You can probably imagine, that a construction company dedicated to the historic environment will come across many unusual ‘finds’, ‘happenings’, and ‘events’.

For example, we recently found an ornately carved timber, re-set as a purlin within the void of an ancient church. On another occasion, we hacked through the hundreds of years of growth entangling an ancient hollow way to get to an historic chapel.

So we are used to embracing the unusual every now and again.

Out of all our ‘unusual’ projects, one particular one stands out.

First glimpse of a tender to conserve a traditional Welsh farm house within the mountainsof Snowdonia brought about the usual interest that such a challenging and fascinating job should do. Upon further reading, we discovered that this particular project had the potential to take notions of the historic environment to new and dizzying heights.

What we tendered for (and subsequently won), was not just the conservation and restoration of a culturally significant tyddyn, but also the bringing about of a stage set to re-enact the lives of its past occupants to be broadcast on BBC TV. Snowdonia 1890, takes two families and places them within the context of an 1890’s tyddyn.

Whereas in previous projects, we could only guess as to the occupants of the past, or even capture the faint echoes of former structures; here at Taly Braich in Rhosgadfen,we had the unique opportunity of creating an historically accurate environment to be used as originally intended. A stage set to capture the trials and tribulations of contemporary characters trying to come to terms with the vagaries of living in the past.

The project involved a full restoration of derelict parts of the building, and gentle conservation of the surviving structure. Coping with the complex logistics of working at distance in the raw Welsh mountains was challenging. Additionally, Grosvenor had to fit into a strict timescale to meet the needs of the production team who were to be lodged just a matter of metres away in a temporary building.

Whilst the TV unit bristled with technology, Grosvenors skilled hands were busy with practices more relevant to the period the house was built. Mixing lime mortar, fixing Welsh blue slates and re -building dry stone walls formed a marked contrast to the beeps and digital paraphernalia flickering just metres away.

You can see some of our skilled team at work here in the short ‘making of’ video over onthe BBC site.

So special was the project that Grosvenor commissioned specialist architectural photographer, Andy Marshall, to spend a day there capturing the building. Here is a slideshow of his images.

More links:

BBC Snowdonia 1890 website

Andy Marshall’s website

Grosvenor Construction has an Environmental Management System which monitors our impact upon the environment and enables the improvement of such an impact. Such a system when tied in with our conservation based approach adds a real dynamic to the protection and conservation of our environment.

Conserving and protecting a building doesn’t just enable its survival for cultural purposes, it also encapsulates the existing energy contained within a building. Grosvenor Construction has been involved with multiple projects which have ensured the survival of, and re-use of historic properties for the benefit of our communities and our environment. Demolition of such buildings would mean additional waste of existing materials and ultimately the necessity for construction of a new property and the resources that this would entail.

The key conservation principle of ‘minimum intervention’ ensures that minimum energy in terms of skills, materials and processes is expounded on a project leaving much of the existing building fabric to provide a use for future generations.

It is a common misconception that older buildings lack energy efficiency. Many traditional buildings outperform their modern counterparts when it comes to impact upon the environment. Thick walls, terraced construction, and smaller windows often contribute to the need for less energy. For those buildings that need upgrading – sound guidance and use of complementary solutions can bring them back to life with the minimum impact on the environment.

Many traditional practices (which have been honed and passed on over the centuries) are now being realised to have lasting benefits for the environment. The use of lime mortar, for example, absorbs CO2 when curing.

Additionally, our experience in preparing and expediting planned maintenance programmes often prevents damage to a building along with reducing the environmental impact of costly repairs.

Grosvenor Construction’s approach to such preservation always bears sustainability in mind and uses conservation techniques that eliminate or reduce our carbon footprint

Grosvenor Construction has an impassioned approach to the historic environment and its conservation. We are driven by a philosophy which is underpinned by a real respect for the sanctity of  Britain’s heritage. Many customers have spoken of our professional and enthusiastic outlook which has a palpable result in the quality of our workmanship.

Our success is the result of a holistic approach to building conservation. At all times the rationale of ‘minimum intervention’ and use of traditional skills, materials and methods, is driven by our research and understanding of the significance of a site.

Grosvenor Construction is fully conversant with British Standard 7913: 1998 – Guide to the Principles of the Conservation of Historic Buildings. Our extensive knowledge of Government Planning Policy Guidance enables an informed and enlightened approach to project management, which contributes to the overall success of a project. To this end, we are proficient in the initiation and production of Impact Assessments, Significance Statements and Conservation Plans. Such statements and plans are linked into our project plans and ultimately feed into the conservation process through our Quality Assurance system.

Of course, our professional approach is derived from a passionate connection with historic buildings and their curtilage. Grosvenor Construction has worked on every building type from every historic period. Projects have been successfully completed in consultation with Heritage Bodies (CADW, English Heritage and The National Trust) Heritage Groups, Conservation Officers, Conservation Architects, Historic Building Consultants and even Television Media.

Recent projects include:

• The conservation and consolidation of the Jacobean Hall at Biddulph,
• The complete restoration of the Victorian Gothic clock tower at Machynlleth,
• The complete restoration and conservation of the vernacular long house in Wales

Such associations would not be possible without the people that make up Grosvenor Construction. We pride ourselves in the quality and dedication of our personnel and have access to an exhaustive range of traditional skills rooted in ongoing development and training in techniques complimentary to the protection and conservation of our heritage.

Grosvenor Construction is proud in the knowledge that our deep-seated, informed and collaborative approach to each project has helped contribute to the preservation, protection and enjoyment of Britain’s heritage.

Grosvenor Construction believes that the most important factor in any business is its people. Along with this comes a recognition that there are many hundred’s of years experience in traditional building skills retained within the Company as a whole.

Our services and knowledge attest to the general principles of building conservation and include:

non-destructive investigation and assessment,

• understanding of damp in historic buildings,
• timber decay and its conservation,
• the principles of stone cleaning.
• Assistance with Quinquennial Inspections

The following skills complement this approach:

• Use of traditional lime mortars,
• wood and stone carving,
• material, cleaning, consolidation and sympathetic replacement,
• traditional plastering techniques,
• traditional roofing techniques
• use of hydroscopic building materials

We don’t, however ‘rest upon our laurels’. Grosvenor Construction recognises that such valuable skills need to be nurtured and passed on. This is exemplified by our commitment to encouraging a framework for continuous development of our staff through a systematic appraisal and training programme, which includes the recently pioneered CSCS Heritage Skills Card.

Our programme not only ensures the development of our staff, but also the reduction of logistical nightmares through lack of resources, thus ensuring that we have a professional team covering the full spectrum of conservation based skills and services at all times.

Being a company that ‘conserves the past’ does not mean that we are ‘behind the door’ when it comes to innovation and technology.

To this end Grosvenor have commissioned a video to give a brief insight to the wonderful world of conservation that we inhabit. Enjoy…..

Grosvenor Construction from Andy Marshall on Vimeo.