Barrington Court Revival

2022

Mitigation action

In the summer of 2022, repairs were undertaken across the Court House roof which dealt with the immediate water ingress issues. After tackling the leaks a mitigation programme has also been put in place to address any potential issues whilst the house is closed.

Unsafe masonry was recorded, removed and stored safely. These elements will be conserved and repaired before going back on the building when the main repair works take place.

In November 2022, the scaffolding was removed and the garden area around Court House tidied up.

New information panels on the project have been erected and linked to this page so everyone remains informed on the progress of the works.

2023

Investigations are underway

The Revival project was its early ‘concept and feasibility’ stage through 2023. This stage has been a fact-finding mission to understand the extent of the problem, a time to analyse and evaluate potential obstacles and to develop strategies to overcome them.

Throughout the year, conservation work was carried out on the timber panelling in the Court House.

Jun 2023

Geophysical surveys were carried out in areas near to Court and Strode Houses to discover any unknown buried features of potential archaeological interest. When building work commences, it will be a busy site with people working in portacabins, materials being moved and vehicles coming and going. It is important, therefore, that any archaeology is protected.

Jul 2023

With the houses being closed, other areas of the estate were developed for visitors to explore. The Farm Buildings were opened with new installations. In the History Shed people are encouraged to view site plans and debate the historic design decisions made by key characters from Barrington Court’s past. The Design Shed is a more hands-on space with windows to look through and puzzles to complete.

Aug 2023

Heritage specialist architects were appointed in August. In the autumn they carried out condition surveys and assessments of both buildings, the results of which will be used to help design solutions.

Feb 2024

More in-depth investigation works were carried out in February 2024. Scaffold towers were erected in certain places to access different areas across Court and Strode Houses. Tiles were lifted to inspect the roof structure underneath, intricate details (for example, around chimneys) were examined, and the rainwater goods were assessed. The discoveries have built a more intricate picture of the different problems in the different areas.

Through April preparations were made for the external tender process to begin for Structural and Civil Engineers, and a Quantity Surveyor (or Contract Administrator).

These roles are integral to the project. The Structural Engineer will work alongside the Architect to ensure the structural integrity of the solutions that are designed. They will also provide more detailed insight into how the building was constructed.

The Civil Engineer will focus on the rainwater goods - carrying out studies to better understand them and designing a new drainage system.

The Quantity Surveyor is responsible for estimating costs and the quantities of materials needed, while also helping to suggest alternative materials options. They also play a key role in costing the risks of the project and supporting with contingency planning.

The appointments for these roles are due to be made in May 2024.

Apr 2024

Through April preparations were made for the external tender process to begin for Structural and Civil Engineers, and a Quantity Surveyor (or Contract Administrator).

These roles are integral to the project. The Structural Engineer will work alongside the Architect to ensure the structural integrity of the solutions that are designed. They will also provide more detailed insight into how the building was constructed.

The Civil Engineer will focus on the rainwater goods - carrying out studies to better understand them and designing a new drainage system.

The Quantity Surveyor is responsible for estimating costs and the quantities of materials needed, while also helping to suggest alternative materials options. They also play a key role in costing the risks of the project and supporting with contingency planning.

The appointments for these roles are due to be made in May 2024.

Jun 2024

The investigations continue

Following the appointment of a Civil Engineer in May, more investigative work was carried out in June.

We also undertook some architectural paint analysis to understand the history and structure of the painted surfaces in the house.

This involved taking samples of the existing paint layers , mounting them in polyester resin and creating cross sections to show the decorative history and the nature of the materials used. These sections are examined at high magnification and photographed. Once stratigraphy patterns are established, micro-chemical tests are undertaken to help build up potential date ranges for the layers of paint.

This has been conducted in every room of the Court House, including the basement and Long Gallery. The results will provide essential information about the history of the buildings, detailing areas of particular significance which will help to shape the project.

The results will provide essential information about the history of the buildings, detailing areas of particular significance which will help to guide effective interventions throughout the project.

Jul 2024

The investigations continue

An independent consultant archaeologist spent time in July undertaking research into the roof structures of Court House and Strode House.

Several weeks were spent physically exploring the houses and the roof spaces, identifying and recording each timber used in the construction of the roof, highlighting those that predated the 1920’s restoration works and would have been recycled from different uses.

This will be followed by more time researching and analysing the discoveries. It will result in a marked-up plan, and photographic survey, of the entire roof space with the relative ages of timbers indicated. It will also include drawings of a variety of key elements of the roof structure, as well as detailed diagrams that explain the carpentry joints used, as well as an indication of the former life of some of the recycled timbers.

From this report, it can be determined if further dating of the timbers (dendrochronology or tree ring dating) needs to be undertaken. The results of the archaeologist’s work will vastly improve our understanding of the construction of each roof and guide interventions.

Sep 2024

More surveys

Further structural surveys were carried out in September on both Court and Strode Houses. A Structural Engineer assessed the condition of the roofs and associated masonry to monitor for further decline. They also carried out a focused study on the chimneys and finials on Court House roof, and any that posed a possible risk have been removed.

At the same time, drainage CCTV surveys were carried out on the above and below ground drainage system. Cameras were inserted into the downpipes to capture the measurements of the interior of the pipes and to see any damage. These surveys will help create new drainage models for the houses.