The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1866-06-19 00:00:00

BRADFORD ABBAS CROSCR.

Citollemen,—ln accordance with your request w
have inspected the oda roof of your church, for the
purpose of examining its state of repair, and whether in
conesquenes of the defeats, it may be found neeeessry to
take some immediate precautionary mesecres. We bee
go edoer to submit to you our report. The time when
the roof was erected was between 1450 ani 1475; and it
is, therefore, ooeval with the Church itself. When new
it most have presented • very fine appearance, the
rafters, porlins and condom being most gorgeously
painted and gilded, the panels between having painted
on them the York and Leoesstrien noes, But from the
very first, the roof hal • period defect in it, the con.
dentition biting most unscientific; indeed, strictly
epesking, there wee no a-Instruction et all. The rafters
simply ended with one end on the wall, and abutted
dated each other at the top. The merlins were framed
between them. The slides being filled with pieces of
boarding liii vertically, and immediately on whichi
rested the lead. Tiebeanis, wilds, and hammer beams
were altogether dipensed with and the condquenoe was
that very soon the roof showed • tendency to throd
outward; fortunately it was counteracted by the
extreme stmogth and al solidity of the wall.
From time to time the wet has come in through the
defective lead work, the joints in the sheets simply
overlapping one another instead of being dreamed round
wood in rolls, and constquently the trength of all the
timbers has been impaired. The mischief has been
remedied by tieing the rafters together in the centre by
iron rods to serve rollers, hot this very precaution
gr Ambit), became • dome of danger, for. as the decay
and rot increased, notwith•tanding numerous reline. to
the lead, the rafters gradually bent down in the middle
at the level of the rods, and would have broken
altogether at the., points had the walls moved outward
to • very slight extent As the decay still further pro.
gee, red the oak piers, which fixed together the rafters,
purling. and rider, hoitme rotten, and it was fount
necessary to supply their place by a number
of iron bolts, straps, and ties, mpectiellY
at the western end. The rod timbers here
being only kept from falling in by these additions.
At some period the original vertical hoards have been
removed, and horizontal boarding laid on. which
materielly aided the timbers by hooding them together.
We have found on examination of some of the timbers
that they are almost eptirely decayed and worm eaten
without, together with the hoarding between, the wall
plates and rdters feet have become almost dust.
Although the decay lid been grednal, it has now
resided that point when it would be rub to say that it
would stand for another year without more eerious
mischief scorning, (parte of the panels have, we heir.
already fallen out at the Edt end), and we do
not oonsider that any security would be afforded by
introducing iron tics between the feet of the rafters.
They being in such • state of decay that they could not
be Manly and securely fixed. The expedient of horiaontal
boarding would also be very dangerous. Rot at the
isms time we trust that if the lead u made watertight that
no immediate danger may be apprehended during the nes t
few moths. We are, however, decidedly of opinion
that in the spring, as won as the weather permits, the
lead should be stripped, and the timbers taken down
under the most careful and skilfull supervision. The
roof being of so fine • type. and ea bletorisally interest-
ing, that every fragment which it is possible to rescue
must be religiously put up &Rein, the portions which are
absolutely required to be renewed tooorrespend in their
character with the old work, but to be modified in their
on +reaction as to prevent the possibility of failure from
the owns, which have led to the destruction of the old
roof. %dote any portion of the timbers are disturbed,
morel tracings ant copies must he made of the paint.
lap by a thoroughly competent and responsible person.
so that they may be reproduced in the new roof. It
may be found poaihle to construct out of the old timbers
one or more complete bays, but without examination of
each individual Bober it is impossible to spook with any
certainty on this point, but we would, in conclusion,
mod strongly urge that the neeedsry repairs be executed
by day work. on ler careful and daily superintendence,
and not by contend, by which, as in mug dineraceful
instances which have occurred, all trace of this magnifi-
cent andent roof will be irrecoverably lost.
Weber 1.0 remsin your obedient servants,
R. HERMIT CAIPISTE3 A rehitects.
WILL 1•11 SLATER
Meanwhile we would only add in venturing to
appeal for public aid in behalf of this object that we
understand the perish would tar itself for half the
amount required, provided the friends of church
restoration amongst the general public would crone
forersixd with the rest. T'be vicar and churchwardens
above named, who bays already restored the tine
mason's work of the interior, would gladly receive
any names of those who would kindly aid, It moms
deplorable that so fine • work should be doomed to
destruotion, as it certainly is, unless an °pagans
effort be instantly aide.