The Building Conservation Directory 2023

87 C AT H E D R A L C O M M U N I C AT I O N S T H E B U I L D I N G C O N S E R VAT I O N D I R E C T O R Y 2 0 2 3 | C E L E B R AT I N G 3 0 Y E A R S M A S O N R Y 3.2 of conservation and heritage practice should be seen as key. Equally, the principle of craftsmanship must be placed as an essential component in any approach. The notion of craftsmanship and the approaches it entails are crucial to sustaining our collective memories and the sustainability of communities, as well as for the personal development of individuals who work on our built heritage. In the case of historic stonework which has been damaged by an iron cramp, it seems only fitting to employ craftsmanship to remove the defective masonry and the offending ferrous cramp, and to replace this with a new block of masonry produced in the same material with the same notions as that which has been lost to decay. Replacing the iron cramp with a modern rustproof equivalent can only be seen as a sensible approach. Because traditional craft communities pass on their skills from generation to generation, people all too often imagine that the mason’s skills are rigidly fixed: this couldn’t be further from the truth. With each passing generation, often radical changes can occur with the advent of new technologies and ideas which are developed and experimented with. As such, craftsmanship must be seen as a fluid process. WITLEY COURT A crafts-based approach was adopted by Recclesia and English Heritage for repairs at Witley Court, Worcestershire following condition surveys back in 2013. It was evident that a targeted programme of skilled conservation works was required to repair the facades of the building that were suffering from a range of failures. Most notable was masonry damage caused by the corrosion of embedded iron cramps which, if not treated, would lead to the collapse of areas of high-level masonry. As well as being detrimental to the significance of the surviving structures, falling masonry would be dangerous for the visiting public. To help conserve these areas, English Heritage outlined a detailed program of works for the consolidation, repair, and renewal of the historic masonry and plaster, which was then carried out by Recclesia’s specialist masonry team. The goals of the project were to conserve the towers and portico with minimal introduction of new stonework, to reduce the risk of failing masonry, and to maintain the readability and understanding of this highly important site. It also offered a perfect platform for the continuation of traditional craftsmanship, an intangible aspect of the site’s importance. Any historic ruin, building, site or landscape which is not maintained will eventually be lost to time. But if maintenance and conservation work is carried out without the same knowledge and skills of those who built it, we will still lose a significant essence of what helps define the importance and significance of a heritage asset such as Witley Court. Recommended Reading Carl Lounsbury, An Illustrated Glossary of Early Southern Architecture and Landscape , Oxford University Press, 1994 English Heritage , Practical Building Conservation: Stone , Ashgate, Farnham, 2012 Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance , Historic England, 2008 Conserving War Memorials Case Study: Deterioration of Metal Fixings , Historic England, 2017 LEE BILSON is a building historian and conservation specialist based in Shropshire. A former project manager at English Heritage, he is a freelance writer, lecturer and consultant who works with the conservation specialists Recclesia (see page 93) on a vast range of projects across the UK. At Witley Court, a ruined mansion in Worcestershire, iron cramps had been used extensively in the early 19th century to tie a fine ashlar skin to a rubble wall. The lack of a roof meant that most were suffering from corrosion, requiring extensive indent repairs and the temporary removal of some blocks.