Thursday 14 June 2012, 9.30am to 5pm

The course

The day will consist of introductory talks with slides covering:

  • The variety of limes and their uses, the current issues.
  • Suitability of purpose, no lime is a bad lime if properly used.
  • Non-hydraulic and hydraulic limes, traditional and modern preparations.
  • The decay of buildings and why historic buildings need lime.

The talks will be followed by practical demonstrations on how to make a decent lime mortar properly, so that a tradesman can use it.

The tutor

Dr Gerard Lynch is an internationally acknowledged leader in the field of brickwork and mortars and their historical conservation. His practical and technical skills in the use of traditional methods and materials are outstanding. He is author of Gauged Brickwork: A Technical Handbook, Brickwork: History, Technology  and The History of Gauged Brickwork.

It has long been Gerard’s belief that current understanding and practices do not fully reflect the traditional methods of lime and mortar making and he has stood out against fashionable trends in conservation, with well-researched evidence to support this.   

He has a hands-on philosophy and a pragmatic view of how and why craftsmen went about their tasks in the past. Understanding non-hydraulic and hydraulic lime mortars is not rocket science, it is practical, sensible, achievable pragmatism backed up by centuries of evidence to support the use of lime mortars for all aspects of building works.

This day school will show that the physical evidence for Gerard’s opinions abound all around us, including in the Museum’s buildings.

This course is supported by Singleton Birch.

Fee

£110 per person, to include tuition, teas and coffees and a light lunch.

Participant information

No special clothing is required, but please bring outdoor clothing and wear sturdy footwear.

The Museum

The Weald & Downland Open Air Museum has over 45 historic building exhibits.  It is also home to the award winning and innovative Downland Gridshell, which houses a conservation workshop and artefact store, and is also used for many practical courses.  The Museum runs a full programme of courses in historic building conservation and traditional rural trades and crafts, along with MSc programmes in Building Conservation and Timber Building Conservation. Please telephone for further details.

To book, download a form here. Alternatively, fill in the booking request below.

Make a Booking Request

 
This is an initial booking request form, and does not guarantee a place on the course. The Adult Learning Team will check the availability of the course, and reply to you as soon as possible - usually within one working day.