CBA Correspondent: British Archaeology 104, January/February 2009

The CBA is one of six national amenity societies consulted in a statutory capacity on listed building applications which involve complete or partial demolition. Over the last 12 months we have received 3,806 cases for England and 239 for Wales. These are some of them.

Pier Road Maltings, Berwick upon Tweed (centre), once a whaling oil house, a maltings and then a sail manufacturer, is up for conversion for varied use

The Pier Road Maltings, Berwick upon Tweed. Grade 2

Pier Road Maltings began life c1808 as an oil house to serve the whaling industry of Berwick upon Tweed. It became a maltings in the late 19th century, with an added rear range and two kilns, and latterly a sail-makers. In 2008 the waterfront building was put forward for conversion to residential and live/work units. With a variety of challenges such as limited lighting to rear range, low ceiling heights to maltings’ floors but a vast cavernous space for the western kiln, the design team dealt with the building sympathetically and imaginatively, capitalising on the open spaces and views for living spaces, and using the restricted rear ranges which backed onto the city walls as work units.

The provision of new glazed areas to the roofs and a separate glass “pod” on an adjacent plot of land – palpably 21st century alterations – was felt acceptable, as it allowed minimal intervention in the building and retention of many fixtures and fittings, and would provide a viable long term use. The building has been continuously occupied for over 200 years, and there is much evidence for three separate industries. The CBA advised that it should be recorded and analysed.

19th century brewhouse and water tower at Rufford, Nottinghamshire, put forward for conversion to holiday accommodation

Ruperra Castle, Glamorgan. Grade 2*

Completed in 1626 this Jacobean castellated manor house was destroyed by fire in 1941, leaving only the masonry walls and corner towers standing. Described as “the most significant building at risk of its period in the whole of the UK”, it was sold in 1998. The current proposal, to restore the castle and convert it into nine flats with funding through an enabling development of 15 houses within the grounds, was rejected despite the approval of the local planning department. The developer has appealed and a public inquiry will be held in April 2009. The national amenity societies, including the CBA, intend submitting a joint objection to the proposals. In addition to compromising the setting of the building, the enabling development is unlikely to cover the cost of restoration. See www.ruperra.org.uk.

The pithead baths, Navigation Colliery, Crumlin, Gwent. Grade 2

The first shafts at Navigation Colliery were sunk in 1907 and completed in 1911. The baths are a later addition built by the Miner’s Welfare Committee from miners’ wages. Probably built in the late 1920s, the building is listed as a well-preserved example of an early baths. Used until recently as an upholstery workshop, the building is now empty and the subject of vandalism. The owners have therefore applied for permission to demolish. As the building is structurally sound and no attempt to find alternative uses seems to have been made, the CBA has objected.

The Water Tower, Rufford, Notts. Grade 2

The late Victorian water tower occupies the site of the former Rufford Abbey. Designed by John Birch as an ancillary building, it sits adjacent to the Old Brewhouse. Four stories high and retaining its metal water tank, it has been put forward for conversion to holiday accommodation. We supported this. Domestic use would have necessitated greater changes within the fabric of the building and site. The hoped for retention of a (restored) water tank is also more viable within a holiday let!

Rendered cobblewall at rear of High Thornborough farmhouse

High Thornborough Farm, Yorks. Grade 2

This 18th century farmhouse was badly in need of refurbishment, but the proposals sought demolition of the attached outbuildings and internal alterations that affected the original plan. They included the partitioning of the main room so that the large inglenook sat within a tiny space, and the erection of a massive external boundary wall that altered the character of the vernacular farmstead. After discussion, the plans were revised to be more sympathetic to the traditional building.

RTPI networking event for conservation-led regeneration at Nelson, Lancashire

Beyond Casework

The most significant of the consultations being dealt with must be the heritage protection bill. Apparently due to go before Parliament in December, it aims to reform and simplify, involve the public and make more transparent the system for identifying, protecting and managing our heritage.

The act will “place heritage at the heart of the planning system”, and we continue to support heritage/conservation-led regeneration. The CBA sits on the design and heritage subgroup for Whitefield, Nelson, Lancs, where regeneration proposals are moving ahead. We also organised an RTPI event, (with The Heritage Trust North West, English Heritage and CABE) to promote a less interventionist approach than that of Urban Splash’s “Chimney Pot Park,” Salford.

Threats to historic buildings

In the last year we noted threats to a variety of building types. These included the closure of many public houses (reputedly 37 a week); the sale and conversion of many police stations, churches (as congregations decline) and 19th century and 20th century school buildings (said to be unsuitable for 21st century education!); the loss of industrial buildings, particularly single storey weaving sheds with a large footprint (they deny investors maximum profit); and the slow disintegration of field barns in rural areas as farming methods change and they lie unused.

It is important to remember that these losses are cumulative, and have wider impact on landscape, townscape and the story of our growth and development. We do not know at this stage how the recession will affect the built environment, but there are already many reasons for being vigilant.

AIA/CBA training day at Portland Basin Museum, Tameside

Volunteer recruitment and training

This year instead of actively recruiting volunteers, we concentrated on providing training in industrial archaeology for existing volunteers, thanks to a grant from English Heritage and the expertise of the Association for Industrial Archaeology. Hopefully this is year one of a three year programme.

If you would like to hear more about becoming a volunteer, there are areas in England and Wales that have vacancies for caseworkers. For England, contact Carole Barrowclough or Lynne Walker on 01904 671417; for Wales contact Mike Anthony on 029 2057 3585.

Lynne Walker is the CBA’s historic buildings officer. Mike Anthony is conservation coordinator for the CBA in Wales. See Conservation section for more about Historic Buildings, and our Staff pages.

British

Archaeology

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Issue 104

Jan / Feb 2009

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