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Light up your place of worship

0n8341 The design of a lighting scheme and the light fittings themselves can have a positive impact on the way your building looks as well as being functional.

Light levels

Uniformly bright lighting throughout your historic place of worship will generally not be appropriate. Historically, interiors were lit by daylight and supplemented by candles, oil or gaslight. Many spaces within historic architecture were not intended to be lit. Illuminating features such as roof structures can potentially disrupt the character of the space and so is not always suitable.

Tree care and planting in the church and heritage sector

According to a report in The Independant the UK will have to plant 1.5 billion trees if it is to tackle climate change. The London Tree Officers Association has this to say on the subject: "Future Governments are committed to planting trees to reduce carbon emissions, however there is concern that some of these proposals are focussed on a rapid increase without considering the intricate steps that are required to ensure that trees establish and thrive and it is important that this is made clear to avoid good intentions resulting in failure."

Professional advice and expertise needs to be sought and implemented.

Halifax church and Worcester Cathedral get help from above for maintenance programmes

St Hilda’s Church in Halifax and Worcester Cathedral have taken part in a drone survey trial with specialist insurer Ecclesiastical.

St Hilda’s Church in Halifax participated in survey for specialist insurer Ecclesiastical, which has been trialling drone technology to help support its in house risk management team. The technology will give the insurer fresh insight and accurate data about the churches it insures, which will enable it to provide better and more specific advice to its church customers.

Grade One-listed church is latest masterpiece in heating company’s portfolio

The Church of St Lawrence in North Wingfield, Derbyshire, is a Grade One-listed building, part of which dates from the 12th century – although mention is made in the Domesday Book of a church and priest there.

Most of the current building dates from the 14th and 15th centuries – a major feature is the massive tower that was built around 1450. Inside the church are the three 14th-century reliefs for which the church is noted: The Martyrdom of St Lawrence, at the east end of the south aisle, The Annunciation and Christ in Majesty with the Virgin and Angels in the vestry (formerly the north chapel).

Choosing replacement timber windows for heritage properties

Finding appropriate sympathetic replacements for old and degraded single-glazed windows in period and listed properties can be a real challenge.

Architects, building conservation officers and owners of listed properties are often faced with an uncomfortable choice or compromise, as they seek to find a historically authentic-looking window, which also offers acceptable levels of energy efficiency and comfort for modern living.

Church of England welcomes further government support for churches

Listed Churches in need of vital repairs are to benefit after the Government announced the extension of a grant scheme.

The listed places of worship grants scheme (LPWGS) is to be extended by the Treasury for a further year until March 2021.

The scheme pays grants equal to the VAT incurred on repairs such as urgent structural work and new roofs, reducing the fundraising burden on churches and congregations.

Safe and sympathetic access at historic house

ECEX has installed a new fabricated stair to improve access safety between roof areas at the National Trust's Polesden Lacey property located on the North Downs near Dorking, Surrey. Polesden Lacey is an Edwardian house and estate owned and run by the National Trust - it is one of the Trust's most popular properties.

ECEX completed the survey, design, fabrication and site erection of the fabricated steel stair with non-slip GRP treads, with the additional design challenges of very limited access for materials and maintaining the aesthetic of a heritage property.

York Handmade completes £60,000 order for St Albans Cathedral

The award-winning York Handmade Brick Company has provided 30,000 bricks for the restoration of the historic St Albans Cathedral in Hertfordshire.

This prestigious commission was worth £60,000 for the Alne-based firm, one of the leading independent brick-makers in the country.

David Armitage, chairman of York Handmade, explained that it was a great honour to provide for St Albans Cathedral.

Don't miss Ladies Day at CRE National 2019

It's not too late to get to CRE National 2019

Tomorrow (Thursday 17th) is your last opportunity to experience all that the Christian Resources Exhibition has to offer, including:

Our first-ever Ladies’ Day, with special seminars addressing issues faced by women in church and society today. Special guest speakers include the Bishop of Dorking, Rt Rev Dr Jo Bailey Wells.
Music from Marilyn Baker, Daughters of Davis and Christine Asamoah.
The Compassion Experience - what is life like in a slum community? Find out in this eye-opening, interactive feature.

Restoration project is a Barnstormer!

A Yorkshire Dales barn restoration that has become what judges described as “arguably one of the finest wedding barn properties in the country” has won a coveted Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) national award for ‘Best Commercial Property’.

The £2 million project to restore the 500-year-old Great Barn at Bolton Abbey, was overseen by Universal Projects, fit out specialists in the retail, office and residential sector.

Does hydraulic lime always give us the result we want?

When talking about the use of lime, the ‘conversation’ regarding hydraulic sets must have been going on for millennia – ever since, in fact, lime mortar became a thing. Here, Harry Cursham of Vivus Solutions Ltd postulates that hydraulics aren’t all that they seem:

"Where the local limestone contains clay minerals inter alia, the lime made from it will naturally have some hydraulic properties – it is not possible to get away from that basic scientific truth. The temperature of the burn does also have an effect: hotter leads to more efficient hydraulicity; cooler (less energy) leads to less efficient hydraulicity. An interesting correlation to our modern-day efforts to reduce greenhouse gases!

Are Britain’s heritage attractions inclusive? Research finds parents with special needs children feel unwelcome

Research commissioned by specialist heritage insurer, Ecclesiastical, has revealed many parents of children with special needs feel uncomfortable or unwelcome while visiting museums, art galleries, theatres, stately homes or castles with their children.

The survey revealed more than two-fifths of parents with special needs children reported that staff or visitors were unfriendly or had made them feel uncomfortable (42%), compared to just one in five parents of children who do not have special needs (22%).

Exhibition backing for top singer

The one-time Manfred Mann harmonica-playing Paul Jones had a powerful backing group as he opened the Christian Resources Exhibition at Sandown Park, Surrey on 15 October.

Early visitors to the exhibition joined in as he played and sang through the song he helped write many years ago - 5 4 3 2 1.

And he ended with a swirl on the harmonica and the crowd roaring out the five-stroke countdown to open the show.

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