Work on the Heritage Centre - TrustNews Mar 14
The Heritage Centre, 32 Upper Brook Street, has been home to the City of Winchester Trust since 1998. A Grade II Listed Building, built in the C18, it is perhaps best likened to ‘a lady of a certain age’ — where cosmetic camouflage is no longer capable of concealing an ageing edifice.
The building has been fully utilised by the Trust, providing an office for the part time secretary; space for the Chairman and Trustees to ‘hot desk’ and for Members to call in on Wednesday mornings. The monthly Council meetings are held in the evening, and it is also a safe haven for the burgeoning collection of archive material and reference books entrusted to the Trust. In addition to these regular uses, numerous other ad hoc meetings, presentations and displays are held throughout the year.
Whilst the Heritage Centre has been regularly maintained over the years, the time had arrived for a more comprehensive programme of work. As every custodian of older property knows, there is a predictable list of items demanding attention, mainly resulting from the method of construction and materials used at the time. Following Andrew Smith & Son's recommendations, the Trust compiled its ‘to do’ list, including replacement of rotted softwood cills with sustainable hardwood ones, and the repair of some sash frames and facia. Gutters and downpipes were re-aligned. Following this, external redecoration took place. Other minor maintenance works were carried out, e.g. re-pointing of areas of brlckwork and chimney stacks, fitting vented chimney caps, re-instating dislodged airbricks, replacing broken/slipped roof slates and re-bedding several ridge tiles. A metal weather bar was inserted into the concrete threshold of the front door to prevent water ingress (just in the nick of time!). Likewise the repair of the timber bracket supporting the Heritage Centre sign, which projects over the pavement, soon topped the list with 60 mph gales forecast!
Work began in early November and, undeterred by the weather, our two firms of contractors worked together to finish within the month, for which the Trust is especially grateful given the appalling weather since (see next article!). Comparing photos of the exterior of the building in 1998 and 2013, they look virtually identical — which is as it should be for a listed building.