Conservation of the Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bishops Lydeard - Members News - Blogs

Conservation of the Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bishops Lydeard

Posted by Sally Strachey Conservation on 1st August 2011.

The 15th Century Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bishops Lydeard, has just undergone a £240,000 programme of conservation to safeguard the future of fabric of the building and to reinstate the former quality of the tower stonework. The work has been carried out by a team of stone conservators and masons from Sally Strachey Historic Conservation, under the supervision of Smith Gamblin Architects.

For eleven months the tower, which measures over 100 feet tall, has been shrouded in scaffolding and hoardings, hiding from view its striking red sandstone ashlar block work with contrasting limestone dressings and decorative features. The stonework had weathered and deteriorated considerably over time, with the tower’s stability compromised in places, and lichen obscuring the fine detail that makes this building so special.

The conservation team began with an intensive cleaning programme to remove lichen from the decorative features, using painstaking methods of brushing and washing by hand to avoid any damage to the original materials. Repointing and repair using specially prepared lime mortar mixes was then carried out to 100% of the ashlar on the four elevations of the tower.

The tower pinnacles were dismantled by hand, allowing the corroded iron and lead fixings to be removed and replaced with materials compatible with and non-damaging to the stonework. The major pinnacles, each standing approximately three metres high and weighing approximately half a ton, the major pinnacles presented the team with a range of logistical and aesthetic challenges.

Alongside treatment of the pinnacles, the Hamstone pierced tracery panels of the parapet, the grotesques and gargoyles, and the tracery windows on each elevation of the tower were repaired using lime mortar and intricate micro-pinning techniques. Working on the premise that as much of the original stone as possible should be retained, the piecing-in of new stone was only undertaken in isolated areas where the integrity of the original material had diminished to the point where it was beyond rescue. The intricately carved stonework was remodelled where appropriate by hand using lime mortars. Once repaired, all areas were treated with a protective lime sheltercoat to enhance their appearance and prolong their lifespan.

Upon the unveiling of the tower, the conservation work was met with delight by the parishioners of Bishops Lydeard. The Reverend Michael Wishart commented: “It is a magnificent piece of restoration and repair, and you and your team should be justifiably proud of the work you have done”.

There is to be a weekend of celebrations at the church on 30 - 31 July 2011 with a service to rededicate the tower at 10.30am on the Sunday, after which the bells will be rung for the first time in over a year.

Sally Strachey brings over 30 years of experience in the care of historic buildings, monuments and sculpture. She is both an Art Historian and an ICON accredited Conservator, offering a unique combination of the academic and practical, underpinned by a detailed knowledge of original materials and structures.

The Sally Strachey Historic Conservation team of skilled carvers, masons and conservators has a proven ability to successfully deliver projects from ruinous castles to chest tombs. We execute work of a consistently high quality, completed to programme and budget, both as main contractor and specialist sub-contractor.

Find out more about Sally Strachey Historic Conservation in the Heritage Register

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