C O N T E X T 1 3 7 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 43 Book reviews Cautionary tales Building Limes in Conservation Edited by Ian Brocklebank, Routledge, 2012, 376 pages, black and white and colour illustrations, ISBN 978 1 873394 95 3, £45 Nowhere have I learned more about lime than at the annual gatherings of the Building Limes Forum and in the pages of its journal. It is therefore most welcome to find a selection of papers from past journals, supplemented by a number of papers previously published in the Journal of Architectural Conservation, revised, updated and collated into one volume, providing a comprehensive reference source. This excellent book challenges some of the assumptions that underpin modern lime usage. It is essential reading for conservation professionals and practitioners wishing to better understand the state of the art when it comes to specifying and using lime in building conservation.The 19 chapters are written by a mixture of experienced practitioners, conservation professionals and academics, bringing a level of authority to the volume that would be almost impossible for an individual author to achieve. Black-andwhite photographs and diagrams aid understanding of the material, and there is a separate section of colour plates. The book comprises three sections. ‘New understanding of historic materials’ covers the nature of lime, and also other binders used historically, including Portland and Roman cements, which are often overlooked in other publications. Section 2 focuses on the standards relating to lime-based mortars and their constituents, and on techniques of analysis and assessment. It includes topics, such as the role of aggregates in determining mortar properties, and methods of assessing the causes of deterioration of lime mortars, that are rarely covered in other publications. ‘Rediscovering methods and techniques’ draws on evidence of historic practice to inform the choice of materials and methods. A major theme emerging from a number of chapters is the differences between historic and modern lime mortars and, in particular, the potential strength of modern hydraulic lime mortars, and the risk to historic fabric that they pose.This is clearly and succinctly explained in chapter 2. If, after reading it, you still need convincing, chapter 4 presents evidence arising out of research carried out at the University of Bath.This confirms what many members of the Building Limes Forum have been saying for years: although strength gain in hydraulic lime mortars is slow, ultimate compressive strength can exceed that of some cement-based mortars. Food for thought for all fans of NHL3.5! A number of excellent chapters challenge the current widespread practice of using 1:3 lime putty mortars, or 1:2½ NHL mortars. They present compelling evidence that lime-rich ‘hot’ mortar, prepared by mixing damp sand with quicklime, was widely used in the past, and they describe the mixing process and the properties of such mortars (which are significantly different to most modern lime mortars). This reflects the current vigorous resurgence of interest in hot lime mortar (which I believe is set to become the next hot topic in conservation) and provides a valuable introduction to those new to the subject. One of the outstanding virtues of this book is its lack of complacency. After all we have learned about lime since the start of the lime revival in the 1970s, this volume is not afraid to say that perhaps we have got some of it wrong. If the conservation work we undertake today is not to exacerbate the need for further remedial work in the future, we desperately need to review current practice, and there is no better starting point than this book. Alison Henry, senior architectural conservator, Building Conservation and Research Team, English Heritage Wool, flax, hemp, silk, cotton Textile Mills of South West England MikeWilliams, English Heritage, 2013, 247 pages, ISBN 978 1 848020 83 2, £50 (discounted price from English Heritage with free p&p £40, quoting reference 72201 40022 from direct.orders@marston.co.uk) For those of us with a continuing if intermittent engagement with the built heritage of the south west textile industry, this book is a long-awaited and very welcome study on a fully regional basis. As the author makes clear, the complexity, diversity and significance of the industry to the south west has been long understood, and has indeed been the focus of some of the early and formative studies in industrial archaeology (not least by the author himself). However, through either choice or circumstance, these have concentrated on a particular sector of the industry in a specific area. The study sets out with the clear purpose of putting the subject in a fully regional framework, thus offering probably the first opportunity for most to consider it in this context. In so doing it provides a platform for comparison with studies of the industry in other regions of the UK. The author states, with justified authority, that ‘the most effective approach to textile mills research involves the combination of documentary information with on-site observation and recording of historic features’. The book is a testament to the merits of such an approach, starting with an introduction covering the broad history, development and range of the industry in the south west, and giving an overview of the geography of the region, and a summary of the historic building resource, the industry’s organisation, its processes and its products. This chapter is prefixed with the first of a series of excellent maps, this one showing the peninsular and the broad areas of textile specialisation within it. The text sets the tone for the rest of the book; it has an open and readable style with a good balance of technical terminology and historical narrative, making it accessible to both specialist and generalist reader alike. The main body of the book is devoted to specific sub-regional areas, making up the next sequential chapters. The woollen industries of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset are covered first, followed by the serge industry
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