Chair's introduction
Dear Supporter
There’s ‘oodles’ of interest in this edition!
Take time to view the film of plastering at Wingfield Station; you will find it fascinating. And also time to watch the Yesterday Channel’s coverage of the interim stage of our restoration.
Congratulations to the Sudbury Gasworks Restoration Trust for completing their project – don’t miss the DHBT visit there in June although, as you can see, there are other interesting visits too - please book on quickly to avoid disappointment.
If you love gardens - even if you know nothing about them, then please volunteer to help us create our joint stand at the BBC Gardeners' World Live exhibition to see if we can win an award. And talking of awards, if you know of an old building recently restored, or a lovely new one in an historic setting, or have had work undertaken by a very skilled craftsperson, please nominate them for a DHBT Award
Support us in whatever way you can - as a Friend, volunteer or just by spreading the word on LinkedIn, YouTube and our social media channels. Please do look out for our crowd funding campaign in the near future to help us rescue the unique coat of arms of the North Midland Railway
Yours ever,
Derek Latham, Chair of DHBT
Cover Photo: Sudbury Gasworks, May 2023
project progress at wingfield station
Watch our short film documenting the current progress at Wingfield Station:
As shown in the film, a lot of Ackroyd Construction's attention has been on the lath and plasterwork - this is a very time consuming process. Laths have been fixed across the underside of joists or horizontally on stud work and have to be lightly dampened immediately prior to the application of the first coat of plaster (the 'pricking up' coat) to remove any dust. Once the plaster has been applied a cross hatch key must be formed in the surface with a wooden scratch comb in order to create a mechanical key for the second coat (the 'floating coat').
The plasterers are using non-hydraulic lime putty that has matured for a minimum of three months. Drying out takes a long time - rapid drying has to be avoided as this leads to poor carbonation of the lime and, ultimately, failure!
Lots of other aspects are progressing well to including the completion of internal masonry repairs and the fixing of the timber corner beads. Trenching up the access road is nearly finished with the electrical kiosk due to arrive over the next few days. Joinery window repairs will also be completed next week when glazing will commence.
Project Engagement Update
Community historians have researched and written historical stories of the station for the new set of interpretation panels that will be installed on site and for the Trust's website. One of the volunteers is designing a model railway.
The programme of events to celebrate the station's restoration is being planned. Events include open days, with guided tours led by volunteers, on selected days over the autumn. Details of all of the events and how to book will be posted on the DHBT website in due course.
Please contact Victoria if you would like to join the team to welcome visitors and help run the events: wingfieldstationvolunteering@gmail.com
Construction and Photography Students on Site
Ackroyd Construction have hosted 5 construction students (each on 30hr placements) from Chesterfield College. This has given the students experience of working on a real construction site and the health and safety issues that come with that, as well as a basic understanding of the general principals of working on a historic building.
We've also had BA photography students from the University of Derby visit the site for the first time this month. They are going to be documenting the restoration work and exhibiting their work in the station later on this year.
BBC Gardener's World Live
We've teamed up with Broomfield Hall Horticultural College (part of Derby College) to design and build a show garden for this year’s BBC Gardeners’ World Live event. Peter Milner, the DHBT trustee lead for Wingfield Station - together with the team at Broomfield Hall - has been involved in designing and building six previous show gardens, all of which have won Awards, including Platinum, Gold, and Best Interpretation.
The College students took it upon themselves to suggest several designs for a show garden, based on the Wingfield project. The chosen design is based on the theme of Restoration and shows part of the station house derelict and the remainder restored.
The garden involves the third-year students led by senior lecturer Mike Baldwin together with DHBT’s own volunteer team.
The annual show incorporates some 30 show gardens, dozens of border gardens and some 60 planted wheelbarrows each created by a local school. We are looking for more volunteers to help us during the event at the NEC Birmingham over the 15th to 18th June.
If you are interested in helping please contact Victoria: wingfieldstationvolunteering@gmail.com or 07774 517740 for more details of how and when volunteers will be needed. You do not need to have any gardening knowledge or experience – simply a desire to be part of this amazing experience!
Roof Slates - Training with Broomfield Students
To make the show garden as authentic as possible, we were delighted when heritage roofer and technical trainer, Richard Jordan, (who is currently supporting the DHBT to incorporate more training opportunities in our work) offered to give a roof slating session to the students. Richard advised us previously, via Historic England, on the approach to the urgent roof repairs at Wingfield.
'The Architecture the Railways Built' - Catch up now with the latest episode
If you missed Wingfield on 'The Architecture the Railways Built' on the 18th April you can now catch up with the episode here (series 4, episode 8).
This is our second appearance on the the Yesterday Channel programme. For this episode the team explored the site at the mid point of the restoration project and also looked at some of the other surprising discoveries made on-site.
We really hope Tim Dunn and the crew will return for a final time once the project is fully complete later on this year!
Historic Wallpaper Reproduction
We had an exciting delivery from Bruce Fine Papers earlier this month.
Below is the digital representation of how the block, which will reproduce the original wallpaper from the ladies’ waiting room, will look like! It’s not an example of the final printed product - this just gives us a chance to approve the overall design following artwork reconstruction from the original 1840 fragments. How clever!
The next step will be to make the block and we’ll then be sent a full colour block printed trial for approval.
Printed wallpaper was applied to the plaster walls in the ladies' waiting room. To our delight, it was revealed when one of the later horizontal rails was removed. The paper used was very thin and it was glued directly to the plaster instead of to lining paper.
In 2020 James Caverhill Conservation carefully removed the fragmented layers of the various wallpapers so that we could analyse them.
Raising funds to save the north midland railway crest and bring it to wingfield
In our last newsletter we mentioned the visit to look at the North Midland Railway crest at Littleover Hall, which once stood atop of Derby Midland Station. We have been generously gifted the stone crest - which overall measures 3m x 3m and was believed to have been lost when the station was demolished. Following enquiries with other relevant bodies, no organisation can provide a long term 'home' for the crest so it is our intention to site it at Wingfield.
Whilst it will be alien to the station setting, we will position it by our first interpretation stand; away from the station house, but in the context of the 72-mile recreation of the original route of the Derby-Leeds line. This is a wonderful opportunity to save a highly significant artwork, placing it in the context of the only surviving station house from the original 26 that were built.
However, the cost of taking it apart, lifting it, relocating it to Wingfield and conserving and re-assembling it is likely to cost in excess in £20,000. Very soon we will be launching a crowdfunding campaign to help us to save the crest, carved by renowned Victorian sculptor John Thomas, and put it on public display. Look out for further details about how you can support this.
sheffield historic buildings trust
Lucy (Executive Officer) and DHBT trustees Allan and Peter spent an evening in the company of Sheffield Historic Buildings Trust this month.
Sheffield Historic Buildings Trust have recently formed with the aim of repairing and reusing Sheffield’s historic buildings. This is to benefit local communities and promote traditional crafts.
It was good chatting to the group about our own background and lessons learnt along the way - as well as our recent experiences with Wingfield Station.
As we went to Sheffield by train from Derby we thought it was the perfect chance to capture a photo of Wingfield from the trackside…as you can see, we failed miserably and got the station master’s cottage and parcel shed instead!!
Follow their progress @Sheffield_HBT
DHBT Architecture Awards 2023
A reminder that we are currently accepting applications for the 2023 DHBT Architecture Awards.
The Ada Belfield Centre & Belper Library scheme, pictured below, was the joint winner for the category ‘Reuse of an Historic Building’ at our last awards in 2021.
There are a number of categories for 2023, so many historic building projects will find they can apply. We’ve also got our ‘Conservation Champion’ and ‘Craftsperson’ categories too.
Please do spread the word! Deadline for entries is 31st August 2023.
sudbury gasworks - practical completion reached
Well done to the team at The Gasworks, Sudbury for achieving practical completion. This characterful Grade II building can now be removed from the Derbyshire Dales buildings at risk register.
DHBT supporters will get a chance to visit the Gasworks on the 18th June as part of our 2023 programme of visits - see details below. The East Midland Industrial Archaeology Conference will also be hosted here on the 17th June with some great speakers. The focus, naturally, is on gasworks and the architect, George Devey.
The building is now open for community hire bookings and wedding enquires. For further information, please visit their website
forthcoming visits
All available to book on now - priority booking and reduced ticket price for Friends of DHBT/Wingfield Station. If you aren't already a friend, find out how you can join us here.
Sunday 18th June, 2pm - visit to Sudbury Gasworks
A chance to take a look at the recently restored Grade II listed Sudbury Gasworks, which was designed by architect, George Devey. Find out more about the restoration that has taken place with the capital works Project Manager, Lucy Godfrey.
Built around 1874, the gasworks provided gas to Sudbury Hall and other places in the village for 57 years.
Thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the building is now back at the centre of community life. It's recently opened as an events and heritage drop-in space. The original gashouse building has been conserved and sympathetically extended onto the footprint of the former gasholder.
Refreshments will be available to purchase and you will also have the opportunity to try out a new village heritage trail, which has been designed by the Sudbury Local History Group.
Sunday 23rd July, 2pm - Walking tour of John Smedley (Lea Mills)
A repeat of our 2022 visit due to popular demand! A walking tour led by the company archivist of the outside of the mill complex at Lea Mills, the oldest part of which (built in 1784 by Florence Nightingale’s ancestor) is the oldest operating textile mill in the world and an important part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sunday 20th August, 2pm - Tour of the historic town of Melbourne
A tour of the historic town of Melbourne. Led by architectural historian and conservation consultant, Philip Heath.
Sunday 17th September, 2pm - Visit to Lode Mill, Alstonefield
Lode Mill was rebuilt around 1810, for use as an ore-grinding watermill. It sits by the side of the river Dove. The derelict building has been restructured and converted to residential use over the last 12 years or more. The ground floor still remains unchanged and houses a Hurst water-powered frame with three sets of millstones.
recent events
Robert Bakewell Gates, Derby - 3rd April 2023
Despite less than perfect weather, the tour of Robert Bakewell gates in Derby, led by Mark Somerfield, went extremely well. Mark’s command of Bakewell’s history and artistry was complemented by input from one of the people on the tour who, by happy chance, turned out to be a wrought iron specialist blacksmith.
Ashover/Overton area heritage walk - 26th March 2023
At the end of March we enjoyed a truly wonderful walk of over 6 miles around Ashover. Here is a summary of the visit from one of the attendees:
"Arranged and led by Tony Wood Peak District Mining Museum and Temple Mine , Tony gave both an informative and fascinating tour of the mining and quarrying industries surrounding this edge of Peak District village.
Tony was aided by his friend, Jim, who was able to add to the tour some facts about the unique geology of the area.
This included explaining what created the opportunity for exploiting the rich galena ores, which created the country’s one-time most productive lead output from the Gregory Mine and Overton Hall mine.
Ashover quarries produced high quality gritstone and limestone, the latter being transported by the Ashover (narrow gauge) Light Railway, especially built by the Clay Cross Company for their steel production.
We saw the now sad remains of the Ashover Railway Station site – a corrugated tin shed affair, but still thankfully remaining as a reminder of this once quirky little railway. Whilst primarily intended to transport minerals, the railway also served the area as a passenger service as a link to the Midland main line at Clay Cross.
The walk took us literally 'up hill and down dale' enabling us to enjoy some spectacular views of the Amber Valley.
An unexpected highlight occurred when we spied a couple of tractors heading our way along a narrow roadway -followed by a least another 50 or so - we lost count after 35 had passed!!
Most seemed to have their entire families on board including pets – some even towed trailers housing family members, well wrapped up against the cool weather. And not a single grey Fergi amongst them!
The walk was a DHBT & Peak District Mining Museum joint event and Tony is planning a further walking tour of parts of Ashover still to be discovered. Thank you Tony!"
Check out forthcoming Peak District Mines Historical Society events here
In the footsteps of john piper
Back in August 2022 our sponsored cycle ride, in aid of the restoration of Wingfield station, included a stop off at @renishawhallg (who provided a great breakfast for the hungry cyclists!)
We were all impressed with the exhibition there by local artist, @johiv1 - ‘John Parker following in the footsteps of John Piper’, which celebrated 80 years since John Piper first visited Renishaw Hall.
Through a connection with DHBT trustee, Liz, we got to meet John that day. He kindly donated some of his unique prints, which we’ll soon be auctioning to raise project funds.
Last month we met again with John to talk about future partnership working. Exciting times! John showed us his exquisite photos printed onto aluminium plates.
We look forward to sharing more in coming weeks.
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