Appointment as preferred consultant to National Trust
— 14 Apr 2022
Wheal Betsy is in a remote and exposed part of Dartmoor
The exposed location has left Wheal Betsy in need of conservation
Lime mortar samples
Pointing repairs to conserve and prevent the ruin from deteriorating
We are delighted to announce that following a rigorous review process, Jonathan Rhind Architects have been appointed as preferred consultants to the National Trust to provide Associate Architect services across the South West.
The National Trust is one of the UK’s best known charities, preserving historic properties for the benefit of people to understand and enjoy the history and culture of our country’s historic buildings and spaces.
The Trust owns over 28,500 buildings and structures from castles and historic houses to barns and monuments, and ongoing repairs and conservation is essential to their management. The framework the National Trust have put in place supplement their existing professional departments. Jonathan Rhind Architects will be on hand to provide specialist conservation expertise to the Trust, drawing on over 35 years of experience delivering conservation architecture, design, project management and contract administration skills to historic building projects. With an extensive database of specialist subcontractors and consultants to call upon such as archaeologists, stonemasons, steeplejacks and garden designers, as well as in-house support from our conservation experienced technical team we can draw on the necessary skills required for an extensive range of projects.
The Trust’s portfolio of historic properties and structures is also supported by a range of modern services and buildings such as visitor centres, so working across disciplines, integrating old and new and meeting modern legislation requirements in an historic environment is a vital part of the role.
We have already dived into the job with work at Wheal Betsy in Cornwall. The remains of the silver lead mine are on a very exposed site and without conservation repairs the structure would deteriorate and eventually be lost along with an important part of Dartmoor’s mining heritage. The repointing work is complicated by the need to work within the bounds of Culture Heritage Recovery Fund programming requirements and to ensure the correct make up and application of lime pointing is used to achieve optimum results for work in winter. Under the direction of Jonathan Rhind, who has extensive knowledge of the use of lime in heritage properties, suitable aggregate mixes were sampled, along with hot and cold lime processes to work out the best way forward.
Jonathan Rhind Architects are looking forward to our continued collaboration on this and other projects for the Trust so they can continue their work keeping our history alive for people to connect with and learn from.
