Conservation Management Plan - Tamworth Borough Council

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Likewise the plaster ceilings of rooms beneath the main visitor route are also suffering from significant footfall at Special Events like Heritage Open Day when the castle is free entry. The forthcoming display of the Staffordshire Hoard in August and September 2011, will attract large numbers of visitors. It is important that a policy of timed ticket entry is developed, with a maximum number of visitors per day, to protect the fabric of the castle and also improve visitor management and the visitor experience. The route up to the castle via the ramped walkway on top of the herringbone wing wall is also vulnerable to damage as well as being unsuitable for prolonged periods of queuing. Policies that relate to these issues: B3.5; C1; C:2; E 1; E4; F3 2.3.8 Risks of damage to furniture Most furniture displayed in room settings is at some degree of risk from visitor wear and tear. Measures are in place to protect main room settings behind rope barriers and through room stewards/custodians. Seat furniture throughout the castle needs a consistent means of deterring visitors from sitting, (The National Trust makes very effective use of dried teasel heads!) whilst those modern chairs provided for visitor comfort and to relieve ‘museum fatigue’ need to be clearly indicated. There is some confusion amongst visitors at present. A more serious risk to furniture is represented by the special events organised in the castle. These create risk of damage from crowded conditions within the rooms and from visitors placing things on surfaces or re-enactors placing candles or other hot items on wooden surfaces. A heavy concentration of people in the castle also exacerbates the general risk of damage to the fabric of the building. Policies that relate to these issues: C1; E1; E4 2.3.9 Pest damage and timber decay The castle has historically suffered from attack by death watch beetle, furniture beetle, woodworm and dry rot in both north and south ranges. A survey of timber decay in nine separate areas was carried out in 2006, on the recommendation of the last condition survey. It noted significant wet rot decay to timbers in three areas, but no current wood-boring insect activity (Ridout 2006). However active woodworm activity was noted in the lath and plaster partition walls of the wine cellar and in the partition walls of the Banqueting Hall of the north range in 2010. Timber work needs to be regularly monitored for signs of decay as this can lead to structural problems. There needs to be a regular programme of cleaning and monitoring of pest control traps and all furniture and wooden items brought into the castle need to be checked for evidence of beetle infestation. One of the former collections stores off site had evidence of active furniture beetle infestation and this could have been a source of the pest. Policies that relate to these issues: B2; C2; H4.2 2.3.10 Regular programme of repairs and maintenance Regular maintenance programmes with time-tabled schedules of tasks, inspections, monitoring and repairs are designed to prevent problems arising or to catch them before minor damage becomes major. In the long term they save expenditure on repairs. The carrying out of works of maintenance or repair in response to problems occurring is not an adequate regime for an historic building, and the standards applied to the maintenance of modern council buildings will not be appropriate. Proper standards and procedures may need to be drawn up with the advice of the consultant conservation architect and English Heritage. Policies that relate to these issues: B1; B2 70 Part 2 www.marionblockley.co.uk Tamworth Castle Conservation Management Plan
2.3.11 Use of appropriate expertise Compliance with the PPS5 policies and a key recommendation of the Conservation Management Plan requires that Tamworth Borough Council use expert advice to inform their decision-making, where there is a need to understand the particular significance of the castle and any proposed impacts on it. This may be from in-house experts, expert advice from English Heritage, experts available through agreement with Staffordshire County Council, or professional consultants. There are several established registers that can be used to identify appropriately qualified individuals or organisations. Including: • The Institute for Archaeologists. The IfA requires their members to meet defined levels of competency • The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC). The IHBC requires their members to meet defined levels of competency • The Institute for Conservation (ICON) operates a register of accredited conservator-restorers. • The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors maintains a register of accredited building conservation members. • The Institute for Civil Engineers and the Institute for Structural Engineers operate a joint register of engineers who have demonstrated to their peers that they are capable of producing and implementing a conservation scheme to the required standard. • Accon Ltd operates a register of architects accredited in building conservation Policies that relate to these issue: B4 2.3.12 Standards and Qualifications for Contractors It is recommended that Tamworth Borough Council require that all contractors undertaking conservation, repair and maintenance on the castle site encourage their craftspeople to hold, or be working towards the CSCS Heritage Skills card. English Heritage is taking the lead towards a CSCS-carded workforce by 2010 by endorsing the Heritage Skills NVQ level 3 and the new Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) Heritage Skills card. Guidance on training and qualified contractors can be obtained from Cathie Clarke, Midlands Heritage Skills Coordinator www.emcbe.com. The Institute for Archaeologists has published standards and guidance on archaeological investigation of the below ground, earthworks, standing remains and buildings (www.archaeologists.net). English Heritage has published guidance on building recording, see Understanding Historic Buildings: a guide to good recording practice (2006). There is a lack of in house professional building conservation expertise within Tamworth Borough Council and there needs to be a cost effective way of ensuring professional supervision of maintenance and minor repairs. Perhaps it might be feasible to consider a service level agreement with the Conservation Team at Lichfield Borough for guidance on and supervision of works to Tamworth Castle? Policies that relate to these issue: B4 Tamworth Castle Conservation Management Plan www.marionblockley.co.uk Part 2 71
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Tamworth Castle Conservation Manage
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Plate 20. Romantic Watercolour of T
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Conservation Policies (Vol. 1) Afte
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Polices for the Conservation of Tam
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F Engagement Policy F1: Re-engage w
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J Site Management Policy J 1: Meet
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Introduction The Brief The Tamworth
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This document takes account of the
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Cabinet members were given an eveni
Page 19 and 20: Understanding and Significance (Vol
Page 21 and 22: 1.2 Historical Overview 1.2.1 Topog
Page 23 and 24: From the place name evidence the la
Page 25 and 26: An alternative theory is postulated
Page 27 and 28: A widely promulgated theory is that
Page 29 and 30: It formed the main approach to the
Page 31 and 32: Phase 5 The Tudor and Jacobean Cast
Page 33 and 34: Royal Visits We know that the enhan
Page 35 and 36: Holloway Lodge was built as a suita
Page 37 and 38: The modernist concrete bridge over
Page 39 and 40: The setting of the Castle, dominate
Page 41 and 42: However, on the accession of Edward
Page 43 and 44: Name Born Acquired castle Died Robe
Page 45 and 46: 1.2.6 The Castle Collections The Ca
Page 47 and 48: 1.3 Assessment of significance 1.3.
Page 49 and 50: the claim to power of new regime. A
Page 51 and 52: The Castle and the town There is no
Page 53 and 54: It is important to note that the el
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Page 57 and 58: 1.3.5 Contemporary Significance Bec
Page 59: The horse chestnut tree at the foot
Page 62 and 63: Introduction The second part of the
Page 64 and 65: 2.3 Issues affecting significance T
Page 66 and 67: Assessing the implications of chang
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Page 74 and 75: 2.3.18 Presentation of the motte an
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Page 78 and 79: understanding of the need to provid
Page 80 and 81: 2.3.28 Ecological Potential The eco
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Page 84 and 85: The current entrance up the Norman
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Page 94 and 95: 2.3.52 Documentation and Collection
Page 96 and 97: Key risk areas: • Areas where cat
Page 98 and 99: The Policies A principles and appro
Page 100 and 101: Policy B3.6 An archive documenting
Page 102 and 103: Policy C3 To observe effective regi
Page 104 and 105: Policy C6 Understand and protect th
Page 106 and 107: F Policies Engagement Policy F1: Re
Page 108 and 109: Policy G12: Develop Tamworth Castle
Page 110 and 111: Policy H4.7 A brief annual monitori
Page 112 and 113: J Policies Site Management These po
Page 114 and 115: Costed 10 year Action Plan • Arra
Page 116 and 117: Sources Technical Baker, Shepherd,
Page 118 and 119: Rahtz P and Meeson R 1992 An Anglo-
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Appendix 1 120 Part 2 www.marionblo
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122 Part 2 www.marionblockley.co.uk
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Appendix 3 A map of that part of th
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Conservation Management Plan - Tamworth Borough Council

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