Institute of Historic Building Conservation No 112 November 2009 Sixty years of listing
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C O N T E X T 1 1 2 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 9 1 Context Cover: Arbroath Town Hall in 1959, two years after the first listing in Scotland (see p15). Courtesy of RCAHMS, David M Walker, licensor, www.rcahms.gov.uk Sixty years of listing Editorial The idea of putting together an issue of Context on listing came to me just before the credit crunch became news, and when a Heritage Bill was still expected and had not yet been postponed. Outside events will now slow many development schemes, and the current regimes of UK heritage management are likely to endure without major reform for several years. All this has happened before. As several of the articles in this issue show, the introduction of listing was a slow and gradual process, moving forward in fits and starts. Its introduction began against a background of post-secondworld-war austerity. Even later, at times in the 60s and 70s, resources were limited and budgets sometimes were abruptly cut, with inspectors dismissed and plans to work on the lists shelved. Even when petrol rationing had ended, the use of cars for site visits came in only slowly. It was not until the 80s that cameras and film were regularly available to listing teams working in the field. Although colour photography had been invented decades earlier, black and white continued to rule in the UK architectural world until the 80s. More about this fast-disappearing pre-digital world has been placed on record by several of our contributors. Despite this difficult start, listing survived and grew. It has become the main tool of the trade for professionals in conservation-related architecture and planning. In just a single working day we use the word listed dozens of times. This issue of Context attempts to answer the how, when and who of the listing story. It covers the spread of listing to industrial and military sites, and to the heritage of the 20th century. We have valuable contributions from beyond the UK. The preservation of ancient buildings has been going on for a very long time and all over the place. Graham Tite, guest editor of this issue’s theme on the history of listing www.ihbc.org.uk Registered as a Charity Number 1061593. Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England Number 3333780. Registered Office: 3 Stafford Road,TunbridgeWells, Kent TN2 4QZ. Officers President Eddie Booth email [email protected] Chairman Dave Chetwyn email [email protected] Vice Chair Sheila Stones email [email protected] Secretary Richard Morrice email [email protected] Treasurer Michael Knights email [email protected] Membership Secretary Jo Evans email [email protected] Education Secretary John Preston email [email protected] Publicity Secretary Doug Black email [email protected] Law & Practice Coordinator vacant email [email protected] Director Seán O’Reilly email [email protected] Projects Officer Fiona Newton email [email protected] Consultant Consultations Coordinator James Caird email [email protected] Membership Services Officer Devon DeCelles email [email protected] Administration Officer Lydia Porter email [email protected] Committee Chairs Policy Mike Brown email [email protected] Membership & Ethics Jo Evans email [email protected] Finance & Resources Richard Morrice email [email protected] Education John Preston email [email protected] Communications & Outreach Charles Strang email [email protected] Branch Officers North Geoff Underwood Tel 0191 433 3435 NorthWest Kate Borland Tel 0161 2344556 Yorkshire Keith Knight Tel 01904 658482 West Midlands Charles Shapcott Tel 0121 7044312 East Midlands Roy Lewis Tel 01636 653060 South Julia Foster Tel 01296 585888 SouthWest Ian LundTel 01225 477687 East Anglia StaceyWeiser-Jones Tel 01954 713178 South East David Kincaid Tel 01227 862185 London David McDonald Tel 020 8881 6724 Scotland Stuart Eydmann Tel 01506 775279 Wales Nathan Blanchard Tel 01492 583443 Northern Ireland Sharon BrownTel 028 9754 3087 Republic of Ireland Cormac O’Sullivan Tel 00353 5677 62907 Business Office Jubilee House, High Street, Tisbury, Wiltshire SP3 6HA England Tel 01747 873133 Fax 01747 871718 email [email protected] Listing our industrial heritage Michael Munt 30 Pollarding trees in towns Christopher Dingwall 34 Heritage volunteers at Hincaster horse path Andrew Tegg 37 Conservation, recording, archives and archaeology Frank Green 41 Architecturally speaking 44 Notes from the chair 46 Director’s cut 47 Membership notes 48 Vox pop 49 Book reviews 50 Products and services 53 Advertisers index 56 Institute ofHistoricBuildingConservation No 112 November 2009 Sixty years of listing Briefing 2 Out of Context 4 Conference report: IHBC NorthWest conference in Liverpool 5 Conference report: IHBCWales conference in Cardiff 6 Periodically 8 Before listed buildings Melanie Hall 11 An update on listing in Scotland Deborah Mays 15 The original listing survey Carole Ryan 20 Failure and triumph in Mayfair and Fitzrovia Oliver Bradbury 23 Defeating ‘His Majesty the pick-axe’ Carlo Migliavacca 26
2 C O N T E X T 1 1 2 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 9 Context Briefing Copy deadlines Context is published five times a year, in March, May, July, September and November.The copy deadlines in 2010 are: Issue Deadline March, Issue 113 18 January May, Issue 114 22 March July, Issue 115 17 May September, Issue 116 19 July November, Issue 117 20 September Editor Rob Cowan Editorial Coordinator Fiona Newton 21 George Street, Louth, Lincolnshire LN11 9JU Tel 01507 602567 email [email protected] Editorial Board Fiona Newton (chair) Nigel Crowe (main features) Peter de Figueiredo (book reviews) Michael Taylor (main features) Cartoons by Rob Cowan Context is distributed to all members of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation. © Institute of Historic Building Conservation 2009 ISSN 0958-2746 Publisher Published for the Institute of Historic Building Conservation by Cathedral Communications Limited, High Street, Tisbury,Wiltshire, England SP3 6HA Tel 01747 871717 Fax 01747 871718 email [email protected] www.buildingconservation.com Non-member subscriptions to Context Context is available to non-members of the IHBC at an annual subscription rate, including postage, of: United Kingdom £50.00 Elsewhere £75.00 Subscription orders, together with remittances payable to Institute of Historic Building Conservation, should be sent to the IHBC Business Office at Jubilee House, High Street, Tisbury, Wiltshire SP3 6HA. The views expressed in Context are not necessarily held by the IHBC or the publisher. Neither the publisher nor the IHBC shall be under any liability whatsoever in respect of contributed articles. We gratefully acknowledge the support of firms whose advertisements appear throughout this publication.While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this issue of Context is current and correct, neither the IHBC nor the publisher can be held responsible for any errors or omissions which may occur. Buildings at Risk Officers’ Group The national Buildings at Risk Officers’ Group is seeking new members. Almost five years on it would like to share its knowledge and information with others dealing with buildings and heritage at risk. The purpose of this working group is to establish a forum in which buildings at risk officers and other conservation professionals dealing with buildings at risk can discuss the subject with support and guidance from colleagues.With representation from local authorities, English Heritage (which has championed buildings at risk from the outset), SAVE Britain’s Heritage and other organisations, the group has the experience and background to discuss a wide range of building conservation-related issues. Through creating and maintaining links, it is hoped that the cause can be further promoted and other professionals educated about the issue as a whole. The working group will provide best practice guidance from local authority experience to influence policy and guidance. The group’s aims are to develop and maintain links, disseminate information, campaign, seek information about funding; and contribute to updating English Heritage’s Stopping the Rot: a step-by-step guide to serving urgent works and repairs notices. The group intends to remain relatively small, but would like to bolster the role of those operating alone by increasing its membership and creating a virtual community. It meets more or less quarterly. Buildings at risk officers, and conservation officers who deal with buildings at risk, are encouraged to get involved to widen the range of issues to be addressed through the wider e-network and forum. This will enable buildings at risk officers to share experience and expertise between meetings. Anyone interested should contact Clare Parfitt at English Heritage, [email protected]. Above Scotland Imagery from Scotland’s National Collection of Aerial Photography is being published for the first time in one volume. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) holds the National Collection. Some of its earliest images date from just after the end of the first world war. The images in Above Scotland show how Scotland’s people throughout history have lived on the land, worked with it and shaped it to their purposes. From the air, the strategic position of some of Scotland’s earliest prehistoric settlements becomes clear. New features on the landscape include Whitelee windfarm in Renfrewshire, and the leaf-shaped buildings of Scotland’s Parliament emerging from the foot of Edinburgh’s medieval High Street. Above Scotland is available at book shops for £25. Village SOS Five projects that promise to protect some of the UK’s historic villages have been shortlisted for the Big Lottery Fund’s Village SOS programme. This gives them a chance to secure up to £400,000 each in Lottery money and to feature in a BBC1 television series. Village SOS, an initiative by the Big Lottery Fund and the BBC to inspire UK rural revival, aims to fund six Drummond Castle Tantallon Castle
C O N T E X T 1 1 2 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 9 3 rural villages to develop new business ventures to breathe new life into their areas, create new jobs and improve the quality of life for local people. Villages in Cheshire, Cumbria, Dorset, Lincolnshire and Carmarthenshire are among 28 villages shortlisted and awarded a development grant of up to £10,000 to develop their business proposal. Funding could preserve and develop the Grade II listed Trafford Watermill in Mickle Trafford, Cheshire. Lying in the valley of the River Gowy and first referred to in the 1300s, it would be transformed into a working corn mill and museum. The proposed transformation of the crushing mill in Cerne Abbas, Dorset, would resurrect the processing and production trades in the village, famous for its chalk giant. Surplus electricity generated would power village amenities such as the school and church. Ty Talcen, based in Myddfai, Carmarthenshire, would produce saleable items through its Made in Myddfai project. The enterprise is based around the Physicians of Myddfai, known for their work in homeopathy in the 13th century. Coniston Institute and the Ruskin Museum Trust’s Coniston Institute Transformation Scheme plans to transform the historic Coniston Institute into a venue for seminars, conferences and lectures. In Caistor, Lincolnshire, the Caistor Arts and Heritage Group has bid for Village SOS funding to refurbish a local disused building to create the Caistor Arts and Heritage Centre. Experienced business professionals – village champions – found through a nationwide search run by the BBC and Enterprise UK, will live and work for a year with the final six villages selected for filming. Alongside the Village SOS series a learning campaign will help other villages start new businesses. Bricks and water BritishWaterways and English Heritage have launched a joint publication England’s HistoricWaterways: a working heritage – promoting high-quality waterside development. Aimed primarily at local authorities, architects and developers, it is intended as an antidote to mediocrity and neglect in waterside development. The document was launched at a debate at London Zoo. The historian and broadcaster Tristram Hunt reminded the audience that the concept of context was fairly recent. The Victorians did more or less what they wanted when building. He warned against pushing the notion of functionalism too far: even functional architecture could be used as a means to portray status. The architect Derek Latham wanted to consider how water is perceived and used. Do we see it as a photogenic mirror that reflects the adjacent life? Do we fear water? Is it perceived as a barrier? Does the value of the network lie in the water itself: should water be a permanent feature while buildings might become redundant? Does the romantic notion of canals preclude using these for transport? Robin Nicholson of Edward Cullinan Architects pointed to the canal network as the most brilliant metaphor for slow living – now fashionable, but ironic considering that this network was built to provide a fast transport system. IHBC chair Dave Chetwyn highlighted the importance of developing a clear understanding of what local England’s HistoricWaterways: A working heritage Promoting high quality waterside development Brownsfield Mill in Piccadilly Basin, Manchester, before and after improvement communities wanted at an early stage. The document can be downloaded from the helm website (www.helm. org.uk) and BritishWaterways’ website (where an audio file of the debate can be found (www.britishwaterways.co.uk/ourwork/delivering-public-benefit/heritage). Florence Salberter, heritage advisor, BritishWaterways Brooking online A website has been launched as a guide to the Brooking Collection of Architectural Detail for potential users, from architectural students and professionals in the fields of architecture, restoration and conservation, to home owners seeking guidance on replacing items lost from their houses due to unsympathetic modernisation. The site explains how to arrange a group tour of the gallery at Cranleigh, Surrey, and how to commission Charles Brooking to encourage a building to give up the secrets of its past. Brooking takes his message around the country by presenting workshops and giving talks. The Brooking Collection is a comprehensive collection of architectural detail originating from buildings, domestic and commercial, ranging from castles, palaces and country houses to artisan cottages. It covers wooden and metal features extracted from buildings dating back 500 years, and some taken from 1960 icons. The collection was founded in 1966 and became a registered charity, the Brooking Architectural MuseumTrust, in 1988. The trust’s aim is to display the collection within a publicly-accessible museum but, for the moment, the Brooking Home Study Gallery in Surrey is the best way to access items. The collection illustrates the evolution of the British window, the British door, and their furniture, frames and fittings, and displays a cross-section of these, with domestic stained glass, staircases, fire grates and fire frames, and rainwater goods such as rainwater heads. Among the exhibits are hugelycomplex sash windows painstakingly removed from site and stripped of layers of paint to reveal their original construction details. There is also a dedicated section on the development of the Crittalltype domestic steel window, introduced in its standard sizes after 1918 and made by many different companies throughout the country. Contact Charles Brooking through the website (www.charlesbrookingcollection. com) or by phone on 01483 274203. Wendy Rosier Johnson
4 C O N T E X T 1 1 2 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 9 ‘There is an awful lot of flannel about sustainability and about zero carbon, but this [Masdar, Abu Dhabi, ‘the world’s first eco-city’] is the real deal. Except of course, that it has to be built, and construction is just about the most polluting activity there is. If architects truly want to be really green, there is only one answer – don’t build new buildings.’ Edwin Heathcote writing in the Financial Times ‘WE NEED to make planning easier to understand. Once we’ve done this we will invite people from all over to pitch in and create a community. ‘It will work a bit like an iPhone. People come along with great ideas that go way beyond what the makers of the phone could have imagined. Open-source enables that to happen. I want planning to be open-source. I want a model where a local plan is created by the local authority, published online and people are invited to make it work as a community, a completely transparent, open-source approach. ‘We will be pro-development.Where this is a local plan that has identified what will happen you won’t be able to object with any other made-up reasons.’ Shadow housing minister Grant Shapps quoted in PlanningResource ‘We are extremely confident that two years of detailed discussions mean that this master plan represents the aspirations and concerns of all the stakeholders involved, not least the Battersea community. It is a plan that, vitally, will finally deliver this important site’s regeneration and create a compelling and vibrant new urban quarter for London. ‘At its heart will be the power station, giving new life for generations to come and standing as a commanding reminder of London’s industrial past and thrilling future.’ Rob Tincknell, managing director of developer Treasury Holdings UK, on yet another plan for Battersea power station Built to conceal Context 109 (May 2009) reported that Soho Lodge, a Grade II listed summerhouse in Soho Square, was being renovated.We noted that the lodge was built at the expense of the residents of Soho Square. AContext reader has phoned with more details. Apparently road sweepers’ carts were kept in the building. The list description, dating it to c1925-6, calls it a ‘garden arbour/tool shed’ and records that it was built ‘as a disguise for an electricity substation’. The construction was of brick with a breezeblock core, with timber framing re-using 17th or 18th century floor beams, and ‘an old (pre C17?) four-centred head to south door’. Sash window heat loss A major study into the thermal performance of sash windows by English Heritage suggests that even the simplest repair and basic improvements will bring significant reduction of draughts and heat loss. Using a combination of these methods will upgrade a window to meet the targets in the building regulations Simple repairs to mend cracks and eliminate gaps can significantly reduce the amount of air infiltration or draughts. On the window that was tested, air infiltration was reduced by one third. Air infiltration through a sash window in good condition can be reduced by as much as 86 per cent by adding draught proofing. Heat loss through glass and frames can be significantly reduced by adopting simple measures like closing thick curtains and plain roller blinds. In the test, heat loss was reduced by 41 per cent and 38 per cent respectively. More elaborate measures reduce heat loss even more. In the test, wellfitted shutters were able to improve the window to meet modern building regulations, which target a U-value for windows of 2 or below. In the test with shutters closed, this value was 1.7. High-quality secondary glazing produced similarly good results. The best result was when the two methods were used together, resulting in a 62 per cent reduction in heat loss and a U-value of 1.6. Details of the research are available from www.climatechangeandyourhome. org. ChrisWood, head of building conservation and research team, English Heritage St Paul’s Cathedral’s £40 million Tercentenary Restoration has been named RICS Project of theYear 2009.The programme involved cleaning and repairing the building, and making the most of the internal spaces to provide better facilities.The work was carried out under the guidance of the surveyor to the fabric Martin Stancliffe, a senior partner with Purcell Miller Tritton, and Martin Stancliffe Architects. The multi-purpose Soho Lodge
C O N T E X T 1 1 2 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 9 5 Conference report: IHBC North West conference in Liverpool Facing the energy crunch Kevin Anderson of Manchester University set the context, discussing the two degrees centigrade increase in temperature that the UK and EU defined as being the threshold between acceptable and dangerous climate change. He believed that longterm targets for reducing emissions by 2050 were pointless, because we needed to focus on the next two to five years. The longer we waited for emissions to peak, the steeper the reductions would have to be. Alan Gardner (a chartered building surveyor and SPAB Lethaby scholar) outlined the difference between modern and traditional construction, explaining the concept of a breathing building and how one performed. He described the problems that arose when modern technology was applied to traditional buildings. What is an appropriate improvement? The approach should start with lighting, heating boilers and controls, and loft insulation. These interventions, which could be simple and relatively effective, were not in conflict with old buildings. Caroline Cattini (a building services engineer with English Heritage) talked about renewable energy and microgeneration. She explained that energy-saving measures, such as low-energy light bulbs and insulation, should come first. It was important to consider the impact (of renewables) on wildlife as well on the building. Cattini directed delegates to EH guidance material at www. climatechangeandyourhome.org.uk. David McDonald, the conservation and design team leader at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, provided a short guide to planning and development control. The presentation addressed whether alterations to improve thermal efficiency would need planning permission or not. The GDPO was amended in 2008 particularly in respect of provisions relating to domestic microgeneration equipment. McDonald pointed out that internal alterations did not require planning permission and that although external alterations usually required permission, some alterations may be classed as permitted development, unless these rights had been removed by an Article 4 directive. He directed delegates to the Planning Portal guide at www.planningportal.gov. uk/uploads/hhg/houseguide.html. The first of three case studies was presented by Karen Heverin, conservation officer for Oldham. She outlined the pressure for change, by citing things like the use of the Reduced Data Standard Assessment Procedure (rdSAP) to rate the thermal performance of buildings. She concluded that there were practical difficulties in assessing u-values in older buildings and anomalies when using the rdSAP method. Improving energy efficiency in historic buildings was not just a technical issue. Poppy Potter, an environmental development worker, spoke about the National Communities Resource Centre (NCRC). The NCRC is based at Trafford Hall, which was built in 1756 and had an energy efficiency upgrade in 2008/9. The aim is to be carbon neutral by 2012. The NCRC has signed up to the 10:10 campaign (it wants to achieve a 10 per cent reduction year on year). Potter explained how the energy efficiency of Trafford Hall had been increased by improving the building fabric and improving operations. For the third case study architect James Sanderson introduced the work of Purcell Miller Tritton (PMT). The practice sought to enable clients to sign up to the 10.10 campaign. PMT started from first principles of sustainable design. Sanderson gave delegates a whistle-stop tour of some of PMT’s projects, focusing on sustainability. Nigel Blades, preventive conservation adviser (environment) at the National Trust, explained that the trust’s environmental policy focused on energy, reducing dependency on fossil fuels and meeting government targets for reducing emissions and using renewable energy. The mansion properties are mostly Grade I listed buildings, with unique interiors and collections. On the one hand the trust was seeking to reduce heat loss and use energy-efficient lighting in the buildings themselves, as well as improving the efficiency of the environmental. The aim was to provide conservation heating rather than comfort heating. It had been found that fitting standard roller blinds, closing the window shutters and fitting heavy lined curtains improved the u-values to a similar level to that achieved by either secondary glazing or insulating the panels in the shutters. Loft insulation was also being installed. Mike Robinson, a structural engineer, talked about how lifestyles and expectations had changed. In the good old days, houses had one warm room, people wore appropriate clothing and they were a bit tougher. In the 21st century life had become softer. Robinson explored the notion of existing buildings survival strategies (EBSS). These consisted of five stages and three levels of intervention. They provided measures of effectiveness, energy performance, costs and the feelgood factor. There was an obvious need to act to control energy consumption, but we would have to consider our own attitude and expectations. One delegate talked about the fact that, despite the need for an 80 per cent reduction, some people still did not think it applied to listed buildings. Alan Gardner agreed. It was not about quick wins, but rather about engaging in experimental work and following the lead of countries like Germany and Switzerland – looking at wholelife energy, including manufacture, transport, construction and building use. It was suggested that the BRE needed to move further, taking account of the embodied energy of older buildings in BREEAM. There was consensus that using the rdSAP method was not accurate. The BRE needed to focus on targets and emission rates, and improve the accuracy of the rdSAP method. Keith Parsons, principal lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire
6 C O N T E X T 1 1 2 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 9 Conference report: IHBC Wales conference in Cardiff A telling argument in hard times The aim of the conference was to look at the challenges faced with making a case for heritage-led regeneration, and the direct as well as indirect value of historic buildings and areas in sitespecific regeneration. Although much of the information discussed was in particular reference to theWelsh historic environment, the presentations were very relevant to everyone working in the heritage sector. The studies discussed as evidence included Cadw’s urban characterisation studies, GHK’s assessment of the economic impact of the Heritage Lottery Fund, the IPD index of returns from regeneration areas, Simon Roodhouse’s Cultural Quarters, the Wales Tourism Board Sense of Place Toolkit, and the Centre for Alternative Technology’s Embodied Energy Table. Following introductions by Eddie Booth, IHBC president, and Seán O’Reilly, IHBC director and chair of the conference, the keynote address was delivered by Alun Ffred Jones, heritage minister in theWelsh Assembly Government. The minister’s address was particularly inspirational in acknowledging that government recognition of the wider economic benefits of heritage-led regeneration could lead to firm strategies and collaboration across departments, to the benefit of all. Fundamental to his address was the statement that ‘the historic environment formed us, after all, so we all have a responsibility to look after it’. The minister outlined the delivery of a historic environment strategy in Wales, including a strategic statement (announced in September and available on theWelsh Assembly Government website), and through this aWelsh Action Plan to be delivered over the next two years. This recognises that the key to moving towards a more sustainable way of living is to recognise the value of community in this, and the thousands of years of place-making that have shaped local environments with which communities identify themselves. The minister emphasised the need to communicate the role of the historic environment as a catalyst for quality development, and to prevent the tenacious and erroneous point of view that it is an inhibitor to economic progress. The summary of the keynote address was an acknowledgement that regeneration was still an emerging way of thinking, and change was still required to increase awareness of its important role in the economy. Marilyn Lewis, director of Cadw, followed the heritage minister with a presentation on the far-reaching benefits of the historic environment. It was proven, she said, that the historic environment unequivocally underlay improvement in all areas, including communities, economies, sustainability and even the health of individuals. One of the most important documents produced recently to support heritageled regeneration is HeritageWorks by Drivers Jonas. The guide, combining the expertise of the RICS, the British Property Foundation and English Heritage, provides a toolkit of good practice for the use of historic buildings in regeneration. Rob Colley, head of heritage and culture at Drivers Jonas, presented the background to the production of the document. ‘Buildings adapt the same way that people adapt to changing times,’ he said. He explained the cycles of physical, functional and social decline and revitalisation, and the role of the historic environment, lasting throughout these cycles, in the revitalisation phase. Direct economic value came from a combination of several indirect values, including the aesthetic urban context, social context, community value and history. Colley urged those involved in regeneration to be imaginative and flexible, to think about what a building could do for its neighbours as a catalyst, and to build on the indigenous strengths of the town or city. It was essential that cut-andpaste cities were avoided, so we should assemble data and evidence bases. The tourism perspective was presented by Jonathan Jones, theWelsh Assembly Government’s director of tourism and marketing. In Britain, Jones said, tourism had accounted for five per cent of GDP. Historic buildings provided an attraction for visitors that allowed people the freedom to interpret history in a way that was relevant to them. He noted that historic buildings were often part of the living culture and could include more recent ones that were, by that definition, already part of our heritage. Dave Chetwyn, IHBC chair and director of DJC1 Planning, discussed how heritage could deliver wider economic and social benefits. The quality of the built environment was fundamental in attracting investment. Conversely, a poor quality environment repelled. Heritage had been proven to be directly involved in regeneration. For instance, grant schemes provided improved business confidence. Where regeneration of less desirable places with inexpensive floor spaces resulted in rocketing land value (for example by attracting creative industries), the original catalyst could be priced out of the area. There were both positive and negative aspects to this, as the specialists moved on to the next area to be regenerated. Gentrification could sometimes be a good thing. Other benefits included employment, variety, choice and affordability in housing, and tourism. Mixed-use schemes, more likely to be successful, were much easier to provide in historic areas. Investment in heritage meant paying more for labour resources rather than physical resources: skilled employment meant more investment in local economies. Sustainability was a particularly important benefit, including the embodied energy of the existing built environment. Chetwyn saw the utility value of heritage as being fundamental. It was about delivering change, not preventing it. Seán O’Reilly and Alun Ffred Jones (Photo: Fiona Newton)
C O N T E X T 1 1 2 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 9 7 The first of the afternoon case studies was the regeneration of the Ebbw Vale Old Steel Works, incorporating a group of listed buildings on the land. PierreWassanaar of Stride Treglown Davies Architects presented this mixed-use scheme. The main theme was the fact that you could not put a price on the social and cultural value of a building. People just wanted to be a part of historic buildings. This was evidenced by the Gwent Record Office choosing to relocate to the completed scheme, largely because of the quality of the listed building. The second case study was Cardiff Castle, where conservation, economics, use of the site and access had been carefully balanced to achieve a successful heritage attraction. Advice from John Edwards, chair of the CIOB’s conservation group, was that the use of specially skilled people always pays off, in terms of longevity and, with new design, enhancing places and conserving value. Sioned Lewis of Arad Consulting had led on the Valleys Built Heritage Project, highlighting the economic benefits of a conservation-based approach to traditional buildings and streetscapes in theWelsh valleys. The study was commissioned by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Cadw and conservation professionals. Lewis concluded that economic benefit could accrue from an investment in heritage, as an amalgamation of a number of small benefits. The story of the restoration of Great Milton Hall was presented by Richard Spencer Dean of Page and Dean Consulting. This Grade II listed historic house was in a dangerous state of repair and the interior had been lost. The aim of the restoration was to provide an energy-efficient building. The key was calculating the embodied energy, to offset any differences between the heat loss of the restored building against the building regulations requirements for acceptable heat loss. Using the embodied energy calculation for conversion, the energy of Great Milton Hall could buy 1.1m kWh of electricity. ‘The value of embodied energy saved can be seen or expressed to offset extra heating costs for over 50 years,’ Dean said. Professor TomWoolley of the Centre for Alternative Technology argued that sustainability was about getting priorities right. He pointed to too much emphasis on micro-renewables and gadgets, and not enough on the building fabric and the benefits of leaving building fabric in place. New build generated carbon dioxide and squandered resources. Each cubic metre of concrete used created at least 0.37 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. Around 10 billion tonnes of concrete was used globally each year. So re-using existing building fabric was more sustainable by reducing the consumption of new materials. The green claims of signature and iconic buildings proved to be ‘greenwash’,Woolley claimed. Many in the industry were interested in ticking boxes rather than understanding environmental principles.We were currently handicapped by inadequate standards and science, a lack of good data and poor methodologies to define sustainable building. Carbon neutral claims were based not on the neutrality of the materials themselves but on carbon offsetting. Specifiers often choose to ignore the impact of the production of materials and building products. Most modern building methods relied on foams and chemicals, glues and sealants. These were bad for the environment and our health, and might not be sustainable. Woolley believed that fundamental mistakes were made when such toxic and synthetic materials were used in building renovation. It might be years before the problems became evident. Polymer renders and styrene insulations were already the subject of court cases in the USA. Buildings using synthetic materials had an increasingly damaging effect on health. Brominated fire retardants (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) and other toxic chemicals used in building had serious health and environmental impacts. Studies showed there were high levels of these contaminants in our blood. These chemicals had spread throughout the planet, and were even affecting the health and the hormones of people in the Arctic. By contrast, natural materials such as hemp were able to absorb a great deal of water and release it again without damage. It could control internal humidity, and bonded with existing masonry and other natural materials. It provided good insulation and had thermal mass, so it stored warmth. It was breathable, so it was moisture permeable. It insulated without isolating existing thermal mass. Due to the effect of lime, it was durable and resistant to rot, mould and insect attack. Natural materials provided a viable alternative way to build. They could be robust, economical, locally sourced, breathable, good insulators and could even lock up carbon in the building. They provided a real solution to sustainable building problems. Natural materials were better for the environment, whether they were nonrenewable like earth, or renewable like timber, hemp and wool. They could be good for the economy by creating local jobs, boosting agriculture and reducing road miles. Natural materials could perform better in buildings, buffering moisture, bonding better with existing building fabric and reducing levels of toxic chemicals, improving indoor air quality. Debbie Maltby, conservation and built environment officer with Derby City Council Cardiff Castle (Photo: Fiona Newton)
8 C O N T E X T 1 1 2 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 9 Periodically Congratulations and happy birthday to the Twentieth Century Society (formerly the Thirties Society), now officially 30 years old. Its magazine C20 (Autumn 2009) is not especially celebratory in these straightened times (of which more below). But it does provide a timeline of significant events, campaigns, triumphs and losses, as a running footnote across its pages. The director, Catherine Croft, comments on the society’s recent highprofile but unsuccessful campaign to protect the Smithsons’ Robin Hood Gardens in London. She suggests that ‘we must remain very highly selective about which buildings we support’ and that ‘many C20 buildings are not successful and don’t deserve to stay’. Alan Powers, the society’s chairman, reflects that its subject area ‘has now been a matter of popular fashion for 15 years at least, although many professionals in planning and conservation are still regrettably illinformed about it’. The society is addressing this through its excellent short courses (now in their second year) and Monograph publications (two more of which are to appear this autumn, bringing the total to six). The issue reviews the society’s longest-running and most-convoluted case, Battersea Power Station. It also reviews one of its most recent cases, The Spinney in Ipswich (1960). This house was designed by significant regional architect Birkin Haward for his own occupation, with the involvement of this reviewer. Elsewhere, there is an excellent feature on the M1 motorway at 50. Peter Merriman poses the awkward question of whether we should preserve Britain’s motorway heritage. This was recently indirectly, but persuasively, advocated by BBC2’s brilliant little documentary series The Secret Life of the Motorway. Merriman quotes Sir Basil Spence as an advocate of Sir Owen Williams’ bridges on the M1 in 1959. He acknowledges the criticism levelled against them at the time by Sylvia Crowe, Ian Nairn, John Betjeman and Nikolaus Pevsner. Protection of motorways would be a major challenge to heritage bodies, because of their seeming mundanity. And maintenance and refurbishment are resulting in the destruction of many original features. The magazine also highlights Underley Hall Chapel in Kirkby Lonsdale, by the Building Design Partnership (1964–6). It was commissioned by the Diocese of Lancaster as part of a seminary for junior Catholic priests. Pevsner described the chapel as ‘easily the best recent ecclesiastical building in the country’. Now part of a residential school for young people with behavioural difficulties, it appears not to be formally protected. International subjects covered include a visit to La Chaux de Fons, the small Swiss city where Le Corbusier was born and where he built his first villas. Oliver Bradbury writes about the late Philip Johnson’s referencing of Sir John Soane, at the time when his work appeared most indebted to Mies van der Rohe. Theatres Magazine, produced by the Theatres Trust’s Newsletter (No 21, Autumn 2009), describes a new heritage initiative. The European Route of Historic Theatres already has a German Route. Meanwhile, the European Route has been growing. It now connects selected theatres in Denmark, Norway and Sweden on the Nordic Route, as well as historic theatres in Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK on the Channel Route. Later this year, the Italian Route of theatres from the Renaissance to the late 19th century will follow. An Emperor Route of great theatres in the Czech Republic and Austria will complete the European Route next year. The Channel Route starts at Britain’s oldest preserved theatre, the Georgian Theatre in Richmond, NorthYorkshire (1788). It goes on to the Malt Cross, a small music hall in Nottingham (1877), which is now a pub and music venue. Craig-y-Nos Castle private theatre (1891) was added by the celebrated soprano Adelina Patti on her retirement in 1891. The route continues, via London’s abundant theatres, to the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk (1819). The Theatre Royal was designed by WilliamWilkins and is now owned by the National Trust. Other splendid theatres on the route include those in Leiden, Brussels, Ghent and Chimay. Information about the Channel Route and other routes can be found at www.perspectiv-online.org.
C O N T E X T 1 1 2 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 9 9 The latest issue of the Association of Preservation Technology Bulletin (Vol XL, No 2, 2009) features articles presented at the association’s 2008 annual conference in Montreal, Canada. Ronald Anthony, Kimberly Dugan and Deborah Anthony kick off the issue with an article on grading protocols for structural lumber and timber in historic buildings. They give an overview of the history of standards and grading rules for wood. These rules determined appropriate design values that would reduce the need to replace historic fabric. This would reduce costly, and often unnecessary, replacement decisions. The writers explain a computerbased wood-grading program that can be used by architects and engineers. A grading protocol is not to intended to make every conservation professional a certified grader, but it does permit more informed decisions about the structural capacity of wood members in historic buildings. Robert Score and Bradford Carpenter explore thermal performance of repaired and replacement steel windows, a topic of current concern to those dealing with energy conservation and increasing building regulation requirements in the UK. They use the example of the Lafayette Building in Washington, DC. Through detailed analysis of in-situ thermal monitoring of solar heat gain, conductive and radiation heat loss, they demonstrate that such windows can be repaired.What is more, they will out-perform modern aluminum-framed replacements. As requirements grow for a greater proportion of renewable energy to be generated on-site in new developments, it is invaluable to see ways in which this could be done by the use of geothermal heat pumps for historic buildings. The article explains how the system works, life-cycle cost of geothermal heat pumps, the supervision of well drilling and installation (as they are typically located along the building’s perimeter), mitigation measures, and post-installation maintenance. It makes reference to two practical examples: the massive neo-Romanesque Trinity Church by HH Richardson (1877), and the Georgian revival Byerly Hall at Harvard University (1932). Pressures of time and funding rarely permit retrospective evaluations of repairs. So Sven Thomasen’s article, looking at restoration of terracotta at the Atlanta City Hall in Georgia over 25 years ago, is helpful in giving an extended perspective of its success. The author looks at key aspects such as maintenance practices, repair of damaged terracotta, and joint treatments. Many of the repair procedures and restoration materials are still in common use. The 1980 project involved choices and compromises such as the use of concrete blocks in place of terracotta, in situ repairs of minor defects, and a strategy of relying on a programme of periodic maintenance rather than eliminating all defects. Thomasen concludes that this strategy has proved a qualified success. The rate of deterioration has been controlled, but fairly regular maintenance remains essential. The final article focuses on conservation treatments for ancient earthen structures in the Western Himalayas of India. Charu Chaudhry and Sandeep Sikka put forward a methodology of structural analysis conservation of roofs, wall plates and exterior render. They propose maintenance manuals with priorities for owners and occupiers. The occasional 80-page pullout section Practice Points features the second part of Lorraine Schnabel’s three-part series on mortar analysis. In this series, the author covers analytical methods including petrographic analysis, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and chemical analysis. After the fiasco of the disappearing Heritage Bill, Cornerstone, the newsletter of the SPAB (Vol 30, No 3, 2009), has highlighted the disappearing financial resources for heritage. The SPAB highlights that between 2000 and 2008, the government cut English Heritage’s funding from £144 million to £125 million. Meanwhile, £90 million of Lottery funding was diverted from heritage projects to the Olympics. Visitors to English Heritagestaffed properties fell by 10 per cent over 10 years to 5.3 million in 2008. The French president Nicolas Sarkozy recently announced a €100 million rise in funding for heritage conservation in France, as part of an economic package to boost the economy. The SPAB has asked what we can expect from the politicians on this side of the Channel. A DCMS spokesperson reveals that Ben Bradshaw, the current secretary of state, has ‘no plans to increase heritage spending’. But the opposition parties are as yet unconstrained by office or the state of the books. The Conservatives propose ‘more money to back the initiative and enthusiasm of heritage organisations’. The Liberal Democrats suggest that ‘funding has been cut, but putting money into heritage could boost the economy’. The Greens advise that ‘we should be looking after our national heritage as part of a recovery plan’. The issue reflects in depth on the SPAB’s epic barns campaign, nearly 30 years on. At the time, traditional farm buildings were at risk as never before. Many were converted unsympathetically to residential use, while many more were abandoned to decay by changing farming practices and government grants for new agricultural buildings. The society’s mammoth survey led to its Barns Book in 1982, its Barns Committee, and its Doomsday Survey of Barns in 1984. Philip Venning describes in detail this project and the changing attitudes of the Ministry of Agriculture, among others. These led to 30 per cent grant aid towards assisting the repair of traditional farm buildings. Venning highlights that as far back as 2005, Heritage Counts estimated that £30 million would be needed just to repair the 2,400 listed farm buildings in a ‘severe state of disrepair’. This when only five per cent of all farm buildings are listed. However, some funding is available through agri-environment schemes. Susan Hardwick, Natural England’s senior historic specialist, reprises the issues she discussed in the July issue of Context. Bob Kindred MBE
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C O N T E X T 1 1 2 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 9 11 MELANIE HALL Before listed buildings Before listing, historic buildings in England had been recorded and protected over the preceding century in the voluntarist sector, sometimes with state backing. The second world war, and aerial destruction on a massive scale, provided the pivotal impetus towards identifying specific buildings as worthy of protection by the state. Emergency lists were produced in 1940–42 to identify those buildings to which priority would be given for repair if damaged by enemy action. These were subsequently incorporated in the Town and Country Planning Acts of 1944 and 1947, when listed buildings officially began. However, listing did not happen in a vacuum. Recording and protecting historic buildings had been taking place over the preceding century in the voluntarist sector, sometimes with state backing. This emerged with the transformation in Britain’s urban and rural environment that occurred with widespread industrialisation and urbanisation. Interest in historic buildings as evidence for the past was fed by a growing desire for educational leisure, by tourism from home and abroad, and by international trends. A desire for social stability and sometimes housing design and urban planning, encouraged this interest in buildings from the past. While private individuals and amenity societies recognised the change, government in Britain was slow to act. Consequently, protecting historic buildings began in the voluntarist sector. The work of the fledgling National Trust for Places of Historic Interest and Natural Beauty, a very different organisation to today’s National Trust, deserves greater recognition in this area, as we shall see. This article considers several contexts that helped to build a constituency for protection and legislation. Interest in material evidence for the past grew as a specialised leisure pursuit. A more scholarly approach to recording ancient monuments and historic buildings developed within antiquarian, archaeological and arts societies. Regional and local antiquarian and archaeological societies flourished from the mid-19th century. Most published journals, and augmented the work of the well-established Society of Antiquaries. Initial attempts at protection focused on monuments, but came to little. The Antiquaries compiled a list of historical tombs and monuments worthy of protection in 1869–71, at the request of the First Commissioner of Works. The well-known advocate of art, architecture and beauty, John Ruskin, gave money to the Antiquaries to start a fund for architectural preservation, although that foundered. The (Royal) Society of Arts initiated the blue plaques scheme in 1866. Although the plaques marked buildings, the focus was biography. William Morris founded the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) in 1877, with a focus on ecclesiastical buildings, regional types, and craftsmanship. William Morris founded the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings in 1877, with a focus on ecclesiastical buildings, regional types and craftsmanship. (Drawing: Rob Cowan) John Ruskin gave money to the Society of Antiquaries to start a fund for architectural preservation. (Drawing: Rob Cowan)
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