Church Care and Maintenance AWS
Church Care and Maintenance Tina Andrew Church Heritage & Conservation Officer
Course Programme • 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
Gwent Church Plans
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 (15/16C) in most cases – Often extended in height at a later date • Porches – A later addition (15C) in most cases
19th Century Church Restoration • Most churches were heavily restored during the 19th Century, with several 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 Monmouthshire Old Red Sandstone Coal Measures
Marl
Carboniferous Limestone
Local Building Materials – Building Stone • Monmouthshire is not a county of high quality stone but almost everywhere usable stone can be found • Old Red Sandstone is the most widespread building stone and occurs predominantly in the NE and Central parts of the county – Colour varies from a strong purple to mauve and grey – The most prized was a pinkish-grey quarried in the vicinity of Tintern which could be used for mouldings • This was used for all the buildings at Tintern Abbey, dressings for Roger Bigod’s 13C works at Chepstow Castle and late 16C remodelling of Raglan Castle
– It was used as the standard building material for medieval churches and post-medieval farmhouses in the NE half of the county • These rough textured walls would originally have been lime rendered
– Other examples of its use are in the north aisle of St Bridget’s Skenfrith and Abergavenny Town Hall
• Carboniferous limestone has also been used as a building stone – Colour varies from white (cliffs of the Lower Wye Valley) to grey • Locally quarried grey limestone was used by the Roman’s at Caerleon & Caerwent • Often used in combination with Old Red Sandstone such as at Newport Castle and Llanwern Church
Pevsner Guide The Buildings of Wales: Gwent/Monmouthshire
Local Building Materials – Building Stone • Dolomitic limestone (contains magnesium as well as calcium) – Quarried at Penhow and brown in colour – Mainly used as rubblestone for farm buildings and walls – Examples include Llanfrechfa Vicarage & Holy Trinity Pontnewydd
• Pennant Sandstone – Found alongside coal measures in the west of the county and quarried extensively – Grey/blue, brown and green in colour – Hard texture – difficult to cut a smooth face – Nearly all 19C & 20C valley towns use it in some way on churches, chapels, housing, community buildings, etc • Door and window surrounds (dressings) often Bath Stone or brick
• Most Stone for mouldings and dressings was usually imported – Exceptions being at Tintern (mentioned earlier) and Caldicot, Sudbrook & Portskewett where a yellow Triassic sandstone was popular in the 11C to 14C • See Caldicot & Chepstow castle keeps & St Mary’s Priory Church Chepstow
– Bath & Dundry Stone popular • Embellishments at Tredegar House & Shire Hall Monmouth Pevsner Guide The Buildings of Wales: Gwent/Monmouthshire
Other Local Building Materials • Brick – Roman brick used “sparingly” at Caerleon amphitheatre • sometimes reused in later buildings eg. Chepstow & Raglan castles – An organgey-red brick was used at Tredegar House & Stables (1660s) – A yellow clay pressed brick was produced in Ebbw Vale that was used extensively with Pennant Sandstone in the 19C (cheap substitute for Bath Stone) for housing and other buildings – Often imported and used in Victorian school buildings
• Timber – Timber framed houses were common in the medieval period especially in the Marches – Superseded by stone – Some internal decorated joinery (eg. ceiling beams and joists) remains from the medieval period but is rare Pevsner Guide The Buildings of Wales: Gwent/Monmouthshire
Llanfrechfa Vicarage Brown Dolomitic Limestone and brick
St Mary Llanwern White/grey Carboniferous Limestone and Old Red Limestone
Tredegar House Red/orange brick & Bath Stone
Tintern Abbey Old Red Sandstone
St Cadoc Llangattock Lingoed Old Red Sandstone with lime render covering
Any Questions? To download copies of this presentation go to: http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/heritage/ Contact: [email protected]
Course Programme • 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
Gwent Church Plans
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 (15/16C) in most cases – Often extended in height at a later date • Porches – A later addition (15C) in most cases
19th Century Church Restoration • Most churches were heavily restored during the 19th Century, with several 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 Monmouthshire Old Red Sandstone Coal Measures
Marl
Carboniferous Limestone
Local Building Materials – Building Stone • Monmouthshire is not a county of high quality stone but almost everywhere usable stone can be found • Old Red Sandstone is the most widespread building stone and occurs predominantly in the NE and Central parts of the county – Colour varies from a strong purple to mauve and grey – The most prized was a pinkish-grey quarried in the vicinity of Tintern which could be used for mouldings • This was used for all the buildings at Tintern Abbey, dressings for Roger Bigod’s 13C works at Chepstow Castle and late 16C remodelling of Raglan Castle
– It was used as the standard building material for medieval churches and post-medieval farmhouses in the NE half of the county • These rough textured walls would originally have been lime rendered
– Other examples of its use are in the north aisle of St Bridget’s Skenfrith and Abergavenny Town Hall
• Carboniferous limestone has also been used as a building stone – Colour varies from white (cliffs of the Lower Wye Valley) to grey • Locally quarried grey limestone was used by the Roman’s at Caerleon & Caerwent • Often used in combination with Old Red Sandstone such as at Newport Castle and Llanwern Church
Pevsner Guide The Buildings of Wales: Gwent/Monmouthshire
Local Building Materials – Building Stone • Dolomitic limestone (contains magnesium as well as calcium) – Quarried at Penhow and brown in colour – Mainly used as rubblestone for farm buildings and walls – Examples include Llanfrechfa Vicarage & Holy Trinity Pontnewydd
• Pennant Sandstone – Found alongside coal measures in the west of the county and quarried extensively – Grey/blue, brown and green in colour – Hard texture – difficult to cut a smooth face – Nearly all 19C & 20C valley towns use it in some way on churches, chapels, housing, community buildings, etc • Door and window surrounds (dressings) often Bath Stone or brick
• Most Stone for mouldings and dressings was usually imported – Exceptions being at Tintern (mentioned earlier) and Caldicot, Sudbrook & Portskewett where a yellow Triassic sandstone was popular in the 11C to 14C • See Caldicot & Chepstow castle keeps & St Mary’s Priory Church Chepstow
– Bath & Dundry Stone popular • Embellishments at Tredegar House & Shire Hall Monmouth Pevsner Guide The Buildings of Wales: Gwent/Monmouthshire
Other Local Building Materials • Brick – Roman brick used “sparingly” at Caerleon amphitheatre • sometimes reused in later buildings eg. Chepstow & Raglan castles – An organgey-red brick was used at Tredegar House & Stables (1660s) – A yellow clay pressed brick was produced in Ebbw Vale that was used extensively with Pennant Sandstone in the 19C (cheap substitute for Bath Stone) for housing and other buildings – Often imported and used in Victorian school buildings
• Timber – Timber framed houses were common in the medieval period especially in the Marches – Superseded by stone – Some internal decorated joinery (eg. ceiling beams and joists) remains from the medieval period but is rare Pevsner Guide The Buildings of Wales: Gwent/Monmouthshire
Llanfrechfa Vicarage Brown Dolomitic Limestone and brick
St Mary Llanwern White/grey Carboniferous Limestone and Old Red Limestone
Tredegar House Red/orange brick & Bath Stone
Tintern Abbey Old Red Sandstone
St Cadoc Llangattock Lingoed Old Red Sandstone with lime render covering
Any Questions? To download copies of this presentation go to: http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/heritage/ Contact: [email protected]
