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No stone unturned

Stone and brick restoration work by North East conservation specialists Team Force Restoration on the endangered Marsden Lime Kilns, is well under way.

After careful research into the original construction of the lime kilns in the 1870s, Team Force Restoration is reviving an ancient formula for “hot lime” mortar. The company is one of a very few to recreate this historic mortar, paving the way for a new approach to stone restoration. New evidence from specialists in the field of conservation including Team Force are developing the idea of re-producing these former mortars from the past. The latest studies show that hot lime can not only replicate historic mortars but can also contribute to a dryer structure and has better preservation qualities.

This means that not only will Marsden Lime Kilns be restored and consolidated safely for generations to come, but the renovation work will be as close as it could possibly be to the original.

Last year Historic England, and the Owen Pugh Group jointly funded a restoration programme of £450,000 to save the “scheduled moment of national importance” which had been deemed unsafe and placed on Historic England’s “Buildings at Risk” list.

Blyth-based Team Force Restoration were commissioned by Owen Pugh Aggregates and Historic England, to carry out skilled conservation work on the kilns. The Owen Pugh Group also owns Marsden Lime Kilns site.

The massive structures of Marsden Lime Kilns - a series of giant ovens - are a visible reminder of the North East’s industrial past and produced quicklime for use in the agriculture, building, steel and chemical industries.

Skilled stone masons and craftsmen from Team Force Restoration are now repointing and consolidating the ragged, uneven tops of the kilns. They are also conserving walls, protecting features and safeguarding the brick and stonework - always in strict accordance with the style of the times.

Managing Director of Team Force Restoration, Brendan Teasdale says: “Team Force Restoration is committed to leading the field when it comes to the use of historic mortars and we are re-creating our own “hot lime” mortars based on the latest studies. Test areas are being prepared and hot lime will be used to consolidate areas of random stone walling. The ingredients of the mortars will all differ slightly so as to ascertain the best mix. The sample mortars will be monitored over a period of twelve months and if proven successful this could provide an alternative to the hydraulic lime mortars currently used today where matching mortars for historic purposes is essential. In time, hot limes could prove to be essential for masonry conservation in the UK, and as far as I am concerned this is a must for the protection of our built heritage.”

Robin Armstrong, group logistics director of the Owen Pugh Group, said: “Marsden Lime Kilns have been a significant feature in South Tyneside’s landscape since the 1870s so we are pleased that the preservation work is stepping up apace. Conservation specialists Team Force are highly experienced in the preservation and restoration of historic structures, including work on numerous lime kilns, so we are delighted that they are leading on this project to ensure the long-term future of what is an important reminder of our industrial past. We were delighted that they enlisted Owen Pugh’s earthworks team to undertake the site clearance works.”

While operational, limestone from the nearby Marsden Quarry and coal from Whitburn Colliery in South Tyneside would be fed into the top of the Marsden Lime Kilns and slowly burnt. The resulting quicklime would then be extracted from the base. It would either be slaked immediately with sand and water which generates a lot of heat and steam and used for mortar as hot lime, or it would be loaded into railway waggons and transported to the docks at South Shields. When Whitburn Colliery closed in 1968, the lime kilns stopped operating and then fell into disrepair.

Since 2002, over 150 of Britain’s valued historical and ecclesiastical buildings have been conserved and repaired to the highest standards by Team Force Restoration. The company has won numerous awards including the 2015 RICS Award for Building Conservation and the NATIONAL AWARD for Construction Excellence for The Black Barn in Northumberland.

South Tyneside residents and visitors could see the historic local landmark restored to its former glory as soon as autumn 2016.

For more information on Team Force Restoration please go to www.team-force.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Kate Slater .