Context 152 - November 2017

Editor Rob Cowan Editorial Coordinator Michael Taylor, ihbceditorialboard@gmail.com Editorial Board Tom Copp Nigel Crowe Peter de Figueiredo (book reviews) Rebecca Madgin Fiona Newton Gordon Sorensen Jonathan Taylor Michael Taylor (chair) Cartoons by Rob Cowan Context is distributed to all members of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation. © Institute of Historic Building Conservation 2017 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 Context on-line archive Past editions of Context can be viewed on the IHBC website six months after publication. The archive provides a searchable database and reference for key articles. See www.ihbc.org.uk/page55/context_archive. 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 themes and copy deadlines Context is published five times a year, in March, May, July, September and November. The next three themes and copy deadlines are: Isle of Man , March, issue 153 (12 January) Lime and Stone , September, issue 154 (09 March) Social Sciences andHumanities , July, issue 155 (11 May) Please contact Michael Taylor at ihbceditorialboard@gmail.com to discuss any editorial submissions or for information about the Context editorial board. 2 C O N T E X T 1 5 2 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 Beneath the soot Sixty-three wallpapers, believed to be from the 18th century, have been uncovered during restoration of the Grade II* listed Howard House in Norwich. They were discovered when 1970s boarding was removed. Most of the wallpapers were obscured by sooty grime, and only came to light after chemical and fibre analysis. After being dry- cleaned by a brush they will be photographed, and covered up with Japanese tissue paper, an impermeable membrane and a wall finish. Work to restore the house, which has stood empty for more than 20 years, will be completed later this year as part of Orbit housing association’s plans to transform the neighbouring St Anne’s Quarter into a development of more than 400 new homes. Garden city’s digital trail Welwyn Garden City Heritage Trust has launched a new system of ‘quick- response signs’ that will provide information digitally on the heritage of the garden city. The trust believes that this heritage trail is the first of its type in the UK. Users access the system using a smartphone or tablet. One of a number of apps takes them to the trust’s website, providing detailed information about their location, and a map shows how to get to the next of 32 locations in the circular town-centre trail. Apothecaries’ new livery The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries has completed a conservation project on its headquarters in the City of London. Rebuilt in 1672 after the Historic wallpapers were uncovered during restoration of the Grade II* listed Howard House in Norwich. The Apothecaries’solid oak coat-of-arms has been restored.