Burgh Halls in Linlithgow to reopen its doors

The Burgh Halls in Linlithgow are to open their doors on Easter Friday. The BGS Building Stone Team was involved in providing information on stone matching to several samples collected from all stages of the building's complicated development, spanning several hundred years.

Grant Shapps: Think outside of 'identikit Legoland homes'

Published 9 March 2011

Housing Minister Grant Shapps has today called on architects and housebuilders to "think outside the identikit Legoland box" and make sure their new developments reflect the identity of the local area.

Johnnie Walker Warehouse, Kilmarnock

The Strand, Kilmarnock, BGS©

Kilmarnock’s Strand regeneration gathers momentum
11 December 2009
Kilmarnock Standard, Michael Pringle
http://www.kilmarnockstandard.co.uk/2009/12/11/kilmarnock-s-strand-regeneration-gathers-momentum-81430-25350430/

East Ayrshire’s new council building will be relocated into the former Johnnie Walker warehouse, Strand Street, in Kilmarnock. The BGS Building Stone Team was commissioned by the Scottish Stone Liaison Group on behalf of the East Ayrshire Council to undertake a building stone audit of 25 buildings and structures within Kilmarnock’s Conservation Area Regeneration scheme. The Warehouse was one of the buildings that BGS surveyed. East Ayrshire’s provost, Stephanie Young, commented on the work currently being undertaken in the article (link above):

“It is good to see new life being breathed into this historic building. As a council we are looking forward to taking over the lease of this building. It will eventually accommodate up to 360 council employees in line with our policy of bringing more of our services into the town centre.”

Rosslyn Chapel

Rosslyn Chapel in scaffolding taken by: Dan Phillips, The Scotsman

Rosslyn Chapel, raising the roof
19 November 2009 The Scotsman, Brian Ferguson http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/features/Rosslyn-Chapel-Raising-the-roof.5837787.jp

Rosslyn Chapel is one of Scotland’s most important historical buildings, but has been in poor repair for decades. At the moment the chapel is undergoing a multi-million pound refurbishment. The BGS Building Stone Team was called in for a site visit in November 2009 to comment on available matching building stone for repairs. It is known that all quarries in the area are currently closed and no similar local sandstones are available. However, further investigation could lead to the identification of the quarry that supplied the original stone for the construction of Rosslyn Chapel. Such a prestigious monument would provide strong reason for the re-opening of a local, historic quarry that could supply the material once again for the Chapel repairs.

Stewart memorial fountain, switched on.

Stewart Memorial Foutain, image from BBC website

The A-listed fountain is located in Kelvingrove Park and was built in 1872 to commemorate Robert Stewart, the city’s Lord Provost from 1851 to 1854, who fought for Glasgow’s clean water system.

BGS Building Stone Team provided a stone match for the Stewart memorial fountain in spring 2009 which identified suitable stone types for its refurbishment. The original stone used in the fountain was most likely from a high quality local Glasgow blonde sandstone quarry (i.e. Bishopbriggs or Giffnock quarries); however, all of these quarries are currently closed and a suitable alternative match had to be identified for new replacement stone.

The fountain was turned on last week and can be visited in Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow.

Water flows in memorial fountain
BBC article, 14 October 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8305572.stm

Monumental £¾m boost will spruce up Edinburgh's landmarks

Edinburgh World Heritage wins £780,000 from the City of Edinburgh Council to help pay for refurbishment and conservation projects. The Building Stone Team at BGS has been involved in a number of building stone assessments for EWH projects, including the National Monument, Burns Monument, and Nelsons Monuments on Calton Hill, as well as the recently completed Shandwick Place and Well Court, and buildings on Nicolson Street and Dundonald Street, to name a few. Building stone assessments play an important role in the refurbishment of Edinburgh’s world heritage sites...

Article in Scotsman, 16 February 2009
by Brian Ferguson
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Monumental--m-boost-.4982653.jp

Landward Broadcast, 04 May 2008

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/player/?item=44534693&size=vt100

A series of short features looking into Scottish indigenous stone, how it is formed, where it comes from, how it was quarried and how it has been used to build our nation (and others). In this episode of Stone Strand, featuring Ewan Hyslop, Euan McIlwraith explains the importance behind Caithness Flagstone, Kemnay Granite and Cullaloe Sandstone.

Landward, broadcast 04 May 08.

Historic Scotland carves up cash from lottery

Image from Historic Scotland Website

Conservation training grants announced
7 October 2009

More training opportunities in masonry conservation are to be offered in Scotland thanks to additional funding announced by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

In addition to the 14 year long and 50 short term training opportunities that will be available through the bursary programme, Historic Scotland is also providing training grants in other conservation skills of up to £2,000.

Culture Minister Michael Russell said: “It is especially important that at a time like this, support is given to ensure training continues. Scotland has been a world leader in design, engineering and traditional skills for generations and these grants and bursaries will give people the opportunity to learn the skills to maintain and conserve our outstanding architectural landscape.”

The HLF award of £436,800 follows on from the successful £1m bursary programme established in partnership with Historic Scotland in 2004 which has seen 16 full time and 40 short term trainees study masonry work and take up placements all over Scotland.

The Minister added: “I have been fortunate enough to meet some of the trainees who have already completed the programme and was struck by the passion that they have, both for working on historic buildings and learning the traditional skills that they would not normally have had the opportunity to study.”

The new technical conservation grant created by Historic Scotland will give financial support to those looking for training in traditional skills areas other than masonry.

For more information on both the bursary programme and the technical conservation grants please visit:

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/news/index/heritage/conservation/conservation-training-and-skills-development.htm

or telephone 0131 668 8947.

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/news/news_article.htm?articleid=25522

Herald Scotland Article

£4m plan to breathe new life into the Cinderella town hall
Renfrew Town Hall
Barry McDonald
Published on 21 Sep 2009

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/4m-plan-to-breathe-new-life-into-the-cinderella-town-hall-1.921319



Some say it resembles Cinderella’s Castle, but this Germanic baronial structure badly needs a sprinkling of Disney magic.
The 105ft-high Renfrew Town Hall dominates the skyline, but the building has seen better days. Apart from visitors to the part-time registrar or to the daily lunch club for the elderly, few people cross its threshold.

There is the occasional meeting of a slimming club or ballroom dancing class but the majestic A-listed building is under-used.

But that is about to change with the help of almost £800,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore the Victorian municipal building to its former glory.

The plan, says Renfrewshire council leader Derek Mackay, is to put the heart back into the town centre.

“It’s the jewel in the town; everyone knows the town hall and it reminds people of Disneyland,” he said.

"But the wear and tear is showing. The electrics are old, as is the heating system, and the walls are cracked. Structurally, the building is sound but it does look and feel like a 1970s municipal building.”

“We want to give people a reason to come here. It’s very much about putting the heart back into the town.”

The refurbishment, which is due to begin in February 2010 is part of a wider £4m transformation of the town hall, which was opened in 1873. Once complete, the building will boast a tourist information point, new marriage suites, and a community museum.

The museum will display photographs and objects relating to the area’s role in the history of aviation.

Renfrew was the first municipal airport in Scotland, with flights beginning in 1912. The first aircraft to cross the Atlantic both ways was built nearby and Renfrew was the third busiest airport in Britain in 1948. Collections relating to other important local industries such as ship-building and boiler-making will also be displayed.

The revitalised building, which is expected to open in 2011 will also be a hub for council services. Currently locals have to go to Paisley to access information.

The restoration will also see improvements to all the windows and stained glass, mouldings and external stonework. The main hall gallery will be made safe and refurbished.

Colin McLean, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: “Breathing new life into Renfrew Town Hall will not only re-establish it at the centre of community life but will make a marked contribution to the economics of the area.”

Symposium Next Week!

last chance to sign up is tomorrow Friday 25 September.

BBC Radio 4 clip

Follow the link below to listen to this Stonebreakers BBC Radio 4 clip from 4 January.

"In the last five years alone, sales of Indian granite in Britain have risen from 1,600 tonnes to 14,000 tonnes – that’s an eight fold increase. Suppliers say it’s cheaper to produce stone overseas, and that it costs more to transport from London to Aberdeen than to bring it by boat from India. Strict environmental regulations and higher production costs have reduced the British stone industry to just a few quarries, so British stone is less available and much more expensive than foreign varieties. But if production costs overseas are so much lower, what are the implications for the people who produce the stone - the stonebreakers who work in Indian quarries? While many British companies try to ensure their stone is ethically sourced, traceability is often impossible. The main concerns are for the health and safety of Indian workers, as well as about child labour."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/costingtheearth_20070104.shtml

Announcing our SYMPOSIUM AGENDA

Building a Future for Stone

Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London

1 October 2009

9:30 – 10:00 Registration, tea/coffee & posters/networking

Morning Session 1 (10.00-12.00)
Chair: Andrew Bloodworth

Opening Remarks:

Andrew Bloodworth, Head of Science –Minerals and Waste, British Geological Survey

Keynote Address:

James Simpson OBE, Simpson & Brown Architects

The Significance of Stone in the UK: heritage and new construction

Graham Lott, British Geological Survey (and David Smith, Natural History Museum)

The importance of building stone collections in guiding conservation practice—a Victorian legacy

Ewan Hyslop, British Geological Survey

The selection of replacement stone for conservation and repair

Tea/coffee & posters/networking

Morning Session 2 (12.30-13.30)
Chair: Andrew McMillan, British Geological Survey

Keynote Address:

Michiel Dusar, Director, Geological Survey of Belgium

Historic building stones in Belgium –is there a future for historical building stones?

Joanne Curran, Consarc Design Group

The Natural Stone Database for Northern Ireland

Lunch, tea/coffee & posters/networking

Afternoon Session (14.30-15.30)
Chair: Terry Hughes, Secretary, English Stone Forum

Tarnia McAlester, English Heritage (and Don Cameron, British Geological Survey)

The Strategic Stone Study: aims and progress

Jana Horak, Welsh Stone Forum

Case Study of Brecon Beacons National Park: styles, surveys, planning constraints, and the availability of stone

Colin Tennant, Scottish Stone Liaison Group (and Emily Tracey, Historic Scotland Research Fellow)

Building Stone Audits and the development of a National Stone Database for Scotland

Discussion Session (16.00-17.00)
Led by Brian Marker, English Stone Forum & Andrew McMillan, British Geological Survey

17:00 Close

Concerns for the future of Building Stone

A sample of concerns submitted by registered delegates for the Building Stone Symposium:

• The swamping of vernacular styles with single blanket stone use and loss of building styles
• Planning authorities not understanding the differences between different types of stone
• Educating the public in the significance of building stone quarries
• Problems of supply of very localized stone for restoration
• Inappropriate planning legislation, inaccurate environmental comparisons with other industries, usage of unsuitable alternatives
• How can someone ensure the correct stone is chosen for a project – where to get unbiased advice on this?
• Regulatory obstacles that discourage the re-opening of building stone quarries
• Ensuring the future of appropriate local building stones and the suitable after-use/on-going extraction techniques that provide benefits for geological and wildlife conservation
• What’s the future of the supply/demand market in the UK?
• Ensuring a supply of appropriate building materials for conservation purposes and new build
• Increased costs associated with reduced demand for products and associated trades affecting viability of use of stone as a desirable building material
• Lack of choice and information resulting in the use of inappropriate stones
• Support required for the supply of indigenous stones for new build and conservation work against cheaper, inferior stone that has been imported to save cost
• Poor information on sustainability of stone compared with other building materials
• The need for a database for stone matching for restoration projects
• Sustainability issues. Carbon calculations for the UK stone resources
• Degradation of the built heritage due to lack of suitable stone for maintenance and repair
• How important is an understanding of current site environmental conditions when selecting stone for replacement or repair?
• How to quarry stone but also look after wildlife, landscape, archeological status, etc.

Do you have any comments, concerns? Please continue this dialogue by posting below.

Town Centre Regeneration

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/8187061.stm

It is great that £60M is being ploughed into our town centres. I would like to ask if any steps are being taken to ensure this money will be used to enhance the historic environment and local identity of these places, rather than the usual ubiquitous Chinese/Finnish/Caithness paving with ‘continental’ style seating, all of which is alien to our towns and ultimately ends-up looking dated within a decade or so?

Are we yet again to see public money being wasted on imported materials which do nothing to promote local jobs, skills and economy through sourcing of local materials?

Perhaps a starting point (before any money is spent) should be to establish for each of these town centres what is unique/valuable/important about each of them, and try to ensure that the proposed schemes respect and enhance this?