Tag: conservation

Rewley Road Swing Bridge Restoration Recognised

Rewley Road Swing Bridge Restoration Recognised

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Tom Hassall (OPT Vice-President), Andy Savage, Debbie Dance, and Baron Hendy of Richmond Hill (Chair of Network Rail) at the opening ceremony for the newly restored Rewley Road Swing Bridge, in September. Image courtesy of Oxford Preservation Trust.

The Oxford Preservation Trust is celebrating receiving a National Railway Trust Award for its restoration of the Rewley Road Swing Bridge. A plaque commemorating the work of many individuals in saving and restoring the bridge was unveiled on 7 September 2023.

Debbie Dance, Director of OPT was joined by Andy Savage and Tim Hedley Jones from the Railway Heritage Trust, and representatives of Network Rail and Historic England together with the judges, funders, and the specialist experts all of whom made a significant contribution to the project. And so good was their work that OPT was awarded the top national prize for railway heritage conservation. Later in the day Debbie was also joined by the Baron Hendy of Richmond Hill, Chair of Network Rail taking to the water to see the mechanism from below.

The London Midland and Scottish Railway Swing Bridge is a disused railway bridge over Oxford’s Sheepwash Channel and is one of only two moving bridges on the Thames – the other being Tower Bridge in London. The bridge was designed by engineer Robert Stephenson and built in 1850. A Scheduled Monument, the bridge holds a unique place in the history of England’s first railways, narrow versus wide gauge, and the battle between giants Brunel and Stephenson.

By 1951, it was no longer in use and closed to passenger traffic, and to goods by 1984, which led to its suffering from severe decay of the plating and paintwork which were protecting its surviving parts, including the original mechanism. The bridge had fallen into disrepair and was added to the national Heritage at Risk Register in 2013 where it remained for nearly ten years, until it was removed last year, as the restoration progressed.

“We are so delighted to have been recognised in this way and cannot thank the team enough for their part. The fact that it was recognised at a national level shows the importance of the structure which could have been so easily lost with its significance somewhat lost beneath its rusty exterior” This winter we will make the final touches with interpretation boards to go up and the sowing of a wildflower meadow to increase
biodiversity.” Debbie Dance, OPT Director.

Further details of the work of the OPT can be found here: https://www.oxfordpreservation.org.uk/

SS Britannia Receives AIA Restoration Grant Support

SS Britannia Receives AIA Restoration Grant Support

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The Britannia Sailing Trust are thrilled to announce a recent generous donation from the Association for Industrial Archaeology of £6,600. This is the second time the AIA have funded restoration work on Britannia. The first time was in fact the first grant the Trust ever received and helped to kick-start the monumental restoration project.

Britannia Sailing Trust cares for the last remaining Class 1 East Coast Smack. Britannia was built in 1914 in Kings Lynn, Norfolk, by a well-known and respected family of shipwrights, the Worfolk brothers. She is a Gaff Cutter, 58 feet long on the deck, with a 13 foot six inch beam and drawing eight feet. She has a beautiful hollow bow, making her a very fast vessel and giving her beautiful lines. Having discovered her in a state of severe disrepair, the Britannia Sailing Trust was formed in 2014 and has succeeded in saving her from destruction.

Vicki Samuels of the Trust said that ‘We are so grateful for the Association’s continued support. The money will go towards the completion of the restoration, helping us get Britannia back in the water on the 24th September this year!’



Section of Historic Yorkshire Railway Line to be Removed Over Safety

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Part of the old ‘Nagger Line’ which runs across Lime Pit Lane, in Stanley, Yorkshire, is to to dug up over road safety fears. The narrowgauge track was part of a network of tramways dating back to the late 1700s that were used to transport coal from the many mines in the area. Matthew Morley, Wakefield Council’s cabinet member for highways, said the line is to be removed as its deteriorating condition is creating a traffic hazard. Residents have expressed concerns on social media over the loss of the much-loved piece of local history.

Councillor Morley added that it is hoped the some of the line can still be retained. The council had the lines independently assessed by civil engineers after receiving complaints of damage to passing cars. A report says the lines are twisted and badly damaged, causing them to move and lift parts of the road.

More details here:

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/heritage/section-of-historic-yorkshire-railway-line-to-be-removed-over-traffic-safety-fears-4208570

Part of the old ‘Nagger Line’ which runs across Lime Pit Lane, in Stanley, due for removal
Historic England Webinar on Industrial Elsecar Now Available

Historic England Webinar on Industrial Elsecar Now Available

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The recording of Historic England’s recent industrial heritage webinar on the Elsecar Heritage Action Zone is now available to view on-line. It provides an overview of the project, which ran from 2017 to 2020, including the research programme, protection and management strategies, community outreach and engagement, and how Barnsley Museums are building on this legacy with an ambitious programme and vision for the village.

Elsecar is an industrial estate village of the later 18th and 19th century near Barnsley. It retains important buildings relating to the coal and iron industries from this period, as well as extensive workers’ housing. The first major colliery, Elsecar Old, was sunk in 1750 and taken over by the Marquis of Rockingham in 1752. The small village next door was then transformed from the 1790s at the direction of the 4th Earl of Fitzwilliam of Wentworth Woodhouse, with the sinking of its first deep colliery (which retains its original Newcomen pumping engine in situ), the cutting of a canal, the building of two ironworks and associated housing designed by architect John Carr of York. Elsecar is thus one of the first model industrial villages in the UK.

Follow this link to watch the webinar: https://historicengland.org.uk/services-skills/training-skills/training/webinars/recordings/industrial-heritage-webinar-5-elsecar-barnsley-south-yorkshire/.

This is one of a series of industrial heritage themed webinars run by Historic England. The recordings of the other four industrial heritage webinars can be found here – https://historicengland.org.uk/services-skills/training-skills/training/webinars/recordings/#previoushelmwebinars.

Conservation & Research Grants: Deadline for AIA Applications 31 March 2020

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The deadline for the Association for Industrial Archaeology’s conservation and research grant schemes, 31st March 2020, is fast approaching.

Conservation Grants

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The Lion Salt Works salt wagon, before conservation with monies for the AIA in 2014.

Thanks to a series of donations the Association for Industrial archaeology can make available Restoration Grants of up to £20,000 for a range of historic and industrial archaeology purposes.

The first awards were made in 2009, and they have since been able to allocate nearly three quarters of a million pounds. Details of some of those projects can be found in the link below.  From 2020 onwards the available Grants pot is divided into two categories:

  • Major projects where the maximum grant that can be awarded is £20,000. The grant from the AIA must be a significant part of the total project cost, not just a small contribution to a very large project, so that the AIA grant has real impact. The AIA would not normally fund projects where our grant represents less than 20% of the total project costs
  • Small projects which are allocated at least 20% of the available funds. The grant limit is £7,500, for which the total cost of the project, excluding the value of volunteer labour, must not exceed £10,000.

Download Criteria and How to Apply for a Restoration Grant can be found here:

https://industrial-archaeology.org/aia-awards/restoration-grants/

Research Grants

AIA_Student_Poster2020The research grant scheme underpins the study aim of the Association which is to promote the study, preservation and presentation of Britain’s industrial archaeology and heritage. It does that by:

  • Encouraging individual researchers to study industrial archaeology subjects
  • Encouraging the development of industrial archaeology skills within commercial units, the main repository of professional skills in the subject
  • Supporting local industrial archaeology and industrial heritage societies in exploring and understanding their local areas
  • Helping to develop the next generation of industrial archaeologists

The total fund available in any single year is £1,500 and multiple grants may be given up to this maximum in a single year. The AIA may consider part-funding a wider grant application or project as long as the AIA grant is a significant part of the larger application / project. Follow the link below for an application form:

https://industrial-archaeology.org/aia-awards/research-grants/

If you have any further questions please contact the coordinator:

research-grants@industrial-archaeology.org