Elizabethan manor house, Eastbury in Barking, London, is the destination for the 2018 SPAB (Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings) working party, an event that is part of the Heritage-Lottery funded ‘We Love Eastbury: 100 Years of Protection and Preservation’ project.
The SPAB believes that the best way to learn traditional building skills is through hands-on experience. The annual working party has taken the SPAB to a ruined mill complex in Derbyshire, a Saxon barn in Sussex and a medieval church at Greatham in Hampshire, to name a just a few locations.
In July 2018 up to 70 conservation experts and volunteer heritage enthusiasts from all walks of life will descend on Eastbury Manor for one week (Wednesday 11 July – Wednesday 18 July) to carry out vital maintenance and repair work to this important medieval survivor.
Eastbury Manor House circa 1820
The works will include brickwork repairs to the walled garden boundary wall which will mainly focus on removal of roots and foliage, rebuilding loose areas and repointing where necessary. Small teams of volunteers will also work on limewashing the window reveals, redecorating rain water goods and renewing broken panes in the leaded lights all on the east elevation of the building.
SPAB’s working parties offer a unique practical opportunity to learn from some of the country’s leading craftspeople in a relaxed setting. Every year the Society puts its advice and expertise into practice at a building in need and it has become an increasingly popular event, attracting volunteers ranging from heritage and architectural professionals, to those with an informed amateur interest in buildings and history.
Particularly exciting about this site is the SPAB’s 100-year old connection to Eastbury. In 1918, Eastbury Manor was saved from demolition and acquired for the nation by the National Trust. The building’s rescue was spearheaded by William Weir (1865-1950) one of the SPAB’s pioneering architects. Over the last 100 years the SPAB, the National Trust and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (LBBD) have worked to build a sustainable future for this Grade I-listed Elizabethan building.
Eastbury Manor working party project manager and surveyor, Catharine Bull says: “This event is one of the highlights of the year. We’re delighted to be working on such a fascinating historic building in an unexpected part of London, particularly one that has such strong community ties.”
The ‘We Love Eastbury’ project will culminate in a new permanent exhibition at Eastbury exploring the house’s history between 1913 to 1933 and the role of the architect William Weir (1865-1950) who helped save Eastbury. These activities will run alongside a programme of events, talks and workshops aimed at school children, students, scholars and local residents.
This project, in partnership with London Borough of Barking and Dagenham’s Heritage Services, would not be possible without the SPAB’s National Lottery Grant of £99,400. Thanks to the money raised by National Lottery players, the exciting SPAB/LBBD project will begin in July 2018.
