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William Weir and the SPAB

As part of Explore Your Archive 2020, the SPAB is celebrating the work of architect William Weir and marking 70 years since his death in 1950. Perhaps best known for his repair of landmark buildings such as Eastbury Manor in Barking, and Tattershall and Bodiam Castles, as well as a great many smaller buildings and churches countrywide, Weir was closely associated with SPAB’s co-founder Philip Webb, and with the Society for much of his career.

The SPAB archive houses a series of William Weir's notebooks and building reports, and his correspondence and condition reports are contained in numerous historic casework files stored in the archive. The notebooks include plans, sketches, and extensive notes about the buildings that Weir visited on behalf of the Society. The reports he wrote for us provided vital information at the time and today the materials are valuable to researchers about the history of individual buildings and the changes to villages, towns and cities across the UK.

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Brief biography

William Weir was born in Edinburgh in 1865. He left school at 16 to work as a paying pupil in Glasgow with the architect Archibald MacPherson. This gave Weir a good background in church buildings as MacPherson was predominantly an ecclesiastical architect. After two years, Weir moved to London to work for Leonard Stokes, again as a paying pupil. It was while working for Stokes that Weir met Charles Winmill and the two became lifelong friends often holidaying together and touring the country on their high bicycles. Weir stayed with Stokes for six years before starting work for Philip Webb, co-founder of the SPAB, in 1889. And this time Weir was earning a small salary.

The eight years Weir spent working for Webb rooted in him more firmly in the idea of repair rather than restoration, and it was now that Weir started to regularly carry out work for the Society, although he would not become a Committee member until 1902.

Weir worked for J T Micklethwaite, who was Surveyor to the Fabric of Westminster Abbey, for one year before setting up his own practice.   

Image: William Weir by his "high bicycle", photograph from "William Weir and Dartington Hall" by Reginald Snell (1986)

Weir's working method

Reginald Snell summed up Weir's working method as follows:

"Most important among the factors which go to make the system notable is his practice of employing direct labour and of obtaining materials at first hand. He does not work from a city office as most architects do. He relies on the men he has trained and upon unremitting personal supervision for his success. Most architects employ men who have been accustomed to their methods by always engaging a builder of their choice. But this does not always prove successful, for builders are at the disposal of many different architects, both those who restore and those who repair, and their men, more or less bewildered by the contrary instructions of different firms, are hesitant and fearful when they are not actively ignorant and thoughtless. On the other hand the men employed by Mr Weir know no other master, and when they are not directly trained by him they learn their special craft from others of older standing who have had that benefit. Thus tradition in repairs true and right as the great building tradition of the middle ages itself is being evolved. Mr Weir’s work has not been confined to the tradesmen alone, for he has from time to time taught younger architects, and through them has helped to establish a school of repair which must have a lasting effect on the architectural learning of our country." Snell, William Weir and Dartington Hall (1986) p 31

Image: page from Weir's notebook no. 5 with drawings of Skenfrith Church, Monmouthshire

Eglwys Brewis, Vale of Glamorgan (1)

The church at Eglwys Brewis was the last building that Weir worked on under the direct supervision of Webb, though Webb always had input into all the cases that Weir and other SPAB caseworkers were involved in through his role on the Committee.

William Weir carried out the Committee’s recommendations for the treatment of the chancel arch which involved rebuilding the decayed core by interspersing seams of concrete with two-course bonds of flat stones – Weir referred to this system as “Webb’s sandwiches”. These “sandwiches” were inserted through one side of the wall, leaving the other intact throughout.

Image: drawing of Eglwys Brewis chancel arch before repair work was carried out. Willam Weir, May 1900 

 

Eglwys Brewis, Vale of Glamorgan (2)

Webb and Weir were in correspondence throughout the duration of the repair works at Eglwys Brewis, and Webb advised Weir to “not chamfer the new (timbers) — let the thing tell its own tale as well it may.’ The work was finished in autumn 1900 and Webb wrote to Weir: ‘Please accept my sincere thanks for the valuable help you have given to the Society, and the kindness with which you have put up with me as the representative of the SPAB.’

Image: plan of the chancel arch before repair and a report on the church, both by Willilam Weir. 

Church of St Margaret Marlos, Eglwys Cummin, South Glamorgan

Philip Webb had visited Eglwys Cummin church on behalf the Society at the request of Mr Treherne, the agent for the property and member of the Society. In July 1900 Weir started work reinforcing the west gable, parts of which were insecure, having been raised when the roof pitch was altered. While carrying out this work he discovered moulded stones indicating that the gable had originally been curved. Webb wanted Weir to reveal these stones on the outside, adding, ‘I am not for a moment proposing to repair this church in any supposed earlier form of roof or vault, but only as the work now is’.

As well reinforcing the west gable, Weir repair the roof by relaying the slates and fixing the lead soakers to them where they abutted against the gables ensuring it was watertight.

In May 1901, after the interior plastering was completed, Mr Treherne wrote to the Secretary: ‘The society through Mr Webb, and under the supervision of Mr Weir have advised as to certain works of repair to this ancient church with great success and much economy.’

On receiving Weir’s photographs of the church in November 1901 Webb wrote: ‘Truly it looks more ‘‘ancient’’ than before you laid hands on it... the continuous solid looking stone ridge is more than worth the money it cost. The pointing too — now, looks really workmanlike.’

Image: page from Photograph Album 2 in the SPAB archive with images of the interior and exterior of  Eglwys Cummin church.

All Saints’, Wilby, Norfolk (1)

All Saints’, Wilby was the first building Weir worked on in his own name. He reported on it in February 1900, but work there could not begin work there until Eglwys Cummin was finished the following year.

Weir worked on the multiple structural defects around the church including the nave’s bulging north wall and the nave roof, and replaced rotten rafters. He discovered the remains of a staircase to the rood loft while working on the north-east portion of the nave and Webb advised ‘All we can do is to strengthen, and hide as little of the present untouched work as possible’.

Image: magic lantern slide of Wilby Church during the repair works.

All Saints’, Wilby, Norfolk (2)

The repair works at All Saints', Wilby were completed in the spring of 1902 and Weir returned to the church in 1912 and 1933 to give further advice on its upkeep.

Image: page from Weir's notebook no. 5 with drawings showing stairs to the roof loft (left wide) and the south wall (right side). 

Church of St Michael, Onibury, Shropshire

The SPAB had been concerned about proposed alterations to the Church of St Michael, Onibury for several years before Weir reported on his visit there in October 1902. Weir worked at the church in 1903 although Detmar Blow is credited with completing the re-ordering of the interior which included re-seating, re-lighting and extending the west gallery. Blow was a contemporary of Weir and a member of the Society so very familiar with applying SPAB principles when working on repairs of old buildings. In his book Wandering Architects, Michael Drury suggests that “the enlargement of the gallery might have been a compromise to provide the additional accommodation the parish sought”.

Image: magic lantern slide showing the chancel arch before repair.

Coln St Denys, Gloucestershire

In 1905, Weir saved the church tower of Coln St Denys, now known as Coln St Dennis, which required strengthening as it was buckled and bowed. In his book Wandering Architects, Michael Drury states “The Society had at last made much misshapen indictors of a building’s history not just acceptable by venerable, and something worthy of great effort to retain.”

Image: Coln St Denys church after repair.

Tattershall Castle, Lincolnshire (1)

The SPAB Annual Report for 1912 states “The fate of this most valuable example of a fifteenth-century castle has been watched with anxiety for some time. Happily it has now passed into the possession of the Right Hon. Earl Curzon of Kedleston, who is undertaking extensive works of repair which will ensure its future safety. The noble Earl has employed an architect, in consultation with the Society, to direct the works on the spot.” This architect was William Weir.

The castle was in a ruinous state when it was sold to Lord Curzon for £500. The original fireplaces had recently been stripped out and after a nationwide hunt they were found in London and bought back by the Earl for £15,000. This experience lead him to support stricter protection laws for historic buildings. In 1913 he was instrumental in the passing of the Ancient Monuments and Amendments Act, which for the first time gave the government powers to act directly when a historic site was under threat. Landowners could be forced to repair structures or be fined, and unpaid fines could lead to imprisonment.

Lord Curzon (1859–1925) was a major figure of British public life, who has a controversial legacy as an advocate for British imperialism across the world and as president of a group opposing women's suffrage. Find out more on the National Trust's website.

Image: front cover of one of Weir’s notebooks on Tatterhall Castle.

Tattershall Castle, Lincolnshire (2)

Initially the Earl wanted to rebuild large parts of the castle but was persuaded to instead reinstate the timer floors, repair the window tracery, battlements and gatehouse, and to build bridges over the moats.

Lord Curzon bequeathed the castle to the National Trust in 1925 and William Weir continued to work with the Trust on the castle after the Earl’s death.

Image: Weir’s notebooks on Tatterhall Castle showing just some of the extensive notes about the building.

Bodiam Castle, East Sussex

Curzon, now Lord Curzon, bought another castle in 1917 – Bodiam in Sussex, and again Weir was the Architect appointed to oversee its repair.

When the castle was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1925, Weir was appointment architect to the Management Committee. In December 1925, Weir produced a report for the Trust which detailed all the works which had been carried out in 1919 to 1920, which included: emptying the moat of mud, facing and repointing the curtain wall, the causeway, the octagonal platform and the two abutments on the banks of the moat, clearing vegetation, and rebedding loose masonry. Roofs and floors were also repair or reconstructed where necessary.

The excavations at the castle site turned up various objects which were put in a small museum at the castle for which Weir provided exhibition lists. Objects he listed include scissors, sword hilts, a shoulder piece from a suit of armour, a letter writing tray, a wood chisel made of steel, a spear, horseshoes, pieces of glass presumably from the castle windows, animal jaw bones, pottery, cannon balls, an oxon yolk, and tiles.

In the end, Weir was associated with the castle for twenty years.

Image: photograph of Bodiam Castle with scaffolding taken during the repair work 1919/1920.

Dartington Hall, Devon (1)

Dartington Hall was acquired by Leonard Elmhirst in 1925/26. Through the recommendations of Oliver Baker, the local architect originally consulted by Elmhirst, the advice of the SPAB and the praise of Lady Sandwich who had spoken about the valuable service done at Tattershall and Bodiam castles, William Weir was appointed architect.

The Hall had been a ruin for 200 years and major work was undertaken to repair it, most notable was the rebuilding of the Great Hall roof which was begun in 1931. Drawings had been made of the dangerously rotten roof before it was dismantled for safety reasons in the early 1800s but the previous owners did not make these drawings available. The outline of the old roof beams was visible in places in the plaster, but Weir was able to design the roof as he saw fit without having to copy what was there before.

Image: Dartington Hall before repair.

Dartington Hall, Devon (2)

Nearly all the oak for the roof of the Banqueting Hall at Dartington was cut from the Hall’s own estate - only one tie-beam had to be obtained elsewhere, and it had been seasoned for three years before being sawn. The beams were hauled up by hand using the rope and pulley method which was heavy work as each of the six principle hammer-beam roof trusses weighed 3 ¼ tonnes.

Image: photograph showing the reroofing of the Banqueting Hall, Dartington Hall.

Photo of his Annual Reports

William Weir worked on between 300 and 350 buildings during the course of his career ranging from dovecotes to castles. Many of these were small scale jobs but, as Reginald Snell calculated, 50 of the 275 documented cases were two year jobs, 40 lasted three years and a few took seven or eight years to complete.

Weir did a lot to preserve parish churches. In his book Collins Guide to Parish Churches of England and Wales (1958) John Betjeman says that the one hundred churches he included in his book that Weir worked on were “worth bicycling 12 miles against the wind to see.”

For many years Weir dealt with every aspect of his projects himself from recruiting labour and buying materials. He trained numerous young architects and craftsmen in the SPAB methods and truly embodied the Society’s manifesto.