Synergy News & Blog: News
Saving Walpole Old Chapel – Works Well Underway
After ten years in the making, the first phase of major repair works to Walpole Old Chapel are well underway to remove it from the Heritage at Risk Register and to ensure it’s long-term survival for future generations.
The Grade II listed building near Halesworth, Suffolk, is one of the oldest non-conformist chapels in England and one of very few surviving. It is described by Historic England as “a historic gem”.
From the exterior, the chapel resembles more of the traditional farmhouse that it originally was, before becoming a non-conformist meeting house in the middle of the 17th century. Radically different from other established churches the interior of the chapel is simple and unadorned.
After remaining an important part of the village of Walpole for over 400 years, today the chapel continues to play a vital role in the religious, social and cultural life of the community. The building is still used as a place for worship and religious ceremonies and is also a heritage site and performance venue.
The building has been at risk due to large cracks in the exterior allowing water to damage the timber frame structure. Conservation experts have been carefully removing the failed cement render which had previously been patched up with insensitive materials.
With the building unwrapped, repairs to the timber framework can be carried out and the building will be re-rendered in traditional materials.
With all conservation projects there is a delicate balance between preserving the historic fabric whilst safeguarding the structure for the future.
The infill panels are made with what is known in Suffolk as ‘cob and pole’. ‘Cob’ (i.e. daub) was a sloppy mixture of clay, sand and animal hair which dried to form a hard, weather-proof surface. The conservators are experimenting to create a 21st Century ‘cob’ using a clay-based mixture bonded with goats hair which will fix securely to the new wooden laths.
In some places, none of the original building material has survived, leaving empty holes in the wall. The cover photo on the right, taken at ground floor level, shows the structural engineer pointing to one example. On the window sill is a sample wood fibre block that has been approved for use as infill when no other option is possible.
We are providing Cost Consultancy services on this project for the Historic Chapels Trust, working with Cliveden Conservation and Ptolemy Dean Architects.
(Photos courtesy of Walpole Old Chapel)
