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Historic village church has heaters powered from underground LPG tank
St Peter’s in Hixon, Staffordshire is a Grade 2 listed rural church dating from 1849. It was designed by the renowned Victorian architect Gilbert Scott and is part of the Mid-Trent diocese.
As part of a major refurbishment programme, DRU has supplied Kamara powered flue gas wall heaters, replacing old and inefficient overhead electric heaters.
Read more: Historic village church has heaters powered from underground LPG tank
New crafts heritage training centre reaches anniversary
On Friday 9th September 2011 Heritage Crafts Alliance, the heritage skills training centre at Thorp Perrow, North Yorkshire was formally opened by the Rt Hon William Hague MP.
The Rt Hon William Hague MP tries stone carving under the watchful eye of Heritage Craft Alliance MD Glenn Young
Read more: New crafts heritage training centre reaches anniversary
RICS Conservation Accreditation and me
A Personal View of the RICS Conservation Accreditation Scheme
By Anthony Redman BSC FRICS
I received an official looking letter in 1985 telling me that because I was not a qualified architect, I could no longer undertake Quinquennial inspections.
Meare Close House’s renovation
The original part of the house is reputed to date from the 1580s with major Victorian Gothic restyling in 1851. Modernisation took place in the 1930s and extension during the 1950s. Adjacent, though now forming a wing of the house, is what was formerly a two storey Victorian cottage. For over the last 70 years, the house has been owned and lived in by three generations of one family.
Ornate Interiors complete stable preservation at Nostell
As one of Yorkshire’s most popular historical locations National Trust property Nostell Priory, near Wakefield in West Yorkshire, deserves the very best in restoration craftsmanship and that is exactly what has happened recently as part of a major refurbishment programme to its stable block.
Read more: Ornate Interiors complete stable preservation at Nostell
HMG Adhesives help preserve our cultural heritage
It’s the nature of all materials to degrade and deteriorate over time. But specialist products from British surface coatings manufacturer HMG are dedicated to preserving these materials at both ends of the natural cycle. Its anti-corrosive primers, preservative wood treatments, weather-resistant masonry paints and high performance coatings help protect them against abrasion, wear, chemical and environmental attack;
Read more: HMG Adhesives help preserve our cultural heritage
Mirfield Church and College Resurrected by Anelay
An Anglican monastic community based in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, has a new look home following the recent completion of a £2million restoration project at the Church of the Community of the Resurrection.
The 39 week long refurbishment, which focused predominantly on the removal and levelling of stone flooring, has been carried out by York and Manchester based William Anelay, a 264-year-old building restoration and conservation business operating under the auspices of Architects Harris McMillan and Quantity Surveyors Randall Simmonds LLP on behalf of clients the Community of the Resurrection.
Read more: Mirfield Church and College Resurrected by Anelay
Castle Drive’s historic gates carefully restored
Grade I-listed, wrought-iron gates, on Castle Drive have been carefully refurbished by Chester Renaissance in partnership with Cheshire West and Chester Council with aspirations for public access via the gates.
Dating back to 1885, the gates stand under the arch which leads to the entrance of Castle Square, now home to the University of Chester and Chester Crown Court and where the County Gaol once stood.
Roman Gardens open to the public
Chester’s popular Roman Gardens have officially re-opened this week following an extensive programme of improvements at the historic city centre site.
The works, which includes a new path to access the base of the city walls, high quality planting of Roman origin and topiary and a new York stone sitting and display area, follow on from the installation of Roman-themed floor mosaics last year.
Designed by Cheshire West and Chester Council’s landscaping team and project managed by Chester Renaissance, overgrown shrubs have been replaced with a new sculptured grass area, improvements have been made to the display of Roman artefacts and masonry and new litter bins have been installed.
A dummy pass for avoiding VAT relief?
Heritage property experts at Smith & Garratt, the Borders-based firm of conservation accredited surveyors, are united with the great majority of those with interests in our built heritage in asking the Chancellor to re-think his proposal to apply standard-rate VAT to approved alterations to protected buildings.
Paul Mellon Estate Pledges £250,000 for Stowe House
The Paul Mellon Estate Pledges $250,000 towards the
Restoration of the State Music Room at Stowe House, Buckinghamshire
Through World Monuments Fund (WMF), The Paul Mellon Estate has announced a pledge of $250,000 towards the restoration of the State Music Room at Stowe House, the magnificent Grade I listed Neo-Classical palace set in 400 acres of landscaped park in Buckinghamshire. The funding means that the work will begin this year and should be completed by 2012-13.
Read more: Paul Mellon Estate Pledges £250,000 for Stowe House
Using birds to clear birds
Guild of Master Craftsmen members East Riding Pest Control was set up after being approached by the biggest well known pest control company in the UK to do work for them. They specialise in the clearance of nuisance birds.
They use birds of prey as an effective and environmentally friendly way of controlling the behavioural patterns of species such as pigeons, gulls, starlings and sparrows.
Cross border expertise
Experts practicing across national borders have an added responsibility – to ensure their work is presented according to the codes required in the country of delivery. Professionals working in the USA, where legislation differs from state to state, or in parts of mainland Europe, will be more familiar with this extra challenge than we are … but devolution cometh.
The offices of property specialists Smith & Garratt Rural Asset Management overlook the River Tweed from the ancient hamlet of Ladykirk – about 300 yards north of the Scottish Border. Principal surveyor Hugh Garratt acknowledges that professionals along the Border have to be mindful of the increasing differences in law and procedure between England and Scotland. “Scotland has preserved its own legal system since the inception of the Union and devolution is bound to widen the difference with every piece of legislation produced by the Scottish Government, and with every piece of UK legislation that is implemented differently across the Border. Even European legislation, which you would think applies consistently across the UK, is treated differently – because court procedures differ, or legislation is enacted with slight but significant differences”.
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