News - Old House Project

Our Old House Project in Kent is a former gatehouse chapel to a Cistercian Abbey once housed a relic of the finger of St Andrew.

We are proud to announce that the St Andrews, Maidstone project as won the Museums + Heritage Award for Best Restoration or Conservation Project of the Year.

It’s not Sutton Hoo, but archaeology trials uncovered artefacts which add to the developing story of our medieval building.

A former chapel, a 20^th century post office, a Victorian home, the site of a ginger-beer making business and the home of a relic.

Despite the pandemic, progress has been made this summer with roof repairs at the SPAB's Old House Project at St Andrew's, Boxley in Kent. The roof is an especially important and characterful feature of our Grade II* listed building.

Our event is going ahead this year, though with arrangements in place to ensure the safety of our volunteers, specialists and staff.

We are very excited that this summer leading craftspeople and specialists will carry out urgent roof repairs at St Andrew’s, Boxley. With their help we will make some new handmade tiles and can conserve as much of the original roof as possible.

The SPAB has embarked on a second building repair project to revive the only surviving windmill in Leicestershire that retains its historic machinery.

In November we held a working party at St Andrew’s, our Old House Project in Kent. With the help of over 30 keen volunteers and experts the building and its garden have been transformed.

Malcolm Fryer Architects will lead the SPAB through the crucial initial steps of acquiring Old House Project listed building consent and planning permission for repair and alteration work.