Church Care and Maintenance
Church Care and Maintenance Tina Andrew Church Heritage & Conservation Officer
Course Programme • • • • • • • • •
Registration Introduction Overview of Church Development Traditional Building Techniques & Local Building Materials Why Buildings Decay Coffee Break The Importance of Regular Maintenance Church Inspection Depart
Saxon\Celtic\Early Norman
From: Pamela Cunnington, How Old is That Church?
Single Cell Medieval Church
Saxon Church
Small Medieval Church
Early Norman Apsidal Church
Early Norman Apsidal Church
Norman Cruciform Church
Norman Aisled Church
12th Century
13th Century
14th Century
15th Century
16th century
17th century
Plans of churches in Anglesey & Gwynedd
Medieval Church Construction • Thick masonry walls – Usually composed of an outer layer of dressed or rubble stone with an inner core of lime mortar and small rubble stones – sometimes battered at the base – Look at medieval ruins to get an idea of the construction • Lime rendered and/or washed on the outside – plastered on the inside (most with wall paintings)
Medieval Church Construction • Windows – Early Norman windows (12C) were small with rounded heads – Early lancet windows (13C) were narrow with arched heads – Later Gothic windows (decorated and perpendicular) were tall and wide with elaborate window tracery • Roofs originally thatched, stone tiled or slated • Towers – A later addition (14/15C) in most cases – Often extended in height at a later date • Porches – A later addition (C15/16C) in most cases
19th Century Church Restoration • Most churches were heavily restored during the 19th Century, with many being almost completely rebuilt • Many have new windows from this period occupying original medieval openings and are often still in good condition • The restorations did not usually include towers – Most towers were only repointed • Many medieval nave and chancel roofs were replaced and date from the this time • Almost as many new churches were built as medieval ones in the 19C – Mostly in the gothic style (but not always authentically!)
Traditional solid 'breathing' wall
Modern cavity wall
Geology of Wales
Geology of North West Wales Carboniferous Limestone (15) Quartzite, Schist (6)
Sandstone (19)
Slate, Shale, Grit (12)
Millstone Grit (16) Coal (17)
Granite (1)
Shale, Siltstone, Sandstone (13) Serpentine, Dolerite (2) Slate, Shale, Sandstone, Quartzite (11)
Old Red Sandstone14)
Local Building Materials – Building Stone • There is a wide variety of stone in NW Wales – – – –
Matched only by that in the SW (Pembrokeshire) This geological mix gives stones that vary in hardness, workability and colour Until the advent of the railways most stone was quarried locally Imported stone came from NE Wales and England and was often used for window & door dressings on more “prestigious” buildings • Christ Church Llanfairfechan was built from a yellow stone from Lancashire
• Some of the oldest geological rocks that have been used are: – Quartzite & Serpentine (quarried mostly on Anglesey) • Quartzite was used on the harbour walls and breakwater at Holyhead • Red & green Serpentine was used on the drawing room fireplace at Penrhyn Castle
– Red Jasper • Used on the Norwich Union Building in London (Piccadilly)
– Dark grey & greenish grey schists • Used on buildings in Menai Bridge
Local Building Materials – Building Stone • Three types of slate are found in Wales - Silurian, Ordovician and Cambrian (ie. geological age & composition) – This gives them slightly differing qualities – Eg. some of the slate quarries located on the north side of Snowdon produce purple roofing slates & slabs suitable for walls and floors
• A good freestone, Egryn Sandstone, was used on some of the window mullions, door & window surrounds and decorative mouldings at Harlech Castle, Cymmer Abbey and Egryn Abbey • A light grey Carboniferous Limestone was used at Caernarfon, Beaumaris & Penrhyn castles and the two Anglesey bridges – Some of which was exported and used in Birmingham
• Sandstone suitable for building use is noticeable by its absence although small outcrops do occur
Local Building Materials • •
Thatch (reed rather than straw) was the predominant roofing material before slate Brick – The use of pre-industrial brick is rare • Eg. The White Lion hotel Bala (1759)
– From mid 19C small scale production in Conwy Valley & Anglesey – Distinctive yellow brick made in Caernarfon – By the end of 19C yellow & red bricks were widely imported from Buckley & Ruabon in NE Wales
•
Terracotta – Imported and used from 19C onwards • Eg. Moriah Chapel Llanbedr
•
Timber – Mostly replaced by stone although some survivors in Beaumaris & Conwy
• The use of clay/clom was widespread on the Llŷn Peninsular • Lime render and/or limewash covered most stone buildings
Christ Church , Llanfairfechan Yellow stone imported from Lancashire
The White Lion Bala Mid 18C brick
Moriah Chapel Llanbedr 1913 Yellow terracotta
Norwich Union Building London Red Jasper from Gwynedd
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26957617@N08/5185879202/sizes/m/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ddtmmm/2569638029/
Any Questions? To download copies of this presentation go to: http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/heritage/ [email protected]
Course Programme • • • • • • • • •
Registration Introduction Overview of Church Development Traditional Building Techniques & Local Building Materials Why Buildings Decay Coffee Break The Importance of Regular Maintenance Church Inspection Depart
Saxon\Celtic\Early Norman
From: Pamela Cunnington, How Old is That Church?
Single Cell Medieval Church
Saxon Church
Small Medieval Church
Early Norman Apsidal Church
Early Norman Apsidal Church
Norman Cruciform Church
Norman Aisled Church
12th Century
13th Century
14th Century
15th Century
16th century
17th century
Plans of churches in Anglesey & Gwynedd
Medieval Church Construction • Thick masonry walls – Usually composed of an outer layer of dressed or rubble stone with an inner core of lime mortar and small rubble stones – sometimes battered at the base – Look at medieval ruins to get an idea of the construction • Lime rendered and/or washed on the outside – plastered on the inside (most with wall paintings)
Medieval Church Construction • Windows – Early Norman windows (12C) were small with rounded heads – Early lancet windows (13C) were narrow with arched heads – Later Gothic windows (decorated and perpendicular) were tall and wide with elaborate window tracery • Roofs originally thatched, stone tiled or slated • Towers – A later addition (14/15C) in most cases – Often extended in height at a later date • Porches – A later addition (C15/16C) in most cases
19th Century Church Restoration • Most churches were heavily restored during the 19th Century, with many being almost completely rebuilt • Many have new windows from this period occupying original medieval openings and are often still in good condition • The restorations did not usually include towers – Most towers were only repointed • Many medieval nave and chancel roofs were replaced and date from the this time • Almost as many new churches were built as medieval ones in the 19C – Mostly in the gothic style (but not always authentically!)
Traditional solid 'breathing' wall
Modern cavity wall
Geology of Wales
Geology of North West Wales Carboniferous Limestone (15) Quartzite, Schist (6)
Sandstone (19)
Slate, Shale, Grit (12)
Millstone Grit (16) Coal (17)
Granite (1)
Shale, Siltstone, Sandstone (13) Serpentine, Dolerite (2) Slate, Shale, Sandstone, Quartzite (11)
Old Red Sandstone14)
Local Building Materials – Building Stone • There is a wide variety of stone in NW Wales – – – –
Matched only by that in the SW (Pembrokeshire) This geological mix gives stones that vary in hardness, workability and colour Until the advent of the railways most stone was quarried locally Imported stone came from NE Wales and England and was often used for window & door dressings on more “prestigious” buildings • Christ Church Llanfairfechan was built from a yellow stone from Lancashire
• Some of the oldest geological rocks that have been used are: – Quartzite & Serpentine (quarried mostly on Anglesey) • Quartzite was used on the harbour walls and breakwater at Holyhead • Red & green Serpentine was used on the drawing room fireplace at Penrhyn Castle
– Red Jasper • Used on the Norwich Union Building in London (Piccadilly)
– Dark grey & greenish grey schists • Used on buildings in Menai Bridge
Local Building Materials – Building Stone • Three types of slate are found in Wales - Silurian, Ordovician and Cambrian (ie. geological age & composition) – This gives them slightly differing qualities – Eg. some of the slate quarries located on the north side of Snowdon produce purple roofing slates & slabs suitable for walls and floors
• A good freestone, Egryn Sandstone, was used on some of the window mullions, door & window surrounds and decorative mouldings at Harlech Castle, Cymmer Abbey and Egryn Abbey • A light grey Carboniferous Limestone was used at Caernarfon, Beaumaris & Penrhyn castles and the two Anglesey bridges – Some of which was exported and used in Birmingham
• Sandstone suitable for building use is noticeable by its absence although small outcrops do occur
Local Building Materials • •
Thatch (reed rather than straw) was the predominant roofing material before slate Brick – The use of pre-industrial brick is rare • Eg. The White Lion hotel Bala (1759)
– From mid 19C small scale production in Conwy Valley & Anglesey – Distinctive yellow brick made in Caernarfon – By the end of 19C yellow & red bricks were widely imported from Buckley & Ruabon in NE Wales
•
Terracotta – Imported and used from 19C onwards • Eg. Moriah Chapel Llanbedr
•
Timber – Mostly replaced by stone although some survivors in Beaumaris & Conwy
• The use of clay/clom was widespread on the Llŷn Peninsular • Lime render and/or limewash covered most stone buildings
Christ Church , Llanfairfechan Yellow stone imported from Lancashire
The White Lion Bala Mid 18C brick
Moriah Chapel Llanbedr 1913 Yellow terracotta
Norwich Union Building London Red Jasper from Gwynedd
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26957617@N08/5185879202/sizes/m/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ddtmmm/2569638029/
Any Questions? To download copies of this presentation go to: http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/heritage/ [email protected]
