T W E N T Y F I R S T E D I T I O N
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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
potential to severely compromise the aesthetic
of a stair or result in the unregulated loss of
historic fabric which, in the worst cases, might
extend to total loss.
NEGOTIATING THE ISSUES
Anyone involved in the conservation of
historic buildings will recognise that it is
not always easy to find a path through the
minefield of competing issues that commonly
arise. However, being in possession of good
information at an early stage will help to
guide the process and allow the impact of any
proposals to be evaluated so that the building
or component will hopefully remain in use
and retain those qualities that make it special.
Recommended Reading
C Brereton, The Repair of Historic Buildings:
Advice on Principles and Methods, English
Heritage, Swindon, 2012
Cadw, Conservation Principles for the
Sustainable Management of the Historic
Environment in Wales, Cadw, Cardiff, 2011
JWP Campbell and M Tutton (eds), Staircases:
History, Repair and Conservation,
Routledge, London, (forthcoming)
English Heritage, Conservation Principles:
Policies and Guidance for the Sustainable
Management of the Historic Environment,
EH, London, 2008
A Jackson and D Day, Period House, Harper
Collins/English Heritage, London, 2005
M Jenkins, Timber Staircases, Historic
Scotland Inform Guide, Edinburgh, 2010
D Urquhart, Conversion of Traditional
Buildings: Application of the Building
Standards, (Guide for Practitioners 6),
Historic Scotland, Edinburgh, 2007
AMYWILLIAMSON
BA is senior historic
buildings archaeologist at Archaeology
South-East
), part of the Centre
for Applied Archaeology at University
College London. Her work involves
recording, assessing and advising on a wide
variety of historic buildings ranging from
medieval vernacular buildings to 20th-
century concrete structures, for a wide
variety of public and private clients.
a new baluster or section of handrail, or the
insertion of replacement treads and risers. The
composite nature of the construction of most
staircases means that it should be possible to
replace individual treads and risers without
undue disturbance of surrounding fabric. It
should also be possible to re-fix the triangular
blocks that help to hold the treads and risers in
place. Where new timber is to be introduced,
fully seasoned timber should always be used, as
this will minimise the potential for shrinkage
and warping which might compromise the
effectiveness and longevity of any repairs.
Where components important to the
aesthetic of a staircase need to be replaced, it
is important that these conform to the existing
ones so as not to compromise the overall
effect, for example by interrupting the pleasing
repetition of a well-designed balustrade.
If any required repair or renewal works
are likely to involve substantial loss of
material, or are likely to radically alter the
appearance of the staircase, the conservation
officer may require that a written,
photographic and possibly drawn record be
made of it prior to work commencing. If works
have the potential to reveal previously unseen
historic fabric, then it might be appropriate
to use the opportunity to carry out further
analysis and/or recording work.
BUILDING REGULATIONS
Issues concerning building regulations
typically arise when there are proposals under
way to make changes to a building, particularly
when these involve a change in use.
Compliance with building regulations is often
a thorny subject when dealing with historic
buildings. Because most historic buildings
were constructed by local craftspeople before
the introduction of standardised regulations,
changes that might be desirable in terms of
modern safety standards are often difficult to
achieve without compromising those parts of
a historic building or component that make it
significant in heritage terms.
Building regulations dictate minimum
standards for new work, which includes
alterations to existing fabric. In England and
Wales Approved Document K: Protection
from falling, collision and impact outlines the
requirements for stairs, including pitch, step
construction, headroom, width and length of
flights, and requirements for the guarding of
stairs, including the form and height of any
guarding. The equivalent Scottish building
standards are set out in Technical Handbook –
Domestic, Section 4 Safety (2013).
Simple vernacular staircases are among
the most vulnerable. They often lack a
handrail, tend to rise very steeply either as
a straight flight, or incorporating half or
three-quarter turns, and often have restricted
headroom. Because of these traits owners of
historic buildings sometimes seek to alter
this type of staircase – a proposal that would
probably be encouraged by the building
control officer but would cause dismay among
many conservation professionals.
There is some scope for the relaxation
of the requirements of building regulations
for historic buildings where doing so can be
shown to be necessary in order to preserve
the architectural and historical integrity of
the building. However, the extent to which
the requirements will be relaxed depends
on how the staircase is used. For example,
if it is in a workplace or publicly accessible
building, the potential risks might be deemed
greater than in a domestic dwelling. In cases
where there are likely to be conflicting issues,
early discussions involving both the building
control officer and conservation officer can be
particularly helpful.
Unfortunately, the many historic
staircases in undesignated buildings do not
generally enjoy the same level of protection
as their listed counterparts so alteration
works will usually be subject to the full force
of the regulations. In addition, health and
safety legislation applies to all buildings,
including listed ones, placing on the occupiers
of a property ‘a duty to take such care as
is reasonable in all the circumstances to
see that visitors will be reasonably safe for
the purposes for which they are invited
or permitted to be there’. In cases where
alterations cannot be avoided, modern safety
measures such as additional handrails,
contrasting nosings and firebreaks have the
The replacement of individual components has been
achieved here with little or no disruption to the
surrounding fabric (note the re-fixed triangular wedges).
A typical 18th-century attic staircase, tucked into the
space afforded by the narrowing of a chimney stack: it is
steeply pitched with winding treads and has no handrail
The aesthetic of this staircase (c1900) has been diminished
by the introduction of modern safety measures,
including the fire-walls and contrasting nosings.
