Old House Project - Opening up hidden heritage through education

Learning has been at the heart of the Old House Project (OHP) since it was launched in 2019. This five-year venture was intended both as an exemplar of conservation best practice and a setting to offer practical training on the skills and materials used in the building’s repair. As a case study demonstrating how the SPAB Approach can be practically applied to turn a historic building at risk into a comfortable home, these lessons are valuable to a wide range of audiences, from craftspeople and conservation professionals to homeowners and caretakers. Through a variety of educational and outreach activities, including public open days, Working Parties, site visits, virtual talks, and practical courses, we have been joined – both on site and online – by hundreds of people keen to learn more about this special building and how to care for those they live in and work with themselves. We’ve made the most of learning opportunities at St Andrew’s Chapel, running workshops, masterclasses, and training days to correspond with every phase of the project, each drawing from a range of specialisms and firmly rooted in our conservation principles.

Understanding

A central tenet of the SPAB Approach is that thought should precede action. Taking time to understand a building’s history, construction, and design, together with any underlying structural issues, is vital before repair works can be carried out, but it can be difficult to know where to begin. Several courses have addressed this theme, helping professionals and homeowners alike to navigate the complexities of this process while sharing insights and lessons from our own OHP. Training days and masterclasses on Investigation and Research, Surveying and Repairing Historic Finishes, and Structural Proposals were each taught by leading specialists on topics including archaeological assessment, dendrochronology, bat surveys and legislation, 3D laser scanning, structural appraisals, soil monitoring, materials testing and historic paints and papers.

Our course participants have found it particularly beneficial to hear from such a variety of experts (including surveyor and 3D scanning specialist Andy Beardsley, ecologist Katia Bresso, archaeologist Graham Keevill, dendrochronologist Dr Martin Bridge and architectural paint researcher and conservator, Phillipa McDonnell) while being shown the issues they describe up close at this live site. Although largely theoretical, these courses were presented through a combination of talks, site tours and, where applicable, hands-on activities. By engaging as many senses as possible, and making connections between abstract concepts and tangible materials, our OHP courses can help deepen participants’ understanding of these subjects, offering a holistic view of the SPAB Approach in action.

Craftsmanship

Part of the reason we chose St Andrew's Chapel for our OHP was because it features such a mix of traditional materials, allowing us to offer practical, hands-on courses on a variety of skills, from glazing and traditional lime plastering to joinery, brickwork and stonemasonry repair. We run courses on these subjects at different locations around the country as part of our ongoing efforts to redress the decline of craft skills in the UK. While all our training is, of course, underpinned by the SPAB Approach, what has been particularly special about these OHP courses is they are presented within the context of a large repair project that is wholly guided by this conservation philosophy.

Participants get to hear all about the project and what our investigations and research have revealed about the building from Special Operations Manager, Jonny Garlick. They can watch repairs being made by our contractors, Owlsworth IJP, before trying their hands at some themselves, from raking-out and repointing mortar joints to scarfing new timber to old, under the expert guidance of our tutors. Several of these tutors, including stonemason Jim Whitbread and joiner Callum McCaffrey, work for Owlsworth IJP, who have generously supported these educational activities throughout the project.

Passing on Knowledge

Developing and passing on knowledge are also central to the SPAB Approach, and these principles are exemplified by the learning centred around our on-site field kiln. Almost everything that is taught at the OHP, whether theoretical or practical, requires an understanding of lime and its use in traditional mortars, renders and surface finishes. Course participants all spend time at our kiln (fondly nicknamed Katie by long-term OHP volunteer and kiln specialist, Mark Murthwaite-Price) learning about the different materials and processes involved in lime mortar production. They find out about how we carefully developed our own mortar recipe, closely resembling that used in the building’s original construction, which has been essential for the repointing and mortar repairs throughout the building.

This field kiln was built as part of a SPAB research project into local lime, ragstone and septaria. While sharing some of the findings of this research is an important feature of all OHP training days, a course dedicated to natural cement and septaria allowed for a more comprehensive exploration of the subject. Through a mixture of talks, demonstrations and hands-on activities led by historic buildings consultant and SPAB Guardian Joe Orsi, architect and SPAB Guardian Stafford Holmes, architect and SPAB Scholar Hugh Conway-Morris and Jonny Garlick, with Mark at the kiln, learners enjoyed a deep-dive into the history, production and applications of these widely used but poorly understood building materials.

In May, we hosted our Repair of Old Buildings Course delegates, following last year’s successful site visit. They spent time hearing from architect Mal Fryer, Owlsworth IJP’s Director Robin Dukes, and structural engineer Ed Morton, as well as craftspeople and SPAB staff, while witnessing the ongoing repair works up close. For many this was a highlight of the week-long Repair Course, helping to cement their understanding of the SPAB’s philosophy.

As we enter the OHP’s final phase, plans for future courses centre around work to the inside of the building. Sustainability will be an important theme and we will be hosting training events on this important issue, as well as courses on subjects including thermal upgrading and interior finishes.

The OHP is an exercise in how the SPAB Approach can be carefully applied to breathe life into an old building like St Andrew’s Chapel. Equally, by giving us these wonderful opportunities to share vital knowledge and skills, this beautiful but previously neglected building itself helps us bring the principles outlined in the SPAB Approach to life.

First published in SPAB members-only magazine. Become a member to see the latest SPAB Magazine and get access to digital back issues.