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Ecclesiastical & Heritage World Nimrod

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Ecclesistical & Heritage World No. 103

Ancient Highland seat prepares for new occupants

A three-year restoration programme is reaching its conclusion at the historic Mingary Castle on the west coast of Scotland.

Mingary Castle stands by the sea a mile or so to the east of the village of Kilchoan on the Ardnamurchan peninsula – the most westerly village on Great Britain. It is a castle with a long and rich history, the seat of the Clan MacIain, a sept of Clan MacDonald and once one of the most powerful clans along the western coast of Scotland.

Read more: Ancient Highland seat prepares for new occupants

Building made better with bimbricks.com

MBH PLC remains at the forefront of industry innovation, by continuing to invest and evolve its manufacturing processes. At the same time, it leads the way in offering intuitive, informative and supportive product data through the most up-to-date construction technology procedures. Acting rapidly on the Government's Construction Strategy, published in May 2011, MBH PLC responded with its first range of clay products files. As the first brick manufacturer to introduce Building Information Modelling (BIM) files in the UK, it is now delighted to see a surge in industry support, acceptance and participation.

Read more: Building made better with bimbricks.com

Cupola installed in period 1920's property

Glasgow-based Verrier Art Glass Designers have recently completed the installation of a Cupola for a client who had purchased a house built in the early 1920’s. The original cupola had become ugly over the years through exposure to nicotine and general dirtiness.

Rather than trying to clean it, the client decided to replace it with something in keeping with the period of construction that would allow light through into the hallway, but also obscure the view of the roof.

Read more: Cupola installed in period 1920's property

ISCE announces seminar programme for ISCEx2016

ISCE has announced dates for this year’s ISCEx2016 exhibition, along with details of its seminar programme.

The two-day event is returning to the picturesque rural location of Coombe Abbey, outside Coventry (March 8-9) and will bring consultants, specifiers, installers and manufacturers together under one roof. The Institute’s AGM during the afternoon of March 8 will be followed by a networking dinner and entertainment in the evening.

Read more: ISCE announces seminar programme for ISCEx2016

A brief history of stained glass

Ecclesiastical and Heritage WorldThe origins of the first stained glass windows are lost in history. The technique probably came from jewelry making, cloisonné and mosaics. Stained glass windows as we know them, seemed to arise when substantial church building began.

By the 10th century, depictions of Christ and biblical scenes were found in French and German churches and decorative designs found in England.

There is a mystery to glass: It is a form of matter with gas, liquid and solid state properties. Glass is most like a super-cooled liquid. It captures light and glows from within. It is a jewel like substance made from the most ordinary materials: sand transformed by fire.

Read more: A brief history of stained glass

More and more roofers are raising the competence standard

Competent Roofer Ltd is the leading Competent Persons scheme for roof refurbishment in the UK.

Launched in 2010 with backing from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), Competent Roofer has enjoyed great success in raising the profile of the roofing sector over the past five years.

In that time it has signed up over 500 members, issued over 26,000 job notifications and saved millions of pounds in Building Regulation Compliance Certificates (BRCC) charges.

Read more: More and more roofers are raising the competence standard

Plastering Techniques by Milestone Lime Plastering

Many older properties can suffer from damp problems, cracking and hollow render. Before the 20th Century the building techniques and materials used were very different from those used today. Traditional properties need to be able to "breathe" to allow moisture within a solid wall construction to evaporate from the external stonework or render.

Lime putty was the base product mainly used to produce mortar, plaster and lime wash for traditional buildings. The advantages to using lime putty mortars instead of cement based mortars is that they are porous, thus allowing the property structure to breathe, they can accommodate general movement and the self healing nature of lime products reduces cracking problems.

Read more: Plastering Techniques by Milestone Lime Plastering

ATLAS launches awards to celebrate 70th anniversary

The Association of Technical Lightning and Access Specialists (ATLAS) has launched a series of new industry awards to mark its 70th anniversary.

The ATLAS Awards 2016 mark 70 years of excellence within the lightning protection and steeplejack industry and will promote the high quality and scale of work of Specialist Contractors within the sector. The winners will be revealed at the ATLAS Gala Dinner in London next May.

Read more: ATLAS launches awards to celebrate 70th anniversary

Now you can shop online for hand-carved decoration

Agrell Architectural Carving, one of the world's foremost custom woodcarving workshops, recently launched its own product line, Astor & Mallet. Through its online store at www.astorandmallet.com the company offers a wide range of decorative mouldings, appliques, rosettes, corbels, capitals, panels, finials and other architectural elements - all hand-carved to the highest quality.

Other companies may claim their products are hand-carved, but that's rarely the case. Typically, machines do the bulk of the work and then the piece is sometimes cleaned up by hand. It never looks right. Astor & Mallet never uses machines to carve its products - and it never will.

Read more: Now you can shop online for hand-carved decoration

Public and private works make up an enviable portfolio

Based in the evocatively named village of Cringles, near Silsden in West Yorkshire, is the team of highly-skilled stonemasons that make up Heritage Masonry and Conservation Ltd. Between them they cover all types of masonry, stone walling and cladding, operating across the country. The company has many years of experience in the industry and has worked hard to build up a first-class reputation for the quality of the work and service it provides.

Over recent years the company has been involved in a number of projects in both the private and heritage sectors, some of national importance.

Read more: Public and private works make up an enviable portfolio

It's never too early to be ready for Christmas - with all the right folding furniture!

Looking for the perfect table to use for different settings and occasions? You would obviously want something that has the flexibility for that. There are many options available but you might not find anything better than a plastic folding table. It has everything that you want and then some.

Take a look at some of the advantages that it offers over other similar products.

Read more: It's never too early to be ready for Christmas - with all the right folding furniture!

How revitalisation of Caernarfon Castle has brought the town to life

This summer saw the first ever live performance of songs from a Welsh television rock opera, Melltithar y Nyth, as part of the GŵylArall arts festival, one of several community events held at Caernarfon Castle.

Community involvement is one element in a multi-million-pound scheme to revitalise the castle and parts of the historic town.

Another vital component is the new interpretation and the new entrance to the castle itself — a £780,000 investment through Cadw and the Welsh Government’s Heritage Tourism Project, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Read more: How revitalisation of Caernarfon Castle has brought the town to life

South Pavilion, Wooton, Buckinghamshire by Martin UK

This property was one of two identical Lodge Buildings adjacent to the main entrance gates of an exceptional country mansion originally built for the Gladstone Family.

Over the decades the two Lodge Buildings (North and South Pavilion) had fallen into disrepair so the owners decided to carry out the long overdue renovation works.

Read more: South Pavilion, Wooton, Buckinghamshire by Martin UK

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