CONTEXT The Association of Conservation Officers No24 December1989 SPECIAL FEATURE: Architectural salvage The future of conservation areas Building Preservation Trust threat lifted
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CONTEXT No24 ISSN: 0958-2746 Editor December 1989 Jenny Pearce (London Borough of Richmond-on-Thames, telephone 01-891 7313) 10 King Edward's Grove, Teddington, MiddxTW11 9LU, telephone 01-977 0913 Assistant Editor Bob Kindred (Ipswich Borough Council, telephone 0473 262934, facsimile 0473 230851) 4 All Saints Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 4DG Context is published quarterly and is distributed to all members of the Association of Conservation Officers. © Association of Conservation Officers 1989 THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION OFFICERS Officers Chairman: Chris Smith (Stroud Valleys Project Officer, The Shambles, High Street, Stroud, Glos GL5 1AP, telephone 0453 753358) Sb Wallbridge, Stroud, Glos GL5 3JA, telephone 0453 757405 Secretary: Liz Marten (North Herts District Council, telephone 0462 686500 ext 2411, facsimile 0462 480043) 25 Willington Road, Cople, Bedford, telephone 02303 616 Treasurer: Peter Richards (Essex County Council, telephone 0245 352232 ext 289) 139 Lifstan Way, Thorpe Bay, Essex SSl 2XG, telephone 0702 468252 Members hip Secretary: James Ross (Essex County Council, telephone 0245 352232 ext 293) Three Bears, Laindon Common Road, Little Bumstead, Essex CM1 9TL Projects Officer: John Fidler (HBMC, 01973 3484) 27A Barns bury Street, Islington, London Nl lPW Publicity Officer: Mary King( Preston Borough Council, telephone 0772 266808) 24 Beech Road, Augh ton, Ormskirk, Lanes L39 6SJ, telephone 0695 424297 CONTEXT24 Published for the Association of Conservation Officers by HallMcCartney Ltd, PO Box 21, Spirella House, Bridge Road, Letchworth, Herts SG6 4ET, telephone 0462 675848, facsimile 0462 670346 Annual Subscription (inclusive of post & packing- UK only): £15.00 Single Copy: £ 5.00 The views expressed in Context are not necessarily those held by ACO or the publishers. The publishers shall not be under any liability whatsoever in respect of contributed articles. The products and services advertised in this publication are not necessarily endorsed by the Society. Regional Officers North: Keith Murray, Durham County Council, telephone 091-386 6111 ext 2237 North West: Mike King, Liverpool City Council, telephone 051-225 5635 Yorkshire: Robert Scriven, Wakefield Metropolitan District Council, telephone 0924 296590, facsimile 0924 367292 W Midlands: Brian Moore, Dudley Borough Council, telephone 0384 456000 ext4188 E Midlands: Graham Beaumont, Nottinghamshire County Council, telephone 0602 824277 South West: Robert Ladd, Mendip District Council, telephone 0749 3399 ext 320 South: no contact at present East Anglia: John Preston, Cambridge City Council, telephone 0223 358977 South East: John Davey, Guildford Borough Council, telephone 0483 505050 ext3633 London: Rosemary McQueen, City of Westminster, telephone 01-798 2519 Scotland: no contact at present Wales: John James, Clwyd County Council, telephone 0352 2121 Northern Ireland: Colin Hatrick, DoE Northern Ireland, telephone 0232 653251 CONTENTS Editorial 4 A cautionary tale. Dave Piggott 5 ARCHITECTURAL SALVAGE Rightorwrong?JohnFidler 6 Provenance and propriety: the Georgian Group's view. Steven Parissien 8 View from the Victorians 9 Architectural theft. Philip Davies 10 The Ely experience.John Preston 11 Humber origins. Norman Smith. 13 Walcot Reclamation, Bath. David Mclaughlin 14 A beastly business. Micky King 17 Horticultural salvage. Keith Murray 18 Cambridgeshire's N ates on salvage 19 Conferences 20 The future of conservation areas. Andrew Saint 21 Law and practice Listed telephone kiosks Acrylic signs dismissed Reprieve for Charitable Trusts ACO Business News ACO Regional News Books reviews Letters FRONT COVER: A view of the depot ofWalcot Reclamation, Bath. The feature on architectural salvage begins on page 6. PHOTOGRAPHS IN THIS ISSUE 24 24 24 25 27 28 29 Front cover and page 15: Walcot Reclamation. Page 8: Steven Parissien. Page 10: Philip Davies/City of Westminster. Pages 11, 12, 20and 24: John Preston. Page 13: Norman Smith. Page 17: Micky King. Pages 21 and 22: Andrew Saint. Illustrations Page 7: Joy Cuff. Pages 18 and 29: Jenny Pearce. Page 18: Bob Kindred. 3
4 EDITORIAL This. issue of Context looks closely at architectural salvage and its implications for historic buildings; both those from which materials or features are taken, and those to which they are ~dded. From a small scale and largely mnocent trade 20 years ago, the 'rescue' and sale of the fabric of buildings has become a widespread, profitable, and fashionable business; and, ~s with any lucrative activity ~especially one where the commodity mvolved is a diminishing resource), there are moral and legal issues, and practitioners at and beyond the boundary of legality. There are also h~mse~owners whose urge to acquire h1stonc features for their properties operates with as little historical relevance as a Cecil B de Mille early 1950s biblical epic. As always the conservation officer is in the thick of it: advising owners, chasing miscreants, and possibly also running his own salvage yard for the local authority. John Fidler initially looks at the rights and wrongs of the business, and Steven Parissien gives a more specialise?. view f~om the Georgian Group. Philip Davies of Westminster City Council and Micky King of Liverpool City Council review the problems of combatting architectural theft in the cities. Moving on to the practical problems of re-use, John Preston desc_ri_besthe experience in Ely of trad1t1~malsalvage practices, re-using roof-ules, and a code of practice for reuse. Keith Murray and Norman Smith both run their own salvage schemes for their respective County Councils, and explain how it's done. David McLaughlin examines a well-run and successful commercial yard, Walcot Reclamation in Bath. Many thanks to all the contributors. I hope that we have covered most of the issues; if not, keep the discussion going with further contributions and reactions. Also in this issue, we hope to commence a debate on the future of conservation area legislation. Andrew Saint of English Heritage focuses on the problem of the protection of early 20th century planned housing estates. Next issue: Conservation and Information Technology Can I remind members that the next issue of Context is concerned with Information Technology and will look at the way in which national and local authorities are using their systems to improve the accessibility and completeness of records; to monitor their results and performance; to administer ~rant sc_hemes;or any other applicat10n which was impossible in practical terms before the widespread adoption of computer systems in local authorities. If you have experience from which you think others could benefit, please write in now so that I can assess, the likely range of applications to be covered. I am interested in hearing of any specialist software which may have proved useful, of any instances of collaboration between authorities - and of course also any instances of disasters, pointless exercises or applicati_onsto be avoided, knowledge of which may save others time and money. I expect a very great disparity in the experiences of members; some lik~ me_still struggling to grasp the basic J?nnc1plesof word-processing or adoptmg the Luddite position, while others crouch gleefully over their terminal at 3 am, hacking into the Royal Commission's mainframe in search of confidential survey details. Whate~er your interests, please be user-friendly and input your data to the usual address ... ADVERTISEMENT The Conservation Portfolio In the November/Decen1ber 1989edition of the portfolio are: 1 Dorothea Restorations LtdRestoration services for historic structures and equipment James Hetley & Co LtdPeriod glass for old buildings KeymerTraditional hand made clay tiles Kingswood ServicesLtdArchitectural lighting, fountains & furnishings MetalockA complete service for the cold mechanical repair of cast iron and other metals Richard Quinnell LtdArchitectural metalworkers, Wrought Ironworkers, Blacksmiths NEWS SETTING UP BUILDING PRESERVATION TRUSTS The Architectural Heritage Fund plans to publish by December a much needed booklet on how to set up and run a BPT. Provisionally titled How to rescuea ruin the booklet will replace a similar publication dating from as long ago as 1972 and will draw on the experience gained by established trusts in the intervening years. Its eight chapters illustrated by photographs and drawings will deal with the background to the BPT movement and the s~ope for expansion; the legal formalit~es_and _pr~c.ticalitiesof starting up a limited liability company with charit- • able status; outline the management of a first project and offer advice on VAT ~nd fund raising. Appendices will mclude a prototype project and guidance on historic building legislation. T~e likely price inc postage in the UK will be about i'.4.00.More information in the next issue. To encourage the formation of new trusts and to revive interest in moribund trusts, the AHF has very recently appointed a Development Officer to be based in Manchester but operating nationwide. If you want to get a BPT off the ground you should contact: Maria Perks, Development Officer, The Architectural Heritage Fund, Environmental Institute, Greaves School, Bolton Road, Swinton, Manchester M27 2UX tel: 061794 8035. PROMOTION OF NATURAL YORK STONE PAVING ~embers proposing to organise Regional or County based events in the near future might like to bear in mind that Marshalls Mono Ltd has offered to do presentations to ACO groups around the country on the production and use of York Stone paving. It takes the form of slides showing current quarrying and cutting methods and completed schemes. If you want to book it, contact: Mike Astin, Natural Stone Division, Marshalls Mono Ltd, Southowram Halifax, West Yorkshire HX3 9SY tel; 0422 366666. CONTEXT24
A CAUTIONARY TALE OF OUR TIMES Once upon a time, in a sleepy Conservation Area somewhere in the West Midlands, lay a little building. Nothing special, you understand, but a nice piece of vernacular storage space in local Bastard Bond, no different from many another unimproved structure nearby. Inside, all manner of storage from diesel drums to an ancient breakdown tender, and outside an honest if scruffy ambience punctuated by the passage of steel-laden juggernauts over the cobbles. Let's do up the little building, said the Watery Enthusiasts; it's letting down our wonderful scheme for the street. Good idea, responded the Conservation Officer, not knowing what he was letting himself in for. Leases and sub-leases agreed, the Good Architect drew up a wonderful scheme, all pitched roof and corbelling, to refurbish the little building faithfully. His scheme was begun with enthusiasm, and not a little public money, but unfortunately one morning one corner of the little building could be seen to have taken on a strange list, struck by a juggernaut all unawares. It'll have to come down, said the Highway Engineer. Much too dangerous. Hold on, wailed the Watery Enthusiasts; we can rebuild it. And so they tried. Unfortunately, as they proceeded, more needed replacing, leaving only front and rear walls teetering. But the front wall needs firm foundations to resist the vibration of forty-tonners over the cobbles, pointed out the Structural Engineer. It must be rebuilt! So be it, said Everyone. At this stage, enter the Archaeologist. Must investigate this site before rebuilding, said he, and so his team began work. For one year they laboured, frustrated Enthusiasts notwithstanding, and brought forth ... a "maybe". May this is the site of the 1660 wharf, maybe it isn't; the MSC lads had had a lot of experience, hadn't they? And the Dendrochronologist had had some fun too. So, the Archaeologist satisfied, NORTHERN WORRS: New Road Whaley Bridge via Stockport Cheshire SKl2 7JQ Tel, (0663) 733544 Fax, (0663) 734521 foundations were planned. But hold! Firm substrate on this river bank is fifteen feet down. Might as well demolish the rear wall, said the Structural Engineer. Oh, and while you're at it, added the River Man, reinforce the bank with concrete to resist scour at the bend. Yes, and root out that willow at the same time; it's bound to affect the building with its roots, volunteered the Good Architect. Not that nice big one that overhangs the little building and gives this bend of the river its special charm? That's the one! So out it came, after due application to the Planner. A monumental edifice was then constructed - a vast concrete bund and massive foundations, upon which finally stood the replacement little building looking strangely neat and erect. Everyone was happy then. Weren't they? Somehow, the Conservation Officer felt, something wasn't quite right ... Dave Piggott, ACO West Midlands. DOROTHREEASTORATIONS LTD SOUTHERN WORKS: Riverside Business Park St. Annes Road St. Annes Park Bristol B54 4ED Tei, (0272) 715337 Fax, (0272) 771677 Natural Fine-Sawn York Stone Paving Natural, Fine-Sawn York Stone paving available from Stock. ENGINEERING • CONSERVATION SPECIALISTSIN MUSEUM, ARCHITECTURALAND TRADITIONALMILLWORK. The paving from the Elland Edge & Haslingden beds of Flagrock is the hardest and most durable stone paving produced. Details from the Quarry Sales Office: CONTEXT24 Na.-shalls Marshalls Mono Limited Head Office: Southowram, Halifax HX3 9SY Telephone: (0422) 366666 Fax: (0422) 330185 Telex: 517087 MARSHL G Order Office Fax: (0422) 348079 Protecting Britain's Heritage . .. METALOCK-TFHIENESMT ECHANICAL REPAITROCASTIRONSTRUCTURES 5
6 To introduce this special feature, John Fidler tries to take a broad view of architectural salvage. ARCHITECTURALSALVAGE: RIGHT OR WRONG? Recent news stories in Context and elsewhere about auction houses and owners being prosecuted for selling off fixtures and fittings from listed buildings jogged JF's databank. His thoughts, set out below, might help Conservation Officers cope with architectural salvage issues in their widest sense. Twelve years ago the Architects'Journal ran a campaign on architectural salvage spurred on by the fall-out activities of European Architectural Heritage Year. As usual, conservation was "in crisis" and the salvage of historic building materials was seen as a panacea for several ills. Local authorities responded and proud Chief Planning Officers wrote in to report on their works depot yards and empty warehouses stuffed full of rescued components and finishes. Hutton & Rostron, architects and information systems consultants, started a computer-based "dating" service with the A] to put the salvage in touch with those using salvaged material and one of our common problems seemed to be on the wane. Common problems? You know the sort of thing "Oh I can't produce that detail, you can't get the wood/tools to turn the wood any more" or "Ah the craftmanship! Too bad nobody supplies/makes these any more" and so on. Well, time moves on but the same old rubbish is still trotted out by the ignorant and the uninterested - much to conservation officers' fury. The lessons never seem to be learnt do they? Architectural salvage provided a smart response to pompous architects, quick profit builders and naive surveyors but its promulgation without supplementary reference to craft registers, materials manufacturers and the like was also a cop-out for the junior conservation officer. Material salvage is a problem of ethics and economics and of technical and social complexity. Let me give you an example. I remember working for the Socialist Republic of Greater London when the GLC Historic Buildings Division was involved in rescuing Spitalfields, Tower Hamlets. Here with S10 Townscheme grants clay pantile roofs were being repaired at vast expense, and a lengthy debate started over the sources for replacement tiles. At the time you could count the pantile manufactories on two or three fingers so the question of supply and demand was raised. Limited supplies of new material forced the builders to look for alternatives and a significant second hand trade developed. But such was the scope of the GLC's work that complaints came in from our conservation officer friends in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex and Norfolk: that barns were mysteriously disappearing overnight, used as quick service "supermarkets" for illicit trade in pantiles! As a result we investigated ways of inducing plain clay tile companies to take an interest in pantile production and the rest is history. Here salvage demand for one region affected the welfare of viable historic buildings and fabric in another. I have another example. Some years ago the City of London Corporation decided to repair the Collyweston stone slates of the roof of the medieval Guildhall. The roof had been laid in modern times after fire bombing in the London raids and was suffering superficially from frost attack and shaling. The problem was, however, that the Guildhall roof is the largest Collyweston stone slate roof in England and even partial wholesale replacement on a like-for-like basis would cause several conservation and socio-economic problems. Research showed that since its original building the roof had had many pitches and coverings including plain clay tiles, leadwork and Westmorland slate as well as the Collywestons. On the basis of "preserve as found" we stuck to Collywestons but supplies of new quarried stone were and are limited. Not only that, but a large order from the wealthy City would monopolise supplies and curtail conservation opportunities in the authentic vernacular region. More flak from ACO friends! We considered buying second-hand material but remembered the Spitalfields case - disappearing barns again! As an alternative we planned a modest, small scale rolling repair programme to fix the roof slowly. This guaranteed the rare Collyweston slate fixers some regular term contracts to keep them buoyant; prevented damage of various kinds to the vernacular region's interests and followed Wm Morris's edict of "a stitch in time" in the process. An automatic "salvage first" response would have been inappropriate. Where does this take us? More problems, I am afraid. As we all know, architectural salvage has taken off in a big way. What started as a conservation panacea and developed in various places as a YTS initiative has now become big business. The "life style", diy and period house magazines are full of private salvage yard advertisements: places where pine doors are stripped, soaked and marketed by the tonne. This shows laudable capitalist initiative and consumer interest in historic detailing and authenticity. Or does it? Every week English Heritage chums report more and more "rehabiCONTEXT24
litation" projects where the historic and/or architectural interest of the buildings is in the skip and not on the walls! What is going on? I remember John Yates (now English Heritage Historic Buildings DiCONTEXT24 vision officer, Western Branch) telling me of this chap (a surveyor) who asked for advice on what was worth preserving in a Georgian interior.John trotted round rattling off the features, eg skirtings, chair rails, door architraves .,,.-_, -- _:, -~~ / --- =-: -_ etc, and the man followed duly writing notes. At the end of the meeting the chap stated that his client was applying for consent to remove and destroy all the features he'd catalogued but they would be faithfully replicated anew - to guarantee that the building was free from dry rot and decay and would last 30 years! Clearly there's still a cultural gap to be filled here! Just to remind ourselves: Section 55 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 says that works which demolish or alter a listed building in any manner which affects its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest need consent. DOE Circular 8/87 advises that works which materially and detrimentally affect the special interest should be refused consent for the long term objective of preservation. But often historic components and finishes are removed from listed buildings during refurbishment schemes because the architects, surveyors, engineers and builders believe that they cannot be repaired or easily redecorated: they end up on the skip and new copies are made at vast expense. The originals end up in the salvage yard and are reused elsewhere and the listed buildings are left looking spick and span but with their special interest sadly diminished. Conservation officers therefore need to be vigilant in protecting listed buildings from excessive and unnecessary repair and restoration: a process which would reduce potential salvage and retain more viable, original fabric in situ. Where consent and demolition is unfortunately inevitable (553 applications in 1988 but only 185 consents) remember that S.55(2)(b) of the 1971 Act requires the applicant for listed building consent to notify the Royal Commissions on Historical Monuments and to provide them with access for the purposes of recording detail for posterity in photographs and drawings. Nothing prevents material being recorded, if it is of interest to the RCHMs, even if it is to be salvaged as part of a formal listed building consent condition imposed by S.56(4)(a) "the preservation of particular features of the building either as part of it or after severance therefrom". Your conditions can of course specify the end location of such salvage, not necessarily leaving it to the local antique shop or London saleroom. But here's a word of warning. Although there are plenty of historical precedents for the salvage and reuse of building materials and features, there is a valid argument which runs counter 7
8 to this on ethical grounds. If you take a unique, bespoke feature from its place of origin and re-establish it in a new and different context, then its character and setting are both affected. Once the authentic siting is lost then so too is the feature's raison d'etre. Now for mass produced articles this is a hard line to follow but it is always wise to address this question before concluding listed building consent applications. What else is there to say? Well architectural salvage has generated demand for features, particularly fireplace surrounds, and antique shop prices tempt the unlawful to rob empty buildings (and even salvage stores and sites under repair). In London and Liverpool there appears to be some evidence of organised crime involved in raids on redundant churches etc. In one case, St Clements, Barnsbury, good 19th century glass was left in favour of a 1912 window by a little known but marketable artist and the "goods" were rumoured to end up in Japan. The message here is to open communications with redundant building owners and the police crime prevention officers. Advise features at risk to be photographed and invisibly marked and check the skips and building sites after working hours. Perhaps listed building consent conditions could include an informative leaflet about security from theft and damage during works? DOE Circular 8/87 Appendix IV seeks to encourage the establishment of local material banks. If these and private salvage yards are encouraged/ coached to play the conservation game our way, there will be benefits for all. Building Refurbishment magazine (Morgan Grampian Press, Morgan Grampian House, 30 Calderwood Street, London SE18, tel: 01-855 7777) has published a directory of commercial concerns Architectural Salvage at £3.75. Perhaps the ACO should have a local authorities' version? At least then. the officers running them could exchange management/policy information. How about it? Details please via your ACO Regional Reps to me for editing for publishing in Context by 1st February 1990. John Fidler Rf BA is Superintending Architect with English Heritage. PROVENANCE & PROPRIETY Steven Parissien gives the Georgian Group's view of architectural salvage. An important part of the Georgian Group's role is advising house owners on the way to approach and execute the repair and restoration of their homes. Having rehearsed the familiar litany of profane modern fixtures and fittings, however - particularly those characterised by the frequently meaningless prefixes "Georgian" or "Regency", or worse still those weasel words "period" or "heritage" - we are invariably faced with the argument that it's all very well denouncing pseudo-historical features, but what can the house owner buy that is truly in sympathy with the historic fabric of the house? Take one typical area - replacement door furniture. There is virtually no commercial alternative to the crude, brassy-bright fittings which, masquerading as genuine "Georgian" articles, fill the windows of an increasing number of High Street retailers (see illustration). The few companies which are beginning to produce au1 There is a firm which has just begun to manufacture (on a necessarily small scale) genuine cast iron furniture, using 19th century patterns and existing masters: Joseph Tipper Ltd, whose managing director Martin Poppleton is very enthusiastic. They can be reached at Willenhall Road, Darlaston, West Midlands WSIO 8UJ, tel 021-526 5353. It's a venture that we are keen to back. thentic reproductions of Georgian and Victorian cast-iron models are necessarily small operations, unable to secure widespread distribution. 1 In such a case as historic door furniture, the only real alternative to modern brass seems to be a trip to the local architectural salvage company. The SPAB's understandable reluctance to countenance the very idea of architectural salvage is all very well n theory, but it often leaves the householder with no practical alternative to Disfigured door in H oxton, East London, with its even lessacceptable neighbour. unsuitable modern "reproductions". Flatly decrying any contact with salvage firms is not really assisting the house owner, who is inevitably thrown into the grasping embrace of the "home improvement" industry; more importantly, perhaps, neither are such denunciations helping to regulate or monitor the more dubious end of the salvage trade. Clearly, though, accepting the principle of architectural salvage raises two fundamental problems: the question of provenance, and the possibility of inappropriate use. The theft of architectural fittings is proving a serious menace to Georgian houses of all descriptions. Building society surveys continually affirm that most people appear to want to live in a "Georgian" house, whatever they imagine this to be. Thus, even if their home is in actuality an Edwardian terraced house, "Georgian" is the style most popular for replacement fixtures and fittings. And not just any "Georgian": many regard the Neo-classical, Adam style of the later 18th century as representing the epitome of Georgian taste; thus Adam-style fireplaces, mouldings and doorcases are particularly popular, with salvage dealers reporting that "Adam" fireplaces (both genuine and reproduction) are consistently their bestselling item. Fireplaces are inevitably popular targets for thieves, who have become increasingly adept at CONTEXT24
removing them from a variety of sites. They have the additional advantage that, as well as commanding high prices - upwards of £10,000 for a genuine Georgian artefact, they are not so always so markedly individual as to prompt easy recognition at a later date. The problem of theft is especially pernicious in London, where both English Heritage's "police force" and the campaigns of Philip Saunders' magazine Trace2 have received considerable recent press attention. Yet architectural theft is not, of course, a problem simply limited to the capital: it is a virus which has spread to Georgian houses of all degrees, in all areas of the country. The theft of a £50,000 fireplace from the drawing room at Heveningham Hall in Suffolk - the thieves apparently gaining entry through a prominent ground floor window and boldly driving off in a large truck - is still unresolved. A rather more typical story is that of English Heritage architect Arnold Root, who, shortly after moving in to his modest Bath terrace, returned home to find he had been robbed of every one of his treasured and distinctive chimneypieces. That many of the stolen items find their way to architectural salvage companies, even if they have been accepted in good faith, is undoubted. Thus the recommendation of such outlets by the Group, or by indeed by local conservation officers, is effectively encouraging the spread of architectural theft. Of course a blanket condemnation of all salvage dealers as little more than unscrupulous fences is blatantly unfair and simplistic; yet it must be admitted that not all such companies have the impeccable pedigree of, say A J Amos' London Architectural Salvage & Supply Company in Shoreditch. Many dealers simply fail to ask the right questions - or indeed any at all - on provenance. And, of course, once the stolen item has been resold, it is not only no longer the dealer's responsibility, but, given that most dealers fail to keep adequate records of purchasers, it is subsequently extremely difficult to trace. Added to that, in the unlikely event of the stolen item being found, the original owner must, by law, pay the 2 Trace is a magazine started by Philip Saunders in 1988. It concentrates primarily on stolen paintings and antiques, but is including more and more architectural items - from garden statuary to staircases - and it circulates around police and dealers. Philip Saunders can be reached on 0752 228727. You may also want a viewpoint from the police; if so, contact Alan Minter or his colleagues on 0622 690690. CONTEXT24 full market price to recover it. And of course recovery is uncommon: most features are already nestling in the drawing room of a home hundreds of miles away- or are half-way across the Atlantic - by the time serious investigation is begun. The second key problem to face is the use of salvaged architectural features in settings of inappropriate modesty or date. Cramming over-sized or over-elaborate elements into contexts that are visually or structurally unsuitable is a crucial issue. This practice makes a mockery both of the historical integrity of a building, and of any professed intentions to recreate a "typical" interior of a precise date. It is also a problem which especially affects Georgian houses and Georgian features. Conceptions of date and style are all-too-easily submerged in the catch-all and vague concept of "Georgian" architecture and decoration; there is a widely-held belief that anything described as "Georgian" is perfectly suitable for any house built between 1710 and 1840. Thus often it is the sumptuousness or complication of the mouldings or decoration, not the chronological or decorative relevance to a particular interior or elevation, which becomes the prime criterion for purchasing salvaged items. The inevitable result of this type of pretension - itself, of course, nothing new in architecture - is often a ludicrous and incongruous juxtapositioning of diverse and elaborate features in one small, plain room. Additionally, it is also rarely pointed out that what may be pertinent for a London townhouse of c.1790 may not be appropriate for a similarly-sized provincial house of a comparable date. Thus the architectural and decorative fashions of London are, through the medium of salvaged features, beginning to replace local stylistic conventions and solutions, effectively blurring regional identities. The question of size, too, is as important an issue as decorative pretension. In short, features which do not fit comfortably into settings for which they were not designed should not be bought. Georgian architectural artefacts are not of standard sizes or models, and cannot be used simply as interchangeable repair parts for any house of any period. This is a practice about which the Group is frequently consulted; rarely, however, do we give the desired answer. Problems of inappropriate size or sophistication can only really be tackled through public education, a key element of which must be the action on the part of local conservation officers. Yet surely the best way of dealing with the fundamental dangers and deficiencies of the salvage business is by regulation. This must presumably rely a good deal on the co-operation and goodwill of the salvage companies themselves. Dealers should, for example, be encouraged to maintain detailed records of provenance and dating for all items received and sold; owners, too, should be advised to measure and photograph key features. Salvage companies which are unable to provide individual histories accompanying most, if not all, of the items they have for sale should be blacklisted. Only in this way will we be able to reduce the prevalence of architectural theft, a development which will in turn help to promote the more respectable end of the salvage trade. Such strong actions may also go some way to correct the concept of the historic house as constituting no more than four walls and a roof, within which elements of different size, date, style and origin can be disposed at will. Dr. Steven Parissien is the Education Officer for the Georgian Group. A VIEW FROM THE VICTORIANS The Victorian Society does not have a policy as such on architectural salvage. Each case tends to be assessed on its merits, but where elements have been salvaged from a demolition, reuse is considered to be acceptable provided that there is no inappropriate juxtaposition of scale and style. It is felt that there is a danger of creating a false history for a building. Where items are removed from listed buildings without consent, the Society vigorously campaigns against it (as in the Orchardleigh case, Context 23, p 15). 9
10 ARCHITECTURAL THEFT Philip Davies explains how Westminster City Council is tackling the problem. The theft of architectural features from listed buildings is in danger of seriously undermining the entire purpose of Listed Building control. In central London the problem has reached epidemic proportions. In some areas almost every vacant building has been ransacked for highly prized fixtures. The common losses are chimneypieces but panelling, shutters, balustrading, stained glass and doors are also at risk. In London the districts most at risk are the great 18th century estates in Mayfair, Marylebone and Bloomsbury. Nor is the problem confined to vacant property. Occupied buildings have also been burgled and valuable items stolen. In one notable incident in New Cavendish Street, Marylebone, a fine Adam chimneypiece was stolen from an occupied office building. It was later found in the yard of a wellknown, West London architectural salvage dealer, but no proceedings were brought. It is one of the ironies of conservation that it is falling victim to its own success, as a ready market has been created for salvaged architectural features. At St. Stephen's Church, Rosslyn Hill, one of Teulon's finest ecclesiastical works, a particularly fine collection of stained glass windows made by Clayton and Bell was removed when the windows were boarded up to protect them. Their loss was not discovered for some time. The tragedy is that for every chimneypiece successfully stolen, others are smashed up in the process. In central London the culprits are thought to be a handful of highly vigilant, unscrupulous thieves with a well-trained eye for the best pieces and a network of contacts at home and abroad for disposal of the most conspicuous items. Following pressure from local authorities and other bodies, the Arts and Antiques Squad has been reconstituted by the police. Part of its brief is to deal with the theft of architectural features from listed buildings. All cases are logged on to a central computer record, so that a strategic overview can be maintained. Whenever a case is discovered it should be reported to the local police station and Example of the kind of items at risk. also direct to: The Arts and Antiques Squad Metropolitan Police Room 1534 New Scotland Yard Broadway London SWl Tel: 01-230 1212 What can be done? Owners of listed buildings should be advised to keep a photographic record of all internal architectural features at risk, and they should check that they are covered by either household or building contents insurance. At times of greatest risk, when building works are in progress or when a house is for sale, extra vigilance is required, together with daily checks. For high value citycentre buildings the only complete assurance is 24 hour site security. Once a theft has occurred, it is important to ensure that the building is properly reinstated. It is common for other salvaged chimneypieces to be offered as replacements. Unless a detailed provenance of the particular item is available, this is not an answer. It compounds the problem and further encourages the lucrative cycle of theft. Case law is limited, but generally supportive. As a result of action taken by Westminister City Council against the unauthorised removal of chimneypieces from a house in Wimpole Street, Marylebone, a High Court ruling decreed that ignorance of the fact that a building is listed is not a defence against prosecution. The unauthorised removal of items from listed buildings is an absolute criminal offence. In another recent prosecution by the same Council, the leaseholder and contractor of a fine early 18th century house at Dean Street, Soho, listed grade IF, were prosecuted for the unauthorised removal of panelling, cornices and chimneypieces. They were fined a total of £14,000 and ordered to pay the Council's costs of £10,115. The total overall cost to the leaseholder, including reinstatement is likely to be in excess of £100,000. Philip Davies is Principal Historic Buildings Officer with Westminster City Council. CONTEXT24
THE ELY EXPERIENCE Making up isn't hard to do. John Preston describes improved salvage practicesin Ely, with experimental tile manufacture alongside. I have written about the search for new buff clay tiles in previous Contexts. The Ely Preservation Trust's feasibility study into remanufacturing traditional gault clay peg tiles is near completion, thanks to the support of the local authorities and English Heritage; 10 tons of clay from each of three sites has been fired by Keymers, and sample tiles have been sent for testing by CERAM. The Trust is now exploring the mechanics of setting up a new manufacturing venture. In the meantime, the Cathedral authorities want to continue with the roof repairs to the capitular buildings. The present situation •raises three issues concerning salvage: 1) the preference among some clients at least for a brand new material with a written guarantee, rather than salvaged materials which have stood the tests of time; 2) the variation in proportions salvaged by different contractors; 3) the source of salvaged materials The Ely Cathedral authorities want roofs whose performance can be guaranteed for 100 years. Their approach has been to re-roof the buildings completely in new clay tiles, covered by a manufacturer's guarantee; the first phase was carried out in the Keymer "Cambridge Mix" buff and ochre sand-faced red clay tiles. Gault claypeg tiles stacked for re-use at Godmanchester, Cambs. CONTEXT24 The Trust and English Heritage are very concerned at the result, and are pressing for future phases to be carried out using the traditional practice of salvaging and making up. It remains hard to convince clients (and architects) used to relying on paper guarantees that sound tiles which can still do their job after at least a century on a roof have withstood just as good a testing process as that in a lab. This conflict between traditional practice and modern psychology can be very harmful to historic buildings, because it encourages the excessive replacement of historic fabric. The same problem affects the salvage process. Even very dilapidated peg tile roofs may have a high proportion of sound tiles, but the quantity salvaged depends entirely on the approach taken by the roofer. Roofers as well as owners are prone to think that a product must look perfect in order to do its job well. Some have been reluctant to commit time and effort to careful sorting, when tossing 9ld tiles down into a skip is so much easier; even with the present high prices for salvaged tiles, any which look less than perfect remain at risk from the careless or unsympathetic. The Ely Preservation Trust has carried out a survey of the local roofers as part of its feasibility study. This included asking what proportion of existing peg tiles they would expect to salvage and re-use. The salvage rates varied from 20% to 83%, with the average being 52%. The Cathedral authorities are now planning to follow traditional practice for their next roof, but their expected salvage rate is 20% of the existing tiles, equal to the lowest proportion in the survey. The Trust is convinced that a much higher proportion could be saved, and is pressing for prior removal of sample areas for monitored assessment. The key principle is of course that the more old tiles are reinstated, the more the original character will be retained. The Trust is promoting the followmg GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR SALVAGE: Existing tiles should be carefully sorted on the scaffold. All tiles can be re-used if they: 1) have their peg or nail holes, or the places where they should be, still intact Royal interest in the peg tile project at the East of England Show: your East Anglia Regional Officer doing the hard sell! 11
ADVERTISEMENT 12 Top: A salvaged peg tile - over 100years old and good for centuries to come. Bottom: new pressed clay tilesfrom France (the nearest match yet for the old Ely tiles) mixed in with a great majority of salvaged tiles. Note the number of tiles with original peg holes showing, after being turned; the cut tile and the tile and a half (at least it isa clay one) show some of the problems of mixing tiles of different sizes. 2) have at least three-quarters of every side intact 3) have no serious pitting in top or bottom face, more than a third of total thickness 4) are not obviously crumbling or delaminating 5) are free of incrustations of hard cement which cannot be removed. Tiles which are insufficiently intact to do their normal job may, if otherwise sound, be trimmed to form half tiles useful for traditional detailing (eaves tiles, half tile verges and abutments). Every sound tile salvaged means one less will have to be found elsewhere; new tiles, however good, can never provide an immediate match for those which have stood the tests of time by long exposure on a roof Eachpeg tile is both an antique and a scarceresource, and should be treated as such. Efficient salvage of materials for reuse on the same building achieves the wider aims of conservation in terms of good husbandry of scarce resources. Sufficient tiles still have to be found for "making up"; the Ely Preservation Trust's aim is to remanufacture vernacular tiles to meet this demand. John Preston is Conservation Officer with Cambridge City Council. CONTEXT24
HUMBER ORIGINS Norman Smith describes Humberside County Council's Material Salvage Scheme. Established in 1980, Humberside County Council's Materials Salvage Scheme has proved useful in local conservation work. Not only have many historic buildings benefitted but also several important landscaping and enhancement schemes. Run by the Conservation Section, the Scheme has often been useful in Town Scheme and 1962 Act work. Its low profile has perhaps helped its usefulness locally. Material is quite often identified when there are possibilities of it becoming surplus during the course of the normal work routine and kept in mind or reserved for known future projects. The biggest source of material has been from the County's own work programme. Most of it is stockpiled, priced and available for purchase to the general public for suitable use in Humberside. Although not advertised, it generates many enquiries and is a useful vehicle for directing people to other sources when items are not in stock. VicarLane, Cornmarket Hill, Howden: enhancement project using salvaged paving materials from the County's scheme. The project would not have been carried out without this source; it later won a Civic TrustAward commendation, and joint first prize in the annual "Streets Ahead" competition. WILSONRECLAMATION Bricks, slates, tiles. Also best-quality flagstones, paving and edgings. In the past it has proved self financing with a small annual budget for transport costs etc (currently £2130). Now in its third home, it has suitable outside and inside storage facilities. With the conservation section now halved to one person the Scheme cannot be operated to its full potential. Humberside's Scheme has enabled many individuals to purchase items for their own use in an area where few commercial enterprises operate. It has also gained national recognition indirectly through making quality urban landscapes possible. Norman Smith is Conservation Officer for Humberside County Council. PERIOD BRICK & TILE specialise in the supply of Period Style facing bricks, serving the needs of specifiers, architects, builders and planners. We are able to offer the choice that no single brick manufacturer could offer, • Oak/elm beams • Ashlar stone and quoins and therefore have much more flexibility in being able to help you choose the brick that you require. • Stripped pine doors • Landscaping materials and many architectural effects. Also in stock: Seasoned Oak, Ash, Cherry and Fruitwood. Oak Floorboarding, Doors, Period joinery. Telephone: Colonial Products (0386) 858381 CONTEXT24 As well as Reclaimed Bricks, for which we are a major supplier in the U.K., our brick ranges include Machine-Made facings, Handmade-type facings, and Handmade bricks produced by centuries-old method of hand-moulding!. GENUINE PERIOD BRICK & TILE COMPANY (1988) LIMITED Sales Office: Clawddnewydd, Ruthin, Clwyd, LL15 2NB Tel:08245285 Fax:08245 789 13
WALCOT RECLAMATION, BATH David McLaughlin charts the history of a long-established and respectable architectural salvage firm. In 1973, Thornton Kay and Rick Knapp set up Comtek, which stands for community technology. Comtek was a builders' co-operative involved with a whole range of things from selfsufficiency housing to fish farming, to paper recycling and recycling wine bottles. Indeed, recycling wine bottles involved going around the Bath restaurants collecting wine bottles which were sold at a penny each to a Bristol bottle recycler. He in turn washed the bottles, sorting them and selling them back to the various wine companies for five pence each. The low energy, long life, refit options of the early 1970s that went along with the builders' cooperative and self sufficiency housing naturally led to a reluctance to throw away any spare materials and in turn led to the use of second hand materials. It wasn't long until people were asking to buy spare or second hand materials. Comtek found itself in the building reclamation business. In 1977 Comtek got the contract from a local firm of builders to clear its Walcot Street builders yard which it had occupied since the 1880s on a lease from the City Council. The lease had now expired and Comtek found that it was able to sell materials directly from the yard in the process of clearing it. From that beginning in 1977, Walcot Reclamation is now one of the larger architectural salvage businesses in England. Its 24-page catalogue indicates that 80% of its extensive range of materials in stock now comes from demolition sites all over England. In mid-October Walcot Reclamation was putting in bids for architectural salvage work at Sheffield and Brise Norton. Bidding for architectural salvage work is something that has come to the forefront in the last five years or so. This is due partly to Health & Safety legislation and insurance, but also to the growing need for specialist demolition. Gone are the days of expeditions around skips salvaging bits and pieces and persuading building contractors not to smash things up with sledge hammers. The message seems to have got through. Now it is much more likely that a number of architectural salvage firms will be invited to tender against each other. The difficulty of acquiring land for the storage of materials is EOWNERS SAGEFOREMPTY HOUS J photog IMPORTANMT ES other PROTEa YOUR~ 2 PRO':!~!!L ~ Empty hou:~! ~lever thief who abf:\rchitectural tunity for \ue of easily-remova_ fireplace for . the va h Georgian t oates d fittings. T at . sily ripped o_u fixtures an or that dresser -. is eadealer. Garden example\; to an unsuspec:fhroom fittings and and so d furniture, old .me urgets in ornaments an fla stones are also pn even pennant g eriod house. . an obviously empty p . about it by foUowin do something . k of theft a But you can . to reduce the ns ertY b our 5-point gu~~ce of getting your J:~phave increase your c e unfortunate enoug if vou should b d fittings stolen. valuable fixtures an .. d and Bat ed b)' Wa\cot Reclamation um1te sponsor 14 another problem. The volume end of the business for paving stone and timber now accounts for one third of the business, whereas it used to be half. So if 80% of the stock comes from demolition sites, what about the other 20%? 10% of this comes from the "fine art" end of architectural salvage from other dealers and the final 10% is made up by private customers. Architectural salvage undoubtedly raises the question of whether or not listed building consent has been obtained to remove the items in question. Indeed, the recent Orchardleigh case highlights just this question. But the main concern of this architectural salvage yard is whether an item being offered for sale belongs to the person offering it for sale. Walcot Reclamation's policy is not to buy from disreputable looking people. If a stolen item has inadvertently been purchased, the company policy is to The postcard sponsored by Walcot and the Bath Auctioneers & Estate Agents Society. CONTEXT24
reimburse the sale price or item. Proof, of course, is helpful. Everyone should photograph all valuable items in their houses and gardens. Indeed, Walcot Reclamation and the Bath Auctioneers & Estate Agents Society have together sponsored a postcard with an important message for owners of empty houses: "Protect your property!" Walcot Reclamation only buys from reputable dealers and auctions. However, an item may change hands very quickly, even daily, and may soon become "reputable". The only solution is that every item should have an accompanying registration document so that its origin can be traced. While Walcot Reclamation would be happy with this, dealers would not wish to reveal their sources because others would soon find them and cut them (the dealers) out. For items bought from builders or developers, ownership can be questionable. If the owner puts a nosalvage clause in his contract, this makes the position clearer - the builder is selling on the owner's behalf. Very often, a builder sees scrap or salvage as an inalienable perk. This encourages the removal for sale of items that may otherwise remain or be reused in the property. Walcot Reclamation believes that it is much better that items are recycled than scrapped. Walcot Reclamation also believes that original material should always be available for re-installation in buildings. Many of the items in buildings A selectionof the stock at the depot. CONTEXT24 have been recycled more than once already and are not original to the building anyway. It also believes that the market in legitimate recycled materials should be encouraged by local authorities, and not looked on askance. The whole discussion leads to the need for a code of practice. Walcot Reclamation would be happy to cooperate in a voluntary association of architectural salvage yards giving "government health warning" reminders on invoices and other documents that would warn everyone that "removal of items of historical importance from your period home or garden may be constituting an offence under the listed buildings legislation. If in doubt please consult your Local Authority Listed Buildings Officer". Or perhaps more informally "we do not recommend the removal of any items of historical value from your home or gardens whether for resale or not". Walcot Reclamation goes about architectural salvage in a very business-like way. Its clear catalogues are a summary of its computer controlled stock list. It hopes that within perhaps two or three years it will be able to develop a project for the storage of images alongside its main stock list. And it is also trying to establish a small library of relevant books. A recent acquisition is Abraham Swan's Designs for Chimneys; and the Proportions. According to Howard Calvin's Biographical Dietionary of British Architects, Abraham Swan was a carpenter and joiner who published several books of architectural designs between 1745 and 1768. This particular book sets out a table for "Rules for proportioning chimneys the size to the respective rooms". Perhaps the way forward will be for architectural salvage yards to sponsor historians to research more fully the items that are being sold and so establish a more detailed base of building history knowledge. AFTERTHOUGHT I wonder just how much material is being deliberately taken out of our historic buildings, with or without the benefit of listed building consent, simply to become an architectural antique with the idea of profit being the main motivating force as opposed to rescue or salvage. In a way the idea of architectural salvage parallels the idea of an open air museum. Instead of complete buildings being "saved" to be stored and re-erected, the various elements of a building are being salvaged with the intention of re-use appropriately or otherwise. The existence of a museum of buildings is no bad thing in itself. However, sometimes the very fact that such an organisation exists, with the land to reerect the stored buildings on, provides a very convenient excuse for those who seek to remove a listed building completely. To use the bottom line, this means demolishing a listed building and re-erecting it elsewhere - all part of the process of getting rid of an inconvenient bit of history that stands in the way of the theoretical redevelopment value of a site. Does the existence of architectural salvage yards promote the disappearance of the very thing that they are supposed to be salvaging? DMcL 15
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