Topping Out Ceremony at the Masters House

As the roof is virtually completed and the scaffolding ready to start being removed at the end of the month - the traditional 'Topping Out' ceremony took place on Tuesday.

Robert Waddington (Friends of the Masters House), Ed Mandrell (Site Manager - SpellerMetcalfe), Gary Butler (Butler Hegarty), Richard Ball (HCC)

Over 60 Locals, Friends of the Masters House, Local Councillors & HCC staff together with the architect Gary Butler, Site Manager Ed Mandrell, members of the SpellerMetcalfe team and a large number of subcontractors who have worked so hard on the project to-date to celebrated with a glass of champagne and a specially made cake.

Andy Tector and Mairead Lane from HCC cut the special cake created by Bryony from Butler Hegarty Architects

Ed had the honor of placing some local greenery on the chimney - a tradition that predates the original construction of the Masters House by some 700 years with earliest references dating from around 700 A.D., when Scandinavians topped off construction of new halls with sheathes of grain for Odin's horse, Slepnir with Odin, supposedly impressed with this consideration for his horse - and with the raucous good cheer of the crowd - bestowed good luck on the future occupants. The Vikings spread their customs across the portions of the European World that they raided and colonised. Topping-off, however, was modified by some tree-worshiping pagan tribes(1)

Repairs to the timber frame are completed and the internal plastering, mechanical, electrical and window repairs are well underway with completion of the internal builders works due in the Late Autumn.


1) http://www.hcsfl.com/component/myblog/The-History-of-Topping-Off.html