Barforth HLS Conservation Project

Building HSI training into Natural England Funded

Conservation Projects

Natural England’s Role in Heritage Conservation

Environmental Stewardship:

Entry Level Stewardship (ELS)

5 year agreements with land management (revenue options only)

Available to all farmers

Higher Level Stewardship (HLS)

10 year agreements on holdings which offer the best opportunities for

environmental benefit.

Available at discretion of Natural England

Includes revenue and capital options

What does NE do and where do we do it?

Capital works for the historic environment

• Restoration of traditional farm buildings (option HTB)

Capital works for the historic environment

• Historic and archaeological feature protection (option HAP)

Management Plans and Tendering

• Writing HSI into the brief

Natural England supports Heritage Skills. Tendering consultancies will be expected to identify opportunities to contribute to heritage skills training.

Natural England supports Heritage Skills. Tenders will be expected do allow for 3 days heritage skills training. The opportunities for this training and the consultancies experience in this area should be included in the tender.

Management Plans and Tendering

Assessing the tender

• Scoring on quality and price

• If heritage skills in the brief then

allocate a score to this aspect

• Give tender feedback

The importance of enthusiasm

BARFORTH – A CASE STUDY

OVERVIEW BY PETER KEMPSEY

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

Any academic education in building conservation?

No formal education in conservation –

but let loose on England’s heritage

Accreditation in building conservation How does an architect qualify for accreditation if he can’t work on

historic buildings unless accredited?

Moving forward to Barforth, I had not yet received accreditation

but I had applied for it. This was known by Natural England who

normally prefer accredited architects to tender for work on

historic buildings that they fund.

Documentation stage -

Identify opportunities for heritage skills training

Decision to re-render the dove-cote

The value of the HSI network –

a discussion with Alan Gardner

Presentation of the proposals to the community at Gainford

Tenderer’s Pack

Barforth Hall, Gainford,

Darlington

County Durham

7.6 HERITAGE SKILLS TRAINING & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT The contractor should be aware of and make full allowance for the holding of training and/or interpretation events at each structure during the works. It is desirable that a senior contractor’s representative participates in these events, which will be limited to one event for the bridge, one event for the dovecote and two events at the chapel. One of the events at the chapel will be a lime taster day where those individuals wishing to gain experience in lime pointing and will be encouraged to undertake sample pointing on a section of the enclosure walls beside the chapel. The contractor should ensure that all his scaffolding is suitable for access by managed groups with fully guarded and netted lifts and vertical access by short ladders between lifts and inside the scaffold. Pole ladders outside the scaffold will not be accepted. The contractor should also make allowance for supplying up to 12 hard hats and high visibility jackets for visitors use during these managed events. Tendering contractors required to include heritage skills training in their tender

Barforth - Report on Tenders received from conservation contractors Tenders received in order of price (ex VAT): Tenderer No 1 - £XX,XXX:XX – duration 20 weeks Established conservation contractors and we have seen examples of their work, which is competent. Tenderer No 1 are licensed installers of Cintec anchors. Tenderer No 1 express willingness to participate in the specified Heritage Skills training events Tenderer No 2 - £XX,XXX:XX – duration 20 weeks XXXXXXX, the principal, is a York Minster trained stonemason and has submitted a brochure of his work which appears to be extremely well executed, but the examples generally consist of fine dressed stone which is not necessarily relevant to the Barforth structures. Tenderer No 2 express willingness to participate in the specified Heritage Skills training events. Tenderer No 3 - £XX,XXX:XX – duration 12 weeks Established conservation contractors. Geographically close to the project in terms of local knowledge. No stated response to Heritage Skills training requirements in the faxed Form of Tender, but we expect that there may be some reference to this in hard copy documents due to arrive. Tenderer No 4 - £XX,XXX:XX – duration 20 weeks A large contractor with several departments including haulage, waste management, tyre services etc. The tender refers to work undertaken for English Nature and English Heritage and offer references. There is no reference to participation in the specified Heritage Skills training events. Heritage Consolidation Ltd - £XX,XXX:XX – duration 21 weeks Competence in conservation well known to this practice, due to consolidation completed at Shittleheugh Bastle as well as a visit to see their work at Rowan Tree Stob. HCL included their methodology for rendering the Dovecote. Gary Simpson has been attending courses at the Scottish Lime Centre which he states will be especially useful when participating in the specified Heritage Skills training events.

An interpretation board was set up during the consolidation

Many different audiences visited the site –

this is a group of archaeologists

There were 4 Heritage skills training events held during the

consolidation at Barforth

The training events included: • masonry repairs

• lime pointing

• lime rendering

• pointing wall-tops

• Cintec anchoring

All the training events also included

a “walk and talk” presentation by

the architect and the contractor.

Other visits to the site were made by archaeologists, University of the Third

Age, and upon completion the residents of Gainford visited the site to see

what we had done.

Finally, everyone from the office visited the site at the

Final Certificate inspection

Cintec anchor training event –

but a surprise in store!

Educational Background Before Joining Countryside Consultants;

BSc (Hons) Architectural Technology - Full Time including minimum 9 month Professional Placement.

Modules included on the course were - Design Communication CAD Technical Studio Integrated Technology Environmental Technology Construction History of Architecture Professional Practice and Fire Health and Safety.

Since 2008 Architectural Conservation has been a core module taught to second year Architectural Technology Students at Sheffield Hallam University

Training throughout the tendering process;

Initial Site Visit

Informing the required professional team

Introducing the Accredited Structural Engineer to the Structures

Training throughout the Management Plan;

Site visits

Condition Survey

Application for Scheduled Monument Consent

Attending meetings with Natural England, English Heritage and Archaeologists etc.

Community Engagement and Public Presentation

Tender pack

Issuing Tender Feedback to Natural England and Client

Pre-start Meeting and Contract Signing

Heritage Skills Initiative Training Events held at Barforth

After Barforth;

Shittleheugh Bastle – Scheduled Ancient Monument

Hayrake Bastle – Grade II Listed Building

Thorngreen Lime Kiln – Grade II Listed Building

Lead Mining Structures on Grassington Moor – Scheduled Ancient Monument

West Bog / Caw Gap Section of Hadrian’s Wall – World Heritage Site

C19 Mining Complex at Middle Greenlaws Level Head and Ore Works –

Scheduled Ancient Monument

Newbiggin House Traditional Farm Buildings

Blackcarts Farm Traditional Farm Buildings

What else have I gained;

Understanding of the importance of the Heritage Skills Initiative Network

HSI Training events hosted by others

HSI Festivals

What else have I gained;

Organised other training days and advertised them through the HSI Network

What else have I gained;

Highly Commended at the Constructing Excellence North East Awards 2011

Award for Craftsmanship at the Durham Environment Awards

Outstanding Award at the Durham Environment Awards

GARY SIMPSON

Brief Company History

WHAT WE DO!! Projects include:

• Blenkinsopp Castle • Hadrian's Wall • Brinkburn Priory • Cartington Castle • Prudhoe Castle And of course…..................... • Barforth Hall

BARFORTH TRAINING

IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING

DAYS • To give the individuals hands on experience.

• To help professionals, homeowners and future

heritage work force understand the benefits of using

traditional methods such as:

1. Types of materials that we use.

2. Specific lime mixes that are used in conjunction

with the project.

REASON FOR TODAY’S TALK

•To encourage other companies to do training

days.

•To show how important it is that we get

involved with training the next generation in

traditional crafts.

•To show how training benefits everybody

involved.

•To show how the NECT gets companies

involved in training.

BARFORTH St Lawrence Chapel

Barforth Dove Cote (During Repairs)

Dovecote

Case Study BARFORTH

•What training days did we hold?

•What did we do?

TRAINING AT BARFORTH CARRIED OUT BY HERITAGE

CONSOLIDATION • INTRODUCTION TO

LIME AND THE LIME

CYCLE

• LIME POINTING

• LIME RENDER

• BUILDING IN LIME

• LIME SLAKING

• LIME BURN

• WALK AND TALK

Day 1 – Lime Introduction

• LIME BURN

• LIME CYCLE

• EXPLANATION OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LIME

• WHERE THEY SHOULD AND SHOULDN’T BE USED

• MIXING OF HOT LIME MORTAR

• MIXING NHL MORTAR

• POINTING

Lime Burn (Optional Bruce Forsyth Impressions)

‘’good game good game”

Day 2 – Practical lime pointing

• Lime pointing

• Short recap on Lime

• Which Lime to use?

• How to batch/mix lime

• PRACTICAL – Why it is so important

• Pointing , protection and finish

Lime Pointing

Day 3 – Lime Render & Walk and Talk

• We had to combine days due to the amount of interest

• Split into 2 groups:

• Group 1 had a walk around Barforth and a talk on

the historic importance of the site and the work

carried out so far.

• Group 2 had a ‘hands on’ demonstration of rendering.

Walk and Talk

Local Community - Barforth

We held a site visit and talks to the local history groups, this gave the following:

• Positive feeling amongst the local community

• A face to face open talk on our sympathetic approach to this historic structure.

• Full details of how and why we were using the methods and materials.

Apprentice Training •Our own apprentice Steven Elliott.

•He saw the complexity of the project but learnt

on the job training.

• Steve saw how training benefitted the general

public.

•Gave confidence to Steven to speak to members

of the public and understand the importance of

training days.

Introducing:

Steven Elliott

Heritage Consolidation

• Now fully qualified Stone Mason NVQ 3

• Barforth gave hands on experience and shown the

importance of training.

• Questions to Steven??...From the ‘masons mouth’

Awards for Barforth!!!

•We were awarded the CENE Highly

commended Award in the Heritage category

2011

•The Durham Environment Awards 2011

for Craftsmanship

•The Durham Environment Awards 2011

outstanding Award.

TRAINING CONTINUED…

•Skills Fairs for NECT

•On Site training as required

•Bursary candidates

•Apprentice training

CONCLUSION.

We forget most of what we hear

We remember most of what we see

BUT

We understand best the things that

we have done!!

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING

& QUESTIONS

PLEASE.

GARY SIMPSON