# / . 4 % 8 4 . / 6 % - " % 2 &AR LEFT 'ROUND MATS LAID OVER THE OLD TOWN WALL WHERE ONLY ONE OR TWO FRAGILE COURSES SURVIVE ,EFT 'ROUT CUP TO VOIDS OF 3T *OHN S (OSPITAL GABLE 2IGHT ,OST MASONRY TO 3T *OHN S (OSPITAL GABLE FILLED WITH BRICKWORK &AR RIGHT 4OWN WALL FOLLOWING CONSOLIDATION FURTHER DOWN THE ESCARPMENT (OWEVER THE COST OF THIS WORK WAS LIKELY TO FAR EXCEED THE WORK OF ACTUAL CONSOLIDATION SO IT WAS DECIDED TO MONITOR THE WALL ONCE THE WORK WAS COMPLETE 4HIS WOULD ESTABLISH THE DEGREE OF DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE BADGERS ALLOWING AN INFORMED DECISION LATER ABOUT POSSIBLE RELOCATION 4HE INVESTIGATION WORK ESTABLISHED THAT THE WALL WAS APPARENTLY BUILT WITH AN EARTH MORTAR WITH A LIME RENDERING TO THE FACE COMPRISING ALMOST NEAT LIME AND ONLY A MARGINAL QUANTITY OF SAND 4HIS WAS CURIOUS TO US BUT PERHAPS MAKES SENSE IN AN AREA WHERE SAND WOULD HAVE HAD TO BE IMPORTED ESPECIALLY AS THE MUD MORTAR WHEN DRY BECOMES VERY DURABLE WITH THE LIME RENDERING PROTECTING IT FROM THE ELEMENTS 4HIS RAISED THE QUESTION OF WHETHER WE SHOULD BE REPAIRING ON A LIKE FOR LIKE BASIS 7E WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO USE AN EARTH MORTAR IF AT ALL POSSIBLE (OWEVER THE EXPOSED ASPECT OF THE SITE THE LOOSE ALMOST RUBBLE LIKE CONSTRUCTION AND FREQUENT OVERHANGS WOULD HAVE MADE REPAIRING WITH EARTH MORTAR IMPRACTICAL 4O HAVE ACHIEVED THIS WOULD HAVE REQUIRED THE WALL TO HAVE BEEN TAKEN DOWN AND RECONSTRUCTED DESTROYING THE INTEGRITY AND THE SIGNIFICANCE WE WERE TRYING TO PRESERVE 4HE OTHER OPTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO RE BURY THE WALL )NDEED IN MANY PLACES THIS WAS DONE (OWEVER THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPRACTICAL WHERE THE WALL FORMED A STEEP SCARP !FTER CONSIDERATION WE AGREED WITH THE TRUST AND %NGLISH (ERITAGE THAT LIME MORTARS AND GROUTING WERE THE BEST WAY OF CONSOLIDATING THE MONUMENT FOR LONG TERM DURABILITY BUT ON THE BASIS THAT THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD AND AS BUILT INFORMATION CLEARLY IDENTIFIED THIS CHANGE AND THE PHILOSOPHY FOR THE DECISION ! NUMBER OF REPAIR TYPES WERE SPECIFIED INCLUDING POINTING THE EXPOSED CORE AND FACE UNDER BUILDING ANY SIGNIFICANTLY HANGING SECTIONS AND WHERE ONLY ONE OR TWO STONES WERE EXPOSED COVERING THESE WITH EARTH WITH A GROUND MAT COVER TO HELP REINFORCE THE BANK AND PREVENT DAMAGE /THER WORKS INCLUDED VEGETATION REMOVAL AND BIOCIDE TREATMENT BEARING IN MIND THE ORGANIC FIELD )N THE CASE OF 3T *OHN S 'ABLE AN IMPULSE RADAR SURVEY WAS UNDERTAKEN TO IDENTIFY THE EXTENT AND NATURE OF VOIDING 4HE INFORMATION WAS MARKED ON RECTIFIED PHOTOGRAPHY ELEVATIONS 4HE VOIDS WERE GROUTED AND REPOINTED IN PLACES FOLLOWING VEGETATION REMOVAL 6ARIOUS PREVIOUS PHASES OF REPAIR WORK WERE IDENTIFIED WITH THE USE OF PHOSPHOR BRONZE SUPPORTS AND VARIOUS STYLES OF MORTAR 4O ONE CORNER OF THE END SOME LOCALISED REBUILDING TOOK PLACE WHERE THE FABRIC WAS MISSING USING A STOCK BRICK TO IDENTIFY CLEARLY THE NEW WORK SEE PHOTOGRAPH RIGHT 7E WERE LUCKY TO HAVE !DAM 3TONE A GIFTED MASONRY CONSERVATOR WITH #ATHEDRAL 7ORKS /RGANISATION #HICHESTER WORKING ON THE PROJECT ) VERY MUCH RELIED ON !DAM S EXPERIENCE AND RECOMMENDATIONS )N THE CASE OF THE TOWN WALLS !DAM SUGGESTED A NUMBER OF MODIFICATIONS INCLUDING ROLLING THE GROUND MAT BACK ON ITSELF OVER SOME SHORT SECTIONS OF LOW REMAINS TO CREATE A LARGE STEP DOWN FROM THE FIELD 4HAT SHOULD DISCOURAGE BOTH HUMANS AND LIVESTOCK FROM VENTURING OVER THESE SECTIONS AND DAMAGING THE WALL 4HE TREES THAT WERE REMOVED WITH LOCAL AUTHORITY APPROVAL HAVE STUMPS AND ROOT SYSTEMS REMAINING IN MANY PLACES WITHIN THE WALL #ONSOLIDATION WORKS WERE CARRIED OUT AROUND THEM SEE PHOTOGRAPH FAR RIGHT )T IS ACCEPTED BY THE .ATIONAL 4RUST THAT FURTHER CONSOLIDATION WORKS WILL BE NECESSARY AS THESE DECAY BUT THIS WAS FELT TO BE A BETTER APPROACH THAN TRYING TO REMOVE ROOTS NOW WHICH WOULD INEVITABLY HAVE CAUSED AREAS OF COLLAPSE TO THE WALL !DAM S LIGHT HAND AND PRACTICAL APPROACH IN CARRYING OUT THE WORKS HAS RESULTED IN A STABLE RUIN OF WHICH IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE THE INTERVENTION UNLESS YOU INSPECT CAREFULLY 'RASS IS ALREADY GROWING THROUGH THE GROUND MATTING WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY DEGRADE AND THE VEGETATION ROOT SYSTEM WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO STABILISE THE EMBANKMENT 7E FELT THAT UNDERTAKING THOROUGH ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORDING AND ANALYSIS FOLLOWED BY CAREFUL REPAIR IN A SYMPATHETIC IF INAUTHENTIC MATERIAL OFFERED THE BEST COMPROMISE FOR THE CONSERVATION OF THE MONUMENT 4HE TRUST ACCEPTS THAT THERE WILL BE FUTURE MAINTENANCE OBLIGATIONS ALONG THE MONUMENT WHICH WILL BE INSPECTED TWICE YEARLY BY THE LOCAL WARDEN AND THEREAFTER ASSESSED MORE FORMALLY ON A QUINQUENNIAL BASIS 4HE PROJECT FUNDED PARTLY BY AN %NGLISH (ERITAGE GRANT HAS BEEN A GREAT SUCCESS !ND ) NOW KNOW THE RESTRICTIONS AND COSTS LIKELY TO ARISE FROM WORKING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO BADGER SETTS %DWARD -ORTON IS MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE -ORTON 0ARTNERSHIP
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