Historic Buildings Conference 2008

The one-day conference held on 18 October got off to a promising start with a presentation by Richard Filmer, a well-known authority on Kentish crafts and industries, and author of several books on the subject. He began his talk about Kentish Building Materials with the reminder that just because a building was not on the Statutory List, it did not necessarily mean that it had no historical or architectural merit. Many unloved buildings of interest or even importance had been damaged, often by misguided affluence.

Richard went on to give a comprehensive inventory of locally sourced building materials, explaining when, why, and, in some cases, how the materials were put to use. All these factors could help when attempting to date a building. First was timber, and in particular oak for timber framing, which had been used to such great effect in the county. After dealing with other varieties of timber, Kentish ragstone was considered, and then other types of less commonly used stone, and mortar. Finally, after explaining about thatching materials, Richard concluded on the subject of the use of clay for tiles and bricks. Incredibly, the design of some of the tools and shapes used in brickmaking remained unchanged after 700 years.

While demonstrating an amazing depth of understanding of his subject, Richard's animated style of presentation, adroitly interspersed with many "I-must-remember-that" facts, added up to a talk that was both instructive and enjoyable.

The observation made by Richard that many buildings had been damaged by misguided affluence was picked up as a theme by the next speaker, Charles Brooking, creator of the Brooking Collection of Architectural Features. He described his presentation, entitled The Window of Time: Dating by Detail, as more of a hands-on workshop than a talk. For the benefit of the audience who had not heard Charles before, it came as a surprise, resembling as it did a cross between a performance art and a workshop.

Three trestle tables were laden with a wide selection of architectural fixtures and fittings, and many items were passed around the audience to illustrate particular points. He had started by collecting window and door details at the age of seven, initially rescuing salvage from demolition sites around Guildford. In 1985 the Brooking Architectural Museum Trust was established. Most of the collection of over 300,000 items was stored at the University of Greenwich. Charles was attempting to cover all the variations of doors and windows, because so many architectural features were disappearing when buildings were demolished or refurbished. A library of details was needed to show how things worked.

Another purpose of the collection was to assist in the dating of buildings. A number of sections of sash frames were among the items passed around to illustrate the way designs evolved and regional differences. Charles touched on the social hierarchy of window style, particularly evident in features such as glazing bars.

His immense knowledge of his subject, together with his enthusiasm for sharing that wisdom, resulted in a very entertaining experience. During the lunch break members of the audience made full use of the opportunity to examine more closely some of the many intriguing items on display, while Charles continued to answer questions with undiminished zeal.

After lunch the theme changed from consideration of the physical components of buildings to the documentary evidence relating to them. Jane Davidson of House Historians gave a presentation entitled Following the Sources: Some Examples of House Histories. She explained that when she was commissioned to research a property, she produced a report consisting of a short history of the surrounding area; former occupants; and finally an examination of the construction and features of the building itself.

Jane gave several case studies, and offered a variety of ideas on the sources to track down the history of buildings and the lives of people who lived in them. She used the facilities of the Centre for Kentish Studies for much of her research. Other sources included museums, Times Online, diocesan records for Canterbury or Rochester, local archives, and RAF aerial photographs taken in 1947.

As well as documentary evidence, she stressed the value of tapping into local knowledge through anecdotes told by people in the area.

Jane’s fascinating talk was particularly relevant as it carried on from where the presentation on the services of Centre for Kentish Studies had finished the previous year. She provided a reminder that buildings were more than just structures.

An addition to the programme was a review of archaeological discoveries in the Lenham area, given by local amateur archaeologist, Lesley Feakes. In her short, but thought-provoking presentation she drew attention to the items in the display cabinets in Lenham Community Centre. The items, some of which dated back to the Iron Age, had all been recovered from the site of the Centre prior to its construction. The Lenham Archaeology Society had carried out several investigations during the year.

The final event of the day was a visit to the parish church of St Mary in Lenham. David Carder, who has many years’ involvement in archaeology and the study of vernacular architecture, provided an introduction to church architecture. He then took the group around the interior of the building, pointing out features of particular interest, and helping to interpret its complicated evolution. Richard Filmer and geologist Geoff Downer assisted him in the task. During the examination of the exterior features of the church, the many materials used in the various stages of construction were identified.

In his closing remarks, as well as reviewing the events of the day, Christopher Proudfoot, Chairman of the KAS Historic Buildings Committee, expressed his thanks to the many people who had contributed to the success of the conference. Foremost among them was David Carder, who had once again been the mainstay of the conference, performing ably the roles of organiser and speaker. Thanks also went to other Committee members, and to Ted Cornell, for taking care of all the conference technology.

It was a very full programme, with something for everyone who had an interest in historic buildings.

Angela Davies