C O N T E X T 1 7 2 : J U N E 2 0 2 2 7 Periodically Regular readers of this column will recall my advocacy of the annual transactions or journals of the national amenity bodies, and the added value this gives to membership. It seems unlikely that readers will be members of all these organisations, but the content provides valuable CPD even when it may not always inform day-to-day professional practice. It may also be an incentive for uncommitted readers to subscribe. Transactions of ASCHB One such is the Transactions of ASCHB, the Association for Studies in the Conservation of Historic Buildings (Vol 44, 2022). Published since 1973, the particular value of these transactions is the British case studies, as they often highlight important or overlooked buildings, their background history and the problems associated with their management. The successful repair solutions offered provide invaluable technical insights. In this volume Lee Prosser gives an account of a masterpiece of the English baroque, the Orangery at Kensington Palace, one of the few architectural commissions by Queen Anne and holding an important position in architectural history. Authorship has been attributed variously to Sir Christopher Wren, Nicholas Hawksmoor and Sir John Vanbrugh, without this ever having been resolved satisfactorily. In the late 19th century the building helped inspire the Queen Anne revival. After decades of use as a potting shed, it was restored in 1898 and given a new, Dutch-inspired garden in 1907; but for many years thereafter it formed little more than the shelter from the rain. For much of the 20th century the Orangery was a building with little useful purpose. It has recently been the subject of a regeneration project combining repair and selective cleaning. The article illustrates the very high quality of the brickwork and polychromy, and the painstaking approach needed to conserve much of the painted decoration, including carvings by Grinling Gibbons, careful paint analysis and cleaning. An article by Erin Davidson discusses the current state of the somewhat contentious proposals for the Grade I listed Norwich Castle (which is also sited on a scheduled ancient monument) to generate a ‘world-class visitor experience’. The article is particularly noteworthy for explaining how the design aspirations by Feilden and Mawson have been tested against on-site investigation of the fabric, leading to amendment of the approvals originally granted. At the other end of the scale, an article by Sherry Bates assesses a building in Barnett High Street where an early timber frame was discovered behind an unprepossessing facade and modern partitioning. The building had been listed Grade II in 1983 and perfunctorily misdescribed. Bates explains in detail the required reassessment and how this impacted the detailed conservation proposals. The approach to this project is well described, with exemplary illustrations. It is a textbook case as such seemingly humble buildings are quite often encountered but their heritage significance is often initially under-appreciated (some such are not necessarily even listed). The outcome can be very beneficial when they are assessed properly. Following on from the Notre Dame fire, Steve Emery, fire officer for Oxford University, looks at the impact of fire on limestone. He describes an ongoing project to understand what effect heat has on the compressive strength of limestone and what this means in particular for the structural stability of English cathedrals if fire should occur, and identifies lessons for fire-fighting tactics. This is work in progress and the outcomes of fire testing are eagerly awaiting. Further work on the different structures of the roof timbers and how the spread of fire will progress has followed to inform how roofs will eventually collapse, and what effect this will have on the heated vaults below if left to burn. Comparisons can then be made on the various precautions that have aschb transactions volume 44: 2022 ASSOCIATION FOR STUDIES INTHE CONSERVATION OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS
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