CONTEXT The Association of Conservation Officers No 40 December 1993
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CONTEXT No40 December 1993 ISSN: 0958-2746 Editor Published for the Association Bob Kindred (Ipswich Borough Council, Tel: 0473 262934, Fax: 0473 262974) of Conservation Officers by Hall-McCartney Ltd, PO Box 21, Unit 7, Campus 5, The Business Park, Letchworth, Herefordshire SG6 2JF, 4 Henley Road, Ipswich, Suffolk !PI 3SF, Tel: 0473259441 Assistant Editor Gus Astley (Bath City Council Tel: 0225 461111 ext 2549, Fax: 0225 448536) Tel: 0462 675848, Fax: 0462 679356 Annual Subscription (inclusive of post & packing~UK only): £30.00 Single Copy: £10.00 Manor House, Wells Road, Hallatrow, Brisrol BS18 5EJ, Tel: 0761 453047 The views expressed in Context are not necessarily those held by the ACO or the publishers. Neither the publishers nor the Context is published quarterly and is distributed to all members of the Association of Conservation Officers. ACO shall be under any liabilty whatsoever in respect of contributed articles. The products and services advertised in this publication are not necessarily endorsed by the Association. © Association of Conservation Officers 1993 -, Ti1: ,,,, '•: THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION OFFICERS Officers Chairman: Chris Smith (Stroud Valleys Project Officer, 10A John Street, Stroud, Glos GL5 !DZ, Tel: 0453 753358) 24 Middle Street, Stroud, Glos GL5 2HA, Tel: 0453 753949 Vice Chairman: Mary King (Liverpool City Council, Tel: 051-225 5678) 24 Beech Road, Aughton, Ormskirk, Lanes L39 6SJ, Tel: 0695 424297 Secretary: Dr Richard Mortice (English Heritage, Tel: 071-973 3132) IA Bloomsbury Place, Kemp Town, Brighton, Sussex BN2 1DA, Tel: 0273 623260 Treasurer: Mike Munt (Essex County Council) Tel: 0245 492211 ext 51667 Border House, Anglesea Road, Wivenhoe CO7 9JR. Tel: 0206 825673 Membership Secretary: James Ross (Essex County Council, Tel: 0245 492211 ext 51672) Three Bears, Laindon Common Road, Little Burstead, Essex CM12 9TL Education Officer: Mike King (TACP Design, Tel: 051-708 7014) 24 Beech Road, Aughton, Ormskirk, Lancs.L39 6SJ, CONTEXT 40 Tel: 0695 424297 Consultations Co-ordinator: Graham Steaggles (East Hampshire District Council, Tel: 0730 266551, Fax: 0730 267366) 54 Pulens Lane, Sheet, Petersfield, Hampshire GU31 4DD, Tel: 0730 266653 Publicity Officer: Alan Taylor (Staffordshire County Council, Tel: 0785 277282) 15 Village Gardens, Walton on the Hill, Stafford ST! 7 0LL Tel: 0785 664473 Council Minutes Secretary: Andrew Cooke (Enfield LBC, Tel: 081-967 9595) Branch Officers North: Keith Murray, Durham County Council, Tel: 091-383 3237 ext 2237 North West: Graham Arnold, Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council, Tel: 051-934-2211 Yorkshire: Bob Scriven, 2 Lambert Avenue, Roundhay, Leeds LS8 1NH, Tel: 0532 668782 or Jane Jackson, City of York Tel: 0904 613161 West Midlands: Colin Richards, South Shropshire District Council, Tel: 0584 874941 or Dave Baxter, Hereford City Council, Tel: 0432 268121 East Midlands: Graham Beaumont, Nottinghamshire County Council, Tel: 0602 243060 South West: Paul Dadson, Somerset County Council, Tel: 0823 255425 South: Julia Smith, Buckinghamshire County Council, Tel: 0296 382823 East Anglia: John Preston, 90 Histon Road, Cambridge CB4 3JP. Tel: 0223 562534 (Cambridge City Council, Tel: 0223 358977 ext 2630) South East: John Davey, Guildford Borough Council, Tel: 0483 444660 London: Rosemarie MacQueen, City of Westminster, Tel: 071-798 2519 Scotland: Debbie Robertson, Edinburgh District Council, Tel: 031-225 2424 ext 6562 Wales: Neil Sumner, Mid Glamorgan County Council, Tel: 0222 820028 or Claire Deacon, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Tel: 0437 764591 ext 5129 Northern Ireland: to be announced. CONTENTS Editorial News 4 4 HISTORJC PAINTSAND DECORATIVE FINISHES A colour strategy for Norwich. Ann Rostron Colour, pigments and paint - some historical components Recovering urban painting traditions. James Douet Adviceon decoration and finishes Using lime Case Study: Provincial elegance reborn, Newark Town Hall. Philip Grover Case Study: 17th and 18th century decoration at The Eagle, Cambridge. John Preston Technical Nore: Problems encountered with alkaline paste paint removers. David Cannell Anti-stone cleaning myopia. Dennis Rodwell Reconsidering air-abrasive cleaning of limestone. Piers Denny M'Learned Friend. The balance between conservation and development. CharlesMynors Supporting Columns. A philosophy towards listed buildings. Brian Morton Sir Titus. Appeals relating to painting and decorative work. David Morton Peg tile revival in Cambridgeshire. Chris Godfrey and John Preston Shingles in Britain. Elphin Watkin Law & Practice The curtilage issue: Kenrwell Hall, Long Melford. Richard Ward Coating slates at 4a Rose Crescent, Cambridge. John Preston Spare the rod. Mike Pearce City Conservation. Donald lnsall ACO BusinessNews ACO Branch News Books Letters ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE Front cover: Newark Town Hall. Photo: Newark & Sherwood District Council. p5: Airship hangar, Cardington. Photo: Building Research Establishment. 8 10 12 13 13 14 16 18 19 21 23 24 26 28 28 32 32 33 34 35 33 39 43 p6· Housing in Welwyn Garden City and Crawley. Photos: Mervyn Miller. pl: Coade stone statue, Richmond. Photo: Taylor Pearce Restoration ServicesLtd. ppS-i0: Norwich buildings. Photos: Ann Rostron, Norwich City Council. pi3 lefi: Examples of circular mouldings on circular surfaces, from a 19th century book on decorating. pi3 right: Illustration from South hams DC guide to using lime. ppl4 and 15 bottom: Newark Town Hall Ballroom. Photo: Newark & Sherwood District Council. pi5 top: Newark Town Hall. Photo: Newark District Council. Museum. pi 7: Wall painting, The Eagle, Cambridge. Photo: John Presron, Cambridge City Council. pi 9: Cleaned tenements, Edinburgh. Photo: Dennis Rodwell. p2 I: Cleaning limestone in Bath. Photos: Piers Denny. p28: Peg tiles. Photo: John Preston, Cambridge City Council. pp29/3i: Shingles. Drawings and photo: Elphin Watkin. p32: Kentwell Hall. Photo: Bob Kindred. p36· Coated tiles in Cambridge. Photo: John Preston, Cambridge City Council. p37- Jackdaw's Castle. Drawing courtesy of Julia Smith. p39: Dado wallpaper, from a Victorian Society leaflet. p43: ICA building by Beresford Pite. Photo: Marrin Charles. 3
4 EDITORIAL SWIMMING AGAINST THE TIDE? It would always be useful to have just a little reliable foresight. By the time this editorial appears we will know from the Queen's Speech if, in the next session of Parliament, the Government will introduce its Deregulation Bill and perhaps what additional 'freedoms' we may enjoy. With freedom must come responsibility and a strong and well directed sense of the collective good of the community. There is not much evidence of such common responsibility and self-restraint in conservation areas. bring the whole enforcement regime in to line with the revised planning powers has been ascribed to no more than a lack of parliamentary time. Now is that time, but it is likely to be legislation against the tide. No-one wants incompetent, irrelevant or redundant regulations. However, where laws are desirable, but have been seen not to work, the first question to ask is whether they could be improved rather than whether they should be abandoned. It may seem as perverse in some quarters that at the very moment when the Government feels we should be less regulated (for some illusory short term economic gain - which the PPG rightly deplores), there is clamour for more regulation. This relates in particular to the protection of the built environment - not only professionals but also the very citizens the Government seeks ro liberate are pressing for further controls. The recent consultation paper on controls in conservation areas may have seemed timely, but, reading it, there has been a sense of a Government acting like a short-tempered or distracted parent faced with a noisy, troublesome and wearying small child who has asked repeatedly for a forbidden sweetie. The Government is clearly reluctant to regulate in any way which will impede 'economic recovery' but what heritage will we have left if it fails to strengthen the powers which have been clearly and irrefutably demonstrated to lack real teeth? Our enforcement powers lack teeth. The failure to offer any really useful advice on them m the draft PPG and the continued failure to 'MEDIAEVAL HOUSES OF WILTSHIRE' Several readers have asked where this excellent publication can be obtained following Alan Taylor's review in the last issue ( Context 39, page 42). Those interested should contact Wiltshire Buildings Record, clo County Library & Museums Service, Bythesea Road, Trowbridge, Wilts. Tel: (0225) 753641 ext 2718 (and open to the public on Tuesdays). 19TH CENTURY BOOKS ON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION It is proposed to republish books on building construction from the 19th century, many of which will be of great interest to Conservation Officers, and many now either out of print or too precious or expensive for every day reference. New reprints are promised 1n good-quality hardback editions. If ACO members would like to suggest suitable titles they would like to see made available or want further information, they should contact: Alan Hardiman, 3 Mount Beacon, Bath BAI 5QP. Tel: (0225) 424647. GARDEN STATUESAND ORNAMENTS SURVEY Within the last five years the theft of garden statues has risen from virtually nil to being nearly 50% of art thefts in this country. The loss of statues and ornaments to formal gardens, particularly those of the 17th century, and to early landscape gardens, has been disastrous. Furthermore, the effect of the weather on stone statuary is almost as destructive as burglars yet the majority of owners do little to protect them against either theft or frost. A survey conducted by Edward Fawcett for ICOMOS UK and sponsored by Haddonstone Ltd has been carried out and this, together with information to help owners with protection measures, has now been published. Copies are available from ICOMOS UK, I O Barley Mow Passage, London W4 4HP, price £6.50 (£4.00 to ICOMOS members). TYNE & WEAR'S FIRSTANNUAL Conservation Officers have never been particularly strong on self promotion, doing their job quietly and efficiently. Now more than ever the 'mission to explain' is being conducted as much within other parts of local government as ourside. The Tyne & Wear Specialist Conservation Team (based within the Planning Department of Newcastle City Council) has recently published its first Annual Report documenting its activities in the felds of historic buildings, archaeology and industrial archaeology. The intention is ro inform members and officers of the five City and District Councils on Tyne and Wearside of the quality and quantity of the skills and expertise available and to make the work undertaken more widely known. Further details and copies of the Report from Ian Ayris at Newcastle City Council. Tel: 091-232 8520 ext 6151. CONSERVATION LEAFLETS East Hertfordshire District Council is maintaining its corn prehensive programme of excellent illustrated A4 leaflets with issues eight and nine in the series on Shopfronts and Advertising and Brick Repainting and Repair. Further details from: Sue Rawlings, EHDC Planning Department, PO Box I 02, Wallfields, Pegs Lane, Heriford SGl3 SEQ. Tel: (0279) 655261. THREE IMPORTANT EDITORIAL INITIATIVES From the Spring of next year we hope to produce a short Interim Newsletter between issues of Context. This will enable us to keep you better informed of news, views and forthcoming events; the work of the ACO Council and Committees; Branch activities (?); the debate about Institute status; responses to consultations and other matters. Some of the ACO business may move from Context to the Newsletter depending on the practicality of the goal we have set ourselves. Whether it's true that life begins at 40, it was felt appropriate that we should produce an index of the content of those first 40 issues to help you find all those hidden gems of utterly useful information in Context. Richard Morrice has been diligently working through the back copies and we hope to inform you of progress in the next issue. Lastly, many contributors prepare their copy on word processors and it should be possible to supply the text as floppy disc copy (which could be returned) as well as the printed text. Discs could be 3.5" or 5.25" although the former would be preferred, but not 3" Amstrad discs which are not an industry standard. Text can be read onto disc from almost all word processing programs in a suitable format known as ASCII - American National StandardCode for Information Interchange (or 'Askey files' for short). This would save having to typeset it twiceand be more efficient. We think a reliable and efficient systemcan be devised and we will circulatedetails via the Branch Reps and to regular contributors shortly. COVER STORY Our cover photo shows one small aspect of the outstanding redecoration of Newark Town Hall originally by John Carr of York (I 77 4-6) and now listed Grade I. The recent renovation won a Europa Nostra Diploma of Merit. Philip Grover, the Newark & Sherwood District Council Conservation Officer, describes the work in this issue. CONTEXT40
NEWS BUILDINGS-ATRISK IN PERIOD NOT HOT AIR IN BEDS HOUSE If you are seeking to publicise a building-at-risk (or your Risk Register) remember that Period House and its Garden magazine publishes a full-page feature each month on the dreadful wrecks we deal with every day and which are seeking a new repairing owner. Richard Porter would be pleased to hear from • any readers of Context, with a BAR to publicise (and suitable photos). As the natural successor to the late lamented Traditional Homes, Period House is probably essential monthly reading in any case. Contact Richard via Times House, Station Approach, Ruislip, Middx HA4 8NB. Tel: (0895) 677677. ACO ANNUAL SCHOOL 1994 CONSERVATION AREAS: INVESTING IN THE FUTURE 24-27 March 1994 The places which we value and seek to preserve may be made of bricks and mortar, but they are neither permanent nor immutable and their character will be lost unless we act to save them. Our interventions can take many forms, but they are all investments of time, care, specialist advice and, not least, money. The management of these complementary tools provides the subject for the 1994 ACO School, Conservation Areas: Investing in the Future, which will be held at York University from 24 to 27 March 1994. The School will investigate three fundamental areas for investment: buildings, spacesand planning control. Regeneration and new development can change the character of areas which they were intended to preserve. Assisted by architects and their clients we will focus on recent and forthcoming developments in Yorkshire, in an attempt to identify effective approaches to the preservation of the fabric and the character of historic areas through new investment in buildings and spaces. The Day School on Friday 25 March will concentrate on the role of the planning authority, against the background of CONTEXT 40 PPG15 and recent English Heritage and English Historic Towns Forum initiatives. Topics will include the implications of the new PPG 15, the importance and resource costs of designation, documentation and the production of management strategies. A discussion of English Heritage's new Partnership Programme, commencing in April 1994, will form an important part of the day. Full use will be made of the rich historic environments of Yorkshire, with case studies relevant to work in industrial areas, city centres, historic cores and rural settlements. The programme has been structured to have maximum relevance for all who work in conservation areas and every attempt has been made to reduce costs in the light of limited local authority training budgets, to encourage a high level of attendance. You will find a booking form in this issue of Context. Complete it now to reserve your place at the best unlisted school in the country. Further information and additional booking forms from Harold R Dick, Treasurer and Administrator, 4 Millgate, Richmond, DLJ0 4JN. Tel: (0748) 825675. Work is underway to reclad the Grade II listed airship hangar in Cardington, Bedfordshire. The shed was originally built in Pulham, Norfolk, but in the early 1920s was dismantled and moved to its present site to house the RIO] airship. It was also raised by 9 m and lengthened by almost 17 m to make it an enormous 247m long by 82 m wide by 54 m high. The building is now used as the Building Research Establishment's Large Building Test Facility where full-scale fire and gas explosion research can be undertaken. To replicate the staggered lip cladding with its hook bolt fixings, neither of which are now in common use, a 1.2 mm thick galvanised and powder-coated steel sheet has been specially commissioned from British Steel. Over 300 tons of sheeting will be required. The £1.5M contract is being undertaken by Kelsey Roofing of Wakefield. THE CONSERVATION PORTFOLIO In the December 1993 edition of the Portfolio are: British Lead Mills - Decorative Leadwork Farrow & Ball Ltd - Manufacturers of Specialist and Traditional Paints The lronbridge Institute - Researching Consultancy and Teaching in Industrial Buildings and Urban Landscapes The London Crown Glass Company Glass for Period Buildings and Product Range Wandset Limited - Manufacturers of Specialist and Traditional Paints 5
6 NEWS HELP PLEASE: POST-1939 LISTINGHOUSING IN THE NEW TOWNS AND RURALHOUSING Dr Mervyn Miller writes: The English Heritage Post- 19 39 listing programme 1s masterminded by Dr Diane Kay. Its first listings - educational buildings - were announced last March. Analysis is now taking place by building type by English Heritage with external consultants. I have received contracts for Housing in the New Towns and Rural Housing. The 21 New Towns in England, commencing in 1946 with Stevenage, and culminating in Milton Keynes, have been recognised as an outstanding achievement in community planning. Carrying forward the Garden City Movement into an era of state development under the New Towns Act, they were often planned by eminent consultants - including Sir Frederick Gibberd and Richard Llewellyn Davies. Layout and FORTHCOMING ISSUES - DEADLINES AND THEMES The next issue, Spring 1994 will deal with 'Traffic management, paving, street furniture and signage'. COPY DEADLINE FRIDAY 18TH JANUARY for posting out on 4th March. The following issue, Summer 1994 will deal with "Impossible Buildings" - those large and/or difficult ones that require unusual or innovatory solutions to conserve them. COPY DEADLINE 15th APRIL for posting out on 3rd June. Other contributions, experiences, case studies are welcome at any time (space permitting) but if you have a burning desire to see a particular topic covered let us • know. accommodation standards were generous, and the architectural 1m age represen red skilful, pragmatic modernism, seen at its best in the estates of the 1950s. There were also notable experiments with patio housing, and the Radburn layout separating pedestrians and vehicles. My remit also covers the 'expanded towns such as Basingstoke and Thetford. By con erase, postwar rural housing is under-researched, yet the involvement of architects such as Tayler and Green brought a freshness to the rural scene, very different from the forced vernacular style often seen in present-day village development. To review, and to prepare contextual reports, with selected examples recommended for listing is a great challenge, but one which is a logical outcome of my long interest in Garden Cities, and new communities generally. Much of the initial work will be 'desk top' based, using sources such as the Pevsner Buildings of England volumes, and contemporary professional journals. However, contact from ACO colleagues would be very welcome, particularly in cases where the sensitive character of original designs is under threat. It will also help me to draw up a fieldwork programme for the final selection. Please contact me - sooner rather than later as my deadline for corn pletion is 28 February 1994. Dr Mervyn Miller, Chartered Architect and Town Planner, 11 Silver Street, Ashwell, Baldock, Herts SG7 5Qj. Tel: (0462) 742685. INDUSTRIAL INITIATIVE Paul Collins and Tanya English are two industrial historians who have recently established a venture called Industrial History Services based in Lond·on and the West Midlands providing a broad range of expertise from field survey work to on-site interpretation to historical research and evaluation. Initial visits, including those to sites, are free of charge followed by fully costed quotations tailored to individual requirements. Further details from either: 38 St John's Vale, London E8 4EN, Tel: 081-691 3000, or from Beech Haven, Cobden Street, Stourbridge DY8 3RU, Tel: (0384) 394014. FUTURE EVENTS RECORDING FARM BUILDINGS 15 January: One-day conference on the recording of farm buildings being jointly organised by the RCHME, the Historic Farm Buildings Group and York University's Centre for Conservation Studies. Follows on from limited surveys of farmsteads in both England and Scotland by both Royal Commissions. Aims to encourage recording by both professional and non-professional groups. A range of different recording objectives and techniques will be presented to enable both national and local deposits to be made for future reference and research. Further details from: Davina Turner, RCHME, Shelley House, Acomb Road, York YO2 4HB. Tel: {0904) 784411. DENDROCHRONOLOGY 27 January: One-day conference on dating of wood and woodderived products using tree ring analysis. Will cover theory and basic concepts; radiocarbon dating; what constitutes good sam pies and how they are obtained; a practical session showing how samples are dated and other applications of the techniques. Cost £95.00. Derails from: Monica Hale, Faculty of Human Science, Guildhall University, Old Castle Street, London El 7NT Tel: 071-3201126. SCOTTISH LIME WORKSHOP 11 and 12 March: Two one-day lime workshops to be run at Blackburn House, a large Palladian-sryle farmhouse built by the agricultural reformer George Montcrieff in 1762 in Edinburgh. Participants will be able to learn about handling this most important and versatile of building materials. Cost £45.00 either day including lunch. 30 places only, booking by 31 January. Details from: Philip Wallace, Blackburn House Trust, Kings Buildings, University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JL. CONTEXT 40 I I I
NEWS After years of neglect, the River God by John Bacon has been completely restoredand resited in a prominent position in Terrace Gardens, Richmond. The restoration of this important Coade stonefigure was carried out by conservators Taylor Pearce, the £15,000 project beingftmded by an appeal initiated by the Richmond Society. The one ton statue, which took pride of place in Mrs Coade s I 784 catalogue, was originally purchased for 100 guineas by the Duke of Montague for the pleasure gardens he was then laying out. The subject of an etching by Blake, only three other versionsof Bacons River God survive according to Peter Locke, architect and advisor to the Richmond Society. "Its one of thefinest pieces made by the Coade manufactory and its importance is increased by its rarity." ft is also the largest Coade work every cast in a single piece. Of the three figures, one, in Coade, stands in the forecourt of Ham House; another, a bronze, is in the courtyard of Somerset House; and the last, in natural stone, is located at Powerscourt in Ireland. The Somerset House bronze was used by Taylor Pearceas the pattern from which to reproduce a missing left leg, rightfoot and hand. One interesting discovery was that the leg circumference of the bronzefigure was 2 mm larger than the Coade one, due to shrinkage of the clay in the Coade preparation of Bacons casting process. To account for this a delicate adjustment of the master casts had to be made .from the bronze and, to give the cast items an authentic Coade appearance in keeping with the rest of the piece, a ceme111-based mixture of various sands was used. Thefigure wasfirst steam cleaned to remove over 200 years of disfiguri11g carbon deposits but not the pleasing patina of age. Restoration work involved the removal of rusting iron cramps and their replacement with stainless steel, as well as the removal of some earlier and unsympathetic in-situ restoration work. The original plinth of the statue was restored and a new foundation far it was prepared at its relocated site in Terrace Gardens. Instead of being tucked away just off a pathway in the gardens - a position it had occupied since 1902 - the statue now commands a central position on a hillock in from of an imposing hedgerow in the park. Relocating it presented a considerable logistical problem far Taylor Pearce and fine art handling specialist Momart, who was responsiblefar transporting the statue in specially designed air suspension trucks. The problem of getting a one ton statue onto a base at the top of a hillock which is surrounded by, and consistsof so.ftsoil is considerable. The problem was resolved by taking the statue off the truck outside the park and transporting it on a trolley over scaffold boards laid like tram lines to the one spot of level ground around the area - which was behind the hedge at the top of the hillock. From there it was winched over the hedge onto its plinth. A time capsule was enclosedin the base incorporating an account of the project and the names of the donors. In view of its importance the statue has also been ringed by a security system. SIGHT LINE Overheard recently on site. Conservation Officer perplexed by some unauthorised joinery: "What timber did you use'" Builder: "You said you wanted oak. I've stained it light oak - it says so on the tin". Overheard recently at a County Conservation Forum about the draft PPG: "This de-designation of conservation areas - I've not worked out how to designate any yet!" CONTEXT 40 THEATRES AT RISK The Theatres Trust has produced a most useful 7-page Advice Note (no 3) designed to help people who are in the early stages of organising themselves to protect theatres. Copies are available free from the Trust at 22 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H OHR. Tel: 071-836 8591. John Earl, the Trust's Director, would appreciate feedback on the document from Conservation Officers. DESIGN, RESTORATION&RESOURCECONSULTANTS HISTORICPARKS, GARDENS&LANDSCAPES For all sites of historic value or potential, we specialise in scholarly field and archive research, practical management planning and imaginative design and restoration. DAWSON TAYLOR LANDSCAPE Principal: Hilary A Taylor B.A.Hons., Ph.D. 4 Tattershall Drive, The Park, Nottingham NG7 lBX Tel: 0602 475277 Fax: 0602 475598 """'"""" J ~'ORNAMEN LEADWO of Hopper Head at the Royal Naval College Greenwich • Hoppers, Downpipes, Collars and Ears, Bends, Rainwater Shoes. • Replication service offered • Standard products available e B55750 (Part 2) registered BritishLead Mills Special Products Dormay Street, Wandsworth, London SW18 lJD Tel: 081-870 1461 Fax: 081-877 9876 7
8 Ann Rostron describes an attempt to create a city-wide harmony in the streets of Norwich A COLOUR STRATEGY FOR NORWICH In 1989 Norwich City Council was asked if ir would participate in a srudy, to be carried our by the Sikkens Foundation, into rhe use of colour in several European cities. The Foundation is an independent organisation sponsored by rhe paint manufacturer Akzo. The other participants were Moscow, Budapest, Turin, Barcelona and Berlin, as well as projects in France and the Netherlands. The projects were to be individual and varied, ranging from historic areas to modern buildings. The strategies which evolved would be capable of adaptation to other areas, places and groups of buildings. An author was appointed for each project - Michael Lancaster wrote rhe Norwich chapter of the book - The Colour of the City published privately by Akzo in 1992. The contribution that colour makes to our appreciation of the character of a town or city is not always recognised. It originates from both its history and its geographical area. Norwich, for example, is characterised by a palette of varied natural materials and enriched by painted facades. In the past the colours applied to painted surfaces were limited by the availability of pigments and by cost. The development of synthetic paint colours and the increased availability of paints over the last hundred years have allowed an unrestrained use of colour to develop which does not always relate to the intrinsic character of its location. A colour strategy for Norwich was intended to provide a coherent basis and starting point for advising and choosing colours for buildings within the historic city centre. The strategy could also be used for new buildings and applied to other areas. The starting point was to consider: 0 historic development and the use of natural materials at different periods; 0 materials and pigments used 1n traditional painted finishes; and 0 how a colour range might be promoted through various conservation and design policies. HISTORJC DEVELOPMENT From earliest times, Norwich was a sea port and trade from Europe brought Above: Elm Hill, Norwich. Below: Hovells,BedfordStreet. many colour influences into the city in materials, spices, dyes and manufactured goods, as well as stimulating the manufacture of goods for export - woollen and leather goods in particular. By the beginning of the 11eh centuty the city was the fifth largest in England, with many timber-framed houses and 40 churches. Early Norwich grew from Saxon settlements along the banks of the River Wensum -wattle and daub huts thatched with reed, Reed thatch survives today on a handful of buildings in the city centre. The Normans came and built the Castle and the Cathedral, introducing creamy white Caen limestone, and stone dressings to local flint work. In medieval times the city developed as a centre for the wool trade and worsted weaving, becoming home to immigrants from Europe and the surrounding region. Rich merchants built splendid houses and trading halls with steep thatched roofs, timber frames and plastered walls. The city wall was built enclosing the city centre, 50 great flint churches and the Guildhall in the Market Square. In the 17th and 18th centuries local red brick started to be more widely used for house walls but it was often plastered over and lime washed, usually in its natural creamy colour but sometimes coloured with red or yellow earth pigments. Thatched roofs were a fire risk in the walled city and were gradually replaced with red clay pantiles. The 18th century saw the development of brick as a facing material in its own right, often enriched with 'stone-like' refinements. Slate started to be used as an alternative roofing material. In the 19th century pale yellow Costessy brick was a popular substitute for stone and strongly influenced certain areas, such as Prince of Wales Road, leading from the new railway station to the city centre. Art Nouveau brought decorative finishes of ceramic tile and terracotta, exemplified in Skippers' Royal Arcade. In the 20th century the buff brick City Hall was built facing the Castle. It replaced earlier buildings at the top of the market place, re-emphasising the importance of that historic space, enlivened by its market awning in primaty colours. MATERIALS The historical development of the city centre provides the basic palette of materials and colours which create its distinctive character. 0 The dark and light grey, yellow and brown of knapped flints, roughly worked or more closely cut, sometimes with flint galletting worked into the joints. It was used in combination with brick as rubble walling, and with stone or brick quoins and dressings. 0 Where stone is used it is creamy white limestone ot clunch chalkstone. 0 Bricks characteristically range from orange to red, often set off by white painted windows and door frames. The CONTEXT 40 7
yellow-grey Costessy brick became popular in the 19th century and sometimes different bricks were used in combination to produce contrasting patterns. D Timber framing was a common material but was often concealed beneath plaster or, later, brickwork. Important buildings had a flint, brick and stone lower storey and vaulted undercroft, with timber-framed hall above. D Roofing materials ranged through dark brown thatch, red clay pantiles, with a black glazed variant and blue grey Welsh slates. PIGMENTS AND PAINT FINISHES Detailed research was undertaken in Akzo's technical laboratories into the colours which would have been available in this area associated with various historical periods. A palette of 38 colours was identified, five of which were specially developed for the project. Up to the end of the 18th century, colour pigments were expensive and their range was restricted. For example although white lead was used from the fourth century BC, zinc oxide was not available until the end of the 18th century and many other white pigments were not available until the end of the 19th century or early 20th century. For these reasons pure white is not recommended in the colour palette for buildings earlier than 18th century, cream or off-white being a suggested alternative. Black and brown pigments such as lamp black, umber and sienna were widely used for many centuries and Vandyke brown was in use in the 17th century. Before the 18th century oak was widely used for door and window frames and was not painted. The colour palette recommends that brown or grey is used instead of black for earlier buildings, being more sympathetic colours. Other colours commonly available before the 18th century were pigments such as red lead, red oxides and vermilion (mercuric sulphide) made in London in 1654, Naples Yellow made in mediaeval times, Prussian Blue from Berlin in 1704, Egyptian Blue made in Egypt in 3,000 BC and Green Earth or Terra Verte, mined in Verona from earliest times. Colours first made in the 19th century included vermilions, ultramarine and viridian green. In fact no chromate pigments were made until after about 1818 when the chromate radical became commercially available. The pigments were used to colour the basic limewash which was commonly used until quite recent times. Earth colours were often used - red and yellow ochres; also verdigris and lime-blue. More CONTEXT 40 The Castleand Market Square, Norwich. expensive pigments and mediums could be obtained but were reserved for specially rich effects inside important buildings. The cost of coloured pigments and the limited range available for use meant that they were only used intermittently and sparingly. The effect on the landscape can be seen in contemporary paintings of the Norwich School, being one of soft faded hues rather that bright colours. During the 18th century the increasing use of softwoods encouraged the development of 'gloss' paints, using linseed oil and white lead for a protective coating. Although today we consider that white paint complements the 18th century red brickwork, popular contemporary colours were softer muted greens, greys and browns. In the 19th century the use of coal created increasing dirt and pollution and led to the use of darker shades of chocolate brown, dark green, blue and black -traditional colours surviving today on the front doors of 19th century terraced houses. THE COLOUR STRATEGY Utilising the basic palette of colours developed for the city centre, the strategy is being implemented in several ways: D For larger schemes or groups of properties, Akzo will develop an appropriate colour palette. For example, in Elm Hill, a street of 16th and 17th century buildings largely owned by the City Council, the repainting programme has been carried out in a range of colours which was chosen to complement the historic and architectural character of the street. Pure white was rejected for window and door frames of 17th century buildings, brown or off-white being used instead. <)~ ~o~o nwhm~;;('/J streets are the //>-. -<1/4 .' subject of large ~ " V>i scale detailed ~ ✓ J, planning proposals, ~ -<'/, the planning officer can ~ .... ~A work with owners and ~ ~ V developers to carry out a ~<.I' scheme. In Timber Hill, where development of the Castle Mall shopping complex has stimulated refurbishment of almost all the buildings in the street, owners are receiving advice from Council Officers based on the colour palette. A range of colours has also been specified for the new buildings which form the street boundary of the new complex to emphasise their 20th century contribution. D For individual owners, Conservation Officers offer direct advice using the range of colours as a basis for discussions. GENERAL PRINCIPLES The use of colour on a single building, particularly in an urban setting, can be discordant if it is not considered in relation to its neighbours and the street scene as a whole. The palette provides a basis for making colour decisions in the broad context of the city's geography and historical development. As the colour strategy starts to influence buildings and streets, the use of sympathetic colours is producing a visual consistency. However, it is not our intention to use the recommended colour range inflexibly. The use of colours outside the palette will be considered carefully in relation to the whole streetscape and the creative use of colour as an expression of development and change is an important principle. Thanks to the Sikkens Foundation and the technical staff at Akzo Coatings, Norwich has had the opportunity to participate in this European project. Although the strategy would not have been developed without the assistance of the sponsors, nevertheless there is no obligation to use one particular product and owners are advised that similar colours can be obtained in other manufacturers' ranges. Enquiries regarding the colour palette should be directed to Brian Robson, Senior Designer, Colour Design Service, Akzo Coatings plc, 135 Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4SB. Tel: (0235) 862226. Ann Rostron, Head of Conservation and Design in Norwich City Planning Department. 9
10 HISTORIC PAINTS AND DECORATIVE FINISHES COLOUR, PIGMENTS AND PAINT - SOME HISTORICAL COMPONENTS Pigments exist in all materials whether or not they have been positively coloured; they are responsible for reflected colour when light falls upon the surface. The most common source of natural pigments is the earth and it is in these so-called 'earth colours' - of sand, gravels, clays and rocks - that we can see the greatest affinity with natural materials. The commonest and most durable are the reds and yellows - the ochres - derived from iron. They were freely available locally and were used in East Anglian colourwash. Bur they were rarely pure enough for painting, which demanded consistency. For this special sources were used: yellow ochre was imported from Oxfordshire, red from Devon and umber from Cornwall. With the application of heat, burnt umber and burnt sienna could be produced, but more complicated, expensive and sometimes dangerous processes were needed to produce brighter and more adventurous colours. These included red and yellow from lead, green from copper and blue from cobalt, all of which can be seen in 13th century paintings on the vaulted ceiling of rhe cathedral Treasury. The alternative azure blue, produced by grinding rhe semiprecious lapis lazuli, was so expensive char ir was reserved for special works of art such as illuminated manuscripts, and then often only for the Virgin's gown. Other medieval pigments included vermilion from sulphur, and gamboge, Naples yellow, orpiment and verdigris, from oxides of lead, antimony and tin. Although a considerable number of colours were available during the Middle Ages, the difficulty and cost of production made many of chem expensive and curtailed their use until well into the 18th century. There was, for example, a deficiency of bright yellows and blues cheap enough co use in quantity. When Prussian blue was first introduced in 1704 it became the most popular blue until it was displaced by synthetic ultramarine in 1828. For normal everyday use 'common colours' described in a Builder's Price Book of 1787 were "white-lead, or stone-colour, lead-colour, cream-colour, pearl-colour, wainscot-colour, chocolate-colour", all off-whites, greys and browns made by mixing white lead with relatively inexpensive red and yellow ochres, and black; a range of colours surprisingly familiar to the 20th century householder. To these common colours, 'olive' or 'invisible' greens were added early in the 19th century as "being proper for covering gates and rails, in parks, pleasure grounds etc. by rendering them in a measure invisible at a distance on account of its approximation co the hue of vegetation". This is undoubtedly the origin of the custom still practised by park keepers and farmers alike, although the original greens were quite dull, being made from a mixture of poor quality Prussian blue with black and yellow ochre. During the second half of the 18th century Vanherman describes a dull red ocre as: "Excellent for barns, ~heds, cart and waggon wheels, implements for husbandry etc." a custom which has persisted in the red colour still commonly used on 'Dutch' barns in Britain. The description also fits that of 'Suffolk pink', a deep red ochre used to colour the distemper on walls of buildings in Suffolk. Distemper - or whitewash - was the paint most commonly used from the 12th century until well into our own times. Being made from chalk or lime, it was freely available and very cheap. It could easily be coloured and it provided a suitable light-reflecting surface for inside walls, as well as protection against the elements for the exteriors. There were several recipes: whiting bound with size, preferably starch because it did not impair the colour; alternatively, slaked lime mixed with powdered alum instead of size or starch, or 'stucco whitewash' made from chalk lime slaked in boiling water and mixed with ground rice. A recipe of 1396 includes size made from boiled strips of leather; and at various times and in various places egg yolk, beer, wine, sale and potatoes were added. Colour-wash was made by simply adding pigments such as red or yellow ochre, verdigris (green) - which was liable to fade or lime-blue, made by precipitating copper sulphate with milk of lime. The origins and application of colourwash must have been very variable, in spite of the reports of contemporary writers such as W. Harrison, writing in 1587, of the practice to "strike over our clay works and stone walls, in cities, good towns, rich farmer's and gentlemen's houses wieh asbestos or white lime". In this context the term 'white' should be liberally interpreted, the likelihood being that much of the lime-wash either contained traces of pigments from the source or acquired them from the clay walls to which it was applied. In most places the effects were probably very mixed, with a few houses white, some yellow or reddish, and some with the clay of the wattle-and-daub still visible: an effect which was portrayed in some of the paintings of the Norwich School as late as the 18th century, and which can still be seen in some of the French and German CONTEXT 40
6 6 HillHouse,Helensburgh BlairCastle, BlairAtholl Hall W horrell & Moon P e r i o d P a i n t C-o n s u I t a n t s Manufacturers of traditional oil paints, distempers & limewashes offire(0S.,6 )."\7.HlOI 12 Latham Street Hrir..,·rori' Kettering :\orchants N:\14 3HD 6 Lodges inWindsor Great Park 6 BrightonPavilion ROSE of JERICHO 6 6 WrestParkOrangery LintonPark, Kent 6 Norbury Park,Surrey at St. Blaise Ltd. Traditional Mortars & Paints 6 HeskethCrescent,Torquay Lime Mortars, Plasters, Coatings & Earth Products Limewash, Distemper & Genuine Lead Paint 11~ fo1Cj1ftf ~ 11ailf t, Consultancy, Analysis, Matching Mixes and Advice Keim Mineral Paints Ltd, Muckley Cross, Marville, Nr.Bridgnorth, Shropshire WV16 4RR "B' 074 631 543 Fax: 074 631 526 lill Westhill Barn, Evershot, Dorchester, DT2 OLD. towns and villages that have not yet been restored to the immaculate and colourful state demanded by 20th century taste. It is unlikely that the external colours of ordinary houses were of much interest before the time of Inigo Jones (15 731652), when such matters became a subject for discussion; and then comments tended to be general. Jones' view was chat the 'outward ornaments' of buildings should be 'masculine and unaffected', although he was not apparently averse to including a bright green railing in his design for Sir Edward Cecil's house on the Strand, and a sober colour-wash for the rendered fat;:ades of the Chapel at St. James's, Queen's House, Greenwich. But we may assume that he did not go so far as to support Cecil's attempts to apply German-style frescoes to the exterior walls of buildings. Sir Henry Wotton was more direct in his advice, stating that colours on external walls had more delight than dignity, and recommending only black and white. The advice seems to have been taken by the owners of the half-timbered Cresswell Manor in Berkshire, shown in an oil painting of c. 1670 with whitewashed walls and all the woodwork picked out in a dark mud-brown. The colour of the latter was probably achieved by rubbing with charcoal or lamp-black, CONTEXT 40 Tel: 0935 83662 Fax: 0935 83017 a practice which developed into the use of tar, establishing the 19th century tradition of black-and-white 'magpie houses'. The custom of using red and yellow ochre for the exposed timber frames, as in France and Germany, was apparently practised only occasionally in England. While interiors provided many opportunities for the display of colour, particularly during the Baroque period, the exteriors remained relatively austere. Protection against the weather was the main reason for painting external woodwork and the colour schemes for 'vulgar painting' - as it was described - were limited to a few 'common' colours, listed by Thomas Wilsford in 1659 as: "red oaker, umber, red and white lead". Typically, colour mixes were contrived to imitate wood, stone and lead in accordance with Sir Roger Pratt's advice: "All painting ought to imitate the natural colour of the most excellent things in their kind". Colour was still being used for purposes of deception rather than for its intrinsic qualities. Although linseed oil had been a constituent of some lime-based paints, true oil paint was little developed before the 18th century. Oak needed little protection beyond charring where in contact with the earth, or rubbing with charcoal where exposed. But as oak became scarcer and softer woods began to be used, paint had to be developed for a new role. Window frames (which were occasionally of mahogany in the more expensive houses, sometimes gilded), were often painted with white lead paint. At the beginning of the century front doors were of oak treated with a mixture of oil and varnish. Later, when pine doors came into use, oil paint was used, protected by oil copal or similar varnish. Popular colours at the end of the 18th century were "grey, lead, ash, stone, buff, sage green, pea green, sea green, light and willow green, grass green, apricot, peach, orange, fine yellow, fawn, olive green, light timber and brick". During the 19th century the increased use of coal for domestic fires and industry rendered white impractical in many places. At first it was tinted with ochre or black, and lacer, windows were frequently painted chocolate brown and front doors dark green, blue or black, traditions which, like those of simulating natural materials - stone-painting, marbling and wood-graining, have survived. This article is an extract from a longer article by Michael Lancasterprinted in The Colour of the City, a private publication by the Sikkens Foundation. We are grateful to Akzo Paints pie for permission to reproduceit. 11
James Douet on ways of getting back to our roots RECOVERING URBAN PAINTING TRADITIONS Many British towns have, over the last 100 years, progressively lost much of their historic appearance as traditions of surface treatment and colouring have been discarded. Lime renders have been stripped off to reveal tottery rubble walls; stucco cut away to show off dodgy brick work; and traditions of painting and colouring buildings forgotten. I was struck last autumn while doing a list review in Tewkesbury how much of the town, now bared limestone rubble (dressed on the classier buildings), carried evidence of formerly rendered surfaces or of strongly coloured painted finishes to the stone. Before habits of protecting walls with long-term sacrificial render coats (themselves reinforced with maintenance coats of limewash) were abandoned, the town had a very different personality. Many of the more prestigious buildings also had painting schemes which complemented the architectural effects. Moreover the loss of this historic appearance is compounded by the accelerated weathering of unprotected stone or brickwork, with the corrosive potential of the atmosphere at a historically high level. The reasons behind this loss are varied, but conservators from all over the world complain about the same problem. There is an obvious interest in the archeological messages carried by the exposed walls, to such an extent that in Italy it is popular in some towns for windows to be cut through the render to show off earlier buried details, of the general architectural understanding of the building. There is a feeling that the old stones carry a greater historic value, the patina of age, which is of course lost by renewed finishes. And more ironically, rationalist or expressionist ideas derived from the Modern Movement about not concealing structures have conspired to remove or not replace old surface treatments. Policies aimed at re-establishing local historic finishes may founder on popular misconceptions of how old buildings should look. To convince and win support, they need to be informed by accurate studies which establish local traditions of paint and related finishes on different types of building, at different times. Systematic researches of this kind have been carried out in a number of Italian towns, and more recently an American study was made of the Vieux Carre district of New Orleans. This project sets out to provide "a historically accurate and representative exterior paint palette", to substantiate the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development's policies on colour and external finishes, in an area of rich and diverse architectural traditions. Although the city was fortunate in being able to draw on wonderful archival records which included watercolours of all the buildings sold at auction, the primary source was from systematic sampling from the buildings, followed by pigment and material analysis. The methodology involved an initial typological study to establish a number of representative traditional architectural forms. Examples of each could be sampled, so that the evolutionary paths of surface treatment could be traced, as well as picking up colour relationships with different architectural elements. Likewise those on different building types, and in different areas. Samples were scraped off, collected and analysed, and the results used to determine the visual appearance of the various types, and areas, at particular times. From these it is possible to demonstrate not just a subjective aesthetic preference that may have pertained at some or other period, but also architectural effects which had become lost or covered up, and the visual unity and coherence which urban fabric can lose when long-lasting tradition of surface treatment are abandoned. Moreover, practical benefits underlying colour choice became apparent, such as the use of toxic white lead or copper arsenic greens for protecting woodwork from insect attack. All this of course is the preamble to a proposal to carry out such a study in this country. This will form part of a research programme with the Department of Conservation Science at the University of Bournemouth and Professor John Ashurst, be sponsored by Keim Paints, and work closely with a local authority, probably in the Cotswolds. The role of the university is first to assist in the design of the study. Moreover, it has an impressive facility for materials analysis and it is important to BUILDINGS AT RISK 12 BUILDINGS AT RISK ? Buildings at Risk Trust Number One Greenhill Wirksworth Derbyshire DE4 4EN tel: (0629) 826292 fax: (0629) 826390 The Buildings at Risk Advisory Service is ready to help you save historic buildings. Together with our consultants, we will give advice, or prepare a feasibility study or, if necessary, we can acquire the building or manage its restoration for you. We look forward to hearing from you . Trustees: Thomas Lloyd FSA (Chairman) TheDukeofGraftonKG LordMontaguofBeaulieu Dame Jennifer Jenkins DBE DrR W Brunskill OBE Managers: Alan Bemrose (Secretary) tel: 0831 178015 Michael Pearce ARIBA MRTPI FRSA tel: 0836 612490 Registered Charity No. 1014217, Company No. 2709013, Registered Office No. 1 Greenhill, Wirksworth, Derbyshire DE4 4EN, VAT No. 593 3851 09 CONTEXT 40
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