St. Peter's & St. Paul's
Bardwell
The Repair Project
inter alia, The Council for the Care of Churches and Suffolk Historic Churches Trust.
The project management team
Whitworth Co Partnership
Tony Redman B Sc FRICS IHBC
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Project discription
"Bardwell is probably one of the most interesting hammer
beam roofs in East Anglia. Hammer beams were very
fashionable at the beginning of the fifteenth century, the finest probably being the hammer beam roof over Westminster Hall, now part of the Houses of Parliament.
Bardwell's is dated 1421 on a shield held by an angel attached to a hammer on the north side. Any hammer beam with a date is rare, and Bardwell's being a plausibly early date, and also decorated with what we now know to be original paintwork, with some indication of an early redecoration in the
late fifteenth century.
Unfortunately the beam end bearings have suffered from rot over the years, and we are now repairing the last two rotten beam ends. This we hope to achieve without loss of the historic paintwork, which requires ingenuity on the part of the surveyor and skill on the part of the carpenters who will be doing the work.
fashionable at the beginning of the fifteenth century, the finest probably being the hammer beam roof over Westminster Hall, now part of the Houses of Parliament.
Bardwell's is dated 1421 on a shield held by an angel attached to a hammer on the north side. Any hammer beam with a date is rare, and Bardwell's being a plausibly early date, and also decorated with what we now know to be original paintwork, with some indication of an early redecoration in the
late fifteenth century.
Unfortunately the beam end bearings have suffered from rot over the years, and we are now repairing the last two rotten beam ends. This we hope to achieve without loss of the historic paintwork, which requires ingenuity on the part of the surveyor and skill on the part of the carpenters who will be doing the work.
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Whitworth Co Partnership architects
and surveyors have been looking after Bardwell church for
half a century, and Tony Redman who now looks after the church feels he
knows almost every joint in the roof! Whitworth Co Partnership have
offices in Bury ST Edmunds, Bishop Stortford, Norwich and an associate office
in York. They are well known for the quality of their work on historic buildings,
as well as conventional architectural work"
The specialist contractor
Haymills
(Conservation) Ltd.
of Huntingdon
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Progress Report on Roof Project – Mid
January 2005
1. We are still on target for a finish before Easter. The planned pattern of work has not been adhered to for various, and good, reasons, but the overall assessment as of Monday this week was that the planned finish date would be met.
2. Specific progress is as follows:
a. The South sides of both nave and chancel roof, with all lead works, are finished. The lead ridge is not yet installed, and will not be, until both slopes of each roof have been finished. It is likely that the north slope of the Chancel will be completed this week when the lead ridge of the chancel will be applied. Only the gutters and down spouts will then be outstanding on the Chancel
b. On the north side of the Nave roof there have been several problems with the roof trusses. Repairs to those at the front and rear of the roof were carried out in the 1990’s, but these were done from the underside and though they provided a fairly good short term repair it was obvious upon opening up that additional bracing to a number of these was required. This has now been applied.
Two of the main trusses in the centre are in a very poor state and have been found to have little if any sound bearing on the walls. The roof structure at this point has been supported on the scaffolding and the two ‘hammers’ that support the trusses have been dismantled. The timbers of the trusses are reasonably sound but the timbers laying on the wall on to which they had bearing have completely disintegrated.
We have to restore adequate bearings for the trusses and then reassemble the hammers, all the while trying to preserve the mediaeval painting. This is proving tricky and time consuming. When it has been completed and the trusses restored to strength the roof slope can be felted, battened and slated and the lead work of the gutters and flashings installed. The timing of this work to the trusses is the element that may delay the completion
c. The cappings of the roof crossing and the stone cross between the nave and chancel sections of the roof have been removed and reset.
d. The ladder across the nave roof has been removed and will be replaced. With the existing access from the tower this will mean that the roof can be kept clear of leaves (and pigeon nests) without the need for
The work involved ladders The work on the roof has enabled the parapet gutters to be widened, making for easier walking and given better falls, allowing roof water to run off quicker.
f. The contract allowed for up to 6 sq metres of plaster to be renewed. A lot of this work is in progress in the chancel area. The visual improvement here will be vast.
Throughout all this work we have kept the Church open for Sunday worship and the regular congregations have enjoyed the added ventilation of enormous gaps in the roof, acres of plastic sheeting inside and acres outside on the scaffolding rattling in the wind! We are a hardy lot in Bardwell
1. We are still on target for a finish before Easter. The planned pattern of work has not been adhered to for various, and good, reasons, but the overall assessment as of Monday this week was that the planned finish date would be met.
2. Specific progress is as follows:
a. The South sides of both nave and chancel roof, with all lead works, are finished. The lead ridge is not yet installed, and will not be, until both slopes of each roof have been finished. It is likely that the north slope of the Chancel will be completed this week when the lead ridge of the chancel will be applied. Only the gutters and down spouts will then be outstanding on the Chancel
b. On the north side of the Nave roof there have been several problems with the roof trusses. Repairs to those at the front and rear of the roof were carried out in the 1990’s, but these were done from the underside and though they provided a fairly good short term repair it was obvious upon opening up that additional bracing to a number of these was required. This has now been applied.
Two of the main trusses in the centre are in a very poor state and have been found to have little if any sound bearing on the walls. The roof structure at this point has been supported on the scaffolding and the two ‘hammers’ that support the trusses have been dismantled. The timbers of the trusses are reasonably sound but the timbers laying on the wall on to which they had bearing have completely disintegrated.
We have to restore adequate bearings for the trusses and then reassemble the hammers, all the while trying to preserve the mediaeval painting. This is proving tricky and time consuming. When it has been completed and the trusses restored to strength the roof slope can be felted, battened and slated and the lead work of the gutters and flashings installed. The timing of this work to the trusses is the element that may delay the completion
c. The cappings of the roof crossing and the stone cross between the nave and chancel sections of the roof have been removed and reset.
d. The ladder across the nave roof has been removed and will be replaced. With the existing access from the tower this will mean that the roof can be kept clear of leaves (and pigeon nests) without the need for
The work involved ladders The work on the roof has enabled the parapet gutters to be widened, making for easier walking and given better falls, allowing roof water to run off quicker.
f. The contract allowed for up to 6 sq metres of plaster to be renewed. A lot of this work is in progress in the chancel area. The visual improvement here will be vast.
Throughout all this work we have kept the Church open for Sunday worship and the regular congregations have enjoyed the added ventilation of enormous gaps in the roof, acres of plastic sheeting inside and acres outside on the scaffolding rattling in the wind! We are a hardy lot in Bardwell
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