CONTEXT 184 : JUNE 2025 19 LEADERS OF CONSERVATION THOUGHT replacement, or selecting the appropriate stone for a conservation project. Geology played a major part in stone selection, and John worked closely with Frank Dimes from the Geological Museum. In many of his lectures, Ashurst would show newly replaced stones in a wall that appeared to be glaringly different from the stones surrounding them, pointing out that these were the correct material, either being from an original source or having a similar mineralogy and porosity to the host stone. Compatibility with surrounding stones was the key to minimising the chance of new stones accelerating potential decay to older adjoining stones. In time, if correctly selected, weathering and lichen colonisation would result in a close visual match. The consolidation programme for the many ruined abbeys, castles and monasteries undertaken by the old Ministry of Works in the early 20th century has been criticised for being too invasive and for the choice of harmful repair materials, particularly cements used in pointing, rough racking and grouting. But John was very respectful of the high quality of workmanship that enabled crumbling and hazardous ruins to be made safe for visitors and the occasional mountaineers. Indeed, many ingenious repair techniques were pioneered here, alongside tests and trials of materials and mortars which Ashurst built upon over the years. Much of this work is contained in his seminal tome The Conservation of Ruins. Equally important was the quality of workmanship, which was one reason why John recruited masons into his team to advise and develop bespoke techniques for tricky repairs. However, it was clear there was a problem on the estate when the Bowen report was produced in the 1980s, highlighting inconsistent working practices across the country and, in some cases, the use of wholly inappropriate techniques and materials. John’s solution was to devise a variety of practical training courses, mainly covering masonry repairs, cleaning and the use of mortars, and repairs to plasters and renders. Most of the courses were for a week, with a combination of lectures, demonstrations and hands-on repairs on facsimile ‘ruinettes’ and purpose-built walls. These were designed by Ashurst and Colin Burns to incorporate the types of faults commonly found on site, so that attendees were able to practice various repairs. The English Heritage Training Centre opened at Fort Brockhurst, Gosport, in the early 1990s, but the privatisation of the primary audience, the directly employed labour force, meant that courses were adapted for a wider outside audience; but the emphasis continued to be on hands-on training. John led most of the courses and continued this role when the centre closed in 1996. He and Colin designed new ruinettes and walls, which were built at West Dean College, near Chichester, which has accommodated the courses ever since. Despite John being courteous and calm, managing him could be fraught. Many times at Fort Brockhurst a full course of delegates would be waiting for him because he typically arrived only 15 minutes before the start. He would chug up in his old VW Polo and unhurriedly dump three cartons of slides on to the light table and casually load two carousels while musing ‘now for today’s selection from the sweet trolley’, followed by his unmistakable chuckle. He would usually begin on time, occasionally finding some slides out of order, but seamlessly continued without any hint of a problem, which only increased the sense of inadequacy felt by us lesser mortals. John left English Heritage in 1991 for a brief spell in Canada, before returning to take up a professorial chair at Bournemouth University. He also worked for private conservation practices in the south of England. But he continued his close association with English Heritage as a consultant to the Building Conservation and Research Team (BCRT), which replaced the RTAS. The BCRT was now led by John Fidler, who greatly expanded its scope, particularly in research and publications. Ably assisted by a wide range of consultants with expertise ranging from physics and metallurgy to conservators and craftspeople, Ashurst was a key figure advising particularly on stone repairs and cleaning and leading the Fort Brockhurst masterclasses. The BCRT was later to update, revise and expand the Practical Building Conservation series, and initially John was a strong supporter and help to those drafting the first volume on stone. Sadly, he died in 2008, so the new series was dedicated to him, which hopefully was a fitting tribute. Much thanks to John Fidler and Iain McCaig for sharing their memories. Chris Wood knew John Ashurst from the early 1980s, attending lectures at the IAAS in York, at the Architectural Association and at sundry conferences. He worked closely with him on the practical Building Masterclasses at Fort Brockhurst and West Dean, and on a number of English Heritage research and advisory projects. John Ashurst (Photo: John Ashurst Estate)
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