Building of the Month: Picton House, Kingston-Upon-Thames
This Black History Month, we’re digging into our Archive to find out what happened to the home of Cesar Picton, one of Britain’s first Black "gentlemen".
Blog
Old House Project - Rammed Earth and more
During the late spring and early summer, work at the Old House Project (OHP) moved forward steadily - but gently - in the hands of the very capable craftspeople at Owlsworth IJP. Stonemason Jim Roberts continued masonry repairs and carpenter Callum McCaffrey applied his skills to window joinery. Volunteer Mark Murthwaite-Price oversaw the burning of local grey chalk in our field kiln to produce quicklime for mortar. As July approached, Mark upped his output significantly to stockpile lime for our Boxley Abbey Working Party week.
World Architecture Day: The Evolution of the Architect
Architects of the ancient world were not like the architects we know today. Author and architect Eleanor Jolliffe considers the emergence of the professional architect and the changing nature of the profession.
SPAB Scholars: Thatch, the Climate Crisis and the Chance to Bring Heritage Crafts Back From the Brink
Lewis Hobbs, Architectural Assistant and 2023 SPAB Scholar, explores how a changing world has altered thatching in the UK, and what can be done to secure the future of this traditional craft.
From the Archive: How a scandal around fireplaces led to greater protections for ancient buildings
On the 110th anniversary of the Ancient Monuments Consolidation and Amendments Act, we look at how the threat to Tattershall Castle helped to bring about some of the first real protections for ancient buildings.
Conservation, comradery and the most surprising part of being a woman in engineering
Ahead of International Women in Engineering Day we caught up with one of last year’s Scholars, Serena Gildea, to hear about her career highlights since finishing the programme.
Brick by brick: building a bricklaying career as a woman in trade
2023 SPAB Fellow Kate Longworth tells us about discovering the joys of bricklaying and the importance of female role models.
SPAB Scholars: what stories can this old chapel tell?
Laura Brain, Architectural Assistant and 2023 SPAB Scholar, explores a lively debate sparked by a visit to Walpole Old Chapel, Suffolk.
Helping to keep a critically endangered craft alive
Daniel Cheetham, carpenter and SPAB Millwright Fellow 2023, reflects on how he became involved with this critically endangered craft.
The community-driven project breathing new life into John O’Groats Mill
As we approach National Mills Weekend, Bryony Robinson, Development Manager at John O’Groats Mill, kindly answered a few questions about this exciting project.