1 / 56
BCD SPECIAL REPORT ON
HISTORIC CHURCHES
22ND ANNUAL EDITION
1
CONTENTS
THE BUILDING CONSERVATION DIRECTORY
SPECIAL REPORT ON HISTORIC CHURCHES
Twenty-second Annual Edition
ISBN 978 1 900915 77 9
PUBLISHED BY
Cathedral Communications Limited
High Street, Tisbury, Wiltshire SP3 6HA
Tel 01747 871717 Fax 01747 871718
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Gordon Sorensen
EDITORS
David Boulting
Jonathan Taylor
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Elizabeth Coyle-Camp
PRODUCTION & ADMINISTRATION
Lynn Green
Lydia Porter
ADVERTISING
Nicholas Rainsford
Carla Winchcombe
TYPESETTING
xendo
PRINTING
Optichrome
The many companies and specialist groups advertising
in this
Building Conservation Directory Special Report
have been invited to participate on the basis of
their established involvement in the field of building
conservation and the suitability of some of their products
and services for ecclesiastical buildings work. Some of the
participants also supply products and services to other
areas of the building market which have no application
in the building conservation field. The inclusion of any
company or individual in this publication should not
necessarily be regarded as either a recommendation or
an endorsement by the publishers. Although every effort
has been made to ensure that information in this book is
correct at the time of printing, responsibility for errors or
omissions cannot be accepted by the publishers or any of
the contributors.
© Copyright 2015
Cathedral Communications Limited
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted,
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recordings, or otherwise, without the prior
written permission of Cathedral Communications Limited.
COVER ILLUSTRATION
Finial of a brass chancel screen at Bristol
Cathedral – see page 23 (Photo: Jonathan Taylor)
£5.95
FROM THE EDITORS
They say it takes a village to raise a child, but what kind of community do you need
to save a historic church? The list of contributors to this 22nd annual edition of
Historic Churches
may provide the answer.
Writing about the wooden churches of the Russian north, Richard Davies is a
photographer and author whose work is exposing the plight of these important and
fragile buildings. Horticulturist Toby Hindson considers the ancient yews which
grace so many of the UK’s historic churchyards, sometimes in spite of misguided
past interventions. Architectural historian Julian Litten illuminates the history of
ledger stones and calls on readers to join in the survey of these often overlooked
church monuments.
Kate Streeter and Peter Aiers represent the amenity societies and trusts but
their articles also highlight the growing importance of volunteers in church care.
David Knight and colleagues, advising on funding repairs, point to the role of both
the Church and the grant-awarding bodies. Finally, Andrew Arrol, Sarah Brown
and the other conservation professionals who have contributed to this 2015 edition,
explain some of the vital, practical work by conservators of all types which sustains
historic church buildings and their contents.
Against a backdrop of shrinking congregations it’s heartening to learn that the
community of experts and volunteers involved in church conservation is thriving,
not least because it draws on such wide-ranging resources of knowledge, skills and
practical experience.
CATHEDRAL
C O M M U N I C A T I O N S
2
WOODEN CHURCHES OF THE RUSSIAN NORTH
Richard Davies
6
LEDGER STONES
Julian Litten
11 THE GREAT EAST WINDOW OF YORK MINSTER
Andrew Arrol and Sarah Brown
16 HEAVENLY MUSICIANS or JOLLY TROUBADOURS?
Interpreting medieval corbel sculpture
Richard Halsey
20 INTERIOR DECORATION and PERMEABILITY
Mark Parsons
23 CHURCH BRASSWORK
Will Murray
29 METAL SHEET ROOFING
and its substitutes – a brief history
Tony Redman
32 MAINTENANCE CO-OPERATIVES
Kate Streeter
34 FOR THE RECORD
Documenting church conservation and repair work
Peter Aiers
36 HISTORIC CHURCHYARD YEWS
Toby Hindson
39 FUNDING IN PARISH CHURCHES
David Knight, Lisa McIntyre and Emily Greenaway
42 USEFUL CONTACTS
45 PRODUCTS & SERVICES
52 INDEX OF ADVERTISERS