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Oak coffer at historic church restored to former glory

Southampton based Ian Wall Furniture Restoration were contacted by the Parish Church of St Margaret of Antioch, East with West Wellow about an old oak coffer that had been used for many years to store the flower arranging paraphernalia.

The back and base had become detached and it was no longer stable. Upon inspection it was found to have suffered badly with woodworm and the bottom rail at the rear was so badly damaged it fell away.

With a limited budget it was decided to insert a section of oak so that it was able to hold the back panels and floor in situ. A length of oak was dimensioned and machined to accept the old structure and then inserted into place. It was then coloured to bring it to a dark colour to match as best possible within the time constraints.

York Theatre Royal to reopen on Friday 22 April following a £6million redevelopment

York Theatre Royal, founded in 1744 and one of the UK’s oldest producing theatres, reopens its doors on Friday 22 April 2016 following a £6million redevelopment. The project by architects De Matos Ryan has transformed the 270 year old theatre into a building fit to serve a 21st century audience with improved access and flexibility.

The project has been funded by Arts Council England, City of York Council and York Conservation Trust with generous grants and donations from local and national trusts and foundations, corporate and individual supporters. A further £153,000 has been raised through a public fundraising campaign.

Brighton College terra cotta tower completed

MBH PLC’s Hathern Terra Cotta brand is the UK’s leading manufacturer of traditional hand pressed architectural terra cotta and faience, with a highly skilful team and unsurpassed customer service. Due to its accomplished craftsmen and unrivalled reputation, HTC were selected to accurately re-create over 1650 individual handmade pieces for Brighton College, complementing the site’s previous designs by the highly acclaimed Sir George Gilbert Scott and Sir Thomas Graham Jackson’s design in 1887. The original plans for the front façade included an impressive Tudor style, central bell tower which was never completed due to lack of funding, left as a truncated stub.

Virtus Contracts Ltd were appointed as Main Contractor, working in conjunction with Richard Griffiths Architects, who were tasked to orchestrate and re-create the bespoke tower to match the infamous original 19th century designs.

War memorials to receive funding for repairs as part of centenary commemorations

War memorials in Cowie and Strathblane are to receive £1.5k and £2.4k respectively, to carry out vital repairs, as part of an initiative to restore memorials across the country, as part of the four year centenary commemorations of the First World War.

They are part of a wider group of 8 war memorials across Scotland who have been awarded a total of £87k. Two well-known Falkirk memorials - the Duke of Wellington Memorial (pictured) and Falkirk Boer War Memorials in Newmarket Street - are to receive £750 each. The announcement coincides with the commemorations for the centenary of the beginning of the Battle of Verdun – one of the longest and bloodiest conflicts of the First World War.

Rhuddlan Castle: Conservation of Castle River Dock

The impressive Rhuddlan Castle stands today as a dominant, yet ruinous, feature alongside a once strategic crossing point of the river Clwyd in Denbighshire, North Wales. The castle can be seen on the approach to the town, lending an enchantment to the view and awakening the imagination, of a time long past, and of the stories behind its existence. Now, Cadw and a team of skilled masons are helping to preserve this historic site for present and future generations.

FAKRO roof windows with bespoke flashings for new community church

Westhill Community Church in Aberdeenshire was a new, greenfield project. Its contemporary style was designed for maximum functionality and to encourage use by the wider community. 33 FAKRO roof windows flood the stage with natural light and illuminate buildings which form the sanctuary, foyer and offices.

Products included FTP-V U3 Electro windows with rain sensor, EFW flat roof windows and an FAKSV17 Smoke Vent window.

First look at Salisbury Plain Heritage Centre

Purcell has been appointed to lead the design team on the Salisbury Plain Heritage Centre project in Larkhill, Wiltshire. The ambition of the centre is to create a sustainable new home to share the heritage of Salisbury Plain and display internationally significant collections. The new image shows Purcell’s proposed design in context.

Buy cast iron rainwater products with confidence

Rainclear Systems has been in the business of providing customers with high quality Cast Iron Rainwater products and a high quality of advice and service for over 10 years.

Cast Iron guttering and downpipes have the longest life span of 100+ years when maintained correctly.

If purchased pre-painted the finish will last for approximately 10 years before the system needs to be repainted.

Architectural ceramics skills saved by experienced team

Jon Wilson and Steve Allen, both former employees of a specialist clay building products manufacturer, have set up Darwen Terracotta Limited and in the process been able to re-employ 25 skilled and experienced craftspeople in the new business. Their former employer, Shaws of Darwen, closed its terracotta and faience business to concentrate on their domestic sink range, leading to skills that could have been lost forever.

Jon explains, “Steve and I have over 50 years combined experience in this industry having worked on some of the most prestigious building projects in both the UK and USA. All of our people have spent most of their working lives in this trade and preserving these skills is vital. We are a close knit team with a strong commitment by everyone to support the business and succeed together.”

Conservation of delicate silk paintings

Nicole Wall of Southampton based picture framers We Frame It has just completed a major project involving a series of four silk paintings that arrived in a perished condition. Liaison with a textile conservator resulted in the silk being consolidated and finally framed.

Nicole takes up the story: "Four silks depicting the seasons arrived in my studio in a very delicate state having already been shipped back from New Zealand. I was able to offer advice to the customer concerning their conservation before I could frame them.

"One had been disturbed and broken away along the top edge. The others were in good condition but very delicate. Each one was fastened behind the matt along the top edge only, thankfully, with a strip of double sided Sellotape, now beyond easy removal with a solvent.

Cathedral Centenary War Repair Fund helps conserve Chester Cathedral

Essential conservation work has begun on the fabric of the ancient Chester Cathedral.

In 2014, Chester Cathedral became one of 31 English cathedrals to be awarded a grant as part of the £8.3 million First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund.

This award provided a once in a generation opportunity to re-lay the Cloister Roof and to reset the decorative pinnacles added to the cathedral by the esteemed cathedral architect Sir George Gilbert Scott.

Martin-Brooks makes no bones about heritage skills

You wouldn’t expect an archaeological dig to form part of a roofing project, but for Sheffield-based Martin-Brooks, it is all part of the service.

While working on St Michael and All Angels church in the Derbyshire village of Taddington, the heritage specialists needed help to uncover the past and cure a soggy problem.

As land to rear of the grade I listed church was prone to waterlogging, Martin-Brooks was asked to extend its remit to improve drainage across the site. The churchyard is known to contain unmarked graves of orphans who worked at nearby Litton Mill in the 1800s, so expert assistance was called in to monitor the excavations and record anything of archaeological interest that was encountered.

Cabinet makers maintain the highest standards

Set within the heart of Devon, Colin Layzell Cabinet Makers pride themselves in maintaining the highest standards of craftsmanship in all projects undertaken. Their reputation has been established through traditional values and by working with the finest materials - and never compromising cost over quality.

The company are a dedicated team of skilled craftsmen with a wealth of experience and knowledge across all aspects of their trade. They pride themselves in offering the highest standards across all of their work and love the challenges each new project brings.

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