May Morris and her father, William Morris, believed passionately in the importance of buildings as monuments to art and civilisation. Founded by William Morris in 1877, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings was formed in response to the destructive work of many Victorian architects whose enthusiasm for harmful restoration caused irreparable damage to not only the building itself, but contributed to a profound loss of heritage. Hear from Tyler C. Lott at SPAB Scotland about the legacy of the organisation, the impact the SPAB has had on Britain’s Built Heritage, as well as top tips for a positive and practical approach to building conservation in the 21st century.

28th March 2020
Moffat Town Hall, High St, Moffat
£15 (includes tour, lunch and lectures) Please note the AGM (1-2pm) is free to attend for SPAB members.
SPAB Scotland are pleased to be hosting their AGM and tours day in the historic town of Moffat this year. The day will consist of a walking tour led by Evelyn Atkins of the Moffat Heritage Trust, and a light lunch, followed by our AGM. To complete the afternoon, we will hear from Peter Burman who will give a lecture about the town and it’s unique built heritage, concluding the day with a talk by Archie McConnel, secretary of Dumfries Archival Mapping Project, titled Mapping Moffat: from the clay of the commonty to imported lime. 

We do hope you will be able to join us and meet our new Chair Jamie McNamara.

For this working party, we will be based in the Old Churchyard in the town of Moffat. The medieval Church gable, a historic monument, is currently pointed in cement but the earth mortared core is causing the structure to continually move. As a result, the cement joints have opened and plant growth has taken hold, compromising the ancient monument’s structure and viability. We plan to remove all of the cement pointing and vegetation, consolidate and re-point the sole surviving gable of the pre-reformation C15th Parish Church, and of the whinstone rubble boundary wall of the surrounding Churchyard. We plan on carrying out the works to save this important monument, securing its future as a key illustration of the town’s development. We will also be carrying out boundary wall repairs, including localised rebuilding and repointing.

The ticket includes accommodation, lunch and refreshments; and covers the cost of materials and equipment.

Meet our new Chair, Jamie McNamara. Jamie holds a Post Grad Diploma in Applied Building Repair plus an MA in Conservation. He has worked with the conservation of canals, churches and within the traditional skills area. Jamie has worked on historic regeneration schemes and managing building repair grants. He is a full and active member of the IHBC, a SPAB Ireland Guardian with a particular interest in Georgian buildings and the vernacular.

We would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to our previous Chair Peter Burman, who did an absolutely outstanding job at leading the SPAB Scotland Committee. 

May Morris, the youngest daughter of SPAB founder William Morris, was one of the most significant artists of the British Arts & Crafts movement. At 23, shetook charge of the Morris & Co. embroidery department and was responsible for creating some of the company’s most iconic textiles and wallpaper designs.

The current exhibition at Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh explores her life and work. We’re delighted to have lent a postcard from our archive, written by May Morris to Thackeray Turner (the SPAB Secretary), postmarked 28 August 1902, for the exhibition.

On 5-8th June 2020, we will be returning to Lismore. Planned activities include kiln building, lime burning, pointing work to the traditional double kiln, a harling and lime washing workshop, investigation of earth mortars and the possibility of a thatching demonstration. 

Keep your eyes on our newsletter for further updates.