We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Saving a 15th-century nave roof from structural collapse at the Abbey Church of St Mary and St Melor, Amesbury, Wiltshire.
- Authors
Mullen, Emma
- Abstract
This paper looks at the technical and practical challenges faced during the conservation repair of a large 15th-century trussed roof structure of a Grade I listed church building. Urgent repairs were required after a section of ceiling plaster fell, after years of water ingress, resulting in tight programme and budget constraints, with the added pressure of a global pandemic. The paper describes the early stages of the contract, with surprising discoveries such as a hive of over 40,000 honeybees, bat roosts, a secondary roof structure, concrete and extensive deathwatch beetle decay. The engineer's economic solutions to complex structural problems are explained, as well as architect designed details to address ongoing causes of decay, such as new ventilated eaves and ridge details. This paper sets out to describe how technical challenges were overcome, but also explains how opportunities were taken to introduce new oak carvings and lead details, to leave a legacy and add to the historic narrative of the building. This paper will be of particular interest to anyone working on ecclesiastical or listed building structures, where there has been a history of poor maintenance or previous repairs. It should offer technical information relating to a wide range of traditional building trades, but particularly structural repairs of historic timber structures.
- Subjects
WILTSHIRE (England); ABBEYS; ENGINEERS; TECHNICAL information; BUILDING trades; CONSTRAINT programming; BUILDING failures; REPAIRING; LONGWALL mining
- Publication
Journal of Building Survey, Appraisal & Valuation, 2023, Vol 12, Issue 1, p6
- ISSN
2046-9594
- Publication type
Article