three years of significant cracking occurring to buildings on clay sites has caused the Morton Partnership to call in geotechnical engineers to establish the depth of desiccation (drying out) of the clay below the surface.This has undoubtedly caused, for example, chancels of churches to move away from the main body of the building.The geotechnical surveys have shown that, in the 14-month dry period a little over two years ago, clay was drying out to a depth of four metres, causing considerable settlement of the comparatively lightweight structures. In acting for the DACs in clay areas, and experiencing three church chancels moving away from the chancel arches, there is difficulty deciding on what action to take. This is because, although it would not be unreasonable to consider underpinning a structure to a depth of just below two metres, a depth of four metres would not be reasonable in terms of viability for the church. In one case the damage was so great that there was a suggestion MSc Conservation of Buildings Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford Are You… • A Property, Surveying, or Architecture Graduate? • A Non Cognate Graduate with Heritage Experience? • A Professionally Qualified Property Specialist? • Passionate about Heritage and developing your Career in Conservation? Our two year part-time course includes: • Conservation & Legislation (Philosophy and Implementation) • Facilities Management of Heritage Buildings • The Science & Economics of Historic Buildings • Surveying the Historic Building (Interpretation of Architectural Evolution) • Research Methods and Major Project (Dissertation) Start January or September Tel: 0845 271 3333 Email: FST-Answers@anglia.ac.uk Visit: www.anglia.ac.uk/conservation14 that the chancel arch should be blocked up because of the cracking.We have simply made good the cracks and the building remains stable. At the time of all this occurring, I offered to write a paper discussing the situation, but I decided not to recommend any action until we had assessed the situation historically over the centuries. I indicated that perhaps if we had a lot of rain fairly quickly, no further movement would occur. Amazingly it then rained after this long dry period for about six weeks.The result was that movement to these chancel structures stopped and we recommended that the cracks should be simply made good. It became apparent following research that such variation to the climate had not been unusual over past centuries. Most of our churches were built at least 700 years ago, and would have experienced many variations in dry and wet periods, surviving quite satisfactorily, so I recommend that it is reasonable to repair the cracks and leave it to the next generation to continue to look after the building by crack repairing. I have concentrated on the stone buildings because they demonstrate the philosophy that I have set out, but exactly the same philosophy can be adopted for domestic buildings of much lighter construction. In this case there are ways of flexibly strengthening cracks in brick walls by re-stitching across cracks to ensure continuity in the structure, assisting in laterally restraining this element of the building. Brian Morton MBE is a consultant to the Morton Partnership, a practice he formed in 1966. Join our world-leading Department of Archaeology and choose from an unrivalled range of courses: • Carry out cutting edge research at some of the most significant archaeological and historical sites in the UK, on your doorstep • Ranked in the top 10 of the University league tables, we are also recognised as a Centre for Excellence and were awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2011 Conservation at the University of York Contact: Janine Lyon, Postgraduate Administrator Tel: +44 (0)1904 323963 Email: Janine.lyon@york.ac.uk Web: www.york.ac.uk/archaeology • York is the UK’s archaeological capital. It has probably the largest per capita population of archaeologists, conservators and heritage professionals anywhere in the world. • The University offers several bursaries for home students and a range of scholarships for overseas students. Conservation & Heritage
12 C O N T E X T 1 3 3 : M A R C H 2 0 1 4 Valuing heritage: plural, selective and transitory Value is a loaded, subjective term that has been subjected to investigation across time and space. At the heart of the conservation movement is a desire to identify and explain why something is so valuable that it should be retained for future generations. However, as many of the articles in this issue of Context recognise, identifying, locating, recognising and agreeing what is value, and thus what is valuable, is suffused with conflict and controversy. Values are not singular, objective and fixed, but rather are plural, selective and transitory. This presents a conundrum for a legislative system and policy environment in which decisions about the type, nature and extent of continuity within change have to be made and justified. The criteria on which value is determined are increasingly challenged in a plural world of localism, multiculturalism and globalisation that has produced policy instruments such as neighbourhood plans and funding initiatives such as those offered by the Heritage Lottery Fund. We interrogate this issue through a range of articles on both the theoretical and practical dimensions of ascribing and managing value in the historic environment. A number of the articles address a central concern of the IHBC Annual School in 2012 (see Context 126, September 2012) over the move away from issues of fabric to more artistic and cultural values. Siân Jones (page 13), in particular, questions the methodologies for measuring social value and examines whether the scarcity of evidence is preventing us from fully understanding the role of heritage in the present and future. Gareth Hoskins (page 15) uses a UK/USA comparison to examine how heritage decisions are politically determined and judged against a set of linked criteria which serve to exclude as many values as they include. This is taken up by Katy Layton-Jones (page 18), who investigates why Britain’s parks have been habitually undervalued, and public opinion split on their retention and redevelopment. Jenny Timothy (page 22) demonstrates how an understanding of a range of values, emotional, social and economic, can be used to drive forward a sustained, long-term heritage policy that is already showing significant improvements. Timothy’s article, along with Chloe Oswald’s about Derby (page 24), supports Hoskins’ and Jones’ point that research can help to deliver improvements to the historic environment that are funded by a range of different organisations. The European Regional Development Fund, the Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage, the private sector and the academic sector such as the Art and Humanities Research Council are just some of the funders mentioned in these articles. Duncan Melville (page 26) builds on this to outline the economic case for conservation, bringing in a range of recently published research that demonstrates the varied contribution that heritage makes to the British economy. Sophie Norton (page 28) extends this in exploring the ways in which heritage can be seen as a generator of social and communal value. She concludes that, echoing Siân Jones, a reinterpretation of the concept of value might be needed to advance our understanding. This fluidity in the nature of ‘value’ is also addressed by Clare Smith, Christine Manly and James Webb (page 30) in their article on the designation of Lakeside View as a conservation area. The authors bring in interesting questions about the role of the community and professionals in assessing the value of post1945 architecture, providing a counterpoint to the contentious decision to demolish Robin Hood Gardens. Running through each of the articles is a desire to rethink how we construct, ascribe and manage value, and to ask the prescient questions: who values, why value, and how we can continue to make judgements and thus decisions on the future for the past. Rebecca Madgin, guest commissioning editor VALUING HERITAGE
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