| Traditional
Building Skills - |
Please note some courses are run on specific sites and not all are at Cressing Temple.Please check details carefully.
Hands-on
Traditional Building Skills Courses
Since 1997 the Historic Buildings
and Conservation team at Essex County Council have run a series of one, two or
three day hands-on courses in traditional building skills. The courses aim to
address the declining numbers of people trained in traditional craft skills and
to raise awareness of the importance of protecting our historic buildings by using
the appropriate methods and materials to repair and conserve them.
The courses are run from our workshop at Cressing Temple but where possible we take our courses to live sites throughout the county. Our tutors are all excellent craftsmen who run their own businesses using their skills every day, and have a wealth of experience and knowledge.
Those attending the courses include owners of historic buildings, practising craftsmen who want to specialise in traditional repairs, and general builders and contractors as well as interested amateurs. Courses are open to all skill levels unless specified otherwise.
Running
along side the hands-on courses are our summer seminars which take place every
year at the historic site of Cressing Temple Barns. Day seminars
on aspects
of historic buildings have been organised at Cressing Temple since the County
Council acquired the site in 1987. Titles vary annually but their aim remains
the same, to educate and inform professionals such as surveyors, architects, building
contractors, self employed tradesmen, plus the owners of historic buildings, in
the technical and practical issues involved in the care and repair of our historic
buildings.
As an addition to the programme, this year we are including a range of short lectures which cover various issues for the professional and the homeowner.
Please note we issue certificates of attendance and certificates showing hours attended which can be used for CPD purposes.
Courses
include:
LIME MORTAR & CONSERVATION BRICKWORK
OWNERS' LIME PLASTER
COURSE
LIME PLASTER, RUN MOULDINGS & PARGETTING
REPAIR & CONSERVATION
OF HISTORIC JOINERY
A TOUR OF A TRADITIONAL BRICK WORKS & A GUIDED WALK THROUGH
BURY ST EDMUNDS
BRICK ARCHES - REPAIR & CONSTRUCTION
LIME PLASTER FOR
PLASTERERS
AN INTRODUCTION TO THATCH
TIMBER FRAME REPAIRS
WATTLE &
DAUB
FLINT WALLING
Most of the courses are held at the historic site of Cressing Temple between Braintree and Witham. However, some of the courses are held at sites around the county and where possible our students work on 'real' projects for example St Botolph's Church, Hadstock.
Flint
Walling Course
For the last 10 years we have been running our flint walling
course at the beautiful grade I listed church of St Botolph's in Hadstock. On
the three day course the students have the opportunity to learn and then practice
their new found skills on the perimeter wall under the expert eye of our tutor.
The courses
were started because the Historic Building Advisers at ECC recognised that there
was a skills shortage and owners of historic buildings were having problems finding
craftsmen with the right skills to repair their buildings. Those attending the
courses range from owners of historic buildings, practising craftsmen who want
to specialise in traditional repairs and enthusiastic amateurs who are just interested.
The tutors used for these traditional building skills courses are all excellent
craftsmen and run their own businesses using their skills every day.
Seminars
at Cressing Temple
Running alongside the hands-on courses are a series
of one-day seminars all concerned with the conservation of historic buildings.
The seminars run each summer and cover different subjects every year. Seven national
speakers attend each day. The seminars run from May through to September with
one each month and are based at the wonderful mediaeval historic barns at Cressing
Temple in Essex.
For
more information contact Katie Seabright on Tel: 01245 437672
Email: Traditional.BuildingSkills@essexcc.gov.uk
