Researchers look to save deteriorating Viking treasures of Oseberg

Conservation experts in Norway are conducting tests to see if a solution can be found on how to save important archaeological finds from the Viking Age that were discovered in Oseberg in 1904.

Researchers from the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo, working closely with Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), have been studying ancient wooden Viking artefacts at the synchrotron radiation source BESSY II. The conservators expect this non-destructive method will yield crucial insights into the degradation of these unique works of art.

The wooden artefacts come from a Viking grave found in 1904 at Oseberg near the Oslo fjords. The Oseberg finding is considered one of the most important testimonies of the Viking Age and is one of the most frequently visited sights in Norway. Yet, they are now in serious danger of collapse because the wood fibres in the artefacts are disintegrating.

Click here to read this article from Medievalists.net

Barn again: 15th century farm building restored to former glory

A 15th century barn that was once threatened with demolition has been restored to its former glory after an award-winning refurbishment. Tithe Barn in Shirehampton opened its doors to the public at the weekend following a long campaign of fundraising to save the historic building.

Inside the Tithe Barn Opening Day. Photo: Bob Pitchford

 The medieval barn was earmarked for closure and the site faced redevelopment in the 1990s. But a determined campaign from the local community saved the Grade II* listed building and a mixture of private and public investment funded the £1.2 million refurbishment.

 The medieval building was purchased by St Mary’s Church in 2008 in a poor state of repair. At the weekend it opened as a community centre with five separate meeting spaces with the help of £200,000-worth or funding from the church.

 Click here to read this article from This is Somerset 

 Click here to see more photos from the Shirehampton village website

Iron and sulphur compounds threaten old shipwrecks

Sulphur and iron compounds have now been found in shipwrecks both in the Baltic and off the west coast of Sweden. The group behind the results, presented in the Journal of Archaeological Science, includes scientists from the University of Gothenburg and Stockholm University.

A few years ago scientists reported large quantities of sulphur and iron compounds in the salvaged 17th century warship Vasa, resulting in the development of sulphuric acid and acidic salt precipitates on the surface of the hull and loose wooden objects.

Similar sulphur compounds have now been discovered also in other shipwrecks both from the Baltic and off the west coast of Sweden, including fellow 17th century warships Kronan, Riksnyckeln and Stora Sofia, the 17th century merchant vessel in Gothenburg known as the Göta wreck, and the Viking ships excavated at Skuldelev in Denmark.

Click here to read this article from Medievalists.net

Wales: Historic village gets extra protection

A historic Monmouthshire village’s character will be preserved for future generations, after being designated a conservation area.

The decision by Monmouthshire council means any plans submitted to the local authority regarding Trellech, near Monmouth, must preserve or enhance the character of the village.

Trellech is of archaeological and historical importance as a medieval town, which was confirmed in 2004.

The main archaeological sites include Trellech Churchyard Cross and base, The Virtuous Well, St Nicholas’ Church and Trellech Sunken Medieval Village.

Click here to read this article from the South Wales Argus

Near-infrared spectroscopy illuminates medieval art

Scientists in the US and Italy have borrowed a technique more usually associated with geophysical remote sensing and applied it to medieval artwork - with stunning results. The near-infrared hyperspectral imaging of a leaf from a 15th century illuminated manuscript has produced a map of the pigment binders used by the artist.

The technique will not only allow conservation specialists to better plan strategies for restoring and stabilising paintings, but will also give art historians new insights into the materials and methods favoured by individual artists. Art historians and conservationists need detailed information about materials used by artists, such as the pigments and the organic binding agents, for example gum Arabic or egg white, which were used to carry the pigment.

In some cases it is possible to remove tiny samples from the artwork for analysis, or to use imaging techniques on a small area of the work. But until now it has been difficult to obtain an overview of the materials used across the work as a whole.

Click here to read this article from Chemistry World

Emergency repairs to medieval gatehouse set to begin

A medieval monastic gatehouse at Pentney Priory in Norfolk, England, is to be saved, following a £200,000 English Heritage grant for emergency structural repairs.

The Grade I listed gatehouse which is also a Scheduled Monument has been on the Heritage at Risk register for many years and is at serious risk of collapse. Temporary internal scaffolding is currently in place in an attempt to brace the unsupported external walls and falling masonry poses a significant threat to the nearby public footpath.

Click here to read this article from Medievalists.net

Westgate Towers in Canterbury to be blocked from traffic

The massive 14th-century Westgate Towers in Canterbury will no longer see cars passing through its gate, as city officials start a 12-month experimental project to make the roadway accessible only for pedestrians. The aim is to protect and preserve the towers, reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality.

The change will take place on March 27th. Local councillor Peter Vickery-Jones said, “Removing traffic from passing underneath one of our landmark, historic buildings has been an ambition for many years. We have had proposals in the past that have either not worked or not got off the ground. However, we now have a scheme that we believe can be successful and it is imperative we give this a real go."

Click here to read the full article from Medievalists.net

Conservation work to begin on medieval chapel in Malta

Maltese Bus Operator Arriva has announced it will be collaborating with conservation group Din l-Art Ħelwa (DLĦ) on a project focused on the conservation of the chapel in Ħal Millieri, limits of Żurrieq and Mqabba. Arriva’s Commercial Manager Thomas Dimech met with DLĦ Chief Executive Officer Simone Mizzi, Mr George Mangion Warden and Curator of Ħal Millieri Chapel and Ms Maria Grazia Cassar DLĦ Council Member Responsible for Restoration, at the Chapel, where the sponsorship was officialised during a small ceremony.

“Our national heritage is amongst the most beautiful and diverse in the world, and we all have to play our various parts in safeguarding it for future generations. Even though we have only started operations 8 months ago, as a corporate citizen of the Maltese Islands, Arriva believes it has a duty to help in conserving these gems, that are not only part of our history but indeed among our richest treasures as Maltese citizens. Arriva is extremely glad to be able to support Din l-Art Ħelwa on this project and to be associated with the beautiful and quite unique chapel here at Ħal Millieri,” said Mr Dimech.

The chapel of the Annunciation is situated in the old village of Casal Millieri, which lies between Żurrieq, Qrendi, Mqabba and Kirkop. This village was first documented in 1419 and its origins date back to Roman and possibly pre-historic times. The chapel was consecrated in around 1480 on the site of an earlier chapel built in the thirteenth century, and is a typical example of a Maltese medieval church.

Click here to read the full article from the Malta Independent

Traffic ban proposal for Westgate Towers in Canterbury

Plans to protect the medieval heritage of Canterbury by banning traffic passing through the Westgate Towers have been put forward.

The city council is considering creating a pedestrian zone around the grade-I listed towers. It said tourist coaches frequently misjudged the size of the archway and became stuck, eroding the brickwork.

Built in 1380, the structure is thought to be the largest surviving medieval gateway in the UK.

Click here to read this article from the BBC


Click here to read the St Dunstan's and Westgate Towers environmental improvements plans from Canterbury City Council

See also the earlier article Westgate Tower Museum in Canterbury is saved from closure

New bid to save medieval church paintings across Norfolk and Suffolk

Conservationists are launching a new bid to safeguard medieval paintings at hundreds of East Anglian churches. They fear rood screens painted in the 14th - 16th Century are under threat from damp and woodworm.

The Bishops of Norwich and St Edmundsbury will be present for the launch at an international conference on protecting religious buildings, being held at Westminster Abbey today.

Challenges of the Conservation of Artworks in Churches is being organised by the Church of England’s Church Buildings Council, which is chaired by the Anne Sloman OBE, formerly the BBC’s chief political adviser, who lives in North Norfolk.

Click here to read this article from the Norwich Evening News

Part of Hadrian's Wall repaired

A section of Hadrian’s Wall has been repaired thanks to funding made available through the Higher Level Stewardship scheme administered by Natural England.

The repair which is on part of Hadrian’s Wall between the impressive Roman fort remains at Great Chesters and Housesteads, provides protection for both the Roman remains of the Wall and early conservation work carried out by John Clayton in the 19th century. As a reminder of his work this section is still known today as the ‘Clayton Wall’.

Click here to read this article from History of the Ancient World

World Monuments Fund lists 67 heritage sites “most at-risk”

The World Monuments Fund’s President Bonnie Burnham has announced the 2012 World Monuments Watch. Since 1996, the biennial Watch has drawn international attention to cultural-heritage sites in need of assistance, helping to save some of the world’s most treasured places. The 2012 Watch includes 67 sites, representing 41 countries and territories.

The list of most-at-risk sites includes those dating back to medieval and ancient times, as well as several modern-day structures. The 67 sites vividly illustrate the ever-more pressing need to create a balance between heritage concerns and the social, economic, and environmental interests of communities around the world. Moreover, in addition to promoting community cohesion and pride, heritage preservation can have an especially positive impact on local populations in times of economic distress, for example through employment and the development of well-managed tourism.

Click here to read this article from Medievalists.net

Historic cobblestones removed from the medieval village of Dunster

Workmen have begun removing the cobblestone pathways around the village of Dunster in Somerset. The distinctive cobblestone paths have existed for hundreds of years, but concerns over people slipping on the surface and the difficulty in moving wheelchairs and strollers along them have led local officials to have them removed.

It is now being replaced with natural stone paving, with about a foot of the cobblestone surface being left on either side. The cobblestones were in poor condition and local businesses and community members were unwilling to pay for repairs because it would expose them to liability if anyone was injured when walking on them.

Click here to read this article from Medievalists.net

Medieval Churches in England receive funding for repairs

Several medieval churches in England have received funding the Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage as part of their joint Repair Grants for Places of Worship program. In an announcement made earlier this month, over 153 Grade I and II listed places of worship across England were granted £15.7 million to support urgent repair work.

The churches include St Peter’s, Wilburton, in the Diocese of Ely, which has a tower dating from the 13th century. It has been offered at grant of £105,000 towards repairs to the tower spire, which was last repaired in 1903, as well as timber repairs to the spire and louvres, reglazing and masonry repairs to the tower parapets and stairs.

Click here to read this article from Medievalists.net

Conservation Works Planned for St. Albans Medieval Clock Tower

The Grade 1 listed building, built between 1403-1412, will be shrouded in scaffolding for approximately 10 weeks so that a survey of it's condition, along with the replacement of wooden slats and some pointing work, can be undertaken.

Cllr Sheila Burton, Portfolio Holder for Culture and Heritage at St Albans City and District Council, said: “The Clock Tower is a wonderful medieval building that contributes greatly to our historic City. As the owner, the Council is making every effort to ensure that it is properly preserved for future generations to enjoy.”

Click here to read this article from the St Alban's People

Funding for Glyndwr 'prince' site in Denbighshire

The site where Owain Glyndwr is said to have declared himself prince of Wales is set to undergo conservation work. The announcement by the assembly government comes on the 610th anniversary of the proclamation at Glyndyfrdwy near Corwen, Denbighshire.

Work will be carried out on the mound or motte as part of a £2m programme to preserve Welsh medieval sites. Without conservation, historical experts fear the remains of the motte are in danger of collapsing.

Click here to read the full article from the BBC

Roman Theatre, Cistercian Monastery, win EU Conservation award

The Roman Theatre in Cartagena, Spain, and Le Collège des Bernardins in Paris, France were among two of the three Grand Prix winners at the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards, which were held last month in Istanbul.

The awards, which were held in the 6th century Byzantine church, Aya Irini (Hagia Eirene), were to celebrate the extraordinary initiatives within the field of Europe’s cultural heritage with the aim to promote high standards and high-quality skills in conservation practice.

Click here to read the article on History of the Ancient World

Conservation work begins on the medieval village of Barforth

Urgent repairs to three buildings that are the last traces of a lost medieval village in the English county of Durham are now underway, and this week there is a chance for the public to join the restoration experts at work...

Click here to read this article on Medievalists.net

Recession hurts efforts to preserve heritage buildings in England

English Heritage has published its annual Heritage at Risk Register today, which shows a significant slow-down in the number of historic buildings being saved from neglect and decay prompting fears that England might lose the very thing which makes it most special in the eyes of the world and could help to underpin economic recovery. They include a number of sites dating back to the Middle Ages....

Click here to read the full article on Medievalists.net

Irish Walled Towns Initiative receives €850,000

The Irish government announced last month that the Walled Towns Initiative will receive €850,000 in funding this year. The news came as part of an announcment by John Gormley, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government of over €11.5m to support built heritage projects in Ireland.

The Minister stated “This funding package underlines the continued commitment to the preservation and conservation of our rich built heritage by the State. Our built heritage is inextricably linked with our sense of pride in this country and affirms our cultural and historical identity. It is essential that we continue to invest in built heritage conservation to ensure the ongoing preservation of Ireland’s renowned heritage. Investment in the heritage stock can also bring economic benefits in the form of cultural tourism and employment.”

The funding for the Irish Walled Towns Initiative will allow conservation works to continue to be carried out on Walled Towns in Ireland. The Minister said that ”Walled Towns are a significant tourist attraction and contribute positively to the areas that have such iconic features.”

The Irish Walled Towns Network was established by The Heritage Council in 2005 and currently comprises 21 walled towns and villages throughout Ireland. Their aim is to coordinate conservation and management efforts, as well as help boost interest in these historic areas.

Among the work they have done is:

Trim Town Walls Conservation Plan

Rindoon, Co. Roscommon: A Management Plan

Carlingford and Derry - A Tale of Two Historic Irish Walled Towns

Medieval Walls of Kilkenny City

The other funding announced will go to a variety of projects, including the conservation of historic churches as well as money handed over to local authorities for heritage projects. Minister Gormley added “local authorities are best placed for recognising structures at a local level that are deserving of funding and make a significant impact on our built heritage as a whole. Many of the protected structures that receive funding are a valuable and irreplaceable element of our heritage and give character to our cities, towns and villages.”

Source: Ministry of Environment, Heritage and Local Government