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The
tower of St Mary’s, Beaminster has been a crowning feature of
the Dorset landscape for some five centuries. It was built
mainly from mellow golden Ham Hill limestone and is
spectacularly adorned with pinnacles, saints, beasts, grotesques
and demi-angels. Its design has influenced church architecture
throughout Dorset, Somerset and Devon.
The
stone used for this astonishing carved detail is particularly
sensitive to various forms of erosion, and incorrect bedding has
led to severe weathering in some places, including lamination,
loss of detail and cracking. In addition, repairs carried out
with such inappropriate materials as hard cement mortars and
iron fixings have led to further deterioration.
Strachey
and Strachey Conservation brought together a team of highly
experienced experts who worked closely with architect Allan
Harvey on a project that required not just first class technical
skill but also an intuitive aesthetic approach. They used
‘Lime Technique’ methods originally developed during the
major conservation work on Wells Cathedral
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in
the 1970s and 80s:
cleaning surfaces, removing previous cement repairs and
iron fixings and stabilising lamination and fractures with
stainless steel micro-pins and dowels.
Meticulous
investigation and recording marked every stage of the project,
for the dual purpose of documenting each instance of damage,
treatment and repair and also to aid long-term assessment of the
efficacy of techniques used. This was supplemented by an
archaeological survey of the tower that was undertaken in
parallel to the conservation work, The mortar used for jointwork,
for instance, was matched closely to the excellent lime mix used
during repointing done in 1876.
The
work was completed with the application of a skilfully
colour-matched and unobtrusive sheltercoat that, together with
the cleaning and repair work, has enhanced the appearance of the
tower.
Public
response to the work has been enthusiastic, with the delighted
chairman of the St Mary’s Preservation Appeal describing the
enhanced tower as resplendent.
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