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Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust newsletter - christmas 2021

Chair's introduction

Dear Supporter

Welcome to our Christmas Newsletter. There has been lots of activity, which is fully reported below. The DHBT Architecture Awards, after a year of Covid induced absence, provided another memorable event, illustrating some beautiful projects. Congratulations to all concerned and to our 'Conservation Champion', Ron Common, in particular.

The walks and talks have continued, both live and online. Please take the time now, or over Christmas, to watch the online presentations if you have not already done so.

And don’t miss the 1 minute time lapse film of scaffolding being erected at Wingfield – it makes an almost impossible task look so easy!

The work of the Trust has been challenging this year, and as you will see in the Newsletter, even more challenging next year – as we will need to raise £250,000 to complete the £1.4m restoration of Wingfield Station (subject to the continued support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England). More anon.

Meanwhile, may I thank my co-trustees, Friends, our many volunteers and you, for your invaluable support. Hopefully you’ll be able to have a safe, family Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.

Yours ever,

Derek Latham, Chair of DHBT

Main cover image of Wingfield Station in the snow: Paul Barsby (2019)

wingfield station - Project update

December 2021

Following our last newsletter, there have been two further successful overnight Network Rail 'possessions' at Wingfield Station - on the 23rd/24th and 30/31st October to erect trackside scaffolding. J&K Scaffolding and our building contractor ASBC Heritage & Conservation Specialists worked well with representatives from Network Rail to ensure everything went smoothly. The aim was to fully encapsulate the scaffolding and to create a temporary platform wall fence using as few line closures as possible (each 'possession' comes with a considerable fee as the line has to be closed).

Photographs from overnight working to erect scaffolding at Wingfield Station - 23rd/24th & 30th/31st Oct 2021.

At five past midnight on the 31st October, the scaffolding was signed off as being ‘fit for purpose’, leading to uninterrupted trackside working from 12:30am to 6am.

ASBC went over and above to ensure no more ‘possessions’ were needed at this critical stage of the project. We are currently in the process of booking dates for the take down of the scaffolding next year, as we need to provide notice of at least 18 weeks to Network Rail due to the logistics involved.

Daylight photographs of the encapsulation - many thanks to our kind neighbours for providing these.

Thanks to our supportive neighbours for the above photos showing the encapsulated scaffolding (in daylight hours) on the trackside elevation at Wingfield Station.

Since starting on site in October, ASBC have been revealing some interesting features. The photos below show some of the discoveries around the Goods Platform, north of the Parcel Shed.

Discoveries around the area of the Goods Platform - November 2021.

The historic photo (credit: Historic England) shows the Goods Platform with a crane and loading area and a detached cattle pen, probably simply a fenced enclosure. Also in the background can be seen the long-gone downline (western) platform and waiting room.

ASBC's discoveries include the setts marking out the animal pens and the pivot pin of the crane.

The photos below show ASBC’s stone mason using a Thermatech steam cleaning machine to remove graffiti from the Parcel Shed.

A stonemason cleaning off graffiti from the Parcel Shed - October 2021.
Goods Platform preparation at Wingfield Station - hard cement mortars were removed by hand ready for repointing with lime mortar - November 2021.

A site visit on the 14th November, provided a great chance to view the building from the scaffold and to look at the roof and chimneys in more detail.

Photographs from a site visit - 14th November 2021.

We have also been able to look more closely at the ghosted lettering, which is more visible now that the lichen and green spores have been removed.

Some of the details being revealed at Wingfield Station - November 2021.

The iron brackets (pictured above) were exposed by ASBC in November and are located on all corners of the building, trapped under the hip rafters. They provide fixing and strength to the gutter supports.

During December ASBC have continued to make excellent progress with the repairs to the Goods Platform and the buffer wall.

Repairs to the Goods Platform and buffer wall - December 2021.

ASBC have also been working internally; taking down masonry to expose hidden wall plates and assessing the degree of timber rot.

A large amount of stone rubble infill has been removed in order for ASBC to access the wall plates and several of the rotten timber lintels.

Photos from site visit - 7th December 2021.

Further examination of the chimneys is also required this month, with most, if not all, having to be taken down and assessed on a case by case basis.

It is apparent that the chimneys are all in varying states of condition, including both initial and advanced stages of damage caused by corrosion of embedded ironwork.

Considering the full extent of the stripping out to date, it is clear to all those involved that the building would have struggled to withstand another winter.

We’re extremely grateful to Historic England and National Lottery Heritage Fund (and Lottery players) for their support in allowing us to progress this phase of urgent repairs.

Wingfield Station - What's in Store for 2022?

Wingfield Station - viewed from Station Approach, November 2021

This current initial phase of urgent repairs to Wingfield Station will be completed in early 2022. At the end of November, the DHBT submitted their second application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, requesting the funds that are necessary to complete the project.

The lengthy application details everything that will be involved in the next phase of the project, which, if successful, is expected to commence in May 2022 and complete in August 2023. This will not only include provision for the remaining capital works to be undertaken, but also features a varied and exciting activity programme to enable more people to get involved with the heritage of the Station. Additional staffing provision will mean more volunteering opportunities as well as things like tours, wildlife conservation activities, training sessions and exhibitions.

We'll also be developing some on-site interpretation, which will mean people can find out more about the history of the station, its significance and the work of the DHBT. There will be a busy 8 week window of events prior to any future tenants moving in to utilise the spaces created by the project. Although the end use will be office space, the DHBT have made a commitment to opening the site to the general public on set dates each year.

We will find out if our bid to the Lottery has been successful towards the end of March 2022. In the meantime, our attention is now focussed on fundraising. We have to raise £250,000 as the DHBT's contribution to the total project cost of £1.4m. Please keep an eye out in the new year for information about how your support can help us to turn this ambitious scheme into a reality.

We’re delighted to be working with clockmakers ‘Smith of Derby’ to produce an external replica dummy clock. Although the original clock would not have been created by Smith (who were established in 1856), Smith believe it may have been made by Gent, who produced lots of station clocks around this time.

One Minute Scaffolding!

Many thanks to Acam Technology Ltd for creating this 1 minute timelapse film documenting the erection of the scaffolding at Wingfield Station between the 16th October (first weekend possession date) and the 31st October (end of possessions).

Acam have kindly provided the DHBT with a camera that captures an image every 3 minutes. Acam have pieced together these captures and set the image display time to 0.01 seconds, which results in this effect.

ASBC Heritage & Conservation Specialists and J & K Scaffolding - Midlands Ltd completed the scaffolding on the trackside of the building during three overnight weekend 'possessions' on the 16/17th Oct, 23rd/24th Oct and 30th/31st Oct.

Great to have this record!

The Strutt Community in Belper - View adrian farmer's ZOOM talk

Many of you joined us to hear Adrian Farmer's wonderful talk via ZOOM which looked at the rise and fall of the Strutt family's mill complex at Belper. If you missed out, or would like the chance to watch it again, it is now available to view via our YouTube channel.

The talk also covers the Strutt family's provision for their workers - homes, chapels and leisure facilities - over successive generations. It was thanks to the Strutt family that Belper was the first town in the world to have water powered cotton mills. People flocked to Belper to work in the mills which, in turn, brought homes, shops and chapels. Belper was inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS) as part of the Derwent Valley Mills (DVM) in 2001 and the drive to save, enhance and restore the historic town has never been greater.

Adrian Farmer is a Belper historian and has been the DVMWHS Co-ordinator for over 17 years.

Past dhbt events - buxton crescent (21st November) and matlock bath (a winter treat - 19th december)

We've ended the year with two lovely, spa-related visits. The first, on the 21st November, was a tour of Buxton Crescent, kindly led by Richard Tuffrey MBE, Advisor to the Buxton Crescent Heritage Trust and the former heritage lead with the High Peak Borough Council.

Tour of Buxton Crescent - 21/11/21 - Buxton Crescent was also a deserving winner at our Architecture Awards this year.

Richard gave attendees a presentation about the history of the Crescent and an account of its restoration. It was followed by a short tour of the parts of the Hotel that were not in use on the day.

DHBT Tour of Buxton Crescent.

John Carr of York was commissioned to design the centrepiece of the 5th Duke of Devonshire's venture to create a new northern spa town in Buxton. Originally completed in 1789 as a complex of hotels, lodging houses and shops, the Crescent also provided a covered promenade from the adjoining baths building at one end to the town's Assembly Rooms at the other.

Sadly, by the 1990s, the Grade I listed building had fallen into complete disuse and, since the millennium, its two owners (Derbyshire County Council and the High Peak Borough Council) have been working together with developers to bring it back into use. This has now been achieved, alongside the adjoining Natural Baths and Pump Room, as a luxury hotel and spa complex, shops and visitor centre.

This has been one of the UK's most ambitious heritage regeneration projects, facing many pitfalls along the way. It has been made possible by generous support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England and others. The end result has certainly helped to put Buxton back on to the international spa map!

Matlock Bath - 19th December

On the 19th December, Doreen Buxton - co-author of 'Matlock Bath A Perfectly Romantic Place' - led a walk to reveal the historic landscaping and building developments that promoted Matlock Bath as a popular place to visit.

As a small rural spa in the 18th century, it attracted health seekers, artists and tourists. By the end of the century it could accommodate about 400 staying guests. In contrast, by the end of the 19th century, visitors included holiday makers and, more significantly, day trippers numbered in thousands!

Attendees were pleased to warm up with hot punch generously served in the garden of one of the village's finest villas - the home of one of our supporters.

Guests enjoying a chilly but fascinating tour of Matlock Bath - 19th December 2021.

programme of events - 2022

We're currently finalising our programme of events for next year. We will share this with you in January - lots to look forward to! Don't forget - if you are a Friend of the DHBT you get priority booking and we are also offering reduced ticket costs for 2022 as well.

Our first event is going to be an online presentation via ZOOM on the afternoon of the 23rd January. The Vice Chair of the DHBT, Barry Joyce, has teamed up with historian Toby Ebbs to produce ‘Architectural Oddities’ - a series of short films investigating some interesting quirks of architectural and social history in and around Derbyshire.

Barry Joyce and Toby Ebbs in Long Eaton.

Their first film ‘Vienna in Long Eaton’ tells the story of a very short lived architectural practice which produced three extraordinary buildings in Long Eaton inspired by the Viennese Successionist movement. Barry will introduce the YouTube film and answer questions at its conclusion.

It will be free to attend but you will need to book via Eventbrite to be sent joining details. The booking details will be circulated soon, but in the meantime, please make sure you keep an hour or so free from 2pm on the 23rd January!

Long Eaton - 2021.

DHBT Architecture awards - 2021

The Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust (DHBT) hosted their annual Architecture Awards at Elvaston Castle on Saturday 27th November.

The DHBT makes awards to promote all the best in Derbyshire’s architectural heritage and the Awards are a high point in the heritage calendar for the county.

The 2021 judging committee included journalist and writer Matthew Parris; Oliver Gerrish (Awards coordinator); journalist and writer Julian Glover; architectural critic and writer Hugh Pearman MBE and DHBT Trustees, Ian Webster and Barry Joyce MBE.

The DHBT had given people all over the county the chance to enter their architectural projects for the Awards under various categories following the postponed 2020 event. The Awards bring deserved public recognition to those who work tirelessly to safeguard Derbyshire’s built heritage.

Guests were served refreshments upon arrival in the Hall of the Fair Star. Oliver Gerrish hosted the Awards and Dr. John Goodall, the Architectural Editor of Country Life magazine, presented the Awards.

These were the 2021 winners and those given commendations (further details of each project can be found on the DHBT’s blog.

New Building in an Historic Setting

Winner - John Smedley East Site Redevelopment

Evans Vettori Architects

Client - Oasis Holding

Commendation - Hot House, Wirksworth

Mansel Architects

Clients - Lu and Ralph Selby

Reuse of an Historic Building

Joint Winner

Museum of Making at Derby Silk Mill

Architect - Bauman Lyons

Client - Derby Museums

Joint Winner

Ada Belfield Centre and Belper Library

Glancy Nicholls Architects

Client - Derbyshire County Council

Commendation

Amber Mill Furniture Rural Enterprise Centre

Architect - Tim Nutter

Client - Ann Turner

Restoration of an Historic Building

Winner

Radbourne Hall

Architect - Peregrine Bryant

Client - Sir James and Lady Chichester

Commendation

Crowden Lea

Tom Crooks Architecture

Client - Mr P Young

Commendation

Elvaston Coach House and Clock Tower

Architect - Alex Gilbert

Client - Derbyshire County Council

Restoration of a Public Building

Winner

St Wilfrid’s Church, Barrow-upon- Trent

Architect - Lathams - Matthew Wilde

Client - The Friends of St Wilfrid’s Church

Commendation

Hathersage Swimming Pool

Tom Crooks Architecture

Client - Hathersage Parish Council

Deborah Devonshire Award

Ensana Buxton Crescent

Architect - Andrew Ryan

Client - Buxton Crescent Ltd

The ‘Conservation Champion’ award was given to Ron Common, who had been nominated by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, for his outstanding contribution to their project to restore Aqueduct Cottage.

Elvaston Castle (credit: Mark Somerfield)
Grounds of Elvaston Castle (credit: Mark Somerfield)
The DHBT Architecture Awards 2021 (Credit: Mark Somerfield)

Left: Ron Common receiving his 'Conservation Champion' award from Dr John Goodall (credit: Barry Joyce).

derby hippodrome

The short film above outlines DHBT's role, as part of the Derby Hippodrome Partnership, to help bring about change.

You can download the full report prepared by consultants Bonnar Keenleyside (thanks to funding from the Theatres Trust) which outlines the proposed way forward for the building.

Please contact Lucy if you would like to get involved with this project - we're particularly keen to hear from those in the local Derby/Derbyshire music scene. There will be a get together to discuss the alternative music ideas at 7pm on the 18th January 2022 in The Bless, Derby (Blessington Carriage, Chapel Street).

can you help us to organise a charity ball?

We're looking for volunteers who can help us to organise a fundraising ball for Autumn 2022. Ideally, we would love to find someone who has organised similar events before and would be willing to share their expertise to help us achieve maximum financial success as well as ensuring an enjoyable event for all.

We're also looking for volunteers who would like to be part of the wider organising committee and who can be proactive - getting on with tasks, following up and researching in between regular meetings.

If you think you might be able to help, please get in touch with Lucy to find out more. It would be great to hear from people who have creative ideas and a willingness to share.

Finally, to help us generate funds on the evening, we are looking to run an auction. If you have contacts that could be approached for items, that would also be very much appreciated. Thank you!

historic england - risk register for 2021

Historic England have recently published the Heritage at Risk Register for 2021. The Register provides an annual snapshot of the critical health of England's most valued historic places, and those most at risk of being lost.

You can view all the Heritage at Risk Register entries in Derbyshire here.

The DHBT are still hoping to submit a funding application early next year which will focus on developing the resources and skills required to undertake a buildings at risk survey in the county.

link in with dhbt

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