Other Services

Lunds Church is in a very remote and exposed location in the Yorkshire Dales. It is now privately owned and was renovated in 2000, when a cement render was removed and the rubble stone was pointed. Unfortunately, since then it has suffered from serious penetrating damp. There are the remains of a lime finish on some of the stones, and photographic evidence confirms that before the early 20th century the church was covered with a thin lime roughcast and limewash. We recommended reinstating this finish using hot lime.

Sedbergh School Chapel was built in 1897 and is Listed Grade II*. It still has its original sandstone slate roof covering. The stone slates probably came from a quarry in Dentdale that closed over a century ago. The roof is now needing increasing maintenence, and we were commissioned to carry out a high-level survey to assess the condition of the roof covering and to advise whether re-roofing is justified.

The former King's Head in Blackburn is Listed Grade II and occupies a key corner site at the entrance to a conservation area. It had suffered a serious fire that had weakened its structure, which was already weak because of some ill-advised 19th and 20th century alterations. It was rescued by the Heritage Trust for the North West, who employed us to carry out a full survey and to specify and oversee repairs, in collaboration with Capstone Consulting Engineers. It was successfuly converted into offices, with the adjoining house also brough back into use.

Floods cause by Storm Desmond in 2015 damaged many bridges in Cumbria. The County Council initiated an infrastructure recovery programme for their repair, and we were emplyed by their contractors to submit Listed Building Consent and Scheduled Monument Consent applications for the bridges that were protected. We also provided advice on stone and mortar repairs to two of the bridges.

Heron Corn Mill is a Grade II* Listed water-powered corn mill, now used as a museum. We contributed to the heritage statement needed as part of a Lotttery bid for renovating and re-interpreting the mill by carrying out historical research.

Yore Mill at Aysgarth in Wensleydale is Listed Grade II and in a prominent position next to waterfalls on the River Ure. The large stone slate roof, which probably hadn't been re-laid since the 1850s, was in very poor condition, with buckets, plastic sheets and water tanks positioned on the attic storey floor to catch leaks. With the agreement of the owner, we were commissioned by the planning authority to prepare a shedule of works that could form part of a Repairs Notice.

In the summer of 2023 we were employed by the Yorkshire Dales National Park's Development Management service to act as conservation consultee, making recommendations about applications for Listed Building Consent. This was for a limited period, to cover for staff sickness, but gave us the opportunity to work in the Dales again.

As part of the Stromness Townscape Heritage Initiative grant scheme we were commissioned by the Orkney Islands Council to prepare the draft text for a booklet advising owners of traditional buildings on repair and maintenance.

We have prepared assessments of several conservation areas as part of heritage statements for proposed developments. We were commissioned by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority to prepare a comprehensive Conservation Area Statement for the attractive village of Askrigg in Wensleydale. Work was interrupted by covid restrictions, but after a period of public consultation the Statement has now been adopted by the Authority.