18 SACRIFICIAL GOINGS-ON IN GUILDFORD John Davey on some nerve-wracking subterranean experiments with a happy ending. This article describes one of the more interesting processes that was carried out as part of Guildford Borough Council's conversion of a medieval undercroft to a Tourist Information Office. The conversion received a commendation in the 1990 Civic Trust Awards with the following comment:"It was an enlightened decision to repair the undercroft and provide public access .... the once dark cellar has been transformed into a surprisingly warm and inviting interior". If the judges had visited a year earlier they would have witnessed a totally different scene, with documents (and staff?) turning rapidly damp and mouldy. The stone-vaulted undercrofr lies beneath the High Street. This is a late 13th century structure, originally associated with a timber-framed building at street level, now occupied by an early 19th century house used as offices. Extensive highquality stonework and arch corbels carved in grotesques and human heads suggest that it was built as a shop for public display, and not merely a cellar or store. Since the Middle Ages it appears to have been used simply for storage, and for much of the present century it has stood empty. It is a superbly intact survival of this particular building type, and is Grade II* listed. Scheduled Monument status meant that consent for, and monitoring of, the works came from the Ancient Monuments Division of English Heritage. A watching The hessian being pushed inro the undercoat on one of the supporr columns. brief was maintained by Surrey County Council's Archaeological Officer. Guildford is built in a gap in the North Downs, and chalk (or clunch) is a common building material in the area. The undercroft was carved out of chalk bedrock and faced with chalk blocks. It had its own micro-climate, with a fairly constant temperarure and humidity level. On the coldest of days it was pleasantly warm, and in summer it became a retreat from the heat of the High Street. The town centre location was ideally suited for the proposed Tourist Information Office, but it KliNGSWOOD KINc;swooo. SERVICES LTD. j., an archi1cc1ural ligh1ing and furnishings compan}. suppl~ing de(·orali•c i·a.,t iron liAhling column-., lanterns and furnishings for ins1alla1ions in Cilit''>. To,.ns and Parks. In addi1ion 10 this servin· thc compan) has a specialisl Design ar1d Build capahilil} for Archi1ec1ural/Engineering projects. in101>ingdt'cOra1hc iron11,orkand steel. l::.w11nple1of 1/w lyt1(' of 11wt·ia/111 •WJrk 11/11( I, 1·(111 h1, muJ,,rraken or(':- D.,1ix11mid 8111hlo(:- was obvious that the change of use could have a profound effect on the atmospheric conditions, and could cause serious damage to the stonework and the integrity of the ancient monument. All those articles and various advice notes we collect on damp in old buildings did not offer any positive solution to the problem. However, the Research, Technical and Advisory Services of English Heri rage were able to assist. Enter John Ashurst! It was considered irresponsible to rake unnecessary risks, particularly as the stone was in such a superb state. Sacrificial layers of lime plaster were therefore proposed, with the object of receiving soluble salts mobilised during any drying-out process. The lime plaster would flake rather than the stone, and the plaster would also offer protection during building works. This was the theory-now for the practice. Hearts started beating fast at this stage! After careful preparation, an undercoat averaging 12-15 mm was applied, following all the contours of the masonry. The plaster consisted of one part white lime putty and 2.5 parts sand, reinforced with short strand synthetic filler. Open weave hessian was then pushed into the undercoat, with 50 mm laps, to create a blanket. At this stage the structure became totally unrecognisable, and may of us involved prayed daily for the future of the monument. Who wants to be a conservation officer anyway? Alternative careers were being considered. A final skimming was used to fill areas of shrinkage, and the drying process began. Building works continued, and "j BANDSTA:,mS-l ncorpor,ning tkcora11\'C ironv.or~. GATES & RAILINGS- Cornhining Ca~t Oc,;;or;t11vc lron\\ork and Steel. WALKWAYS & STAIRWAYS. BALCONY RAILS & BAUJSTRAfH:.S. DECORATIVE ARCHWAY & FACADF:S. All type~ or other cxtrnordinary con~truc1ion\. dc,igncd and built to CU\tomci Tiu., 1,orl.. inrnrpormi'.\ 1/mclflml 11ce/work II /iii/ rtlll!,.;I' ofS1ree1 ("11/ii111m.l,a11/em1 Iron. ac.11he1icall\'cmnhi1wd ll'ilh KINGSWOOD SERVICES LTD. DEPT. CJIOOIQL AMBE:R MILL. OAKERTHORPE, DERBYSHIRE DE5 7LL, Tel: 0773 834684 Fax: 0773 520298 For f11nlwr t!ewi/1 or Proi<'f/ 1'flq111rie,.plea,,• nmwn our E11x/1,ea CONTEXT 29
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