LINCOLN CATHEDRAL VISIT

Once again we have to appologise to those members unable to join an event, due again to the overwhelming response and limited numbers.

The tour was limited to 28 (two groups of 14) who had a remarkable opportunity to view the Nave, Chancel and Chapter House roofs, as well as the Stone Mason's and Glazier's workshops. Followed, of course, by Tea.

YE OLDE TRIP TO JERUSALEM

The second building visit organised by SPAB in the East Midlands was another great success.

Numbers attending had to be limited due to the small size of the building, and we apologise to those contacting us close to the day who we were unable to squeeze in. Nearly 40 of us spent a very convivial evening at the repaired pub at the base of Castle Rock, drinking beer in one of the cave rooms while listening to a fascinating talk on the works carried out by project manager Martin Hubbard.

Thank you to all who supported the event, many of whom had to battle across a flood-hit East Midlands.

 

OUTSTANDING SUCCESS - THE LAUNCH OF SPAB IN THE EAST MIDLANDS

THE VISIT TO NEVILL HOLT HALL

The inaugural event of SPAB in the East Midlands was a tremendous success, with well over a hundred SPAB Members and guests attending the visit to Nevill Holt Hall in Leicestershire.

Nevill Holt is a fascinating building: its history has been charted by Nick Hill of English Heritage and encompasses nearly seven hundred years of architectural history, from the Great Hall with its exquisitely carved oriel window to the seventeenth century 'Cloisters' and the nineteenth century Dining Room and Chapel. Nick gave an excellent tour of the house, and Members were also able to see the gardens and adjoined church. There then followed an excellent Tea which also gave those attending the chance to meet and discuss how the success of this first event could be developed to build an active Regional Group.

Following the success of this launch, coordinators Jane Holt and Anthony Goode are currently assessing the many kind and generous offers of help and support. Further feedback, comments and suggestions are welcome: please contact:

Jane Holt at Mark Stewart Architects
Telephone 0115 9455787 · Fax 0115 9455112 · E-mail spab@msarch.co.uk

Anthony Goode, Historic Buildings Contractor
Telephone/Fax 01858 555208

Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information, or if you think you can help.

 

DEVELOPMENT OF THE SPAB IN THE EAST MIDLANDS WEBSITE

Given the growth and development of electronic communication and the World Wide Web, and the growth and launch of Websites by many companies, and organisations - including SPAB (see www.spab.org.uk), we are keen that the SPAB in the East Midlands Website be developed to form an important and useful tool for members.

At present, this site offers news and events listings: we welcome and encourage Members to gives us details of any events, that may be of interest to fellow Members, for us to publicise, and similarly any news on subjects relating to or affecting historic buildings.

Other services the website could offer in the future include:

We would welcome feedback on these suggestions so that we can gauge whether there is sufficient support to pursue their development: contact spab@msarch.co.uk.

 

RESTORATION OF MOIRA FURNACE & LIME KILNS

The 1999 SPAB Repair Course visited the works to restore the early 19th century industrial complex at Moira, near Ashby de-la Zouch. This complex of buildings, built by the Earl of Moira, is an important early relic of the Industrial Revolution, and includes a blast furnace and array of lime kilns, works also including the rewatering of the adjacent Ashby Canal. The site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Restoration works are now complete, and interpretation contracts are in progress, with the reopening of the site due to be completed by Easter of 2000.

MUD & STUD RELEARNED AT WHITEGATES

The 'Mud & Stud' Whitegates Cottage is owned by the National Trust, and is on the Gunby Estate, near Skegness. This rare surviving example of a once common building type has had to undergo extensive repairs to the decaying timber frame. SPAB Scholars paid a visit to the cottage during repairs, and helped in experimentation into the right mix for the reapplication of the mud coating.

No 5 KING STREET, MELTON MOWBRAY

A polite facade and Victorian Shopfront conceals Melton's oldest secular building, believed to form part of John de Mowbray's fortified manor castle. Within later constructions lies a mediaeval roof structure with smoke hood framing and a fine crown-post dendrochonologically dated to the early 14th century. The importance of the building was discovered only by chance in the mid 1980s when an application for demolition was submitted. The building is now grade II* listed, but on Leicestershire Building's At Risk Register; an application by Melton Borough Council to the Heritage lottery Fund has now received stage 2 approval, allowing a scheme to restore the building to form a new Tourist Information Centre and Art Gallery to go ahead.

MORE NEWS NEEDED!

Do you have any tales to tell? Do you know of buildings in need of care? Examples of good repairs (or bad)? Anything that may be of interest to SPAB Members? If so, please contact Jane Holt on 0115 945 5787, Fax 0115 945 5112, or email your story to spab@msarch.co.uk.

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