48 C O N T E X T 1 1 3 : M A R C H 2 0 1 0 the drawings, but should more fully explain those parts which the drawings do not clearly illustrate, or are in any way obscure’. The guidance is followed by the clauses, organised by trade and listed numerically. The clauses are accompanied by a wide range of detailed guidance, notes and sketches. Macey was the first to understand and describe the need for a specification which set clauses in a logical tradebased order. This process led, through three further editions, to the introduction of the National Building Specification (NBS) in 1973. Anyone familiar with the NBS will immediately recognise its beginnings and essential structure in this book. For those specifying works to buildings at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, contemporary reference sources were essential for making informed decisions. The Donhead reprints now take a central place in the libraries of many conservation professionals. The construction details in Specifications are quite small, often without annotation. They are intended only to provide context to the adjoining specification clause, so the book is best read as a companion to a detailed construction manual such as Rivington’s Building Construction (also published in facsimile by Donhead). This can help to provide a detailed understanding of the construction technology found in buildings of the period. Some contemporary reviewers of Specifications suggested that the work was out of date, and that it failed to cover the latest developments in construction technology. This criticism is largely unfair. Macey’s objective was to set out a series of principles to guide specification writing. He explained these principles using commonly understood construction techniques, dividing these logically by trade. Other publications were specifically texts on construction technology, and dealt in detail with the more advanced techniques of the day. Examples of these include Specification from the Architectural Press, which also started in 1898, and Stubbs’ Building Encyclopaedia. It is remarkable that a book written over a century ago is still relevant to today’s practitioner. Even those not actively engaged in conservation work will be able to learn from Macey’s considered structure, and his approach to production information in general.While this book can be highly recommended for conservation professionals working with the buildings of the period, it will also serve as a valuable educational tool for those engaged in the art of specification writing. Robert Chambers, associate with Purcell Miller Tritton Architects, Liverpool A call for action England’s Heritage in Stone English Stone Forum, 2008, 111pp, ISBN 978-0-9558660-0-5, normal price £32. Available to IHBC members at a reduced price of £6 + p&p. Order a copy at www.nationalstonecentre.org.uk/ tel/fax 01629 824833 or by mail from National Stone Centre, Porter Lane, Middleton by Wirksworth, Derbyshire DE4 4LS, giving your name, address and IHBC membership number, and referring to the IHBC special offer. Make cheques payable to Stone Federation GB. If you have a copy of Clifton-Taylor and Iresons’ classic English Stone Building on your bookshelf, you could be tempted to think that you will not need England’s Heritage in Stone. You would be mistaken. England’s Heritage in Stone is much more than simply a celebration of the historic use of stone and slate in English building. Its main focus is on the future, and on how we can maintain and protect this legacy for generations to come. As such it is essential reading for anyone who ever has to choose or approve stone for use in a conservation context, or who is involved with the planning of future stone supplies: conservation officers, development control officers, specifiers, contractors and minerals planners. In fact it is for anyone who cares about the future of England’s stone-built heritage. England’s Heritage in Stone is a collection of papers first presented at a conference organised by the Geoconservation Commission and sponsored by, among others, English Heritage. The articles are well written by acknowledged experts, and the volume is well illustrated with both colour and black-and-white images. Chris Wood of English Heritage sets the scene by providing a historic perspective of our stone heritage, and by describing some of the problems of repairing and maintaining this legacy, such as sourcing appropriate stone, skills shortages and the public perception of quarrying. These topics are developed by other contributors. Several authors refer to the decline in numbers of active quarries. Graham Lott of the British Geological Survey, in a fascinating review of the Victorian stone industry, cites a survey of 1860 that listed over 1,500 active quarries, compared with 329 today. Diana Sutherland makes a similar point in her review of Northamptonshire building stones. Out of dozens of historic quarries only four remain active, and the bulk of their production is crushed stone. The picture is similar inYorkshire, where quarries producing magnesian limestone, used to build some of the country’s most famous buildings, such as York Minster and Bolsover Castle, have dwindled to just three. Using the correct stone for conservation is essential for both technical and aesthetic reasons, but shortage of suitable stone for repair, renovation and new building in sensitive areas is a big problem. What is being done to alleviate it? Allan Thompson and Brian Marker
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