Wells Cathedral West Front pilot study : Setting the tone for appraisal and repair strategies
Abstract
Simon Jenkins placed Wells Cathedral at the top of his list of Top Ten Cathedrals of England and it is easy to see why when the sun dances across the West Front. Adorned with 300-plus sculptures dating from the 13th century, the pattern of decay is somewhat to be expected, but it is perhaps the historic interventions that make the building of such interest to conservators and architects alike. This paper addresses the recent works carried out on the West Front between May and August 2021, which were put together as a pilot scheme of repairs, from which a much larger repair programme could be specified. On a building as significant as Wells Cathedral, repair programmes are proposed as centuries-only events, rather than five-year plans, the impact of a full scaffold being placed across the façade being both technically challenging and disruptive to a small city relying very much on the tourist and filming trade. The repair works carried out and proposed for the future include replacement of severely decayed stonework, ‘plastic’ repairs in lime mortar, removal of detritus and pigeon guano, and comprehensive recording to understand both the patterns of decay of the stone itself and any repair programme’s longevity.
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Author's Biography
Berenice Humphreys began her career with Cliveden Conservation working as an architectural conservator on numerous projects, varying from fixing plaster decorative ceilings in Northumberland, repairing a Tudor tiled floor in Cornwall, cleaning marble statues in Wales and refixing architectural ceramics in Northern Ireland. Since 2005 she has taken the lead on projects, and now works from the Bath workshop of Cliveden as a Senior Projects Manager. The projects remain varied both in materials and size. Recent projects include consulting on and overseeing the conservation needs during the Archway Project — a scheme to open up a new section of the Roman Baths Museum in Bath, lifting and setting a 5m x 8m Roman mosaic on the wall of Dorset Museum, and works to decorative plaster and timbers at St John’s College, Oxford. Berenice also has been involved for many years with the Institute of Conservation, the professional body for practising conservators, and has for the last few years been Co-Chair of the Stone and Wallpaintings Group, organising conferences and lectures on a voluntary basis. With over 20 years’ experience in the contracting field, she spends much of her time consulting, estimating, negotiating with clients, architects and her team, and looking after the logistics of projects which frequently require last-minute decision making, as conservation of historic buildings tends not to be predictable. She has delivered presentations to professionals on the repairs of ceramics on the Crown Bar in Belfast, local radio interviews on the repairs to both the Roman Baths and Fordington Mosaic in Dorset, and was part of a recent Discovery Channel Heritage Rescue documentary on a water-damaged plaster ceiling at Powderham Castle.
Citation
Humphreys, Berenice (2022, September 1). Wells Cathedral West Front pilot study : Setting the tone for appraisal and repair strategies. In the Journal of Building Survey, Appraisal & Valuation, Volume 11, Issue 2. https://doi.org/10.69554/UZFC9986.
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