Skillington Workshop

Skillingtons Training Course in the Architectural Conservation of Archaeological Sites in North Macedonia, 10-24 May 2025

January 13, 2025 by Elizabeth Blood in Building, News 0 comments

Skillington’s work to conserve the Theodosian Palace at Stobi in North Macedonia is being extended and will include the provision of a training course in conserving archaeological sites for the Balkan Heritage Field School 2025. The spectacular archaeological site of Stobi is close to the village of Gradsko in the Republic of North Macedonia. The course runs from 10-24 May 2025 and provides attendees with 6 ECTS academic credits (through the New Bulgarian University, Bulgaria). The variety of activities on offer as part of the course, and Skillingtons’ wide range of skills and expertise make this course suitable for both beginners and advanced students in architecture, Roman, Late Roman and Medieval archaeology and conservation. No previous experience is necessary. The two-week field school provides a minimum of 75 hours of fieldwork, workshops, lab work, lectures, instructional practical work, and guided tours. Participants will learn about: Roman construction techniques Understanding traditional mortars The deterioration and conservation of archaeological stone structures Ecology and archaeological ruins Practical techniques such as consolidation using mortars Different approaches to treating wall heads Earth mortars How to present the pointing of archaeological structures Reconstructing/ restoring losses Good maintenance This is a new field school […]

Skillingtons Project Shortlisted as 2025 AABC Conservation Awards: Regional Finalist!

December 31, 2024 by Elizabeth Blood in Building, News, Sculpture and decorative arts 0 comments

Leighton Buzzard Market Cross Skillingtons recent conservation of the Leighton Buzzard market cross has been shortlisted as a Regional Finalist for a Civic Trust Award. Project Architect, Rena Pitsilli-Graham, nominated the work. The 2025 AABC Conservation Awards are for “projects which demonstrate the highest standards of historic building conservation”. Following a period of decline, in which stone decay and falls, plant growth, and build-up of pollution and dirt had become a major problem, the Leighton Buzzard Townlands Trustees in association with an Architect, Rena Pitsilli-Graham, commissioned research, surveys, scientific analysis and trials to inform a specification of repair works. It was seen that previous repair works had failed, stonework was decaying, and the accumulation of pollutants and biological growth had begun to affect the structure. Trustees then engaged Skillingtons to examine the condition of the carved stonework and subsequently commissioned them to carry out the specified cleaning and repairs to the whole structure, including its fragile sculptures, original vaulted ceiling, its steps and railings. Skillingtons’ Alan Micklethwaite also produced new carved stonework for the repairs. Being a Regional Finalist means that the project has been selected as a scheme that has “demonstrated a significant standard of historic […]

The Monson Monument (1625) by Nicholas Stone at South Carlton, Lincolnshire

October 18, 2024 by Elizabeth Blood in News, Sculpture and decorative arts, Uncategorized 0 comments

Since 2011, Skillingtons has been checking the large 1625 monument by Nicholas Stone in the Monson Mausoleum at the Grade I listed St John the Baptist Church in South Carlton, Lincolnshire. Back in 2015-16, a report was commissioned on the condition of the monument, including the results of paint analysis and repeated surveys. The Mausoleum (by Watkins, of 1897-98) was restored by the family in 2009. It forms an integral part of the church building, and the Sir John and Lady Monson monument now stands within it. It is a large and elaborate free -standing canopied six-poster structure in alabaster, with two life-size effigies recumbent upon a chest below, and eight smaller kneeling figures along three sides. The monument is constructed of well over 170 individual stone pieces, and has a brick structure behind the canopy as well as a core (probably of brick) to the chest tomb. In May 2024, some limited conservation works began. This included cleaning the canopy in situ and checking its stability, dusting and cleaning the recumbent effigies and base of the tomb, assessing the surrounding ledges for stability, addressing previously failed repairs, and focusing attention on the kneeling figures […]

Londonthorpe WW2 Firing Wall (July 2024)

August 30, 2024 by Elizabeth Blood in News, War Memorials 0 comments

Emma Teale, Senior Conservator, writes: Skillingtons were first asked in 2022 by the Woodland Trust to have a look at graffiti removal and brick repair at a WW2 firing wall in Alma Park Wood, part of Londonthorpe Woods, Grantham. This is a slightly unusual and interesting job for Skillington Workshop as it is 20th century war time brickwork. The wall consists of curved wall with a central bay, the site of the butts or backstop that takes the impact after the bullet has passed through the target. You can still see miss-aimed bullet holes peppering the central bay, and some of the bolts that used to hang metal sheets used to protect the lower brickwork. The brick walls had been covered in lots of different spray paint graffiti, and any cleaning trials had to take into consideration the difficult logistics of getting materials and equipment to site. All of the brick wall heads had vegetation growing out of them and the soldier course of capping had degraded in places and had led to losses of the brickwork below. The right hand wall of the […]

Theodosian Palace Conservation Project: Stobi, North Macedonia

August 05, 2024 by Elizabeth Blood in Building, News 0 comments

Conservators from Skillingtons worked with an international team led by Graham Abrey for the Balkan Heritage Foundation with the National Institution Stobi at a site in North Macedonia. They were helping to conserve part of one of the most important buildings at Stobi; the 4th century Roman residential Theodosian Palace. An exemplar trial was wanted to show how current conservation practices could work for the rest of the site. The works consisted of repairing damage to a wall caused by post-excavation exposure to the atmosphere and the failure over time of historic attempts to stabilise it, and included repairs to the wall head and consolidating losses through salt damage. Whilst working on the site in May 2024, Skillingtons trained local heritage workers in conservation best practice and maintenance. The project was funded by the Kaplan Fund. Stobi is a Roman city archaeological site, mainly dating from the Early Imperial (1st century BC) to Late Antiquity (6th century AD) periods. It is vast, with many important buildings and mosaics, much of it yet unexcavated. Next to the River Vardar in North Macedonia, it is easy to appreciate Stobi’s strategic position. The Palace was excavated in the 1920s, and in […]

Skillingtons host rare chance to see conservation of medieval monuments at St Andrews Church, Wingfield, Suffolk.

April 04, 2024 by Elizabeth Blood in News 0 comments

At Wingfield church on Wednesday 10th April 2024 between 2pm-4pm, Skillingtons are hosting a free ‘pop-up’ event on behalf of the Church Monuments Society. All welcome. Join us if you can for a unique insight into ongoing conservation works by Skillington Workshop Ltd. at the fascinating St Andrews Church, Wingfield, in Suffolk. Skillingtons are working on the fine late-15th-century alabaster monument to John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, and his wife Elizabeth (Plantagenet, sister of Edward IV and Richard III). They are also re-inspecting the wooden effigies of Michael de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk and his wife Katherine Stafford (carved c.1410). Senior Conservators from Skillingtons will explain the work they are doing. There may be a rare chance to see the underside of the wooden effigies during the conservation works. St Andrews is a Grade I listed church that was built from 1362. As the de la Poles of Wingfield Castle continued to gain wealth and power, they beautified the church extensively in the 14th and 15th centuries, and had their magnificent tombs placed there. Donations to the church will be welcome on the day. A portaloo will be in situ at […]

Skillington Workshop Ltd to receive £10,100 from second round of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund

April 09, 2021 by Tony in News 0 comments

Skillngtons has received a grant of £10,100 from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help us manage the increased costs and the uncertainty around working through the Covid pandemic. We are one of 2,700 recipients from the latest round of awards from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund. Although we have been fortunate to have been able to manage an almost continuous stream of work since mid-May 2020, having had to take advantage of the government’s furlough scheme for our site staff for seven weeks, there have been numerous increased costs. In line with industry guidance we have revised our travel arrangements and had to provide additional vehicles to avoid sharing long journeys in vans. Our work regularly involves having to stay away, which has been particularly challenging in terms of finding suitable digs which are not shared, eating arrangements, and indeed for the wellbeing of our team. A lot of our work involves handling heavy and awkward objects or working in relatively confined spaces, and we have had to adjust methods accordingly to minimise compromising social distancing. The grant will help mitigate these costs and allow us to manage our way through to what we hope […]

Coronavirus statement

April 06, 2020 by Tony in News 0 comments

The Coronavirus pandemic is affecting all walks of life and our business is no exception. The majority of the sites we are working on have closed until the government’s lockdown measures have eased, working away from home (staying in accommodation) is not currently viable, and much of what we do is impossible whilst following social distancing protocol. For the time being we are therefore limited to administration and report-writing (mainly from home-working) and emergency works. During this period we are preparing for a return to work in due course, looking at what strategies we might employ if there is a partial or temporary easing of lockdown. In the meantime please direct all email enquiries to admin@skillingtons.co.uk . Our office number – 01476 565671 – should be answered during office hours but in case of difficulty or for out-of-hours emergencies only please contact David Carrington on 07713 647225. We apologise for any inconvenience caused whilst these measures are in place and hope that all of our contacts stay in good health.

South Mimms Church

February 13, 2020 by Tony in News 0 comments

South Mimms is best known to some as the service station where the A1 meets the M25, but nearby is a small but historic village in which is historic St. Giles’s church. Skillingtons have been involved here for many years, initially in assisting a main contractor with in 2011 the re-location of the important mid-15th century Frowyk brasses, set in a fractured Purbeck marble ledger slab, from the foot of the tower to the Frowyk Chapel to the north of the Chancel. The Frowyk Chapel is known to have been built in about 1525-6, the centre-piece originally being the fine canopied tomb chest monument to Thomas (d.1523), son of the builder Henry Frowyk. Exceptionally fine London work this is one of a group of monuments also including that to Christopher Urswyck (d.1522) in St. John at Hackney – which was also conserved by Skillingtons (our survey in 2004, the works carried out in 2009). Unfortunately the Frowyk Chapel has been affected by settlement and the north wall – into which the monument is built – falling outwards. We have been monitoring this since cracks first started appearing in the monument in 2016, and in 2019 concluded in […]

St Alban’s Cathedral – Restoration of the Shrine of St Amphibalus

October 01, 2019 by Tony in News 0 comments

Shrines were focal points of medieval cathedrals, housing relics of saints and attracting pilgrims from far and wide to pray for forgiveness. Most English shrines were severely damaged or destroyed during the Dissolution and Reformation, as was the case at St Albans where the shrine of St Alban himself (dating to circa 1302-8) and of St Amphibalus (circa 1350). The fragments of the broken up shrines were used to block up an archway, to be re-discovered during George Gilbert Scott’s restoration of the Cathedral in 1872. CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL POST >>>