8 C O N T E X T 1 4 1 : S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 to 1642, the start of the Civil War (after which hunting practices changed). Part 1 dealt with structures such as standings for spectators and larger lodges for the nobility. Part 2 deals with different types of extant towers in deer parks, kennels, hides and miscellaneous buildings of the hunt, some of which are otherwise difficult to interpret. IHBC member Edward Holland discusses the exceptionally important and miraculously intact Middleport Pottery in Stoke on Trent, which the Prince’s Regeneration Trust acquired in 2011. Holland explains why the pottery is so significant; the recent process of conservation and adaptation of the building that has proceeded contemporaneously with a revival of pottery production; and the intentions for the long-term care of the historic collections. A short article by MP Port identifies a newly discovered work designed by the celebrated Victorian gothic architect William Butterfield. This places the commencement of his practice three years earlier than previously thought, demonstrating that he was an experienced architect in independent practice by 1838. There is much else of interest in these Transactions. Three articles deal with aspects of church conservation. Sandra Manley describes the recent major refurbishment of St James’s Priory, Bristol’s oldest building. Peter Howell explains the contentious scheme of decoration for the church of the London Oratory by Cesare Formilli, executed in 1927 but the subject of misunderstandings and legal proceedings that were settled only in 1939. Irene Brightmer describes and compares the painted ceilings at two private mid-17th century chapels at Gwydir Uchaf, Caernarfon, and Staunton Harold, Leicestershire. The print version of the Journal of Architectural Conservation has recently been published (although individual papers now appear more quickly online). The latest issue (Vol 21, No 1, March 2015) contains four diverse papers, all offering insights into policy and practice. Perhaps the paper with the greatest interest to UK practitioners is the one by Robin Dower. This deals with the consolidation and repair of a cruck-framed, heather-thatched, stone barn, work supported by English Heritage [sic]. This relative rarity from Northumberland, listed Grade II*, retains a significant amount of original heather thatch in its base coat and ridge, and all the primary timbers of its roof construction. The description of the repair techniques employed is invaluable as a demonstration of the need to develop and promote an understanding of traditional building skills and uncommon roofing materials. The drawings and photographs accompanying the paper are particularly instructive. The application and interpretation of the philosophy of repair can sometimes stimulate a wider debate. A paper by Stefano Francesco Musso and Givanna Franco poses some fascinating questions about the logic and significance of conservation works carried out to the Museum and Treasury of the Cathedral in Genoa, designed and built by Franco Albini in 1953–6. After 50 years problems have arisen with the fixtures, fittings and internal layout of this remarkable space, due to wear and tear, roof leakages and the very methods used in the presentation of the material. The conservation work in this instance threw up clashes and sometimes outright contradictions between notions of ‘origin’ and ‘originality’, ‘authenticity’ and ‘modern’ and ‘contemporary’. All these issues are of crucial importance in addressing the conservation management of modern architecture. This very thoughtprovoking paper is well worth a read. The appropriate approach to repair of modern buildings, the damage caused by roof leaks, and appropriate replacement and restoration techniques also arise in Mary Kay Judy’s paper on the upkeep required on Philip Johnson’s 1965 Paintings Gallery in New Canaan, Connecticut. The building on Johnson’s private compound has an earth berm roof and contains an exceptional collection of modern art. The National Register of Historic Places assumed responsibility for the site after Johnson’s death in 2005 and the site was opened to the public in 2007. By 2012 leaks to the roof were becoming increasingly frequent and a comprehensive repair solution was required. The precise nature of the problems, the methods of investigation and the resolution of the leaks in 2013 are explained in detail. The fourth paper describes the conservation of an important, but until recently almost completely unknown, fortified Orthodox wooden church complex in RaduŻ in south-east Poland. The site, which has recently been added to the world heritage list, now attracts tourists from around the world. This demonstrates that the conservation of remote historic churches can contribute greatly to the economy of vast, sparsely populated rural areas. The latest issue of the Institution of Civil Engineers Proceedings on Engineering History and Heritage (Vol 168, Issue EH2, May 2015) has the theme of bridge bearings. Traditional methods were superseded with the introduction of steel into bridge design about 150 years ago, but the accompanying revolution in the use of bolts, pivots and rollers has now been largely forgotten. It disappeared first from the specialist technical literature, then from design and construction standards, and finally from public perception altogether. This edition of the Proceedings attempts to address this, not least
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