Page 21 - Historic Churches 2013

BCD Special Report on Historic Churches 20th annual edition 21 CATHEDRALC O M M U N I C A T I O N S
ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST,
SHOBDON
A CONSERVATION CASE STUDY
Frederick Gibson
St John the Evangelist, Shobdon, is
a small Grade I rural Anglican parish
church adjoining the former parkland
of the Shobdon Estate. The tower is the only
element of the original 12th-century church to
be incorporated into an extensive rebuilding
(1752–1756) in a Rococo Gothic style by Richard
Bateman. Bateman was a friend of Horace
Walpole and a member of the ‘Committee of
Taste’, then exploring the use of different styles
of architectural decoration for Walpole’s own
house, Strawberry Hill. The direct connection
to Walpole strongly influenced the design of the
church at Shobdon, which survives, subject to
some re-ordering in 1907, as the most notable
Rococo Gothic style church in England.
CONDITION PRIOR TO REPAIRS
The nave and chancel roof were extensively
stabilised and repaired in 2002. However,
insufficient funds meant that guttering and
roof coverings to the transepts had not been
attended to, and the parapets of the chancel and
transept were leaning inwards. Water ingress
had led to the breakdown of the decorative
plasterwork and provided perfect conditions for
the development of rot and beetle infestation.
This, in turn, affected the structural support
offered by the ceiling joists and laths.
Localised opening up showed that
movement in the parapets was caused by:
• rot to damp wall-plates
• movement in the roof structure
• inadequate support from the
unconsolidated core of the wall below.
Without intervention, the crenellated parapet
could have collapsed inwards, causing
considerable damage and placing the public
at risk. During the exploration of the parapet
it became apparent that the bearing of the
chancel’s principal rafters onto decayed wall-
plates was affecting the integrity of the roof
and ceiling structure. So too were defects in the
ceiling joists, coving ribs and ashlar pieces (the
short vertical timbers that rise from the inner
surface of the wall to meet the common rafters).
A major constraint was that the internal
plaster finish of the church was judged
of greater historic significance than the
structure that supported it. This resulted
in a strong presumption for the repairs to
be carried from the external side only in
order to conserve the plaster in situ.
The Church of St John the Evangelist, Shobdon, Herefordshire (All photos: Frederick Gibson)
View of the church’s Rococo Gothic interior looking towards the chancel with its pendant arch and, to either side,
north and south transept pendant arches