Wattle & Daub Day

On Wednesday 21st May adults from the local community where invited to take part in a bit of history by assisting with the construction and restoration of new and existing Wattle & Daub panels within the building. 

Wattle and daub - is a composite building material  in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called wattle is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay (from just outside Ledbury) sand, animal dung (although this was omitted on the 2014 version!) and straw. Wattle and daub has been used for at least 6000 years and is still an important construction material in many parts of the world (1)



 

The children from Year 4 at Ledbury Primary School who had recently been studying the Tudors where also invited to tour the building to see what a building from that era really looks like and get dirty by helping to mix the Daub in the traditional methods by hand & foot knowing that they were helping to build something that hopefully would be there in another 500 years time. They then produced clay models which were dried in the sun and returned to the children at school.

 

 

The 'finished' article

Many historic buildings include wattle and daub construction, and the technique is becoming popular again in more developed areas as a low-impact sustainable building technique. Indeed the reconstructed panels at the Masters House made excellent use of those panels to badly degraded to mended by simply wetting and mixing them back up again to reuse the materials - 528 years after they were first installed! Recycling at its very best!

Thanks to Gary Butler and the rest of the team from Butler Hegarty Architects for their infectious enthusiam that made this an extremely enjoyable day and hopefully one that will stick in the memories of thoese involved for a very long time.

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wattle_and_daub

SpellerMetcalfe team running for St. Michaels Hospice

Whilst this is not related to the Masters House project it is important so hopefully the followers of this blog will indulge me. In a moment of madness I have agreed to do Hereford Half Marathon tomorrow along with around 20 other people from SpellerMetcalfe.

In truth I'm not a fan of running and have done next to no training so it is going to be a painful experience if I do get round. Nevertheless it is for an extremely good cause - St Michaels Hospice http://www.stmichaelshospice.org/ 

If you live local to Ledbury/Hereford then the chances are you know somebody who has used St. Michaels and will know of the excellent service they provide. Indeed as unfortunately 1 in 3 people will get Cancer it could be you or I that need it so if you could spare a few quid to help the cause that would be great. We already have around £1000 pledged from our various subcontractors but if you would like to donate please do so by either letting me know personally or by giving at http://www.justgiving.com/Speller-Metcalfe

Thanks,
Matthew

Externals Exposed

Now the scaffolding has been removed a few people have asked for some shots of the outside - as it is still just about covered by the scaffolding.

South Elevation

East Elevation

Internally plastering works have commenced whilst externally construction of the new brickwork stores adjacent the 19th Century wing have begun.

Masters House Newsletter

The Masters House now has it's own Newsletter! the aptly named - 'Masters House News'.

Please click this link to download a copy of the Spring Edition! The newsletter has been compiled by Jessica Worlock who has been appointed as the new Heritage and volunteering coordinator for the Masters House project. Employed by HCC part time for the next 3 years and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund - Jessica will be offering the local community opportunities to get involved with the Master’s House project through volunteering, events and educational activities, and keeping you informed with newsletters, a webpage and  social media.


The first newsletter is a catch up of the history of the project and the recent 'topping out' and 'scaffold removal' but it also explains about the young men who have been inspired to become craftsmen of the future.

As part of the Master’s House restoration Speller Metcalfe have been able to offer some local young people a chance to be involved. Keiron  Smith and Adam Preece, students at John Masefield High School, have been gaining work experience onsite alongside mentors from the  Speller Metcalfe building team.

The yound men are studying a BTEC in Construction at Herefordshire and Ludlow College one day a week and then come to Master’s House one day each week to gain experience.
Keiron (pictured below left) first came to the Master’s House for a week of school work experience after a talk about careers at the school given by Matthew and Ed and has since come every week for six months.

Adam (pictured above right) showed dedication by  coming in every day of his half term holiday, he said the placement helped motivate him and gave him an idea of what life is like on a building site.

This level of commitment has not gone  unrewarded, both Adam and Keiron have been accepted to start full time places at the  college in September. Keiron said he now feels more motivated to achieve good results in
his Maths and English as he needs them for his college course.

Keiron and Adam’s college courses are being supported by Live and Learn, Herefordshire Council’s School Engagement Programme for 14-­16 year olds. The programme is funded by the European Social Fund.

In addition to the above placements SpellerMetcalfe has recently founded the Worcestershire Apprentice Academy. Following numerous work experience and apprenticeship placements with local education providers, Speller Metcalfe decided to form an independent charity aimed at encouraging Worcestershire school and college leavers into the construction trade. While career opportunities in the construction industry had dipped due to the recession, 2013 has seen positive changes and movement towards higher rates of employment and demand for trained, skilled professionals. Working together with Worcester College of Technology, the WCAA aims to increase the number of apprenticeship opportunities available locally, develop a highly skilled workforce, improve employer / apprenticeship links and boost job opportunities in Worcestershire.For those who employers who may be interested in supporting the scheme please e-mail employers@wortech.ac.uk or for parents/apprentices - apprenticeships@wortech.ac.uk

The Dinosaur that came to Town

'The Dinosaur that came to Town' is how the huge crane that came to site to remove the roof trusses that had carried the temporary roof for the last year was described by the Ledbury Reporter. (Click link for article)



The roof trusses were removed quickly and the operation is remove the structure which had dwarfed the carpark and was clearly visible from many parts of the town was gone.

The scaffolding without its wrappings

A silhouetted roof truss at sunrise 

The remaining access scaffolding around the building was stripped over the course of the coming week and in half the time anticipated it was gone to reveal the which had been cocooned for so long.

The top end of the carpark is now open although as the structure was removed quicker than anticipated the blocks which have been weighing it down are still awaiting collection. They should be removed in the next couple of weeks.

Over the past few weeks the site has also been very busy with lots of visits from various organisations. The site entertained members of HAWCE (Herefordshire & Worcestershire Constructing Excellence) with Andy Tector formally Project Manager at Herefordshire County Council giving an introduction - followed by Ed whose passion and enthusiasm for old construction techniques was a delight to listen to. The evening was rounded off with sandwiches and few pints in the Prince of Wales.



Other visits both formal and informal take place on an almost daily basis and have included the ladies of Cradley WI, 20 members of the Worcestershire Society of Chartered Architects & the Friends of the Masters House.

Masters House Scaffold Removal

Having 'Topped Out' a couple of weeks ago we have now reached another key milestone in the project - the removal of the scaffolding and sheeting which has hidden the building from view and protected it from wettest winter ever recorded!

The massive temporary structure which was erected a year ago in late snow fall of 2013 has become a key feature of the Ledbury Townscape. Indeed a walk up into Dog Wood or down Bank Crescent reveals how it dwarfs the surrounding buildings.

Access Scaffolding being erected in March 2013

 Clearly such a large temporary structure has a cost. We have had 12 months from the 1st April 2013 to completely remove the roof, repair the timber frame and get the building back water tight. The cost implications on the onward hire of the scaffold being a key driving factor to meet end of March date.

The scaffold itself is comprised of literally thousand of tubes and beams is weighted down by over 5500 concrete blocks sat on 320 railway sleepers! The removal of the structure will take nearly as long as it took to erect as it has been taken down extremely carefully as not to damage the newly finished roof.

The roof being lifted in place

To facilitate this the top end of the St. Katherines carpark will be closed off for a couple of weeks commencing 7th April. This is to enable a crane to be sited to lift off all steel roof trusses and for these to be dismantled safely. We will endevour to undertake this as quickly as possible to minimise disruption to the town and car park users.

The roof trusses being constructed on the South End of St. Katherines Carpark

Whilst the overall the building is a fair way off being completed the building being water tight shifts the project into the finishing stages. Given the at times horrendous conditions the temporary roof has allowed the project to continue as planned and prevented damage to any of the historic timbers which was essential on such a prestigious and nationally important building.

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

Ledbury Library Unveiled!

Friday afternoon saw the internal scaffolding being removed from inside the Kitchen Wing section of the Masters House which will eventually hold the library! It was an exciting moment and was great to see the final shape after such a long period of hardwork leading up to it.

The beams at the end are still encased in a protective covering after the spraying of the Hempcrete which finished in this section last week. Once dry in about 8-10 weeks time lime plastering can commence.

The end section that can be seen in this photo is a completely new section of timber frame that is to replace a section of the building that was likely removed a few hundred years ago.

Users of the old Shopmobility service may not recognise it but the brick structure on the right hand side of the photo is an old bread oven that could be seen on your left as you entered through the door.

There are still many months of work ahead to complete and fit out the building but the removal of the internal scaffolding marks another key milestone. The external scaffolding is due to be removed in April.

January Update

January 2014 Update

After many months of painstaking work the structural repairs to the timber frame are all but complete which has allowed the internal scaffolding to the main hall to be removed to leave it looking how it was when the building was originally constructed in 1487. This is the first time the hall has been in its original open state for at least 400 years!

The internal panels are being filled with new staves ready for spraying with Hempcrete.

 The completed Hempcrete panels - ready to recieve lime putty plastering

The kitchen wing roof is nearing completion ready to receive new tiles

Over the main hall the tiles are being fitted ready to make the building water tight before April when the scaffolding is due to be removed.

December Update

December Update

• Timber Frame Repairs have continued over the past few months with the bulk of the structural repairs completed. The internal scaffolding to the Main Hall will be removed this month to reveal the open hall for the 1st time in over 400 years!
  
• Works have commenced to re-roof the building with the removal of the external scaffolding still on course for April next year

• The insulated area shown in the above photo and in the section drawing below are 'cassettes' that have been constructed an filled with a product called Hempcrete. Hempcrete is basically chopped up Hemp mixed with lime and a very small quantity of cement. It is a environmentally friendly product and works as a natural insulate and will allow the building to 'breath' which is extremely important to help preserve the historic fabric. See http://www.limecrete.co.uk/docs/Hempcrete-Factsheet.pdf for more details.

• The Hempcrete is also being blown into the panels of the frame with Chestnut staves being used to support the material. In the photo below plastic sheeting has been applied to protect the Oak during the spraying process.

• The Limecrete floor will also be laid to the main hall. A cross section of the makeup can be seen here . Lime flooring is being used rather than a standard sand/cement screed as this also allows the floors to 'breath'. Limecrete is a relatively recent product only being developed in 1998- full details and can be read by following the link.

Masters House in Construction News Magazine

The Masters House Project has this week been lucky enough to be featured in Construction News Magazine  the leading journal for construction information- see below a copy of the article

Continuous Professional Development at the Master's House

THE MASTER’S HOUSE, LEDBURY

MEDIEVAL TIMBER FRAMING CPD

Gary Butler, a director of Butler Hegarty Architects Ltd. is an experienced academic and is recognised in the field for his expertise in timber framing. He will be directing each CPD session (approximately 1.5 hours) at The Master’s House.

These CPD sessions will be run throughout the external envelope construction phase, which predominately focuses on the repair of the medieval timber frame. These session are aimed at anyone with an interest in timber framing, that are seeking to learn more about the subject for their own professional development.

Dates:

·         Tuesday 8th October

·         Tuesday 22nd October

·         Tuesday 19th November

·         Tuesday 26th November

·         Tuesday 17th December

Each CPD session will involve:

- A brief introductory talk

- A general overview of timber framing

- Site tour looking in detailed at issues

- End discussion

Each attendee will be provided with overview hand-outs, a brief questionnaire, background documents and feedback questionnaire.

CPD event and documents will cover:

Understanding the Frame

Before the work, set up of the project, frame interpretation and researching methods. What to look for when recognising framing patterns.

Dismantling the Frame

On site repairs, dismantling, repair decisions and executions

Re-framing

The process of reconstructing the building, design issues and the repair of secondary fabric/repair techniques

BOOK A PLACE

Places are limited, so please contact:

Butler Hegarty Architects

Email: mail@butlerhegartyarchitects.co.uk

Phone: 020 7263 8933

Update start of September

All it has been a couple of months since the last update - and we are sure people are wondering what is going on behind that hoarding! See below for some photos of the craftsmen at work!

Works to the timber frame and external masonry continue - albeit with 37 weeks to repair the frame alone there is an awful lot of work to do behind the scenes before we finally start commencing an internal fit out.

All the specialist repairs to the timber frame are being undertaken by local Herefordshire company Splitlath in conjunction with SpellerMetcalfes own staff.

Works continue well and reinstatement carpentry works to the roof are due to start the beginning of next week. The large scaffolding covering the building is not due to be removed May next year.