We’re reaching a new phase in the project with the plastering team starting work in earnest…and there is serious amounts of work to do and it’s not a clean job either or quick process. To start with the plaster needs to be mixed using traditional ingredients- it includes lime putty and horse hair.
At this stage it is made to a wet consistency.
It is then applied to a surface and today it happens to be the cornice
ok, so at the moment, it’s not looking like a cornice…so the plasterers made a rather nifty wooden tool to give those beautiful groove marks you’d see in a cornice
Looking a bit more cornice like
Beautiful, classic cornice work
So you can see things are really starting to happen…and it is so exciting to think by the start of the season Apollo would received its’ facelift!
For me, everything started nearly a year ago when I climbed up the internal scaffolding that was put up so that the extent of the damage could be properly assessed.
As you can see the water damage was pretty severe…and in places it was so bad you could make the roof move with your bare hands- trust me I did it!
I do hark back to the aerial experience post on the blog but this was a really new thing for me…to be honest I really don’t do heights at the best of times…so then to climb some rather long ladders…trust me never look down…that was my mistake to start with!
One of my roles has been to document the work and tell people about what is going on. I have throughly enjoyed this as I have got to know a really great team of people both within and outside of the National Trust, like ‘Biggs’ the building firm in charge of the project and the architects, Caroe and Partners. It is truly inspirational to be part of team that is so passionate for the cause…and that’s restoring Apollo with a new roof, correct to the original profile.
Moving into the winter- the main focus of the work is going to be applying more coats of plaster to the walls but also constructing and installing the ornate plasterwork design will truly bring the building alive.
Meg Sims, our Historic Properties Assistant for Wiltshire is co-ordinating production of some information panels we have in the Garden. The final panel to be produced will be installed at the end of the project. Tt would be good to know what you would like to see on these panels. I am setting up a poll- it would be really great to know what you think should be on there for visitors to read.
I can’t believe it was over a week ago when I was at the Temple of Apollo on the Stourhead uncovered day. I usually work behind the scenes, deciding what information and photos to put on the information panels. Then I work with a designer to produce a panel – which I hope people will want to read!
I was as fascinated – as everyone else to see the photos of the building work in progress behind the scaffolding. Unlike Rachel – I don’t get the chance to go into the Temple and report on progress or climb up scaffolding towers and ladders (much to my relief – as I’m not good with heights…)
It was great to meet people who were discovering the garden for the first time, as well as those who had been regular visitors to the garden for the last 50 years – man and boy! One very interested visitor was the lady who is going to be the first bride to be married in the Temple in early April 2010. She came along with family and friends to check on progress….
What is fantastic is that we have been able to make the budget stretch to be able to decorate the inside of the Temple as well – watch this space…
A contribution from Peter McDonald, the senior rural Surveyor for Wessex- since I posted this, he has provided me with a photo!
The floor joists in my house are egg shaped. They were sawn by hand from logs with one man working in a pit and another standing on the tree trunk using a two man saw. As they worked the saw blade twisted and hence the slightly egg shaped timbers. This was done at the local brick works and the timber is elm felled from the hedgerows: all this happened within a mile of the house.
This was the norm in the countryside but in later years local timber became scarce and softwood imports from Canada and elsewhere became dominant, travelling thousands of miles in many cases. This continued for a long time but in recent decades the conifer planting during the inter war and post war years has come to maturity, providing a source that is more local. However, we have got out of the habit of sourcing locally and building standards have changed, leaving it difficult to use our own timber.
There was also a strong alternative market for fencing materials so the true value of English wood has not always been realised.
We have been determined to address this at Stourhead and start to use our own timber in our own buildings when appropriate. This is how we arrived at using the Stourhead Douglas fir in the reconstruction of the Apollo Temple roof. It was felled, sawn and dried without leaving the original “Stourhead” land. It is now being cut to a radius and jointed before erection at the Temple later in the year. Each piece grown at Stourhead has been marked with an “NT” brand for future identification.
This is our second project of this sort and we are looking forward to the next major restoration.
I first went up in Apollos’ roof back in December. It was an amazing but also very scary experience, as I’m great with heights. However I was very proud of myself today, having climbed up and down 8 ladders!
Here is a picture of me holding a tiny section of the 1950s roof. Attached is a race card from Haringey dog stadium. We think this was attached to the roof by the felter.
This weekend we had ‘Stourhead Uncovered’. I had a small display including pictures of the work so far, other artefacts including the very top of the roof (this is rather heavy!)
I was helped by an amazing team of volunteers and Meg Sims, the Historic properties Assistant for Wiltshire. They were brilliant at chatting with the visitors about the project and we had some great comments and feedback.
We got over 60 suggestions about what we could leave up in Apollo’s new roof…somethings like David Beckhams autograph are a bit of stretch…while the idea of leaving a mobile phone up there was rather imaginative but caused lots of debate!
Well since I last posted on here work has come on in leaps and bounds. All the roof ribs are in place for the main roof and there is only one or two more interior ceiling ribs to go. The main roof is now being completely covered in wooden batons, as shown by the pictures below….and we aren’t far away from putting the lead on the roof.
As you can see the last image shows quite nicely where the interior ceiling ribs start and also where the plaster work will end. The first coat will take some time to dry, so patience is definitely required!
Well after a busy August at Stourhead, I am very proud to tell all that the new roof is starting to take shape- well the roof ‘ribs’ at any rate!
A circular steel ring has been fitted to the top of the building to support the new roof and a second ring inside will support the new ceiling.
The ‘bones’ of the structure are made out of full length ribs that go from the metal base up to the top or centre of the roof.
Each rib weighs in the region of 30 kg! A whole ’skelton’ of whole ribs, half ribs and ‘nogins’ will give the structure strength. it will the be bolted together.
Here are some new images of Apollo. The builders now have the temperary roof on and are dismantling the old roof.
We have found some pretty cool stuff, which you can see in the following images:
The Joiners who built the roof in the 1950’s left their mark on these simple metal plaques.
Label from the roofing felt.
Here you can see the very top of Apollo’s roof and the underside of the temporary roof
Steve Pattern from Caroe & Partners assessing the damage to a piece of the roof
You can see the interior scaffolding through this section of the roof that has been removed
I wanted to use this week’s post to show you an alternative view of Apollo from the “shades”.
The “shades” in the garden is a huge blanket of laure bushes underneath a tree canopy. The sunlight comes through the canopy and the ‘light’ dances on the laurel bushes making them come alive and look like a sea.
The use of light and shade in combination with trees is a key feature of 18th centruy landscape gardens.
The picture below gives a really cracking view of Apollo, with the work continuing to build the layers of scaffolding and stonework protection. You can view this on the traditional route into the garden. this would have been taken by visitors in the 18th century, often after taking a tour of the House. The trees are ‘framing’ the view- a feature that can also be found in 18th century landscape gardens.
We are nearly two weeks into the work programme- and although it may not look like it; quite alot has been done already.
The delicate stonework is being protected and several layers of scaffolding is being built- to give access to the roof and also to support the temp. roof that will cover Apollo while the new roof is being installed. The builders reckon the scaffolding will take 4 weeks in total to put up!
They have put a fence up already around the site, so you can used the stepped access to get upto Apollo- you can take in amazing views of the landscape plus get a bit closer to the action.
Today rain has stopped play!!! The scaffolders can’t work in heavy rain, so it gave a good opportunity to get a bit closer to Apollo and the ‘new’ temp. look!
If you’re popping down to Stourhead, check out the Apollo panel in the garden- this gives a good insight into the project.
I think we must be in the middle of the monsoon season here this week! It has certainly brought welcome relief from the humid weather of late.
The builders are starting to ‘move’ in this week. They have certainly been hampered by the weather but they are starting work in earnest today.
It will take some time to install the scaffolding, so while this work is going on both access routes upto the Temple of Apollo are closed. They will be opened again once the area around the scaffolding has been made safe.
There are some amazing views around the garden, both the route around the lake and from the 18th Century route in the ’shades’. The 18th Centruy route was used by visitors as a way into te garden after visitng the House.
