CONTEXT The Association of Conservation Officers No 31 September 1991
2 ManufacturersofHANDMADECLAYROOFTILES StrengthandFrostestedto BS402 ,~, ~ \\1,.- Suppliedwitha fullrangeoffittings; Ornamentals, OastsandKentPegs,Flat andCrossCambered. AvailableinRed,MediumandDarkAntique. Certificate No. FM 11616 A B.S.I. 5 750 Registered Company Acceptedinsensitiveareasandregardedbythemostdiscerningspecifiersasthefinesthandmadetile onthemarket.Weintendto continueto supplyhighqualityrooftilesandto givethehighest grade ofserviceto ourcustomers whocantakepleasureintheirinvestmentknowingthattheyareadding to thequalityoftheenvironmentandourheritage. Photographbycourtesyof TheRoyalHorticulturalSociety. Restorationoftheroofoftheirlaboratoryat Wisley,a GradeIIlistedbuilding with TUDORHANDMADECLAYROOFTILES. TUDOR ROOF TILE CO. LIMITED Newtown Works, Newtown road, Ashford, Kent TN24 0PN Telephone0233 635225/6 Fax 0233 625331 CONTEXT 31
CONTEXT No 31 ISSN: 0958-2746 Editor September 1991 Bob Kindred (Ipswich Borough Council, Tel: 0473 262934, Fax: 0473 262974, 4 All Saints Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IPl 4DG, Tel: 0473 259441 Assistant Editor Gus Astley (Bath City Council Tel: 0225 461111 ext 2549, Fax: 0225 448536) Manor House, Wells Road, Hallatrow, Bristol, BS18 5EJ, Tel: 0761 53047 Editorial Team: Bob Kindred, Gus Astley, Jenny Pearce, Peter Booth, Francis Biard. Context is published quarterly and is distributed to all members of the Association of Conservation Officers. © Association of Conservation Officers 1991 THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION OFFICERS Officers Chairman: Chris Smith (Stroud Valleys Project Officer, The Shambles, High Street, Stroud, Glos GL5 lAP, Tel: 0453 753358) l0A John 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: Graham Steaggles (East Hampshire District Council, Tel: 0730 66551, Fax: 0730 67366) 54 Pulens Lane, Sheet, Petersfield, Hampshire GU31 4DD, Tel: 0730 66653 Treasurer: Peter Richards (Essex County Council, Tel: 0245 492211 ext 51511) 139 Lifstan Way, Thorpe Bay, Essex SSl 2XG, Tel: 0702 468252 Membership Secretary: James Ross (Essex County Council, Tel: 0245 492211 ext 51672) Three Bears, Laindon Common Road, Little Burstead, Essex CMl 9TL Education Officer: Mike King (TACP Design, Tel: 051-708 7014) 24 Beech Road, Aughton, Ormskirk, Lanes L39 6SJ, Tel: 0695 424297 Projects Officer: Dr Richard Morrice (English Heritage, Tel: 071-973 3122) 54 Peak Hill, London SE26 4LB CONTEXT 31 Published for the Association of Conservation Officers by HallMcCartney Ltd, PO Box 21, Unit 7, Campus 5, The Business Park, Letchworth SG6 2JQ, Tel: 0462 675848, Fax: 0462 679356 Annual Subscription (inclusive of post & packing - UK only): .f30.00 Single Copy: .fl0.00 The views expressed in Context are not necessarily those held by the ACO or the publishers. Neither the publishers nor the ACO shall be under any liability whatsoever in respect of contributed articles. The products and services advertised in this publication are not necessarily endorsed by the Association. Branch Officers North: Keith Murray, Durham County Council, Tel: 091-386 4411 ext 2237 North West: Rob Burns, Wirral! Metropolitan Borough Council, Tel: 051-638 7070 ext 211 Yorkshire: Bob Scriven, 2 Lambert Avenue, Roundhay, Leeds LS8 lNH, Tel: 0532 668782. (Convenor contact Jacqueline Ryder, Tel: 0924 296590) West Midlands: Brian Moore, Dudley Borough Council, Tel: 0384 452188 East Midlands Graham Beaumont, Nottinghamshire County Council, Tel: 0602 824277 South West: David Richardson, Devon County Council, Tel: 0392 382252, Fax: 0392 382600 South: Katherine Blackwood, East Hampshire District Council, Tel: 0730 66551 East Anglia: John Preston, Cambridge City Council, Tel: 0223 358977 ext 2630 South East: John Davey, Guildford Borough Council, Tel: 0483 505050 ext 3633 London: Rosemarie MacQueen, City of Westminster, Tel: 071-798 2519 Scotland: Debbie Robertson, Edinburgh District Council, Tel: 031-225 2424 ext 6562 Wales: John James, Clwyd County Council, Tel: 0352 2121 Northern Ireland Colin Hatrick, DoE Northern Ireland, Tel: 0232 653251 CONTENTS Chairman's Editorial News ACO 10th Anniversary Taking the wider view: building on 4 5 solid foundations. Mike Pearce 11 The 1980s - a retrospect. Matthew Saunders 13 Way back when . . . 14 Thinking positive: a six point plan for action. Debra Davies 15 Conservation Officers: their training and status. Donald Insall 16 Three success stories Cascles in the air 1 7 Brigg Fair. Rob Lawton 18 Successful Emergency Repairs. Mark Parsons 20 What about the children? Dennis Rodwell 21 Cable tv and data links. John Preston and Nicholas Hellawell 24 A footnote. Bob Kindred 26 Archaeology and the architectural practice. Colin Briden 27 Conference report: Building repair: the essentials of lime. Paul Mitchell 29 Protection of machinery in windmills and watermills. Mark Barnard 30 Brighton Annual School Hove actually.John Davey and colleagues 32 Fresh flint, hot cob and two pints of lager please. Francis Biard 34 Law & Practice uPVC nightmare. Gus Astley 3 7 Getting rid of the nasty white plastics. Bob Kindred 3 7 Letchworth Garden City design guide 37 M'learned friend. Charles Mynors 38 Case study: Cusworth Hall Chapel, Doncaster 40 ACO Business News 42 ACO Branch News 44 Letters 45 Books 50 ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE Franc cover: Photo Bob Kindred pp4 and 11: Illustration Deborah Kindred p5: Macclesfield Infirmary. Photo Royal Commission on Historic Monuments of England. p6: St Swithin's Church, Quenington. Photo SPAB. pB: Seaton Holme, Easingron. Photo County Durham Environment Awards. p9: Cross of St John, Iona. Photo SBD Ltd. p lO: Gladstone Pottery Museum. Photo Derek Latham & Co. p12: Hellman's Conservation Officer. ACO. pl3: Willis, Faber & Dumas, Ipswich. Photo Bob lGndred. pl4: Illustration Jenny Pearce. pl5: lllustration adapted from an earlier issue of Context, pl7: Bode!wyddan Castle. Photos Clywd County Council. pp 18, 19: Brigg Town Scheme. Photos Glanford Buildings Preservation Trust. p20: 1-3 Rock Court, Mansfield. Photos Mark Parsons. pp21-23: Edinburgh, Paris and Chartres. Photos Dennis Rodwell. pp24-26: Photos Cambridge City Council. p30: Storfold Mill. Photo Bedfordshire County Council. pp33, 34: Photos John Davey p35: Singleton. Photos Francis Biard. p44: Illustration ACO Scotland Branch. p50: Coal Exchange. Photo Royal Commission on Historic Monuments of England. p51: Illustration Historic Farm Buildings Group. 3
4 CHAIRMAN'S EDITORIAL THE ACO AT 10 ACO meetings can be deeply embarrassing to someone like me. Because when I stand up at the front and say things there is a fighting chance that you know who I am. I regret that this process is by no means guaranteed in reverse. My capacity to forget names is appalling. On the other hand, what I cannot forget is the lasting impression of the diversity and enthusiasm of members of this Association. At Cambridge one year, Louis Hellman drew a cartoon strip about the lot of a Conservation Officer. His amusing tale (which began with the officer dying!) assumed that the said conservation officer was male, suited, bearded and bowtied. * Well some are, but many are not. There are base-cruck hunters and urban designers; lime mortar freaks and historic town managers; there are hustle bustle fixers (who know everyone in the Chief Executive's office, by first name) and purists (who have never heard of the Chief Executive but will judge him on the honesty of his extension). There are Conservation Officers who are very clear that their job is quite distinct from that of the listed building officer, while others fit the entire role into part of a wider job description. Some are employed in large teams although the majority still are lonely. Two things they have in common. They are passionately concerned for the historic buildings and areas of Britain - and they are busy. The first condition ensures that the second is rarely synthetic. They are tired of being told that "conservation is on the crest of a wave". New threats arise faster than old ones are resolved. So they stay on their toes. It is all the more remarkable then how much has been achieved in just ten years out of spare enthusiasm and energy. As with most organisations, the percentage with those commodities available at any time is small. That is why, as I look to a future of great potential, I see two quite different kinds of threat. One is more general and beyond our immediate control. Much that we have achieved stands on shaky foundations. Local authority resources are increasingly stretched and about to be battered again. Loss of staff is a great and clear threat. Public support, always fickle, can be nimbyish, blind to design and counterproductive. We must mainly confront all this as * see page 12 active citizens. However, the other threat may be directly addressed. There is a real risk that the support system Conservation Officers have had the wit to build could founder on the rocks of majority inaction. Only if we pay attention and share the work around can this Assocation survive and be able to deal with whatever the next ten years may bring. Moves towards charitable status, a permanent office and, eventually, a secretariat are encouraging ways to begin the second decade. More members, more actively committed to developing and meeting new challenges are what, I feel, the achievements of the first decade have earned. They are, I know, what this Association urgently needs. EDITOR'S NOTE The idea of an organisation to offer mutual support for those at the sharp end of building conservation seems to have to come about on 23 September 1981, according to the article by Mike Pearce, our first Chairman. During that decade many surprising, strange, wonderful and not so wonderful things have happened to us and to building conservation. Matthew Saunders has encapsulated some of them very well in his article. In the early years, we were much smaller but our concerns were much the same. A few of the curiosities which occupied the pages of early issues of Context surface again in this one. Now our membership is much larger and much more diverse, as James Ross elaborates. There are now nearly 800 of us! We welcome many new members of ACO with this issue. Today our responsibilities as reflected in the range of our job descriptions and the legislation are wider than ever. Our Chairman explains some of our aspirations, and Debra Davies succinctly indicates six pointers for our future direction. We can celebrate ten years of major suecesses and minor triumphs and quietly shed a tear for all those things that turned out less successful than we hoped. We now face great challenges and uncertainties in the next ten years. Apprehension has been voiced about our future role within local government and many worries remain about the HBMC's move to Nottingham. The Chinese curse "May you live in interesting times" certainly applies to the ACO. Take heart: there are more of us now than ever. Let's make that mutual support organisation really work! COPY DATES ARE Winter issue: 11 October Spring 1992 issue: 13 January Summer 1992 issue 16 April PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! Before you read any further we want you to do three things. First and most important, please amend your Subscription Standing Order to .,(10.00 and, if you have not done so, send the Treasurer the balance of .,(2.00. Very few of you are paying the correct revised sub. Some members have asked about our introducing Direct Debit arrangements. We have looked into this but banks are only prepared to set this up if our membership exceeds 2000. So get recruiting. Secondly please respond to Gus Astley's survey of Listed Building Consent forms (see the last Context, p5). So far only about 20 out of the 400 odd English LPAs have responded. He wants to know what guidance is offered to applicants on the level of information/ standard of presentation. We hope the conclusions of this will help you all in the long run. Please reply to him at Manor House, Wells Road, Hallatrow, Bristol BS18 SEJ. Thirdly please respond if you can to the requests for information in this issue from Dr Ian Goodall of the RCHME on threatened historic hospitals; from the Editor and Mike Coupe of English Heritage on the failure of the new housing renovation grant system to help historic buildings; and from Phillip Hartley on the repair and distribution of lime ash floors. PLEASE NOTE THE EDITOR'S CHANGED FAX NUMBER. IT IS NOW 0473 262974. CONTEXT 31
RENOVATION GRANT SYSTEM SPELLS DISASTER There is a widespread view among Conservation Officers that the new Housing Renovation grant system is, indirectly, seriously hampering their ability to pursue their conservation objectives and also has a far from beneficial effect on the general housing stock. The ACO vigorously lobbied at the Bill stage leading to the 1989 Housing Act to impress upon the Government that the draft provisions would be likely to deter applicants and thereby hamper the repair of historic buildings. It was emphasised that the new Act would be contrary to both the spirit and practice of paragraphs 144-148 of Circular 8/87, which had encouraged the use of grants under the earlier system to bring about repairs to historic residential buildings. This was especially important where no other form of grant could be made available. These fears were justified when the Act became law, un-amended. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that the new arrangements do not work. Monitoring of renovation grants by one authority over a seven year period preceding the new Act, and then one year after, showed that applications for grants under the new Act fell by 85% on unlisted buildings in Conservation Areas and by 90% on listed buildings. English Heritage is also concerned and would like to take this further, but needs corroborating evidence from ACO members. Any further detailed supporting information would be welcome either via the Editor or to Michael Coupe, Head of the Planning Branch of English Heritage. Please talk to your renovation grants colleagues and respond if you can. HOSPITALS PROJECT Are there any hospitals or former hospitals in your area due to be closed or demolished? If there are, the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England would like to hear from you. The Commission has recently begun a three year national survey of hospitals built for the care of the mentally and physically sick. Field recording will concentrate on purpose built hospitals, although workhouses which later became hospitals will also be visited. The survey is being conducted by teams operating from the Commission's Cambridge, London and York offices. CONTEXT 31 NEWS These teams are identifying those hospital buildings most under threat, with a view to ensuring that records are made of them prior to demolition or conversion to other uses. In view of the number of buildings involved it is expected that recording will be, for the most part, at a non-intensive level. Any information that ACO members can provide would be most welcome. Please contact: Dr Ian Goodall, RCHME, Shelley House, Acomb Road, York YO2 4HB (tel: 0904 784411, fax: 0904 795348). The administration block ar Macclesfield Infirmary, opened in 1872, phorographed and recorded by RCHME shortly before irs demolition in 1990. RECORDING HISTORIC BUILDINGS - A SYMPOSIUM This symposium, hosted jointly by the Royal Commission on the Hisrorical Monuments of England and the Society of Architectural Hisrorians of Great Britain, provided a lively forum in which different perceptions of recording needs were aired and major issues identified. The national view, presented by speakers from RCHME, English Heritage and the National Trust, was followed by case studies provided by architects, archaeologists and architectural hisrorians. The excellent turn our and the quality of the papers testified to the importance of the subject and the interest which it holds for all concerned with historic buildings. At a time when views on recording are becoming ever more polarised, it is particularly important to recognise that there is no single correct set of responses to any particular circumstances - the need to record and the level of record will vary according to individual priorities, pressures, resources and skills. The counsel of perfection and totality promulgated by some involved in recording surely cannot be sustained in the face of over 8000 applications per year for Listed Building Consent to alter or demolish. Bob Hawkins (Derbyshire CC) made an eloquent plea, which will strike a chord with many Conservation Officers, for a prescribed minimum standard of accuracy and content in submission drawings which would transform the LBC application procedure into a record making system. this debate will surely continue. In the meantime, the symposium papers have been published by RCHME and are available from me at Fortress House, 23 Savile Row, London WIX 2JQ, at £:7 (incl p&p) John Bold, RCHME PERSONAE Ken Davey FRICS, formerly Chief Quantity Surveyor and Head of Contracts at English Heritage, is now practising on his own account specialising in prompt, authoritative, pre-contract advice on the best framework for undertaking historic building repairs before other professionals are engaged. He is also the author of Building Conservation Contracts and Grant Aid - A Practical Guide to be published by E & FN Spon in the autumn. He can be contacted at 37 Gatton Road, Reigate, Surrey RH2 0HJ, tel: 0737 246667. THE CONSERVATION PORTFOLIO In the September 1991 edition of the Portfolio are: The Conservation Practice - Architects Planners and Specialist Consultants Conservation Rooflight - The London Crown Glass Company - Glass for period buildings Redland Roof Tiles • Manufacturers of concrete, clay and slate roofing products, with a full range of accessories for both modem and traditional detailing Tudor Roof Tile Co Ltd - Traditional hand made clay tiles Ventrolla Ltd - Sliding sash window renovation specialists s
6 LIME ASH FLOORS WHO KNOWS WHAT? Before I embarked on the RlCS Diploma in Building Conservation, lime ash floors were a form of construction I knew little about. However, it is evident that they are unfamiliar to many practitioners working m the field of historic building conservation. Their repair and maintenance is the subject of a major study I am carrying out for the second year of the Diploma Course looking at the different materials used; their history and geographical distribution; methods of construction and functional requirements; the problems associated with such floors; common defects; current repair methods; the availability of information and the current rate ofloss. The apparent lackof knowledge and relevant expertise about this form of construction has led to the removal of many which are considered defective and leaves others vulnerable in the future. When lime was used extensively m building, the traditional burning of limestones and chalks left a residue of quicklime, unburnt lime and wood ash. This 'waste' material was salvaged and widely used in floor construction; a common specification for which comprised a mixture of lime (as putty), sieved ash and gypsum which achieved a fairly AWARD FOR CONSERVATION OF NORMAN DOORWAYS Award winning restored Romanesque door, at St Swithin's Church Qucnington. NEWS rapid set when combined. Suspended lime ash floors to upper storeys of framed buildings were laid to an average thickness of about three inches on a bed of reed, sedge, straw or timber laths placed across, and secured to, timber floor beams. These materials acted merely as a formwork. Brief mention is made in volume two of the English Heritage handbooks describing two specific mixes. However, detailed information about the assessment of defects and appropriate repair techniques is not available; nor is there any information available about their geographical distribution. I am sure that there are many Conservation Officers who have come across lime ash floors in buildings with which they have been involved. Indeed it is likely that some will have valuable information about this type of floor construction which would be of benefit to others. It would be most helpful to my project if any ACO member who has any relevant information could contact me at the address below. I am particularly interested in the number of these floors recorded within individual counties. Please write to or telephone: Phillip K Hartley ARJCS, Tuffin Ferraby & Taylor, Strand House, 169 Richmond Road, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey KT2 5DA (tel: 081-549 8763). St Swithin's Church, Quenington, Glos, has won the second John Betjeman Memorial Award for the outstanding conservation of decaying carvings on its 12th century doorways. The award is given by the SPAB for exemplary repairs to churches or chapels in religious use, carried out according to the Society's principles of minimal intervention. The judges chose St Swithin's from among a wide range of entries because of the highly skilled and sensitive conservation of the delicate Romanesque carving of the north and south doorways. The doorways date from about 1140, and are probably the best examples of the period in Gloucestershire. David Odgers of the NIMBUS Conservation Group treated the stone with the 'lime method', pioneered at Wells Cathedral. Up to 50 applications of lime water were used to consolidate the friable surface of the stone. Careful, low key cleaning was carried out, and all the harsh cement pointing removed and replaced with the correct soft lime mortar. This will help reduce decay in the future. SPAB TECHNICAL DAY CANTILEVERED STAIRCASES Recent research and design suggests that cantilevered staircases are a misnomer. Such staircases may not in fact work as cantilevers but as a subtle resolution of compression, tension and torsion forces. SPAB is holding a Technical Day in London on Tuesday 22 October to explore the subject. It will include presentations from Russell Taylor and Sam Price (see AJ article 26 September 1990) and will discuss the construction and repair of these staircases. Anyone interested in receiving further details please write to the SPAB, 37 Spital Square, London E 1 6DY or telephone 071-377 1644 and ask for John Ward or Diane Allen. CROWN GLASS Crown glass has not been manufactured in this country sinceabout 1935.Until recently, suitable glass for historic buildings made by other means was available from James Herley Ltd, but Conservation Officers will have been concerned to learn recently that the future supply of appropriate glass might be in doubt following the take over of Hetley. It is therefore good to learn that Christopher Salmond, whose family has been eminent in the British glass industry since 1823, has set up a new firm, The London Crown Glass Company, to supply period window glass. Crown glass may soon be available again. The company can be contacted at Pightle House, Misbourne Avenue, Gerrards Cross, Bucks SL9, tel: 02407 71966. COVER PHOTO This is what the ACO is all about - our members - mutual support in pursuit of a common cause - comradeship and a sense of fun. Interestingly (and entirely by chance), the pamc1pants in this important demonstration of the effectiveness of flexible buttressing represent a cross section of the organisations represented within ACO, ie (from left to right) a County Council, a Charitable Trust, a Statutory Quango, a National Amenity Society and a District Council - James Ross (Essex); Chris Smith (Stroud Valleys Project); John Fidler (English Heritage); Matthew Saunders (Ancient Monuments Society); John Preston (Cambridge City Council). CONTEXT 31
S andtoft Hand-made Clay Plain TJes share a common characteristic with the British weather. VariabJity. No two tJes are exactly alike because each one is crafted from locally quarried clay using traditional methods. As a result, the tJes and the good old British weather combine to create a roof with ~\ONA()- ell ell <:>' .. •,r •• ~, '< a m ow, w ·~ lived-in look . ..,\ .,'\ ; "' Th b· 1• ~ .~::,,-• ••• ~ e varia ility is, c/ ~ h nl r10 NA\.\.-4. owever, o yon the surface. Modern technology ensures that all the tJes are made to the highest standards. Firing in the latest moving hood kJns, for example, means that the finished product is as durable as it is attractive. A comprehensive range of standard fittings -plus the ability to make any bespoke fittings to order - eases the task of laying. And shrinkwrapping onto pallets makes deliveries equally trouble-free. So whatever your next project may be - and whatever the weather may hold -specify Sandtoft Handmade Clay Plain TJes. And watch them weather beautifully. The two colours, Natural Red Sandfaced and Autumn Brown, both complement historic buJdings, and provide a sympathetic roof covering for new properties in conservation and environmentally sensitive areas. omomomo ----ROOF TILES ___ _ Sandtoft Roof Tiles Ltd. Sandtoft, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN8 5SY. Telephone (0427)872696. Fax: (0427)873946
8 LISTING IN A MUDDLE How well equipped is English Heritage to fulfil its role with regard to listing? This question was one of a number posed by the Victorian Society in a recently completed study of listing procedures which has been sent to the Secretary of State. It stems from the belief that listing is given neither the resources nor the status it deserves within English Heritage and follows disquieting examples of Ministerial decisions taken against English Heritage's advice. Part of the answer to the question, taken from the unpublished report related to inadequate background information. It is reproduced below by kind permission of the Society. ACO members may find the analysis of particular interest. "Recommendations for listing need to be based on adequate information. One serious weakness in the system at the present time is that there is no research arm within the listing inspectorate. Consequently, hard-pressed inspectors, who may have received very limited (and sometimes inaccurate) information concerning the buildings for which listing is requested, are often forced to make a recommendation simply on the basis of their own aesthetic judgement. This is particularly unsatisfactory in cases where the importance of the building derives from the innovatory properties of the structure or from its historical significance. "Another problem with the current system is that, if it is to apply the criteria for the selection of buildings satisfactorily, English Heritage needs to be able to consult the listing records. At present the listing files (containing the historic information supplied with requests for listing, the recommendations made by NEWS English Heritage itself, and any ancillary documentation) are all held at the Heritage Division of the DoE in Marsham Street. Files which are no longer current are sent to a depository, from which it is very difficult to get them back if required. The photographs taken during the resurvey will, we understand, eventually go to the National Buildings Record. The ones provided for the purpose of spot-listing do not remain in the deposited files; they disappear. It follows from this that if an English Heritage inspector wishes to examine the files for comparative purposes he/she cannot do so. The only available information of this kind is contained in the Guidance Notes. Such notes, though useful in themselves, quickly become outdated and can never be extensive enough to cover the many variations of design and building type which need to be represented on the list. "The issue of records is not merely one of administrative efficiency but one of consistency of criteria for listing. Buildings are frequently rejected for listing on the grounds that they do not meet 'national criteria'. Since, as we understand things, English Heritage is still years away from a proper in-house system or data-base whereby inspectors can have ready access to what is already listed, their ability to compare buildings with one another or make consistent decisions must be limited to memory and what can immediately be found in the printed lists. It is impossible to discover from the Chief Inspector's Division at English Heritage even something so simple as which buildings by a well-known architect are listed and which are not, let alone to search the record by building-type, date or mode of construction. We would go so far as to say that, in the absence of an adequate record of this kind, the concept of 'national criteria' is profoundly flawed." (TWDCJ Specialists in replica windows & doors for Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas COUNTY DURHAM ENVIRONMENT AWARDS 1991 Searon Holme, Easingron. The encouragement of good design, and the promotion of the care of the environment through sensitive conservation and good guardianship, is the objective of the Awards which will be in their third year in 1991. Eligible schemes should have been substantially undertaken during the year 1 April 1990 to 31 March 1991. Last year 39 schemes were submitted. The winners in the built environment category, which included new buildings, townscape enhancing extensions and conversions or paving, included restoration of the Grade II Leap Mill, Burnopfield; Craft Workshops and Dales Centre, Stanhope built on the old kitchen gardens of Stanhope Castle and incorporating extensive works to the gardens; refurbishment of 18th century buildings for shopping at Sadlers Yard, Durham City, and (below) restoration and conversion of Seaton Holme, Easington, listed Grade I - part of which was probably constructed around 1240. The building, entered by Easington Village Parish Council and East Durham Groundwork Trust, will be used for an Information, Interpretation and Discovery Centre for East Durham. the TraditionalWindow&Door Companyltd. 109D Regent's Park Road, Primrose Hill, London NWl 8UR ■ 'Thl: 071586 9050 ■ Fax:071 722 0030 CONTEXT 31
RESTORING IONA'S 'CROSS OF ST JOHN' Iona' s Cross of St John, 1200 years old and one of the finest surviving examples of Celtic art, has been restored and erected close ro its original site 33 years after it collapsed in pieces in a srorm. The cross is one of five surviving 'high crosses' on the island, which was the burial place of the early Scottish kings and once the home of St Columba. The decoration and complex structure of St John's Cross make it almost certainly the oldest 'high cross' with a pierced ring - a feature probably introduced to strengthen it after an early fall. Carved from green-grey chloriteschist stone from Argyll (possibly the quarries near Doide, Lock Sween) and silver-grey mica-schist from the Ross of Mull, it weighs three tonnes and 1s 4.5 m high. The original cross, constructed of eight components, was inherently weak and has been blown down, broken and repaired several times over the centuries. Seven years ago all the original components that could be found were taken to the workshops of the Ancient Monuments and Buildings Commission of Scotland in Dalkeith. In 1989 the Scottish Conservation Partnership of Edinburgh, architect to the Trust, was asked ro supervise the rebuilding of the cross by Conservation SpecialistsLtd of Haslemere, Surrey. The objective was to carry out traditional conservation repairs that would result in the cross closely resembling its original appearance. This required a virtually invisible method of rejoining the components, and therefore Conservation Specialists used Grade 316 stainless steel deformed dowels and SBD Epoxy Plus Putty - a combination of materials that had been used in several previous architectural sronework repair schemes. To resrore each fragment to its original position within the structure of the cross, holes with annular gaps of 1-2 mm were drilled into the opposing internal faces of components that had sheared inro two or more pieces. In this phase of the work the components were dowelled and held in accurate alignment by the combined use of wedges and cramps during the initial setting of the resin. The epoxy resin, which has a high viscosity, was then poured as a grout into any holes or voids within the structure. The missing 25% of the cross was recreated by applying a pigmented filler ro the damaged areas. The filler was not modelled to match the original stone surface but was left recessed back from the CONTEXT 31 NEWS surface, and can easily be removed if, at some time in the future, the missing pieces are found and can be reinstated. Such 'finds' are entirely possible. Iona is a small island, and substantial fragments of the cross are unlikely to have been removed from it. Only recently, a carved boss whose existence had not even been suspected was found in the nunnery near the abbey. PAY UP IF YOU WILL NOT REPAIR The former owner of Revesby Abbey, Lincolnshire (listed Grade I), must pay a bill of .O 19,000 following the service of a Section 54 urgent works notice. Following the owner's failure ro comply, the emergency repairs carried out by English Heritage included weatherproofing, structural strengthening, stemming the spread of dry rot and making the building secure. This was the first Section 54 action taken by EH outside London. The Secretary of State dismissed an appeal against the imposition of costs following an informal DoE appeal hearing in July 1990. The Jacobean-style country house was designed by William Burn in 1843 and is one of his finest and least altered designs. It has a sophisticated plan, elaborate silhouette and rich detailing which has become seriously decayed since the house became vacant 23 years ago. Consent has now been given to new owners to convert the house ro luxury flats. This decision on costs set a precedent and sends out a clear message to owners - do repairs now or face much larger bills later. GENTLE REPAIR OF TIMBER FRAMES Thousands of timber framed buildings are at risk from ignorant repairs. They are stripped down to their bare frames with the loss of infill panels, plaster, floors and all the other historic fabric that makes up a building. Frames are wrongly straightened up, aggressively sandblasted, stained black, and filled with resins. Damaged members are thrown away rather than repaired. And enthusiasts are tempted to guess at how the building might once have been and pursue conjectural, inaccurate and unnecessary reconstruction. The alternative approach which respects the qualities of age and beauty that these buildings possess, is described in a new technical pamphlet published by SPAB: The Repair of Timber Frames and Roofs, by James Boutwood, £2.00. Based on practices evolved by SPAB, the pamphlet explains how timber frames can be repaired with the minimum loss of fabric and the least disruption ro the building. The technical pamphlet should be read in conjunction with other SPAB publications including TP 2 on Strengthening Timber Floors; TP 11 on Infill Panels for Timber Framed Buildings; and information sheets 2 and 3 on Defrassing and the Surface Treatment of Timber Framed Buildings. CHARACTER UNDER ATTACK The Georgian Group's new Town Report on Chesham represents the first in the Group's 1991 programme of short, primarily photographic studies designed to focus on problems facing medium-sized historic towns around the country. The reports highlight recent development, the erosion of detail, the subsequent loss of hisroric character, and future plans for these rowns. Other towns due to be covered during 1992 include Newark, Farnham, Knutsford, Stratford-upon-Avon and Chippenham. The 1990 series of rown reports is still available from the Group. The towns covered are Newbury, Frome, Melbourne & Castle Donington, Cirencester, Kendal, Beverley, Berwick, Wisbech and Truro. The lessons learned from both series of reports will be aired and analysed at a national conference and a major exhibition entitled The Future of the English Town, both of which will be held in London early in 1992. 9
10 SOLAR PANELS ON LISTED BUILDINGS Requests from the public to erect panels on listed buildings create an interesting dilemma. On the one hand these expansive panels may well spoil the appearance of the building, whilst on the other hand there is the benefit tO the environment, to which all listed buildings belong. The potential damage to the historic fabric has to remain a very important fact0r, but if that were to be satisfactorily minimised and the panels were to be well hidden, then what do we do? Adopt a blanket policy of opposition as with upvc and create a conservation enigma, or be flexible, but keep a tight control on what is permissible? The first thing to clarify is that solar panels cannot replace more traditional forms of domestic heating, only supplement them. Their function is to provide warmed water to the hot water system which is then further heated by the usual method as necessary. In summer, they can provide hot water to the taps at about 60°C which is quite adequate for domestic use. They can not provide enough hot water to heat radiators, which is perhaps contrary to common belief. Secondly, solar panels are not really cost effective. A competitive price for a 3 bedroom semi is currently (1991) about 1;2 500 + VAT. It would take a long time to recoup these kinds of costs. Undoubtedly the biggest benefit from solar panels is their contribution to the slowing down of the Greenhouse effect which, although it ADVERTISEMENT JPEGTJIJLES & JFKTTJINGS HOPE FARM, WITTERSHAM TENTERDEN, KENT TELEPHONE o>~q,~ 9;> _ 2'7~1 NEWS has no monetary value, is still very important. The damage to a building should, if panels are installed properly, be almost non- existent. Panels are usually fixed to the outside of a roof with two connecting pipes leading to the feeder tank inside the roof space. It is not necessary to cut rafters or any other strucrural timbers. The installation of the connecting pipes involves the removal of only two slates or tiles and this junction should be provided with a lead skirting, not mastic as used by cowboy builders. The feeder tank has to be separate from the main hot water tank, but as most houses in Britain have a lot of unused roof space this should not need to interfere with the roof strucrure. Some systems use separate pipes to provide a third tap at the sinks and basins and consequently this may need watching - plumbers cause more structural damage than woodworm. There are two operating systems, pressurised or gravity fed. The latter are usually associated with panels on the roof but a pressurised system allows a more remote installation, (eg in the garden if necessary). The salesman who claims that panels have to go on the roof, admittedly the best position but not the only one, is probably only trying to sell his system and is not concerned about the customer or the building. Solar panels vary in design and efficiency. Those made for swimming pools cannot be used for domestic purposes although they are much cheaper, but these panels use a different technique and are quite inappropriate for a home. Some panels have the absorbent layer beneath toughened glass which creates the same visual problem as sky lights, i.e. unacceptable eyecatching patches of reflected light on the roof. However, there is a type currently available which has a matt black panel and which on certain roofs would be fairly unobtrusive. This panel uses Tedlar Film, a black flexible membrane, for the panel cover. The 4 in. deep box is filled with copper piping which makes it one of the more efficient designs. The aluminium frame can be powder coated during manufacture, so development control officers could insist on a colour to match the roof materials; thus there would be no shiny reflective surfaces at all. The size of this type of panel increases in 0.5 m steps from 1 to 3 m square. A typical house will need three panels, each 1.5 m square, which may sound very large but actually take up only a modest amount of roof area (about 15%). Chris North Suffolk County Council Feedback on this artide would be welcome, particularly citing local planning policies or appeal cases. Editor REFURBISHMENT OF POTTERY MUSEUM Gladstone Pottery, a working museum which retains the sole surviving cluster of bottle-ovens (known as a 'potbank') in Stoke-on-Trent is being repaired and refurbished. This scheme, by architects Derek Latham & Co, aims among other things to consolidate the buildings and improve the facilities. Although Gladstone Pottery Museum had won many accolades, including the Museum of the Year Award, it got into serious difficulties... until St0ke City Council stepped in and bought the premises, taking on responsibility for maintaining the Grade II* listed buildings, and leasing the property to a newlyformed independent trust. Work on the six kilns began early this year. The chimneys had fallen idle and cooling of the fabric had allowed vegetation to take root between bricks. Decayed bricks are being cut out and replaced by bricks from local demolition sites. The chimneys are being capped to exclude the weather, some of the mortar is being replaced, and flashing is being renewed. The repairs are also being grant aided by English Heritage. CONTEXT 31
TAKING THE WIDER VIEW BUILDING ON SOLID FOUNDATIONS Birthdays are to celebrated. Surviving one year may be regarded as fortunate; surviving ten years shows a considerable degree of resolution and no lack of care. The initial resolution, the cause for our celebration, was passed on the afternoon of Wednesday 23 September 1981 by thirty-two Conservation Officers who had attended a meeting convened by the Crafts Council that morning at the Institute for Conteinporary Arts at Nash House in The Mall, London. Others present that day included Jennifer Jenkins, Alec Clifton Taylor, Gordon Michell, Rosemary Watt, and Roy Worskett in his capacity as Head of Conservation for the Crafts Council. The Crafts Council was launching the National Register of Conservation Craft Skills in the Building Industry, which was a list of over 500 craftsmen and contractors able to carry out conservation work. It had been created with the help of Conservation Officers from forty-seven of the fiftyfour counties of England and Wales. The need for such a register had first been identified by the Civic Trust in European Architectural Heritage Year 1975, but it was not until December 1979, at a meeting CONTEXT 31 Mike Pearce chaired by Jennifer Jenkins, that the help of the Conservation Officers had been enlisted at our suggestion. There was already co-operation between Conservation Officers in some parts of the country; for example, regional meetings of Conservation Officers in the South-East, Hampshire, and in East Anglia. Having had the opportunity to meet for over a year to assist the Crafts Council, the Conservation Officers resolved to create the ACO as a framework within which all Conservation Officers could continue to meet. There were thirty-eight founder members, an initial subscription of .(2.00, and a constitution which had been reduced to one side of A4 on its fourth draft. An early decision was taken to extend membership to Conservation Officers in all local planning authorities, initially in England and Wales. At the first Annual General Meeting held in November 1982 the constitution was extended to the United Kingdom. Of the original Committee, Peter Richards remains in post as our Treasurer and deserves our special thanks. He, initially with John Davey and then with James Ross of Essex, have faithfully kept our membership and other records in order. We are grateful, too, to our hardworking Secretaries, Tony Jenkins, Chris Smith, now our Chairman, LizMarten and Graham Steaggles. We owe much, too, to all our Branch representatives. With the publication of the first issue of Context in February 1983, there were "well over 100 members". Our first Annual Conference was held at University College Oxford, with the help of Roger France, at the end of March 1983 and by the time of our latest Annual General Meeting, at Brighton in March this year, there were 715 members. The great majority of Conservation Officers are now members. Context has gone from strength to strength, with the help of its successive editors,John Fidler,Jenny Pearce and Bob Kindred, now assisted by Gus Astley and its publisher Michael McCartney. It is now an expression of our collective and professional confidence. Hellman' s esoteric image of the Conservation Officer, drawn for us in November 1986, is now badly out of date. 11
12 Much of the early debate on the formation of the Association was concerned with how wide the membership should be, and particularly what the relationship should be with the County and District Planning Officers Societies. The decisions which the ACO made then, to maintain its independence as a voluntary association, and to rest its strength on its regional organisation, have proved to be right. In that way, Conservation Officers have been able to learn from each others' experience within an area and collectively to present an informed view on national issues without impinging on the formal relationship of the Chief Planning Officers, through their societies and their separate Local Authority Associations. The initial fears of some conservation officers, and some chief officers, particularly in Kent and Clwyd, that we might weaken the unity of the planning profession, have generally been dispelled. We have always argued the case for good planning, of which we are a part, and maintained a constructive relationship with successive Presidents of both the RIBA and the RTPI. Much of the early work of the Association was concerned, first of all, with establishing good working relationships with others, whether at the Crafts Council, the Civic Trust, ASCHB or SPAB, and particularly with the Department of the Environment. We started by being concerned with draft Government circulars (which we obtained by various means); with the launching of the accelerated listing resurvey; and in responding to the early proposals which led to the creation of English Heritage and CADW. Plastics windows, meter boxes and telephone kiosks also seem to have been on the agenda for a long time. The Association has always been careful to give well-balanced advice, based on sound practical experience and, since giving evidence to the House of Commons Environment Committee in 1986, has been included by the Department of the Environment on its list for formal consultation. Three of our members have served on advisory committees of English Heritage and many of its staff are also our members. The Association has achieved considerable influence, probably more than it realises, and certainly more than is reflected in press reports. It should, perhaps, now take a higher profile in publicising its views. The role of a Conservation Officer is now widely understood and accepted, being first quoted by name in Circular 8/87, but this was not always the case. The concept of a Conservation Officer as being a planning officer with a particular knowledge and interest in the future Was this us in 1986? of historic buildings and areas was first suggested in the recommendations of the four historic towns studies commissioned by the DoE, following the Civic Amenities Act in 1967. Donald Insall's report on Chester, and its recommendations, may be regarded as leading to the appointment of the first Conservation Officer. Others in the principal historic cities followed, some initially with financial assistance from the DoE under S.10, as it then was. The Preservation Policy Group, under the chairmanship of Lord Kennet, made recommendations in 1970 based on the conclusions of the four towns studies. The recommendations were largely legislative and financial, and most have since been adopted. The Group did not really address the question of who was to do the work, except to say that it thought that local authorities generally had the necessary powers. "What local authorities will need", it said, "are the staff to identify the areas where schemes are to be carried out, to make a careful and detailed survey of what needs to be done, and how it should be done, bearing in mind that the planning of these areas must be related to the planning of the town as a whole, and that it will also be necessary to decide what should be done first". Some people, such as architectural historians, know their history very well. Contractors and surveyors may be responsible for current maintenance or repair, and others such as developers and private architects will be looking to the future. We should be looking further ahead still. There is, however, a tendency for those concerned with history to have less knowledge of the economics of development, and those looking for a profitable investment to have little knowledge of history. To be successful, we have to have the breadth of knowledge to span this divide, and the depth of knowledge to know our subject in detail. We must know the value of land and the cost of buildings as well as their architectural or historic importance, and the potential for achieving conservation objectives whilst managing market forces. We must take a longer-term view of architectural history which is at an interesting stage of its development. What is of quality should be highly valued. We must understand the legal and financial framework within which everyone must work and persuade others of the benefits of conservation in terms they will understand. Fortunately, the legal framework we have is one of the best in Europe, having been developed steadily over the last 100 years, even if the financial climate seems to swing between providing either too much development pressure or too little investment. Fortunately, too, the one underlying essential ingredient in a democracy, public opinion, has developed consistently and now has an eye to the future, so that investment in conservation may now be regarded as of equal importance to investment in new development. Half of construction industry output in this country is for the repair, maintenance and improvement of property. It makes sense to safeguard past investment as well as to provide for new. Our history is a finite resource. The Conservation Officer is at the focal point. The local planning authority, whatever the future structure of local government, is the principal agency through which change is managed and its plans form the basis for both public and private investment. The standard of its daily care will be there for all to see. To be credible, we must know our subject better than anyone. It is right that we should take care to work with all the local people involved, and have a care for the detail of each building, but we must not fail to see the wider picture, whether it is the well-being of an historic town as a whole, the countryside around it, or the archaeological record. Above all we must be sensitive to the aspirations of others. Some people may still not appreciate their history, or have much thought for the future, but they may be shown that the evidence of the achievements of our predecessors is of value to us today, and be persuaded that it deserves to be conserved, with care, for our present enjoyment; and as a lesson, an inspiration, and a challenge for others in the future to do better, if they can. The ACO owes a great debt to Mike Pearcewho modestly makes no reference to his own immense contribution to the Association's first ten years. Mike was the first Chairman of the ACO from its inception until 1989 and is our Honorary Life President. (Editor). CONTEXT 31
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