St John the Baptist Church, Bretherton

Client

St. John Baptist Church

Duration

3 Visits

Location

Bretherton, Lancashire

Sector

Heritage

A heritage project dealing with typical issues that occur on the roofs of listed buildings due to insufficient maintenance over several years.

The brief

Orb Rope Access was asked to attend St John the Baptist Church in Bretherton to repair damage caused by water ingress and loose stonework.

Rope access was considered the most suitable approach for accessing hard to reach areas of the roof without causing damage to the heritage site that scaffolding is often responsible for.

The building

St John the Baptist Church in Bretherton village is a Grade II listed building. It was built in 1839 – 1840 to provide seating for 400 worshipers. The church was restored in 1898 when a chancel and vestry were added. Sadly, in 2009 the church was damaged by fire that had been started by an arsonist.

The church is constructed of sandstone with slate roofs. Its tower, located at the west end with an octagonal spire, has a porch that is open on three sides, above which are three rows of masonry. The corners of the tower are supported by buttresses that rise to form four pinnacles, between which is a stepped parapet.

The work

Rectifying water ingress on heritage sites is a regular task for Orb Rope Access technicians. Water ingress can be caused in various ways. It may occur due to a leak, general aging and wear and tear, storm damage, clogged gutters or other similar causes. Signs of water ingress are mouldy spots, peeling paintwork and damp patches on walls and floors.

Likewise loose stonework is a regular problem with heritage buildings, simply due to their age and exposure to the elements over such a long time.

On St John the Baptist Church we found that some open mortar joints and lead work had been displaced due to bad weather. We rectified these, but the issue had been caused by a slow historic leak that had gone undetected because nobody had checked the inside of the tower for a considerable amount of time. This had resulted in significant damage to the wooden frame of the bell housing.

We also found that one of the four pinnacles at the top of the tower was leaning to one side, as was the spire. Upon further investigation, we discovered that both the pinnacle and spire had been in the same positions for 40-50 years when compared with some old photographs. It was decided that nothing would be done at this stage if they hadn’t moved in all that time, but the issues have now been recorded for regular review.

Benefits to the client

Our close inspection of the tower at height highlighted the need for regular inspections and maintenance of hard to reach places of the church. We explained to the client that this will inevitably save money in the end because it avoids long term problems which are more costly to rectify than proactive maintenance schedules.

The church was left in an improved condition with the leak fixed and the loose stonework repaired, without disruption to visitors to the church. The project was approached with the sensitivity and expertise required for working on a heritage building.

Excellent team to work with! Great communication from start to finish, they have done a fantastic job fixing up our church spire, and all without the hassle and cost of scaffolding! Would 100% recommend!

Tasha, Churchwarden

What our clients say about us

Absolutely delighted with the outcome of the works, can't praise ORB highly enough for the all elements of the project, will certainly be using them again on any future projects.

The gutters on our building had not been cleaned for some years. In places they were choked with vegetation and this was causing water ingress into the building whenever we had heavy rain. Access, because of height was an issue. Orb Rope did a fantastic job and resolved the water ingress problem which had become a big concern. The technicians came when they said they would, carried out the work they said they would and left the area clean and tidy. The work was done promptly. We found the technicians knowledgeable and helpful. We would have no hesitation in recommending your company.

“Orb Rope Access have run several projects at Scarisbrick Hall. We have found them to be efficient, reliable and have completed their works on time and on budget. We would have no hesitation in recommending them. Well done Matt and team, keep up the good work.”

" I have worked with Matt and Orb since 2010, on many various tasks within the stadium and training ground, this includes floodlight painting and lamp changes, high level window cleaning, maintenance and repairs to various roofs to include tin, plastic and fiberglass roofs. The fitting of new high level signage and banners, and many other jobs. They helped to develop our rescue plan for our own engineers when working on the floodlights. They are always available when we have had storm damage, working well into the night to complete repairs. I would not hesitate to recommend them to any other company for any type of rope work/high level maintenance, and have done on several occasions. "

"Orb Rope Access have completed numerous projects at St Johns for the past 5 years; Including the reseal of the famous St Johns Beacon! I find them professional, reliable, and very financially competitive. They are a highly recommended contractor of mine and a joy to work with."

"Orb Rope Access were introduced to us as we required a high-level structural inspection solution. Given the nature of the project we needed a service partner who could provide excellent levels of safety coupled with knowledge and capability in delivering the standards we required. Orb didn’t fail to impress, there attention to detail and professionalism throughout the process was second to none."

"I have had the pleasure of working with Orb rope access on a few roofing projects now, and have to say that despite the difficult nature of the work that they do in terms of access they also have an ability to transfer that expertise and attention to detail to the work carried out on site. Top work from a top company!"

"Inleaf specialise in the design, installation and maintenance of living walls throughout the UK. Living walls, by their nature, often require specialist access for installation and maintenance and so we commonly work with Orb Rope Access to provide specialist advice and assistance with projects that require abseiling access. Orb Rope Access have always been friendly, straightforward and professional to deal with. We've found them to be 100% reliable and excellent at working closely with our team when on site, either following specific instructions or using their own initiative when required."

This is the second time we have used Orb for high-level work. We are very satisfied with the job done. The team arrived on site at exactly on time, kept me informed of progress and provided photographs of the completed work for my records. I would have no hesitation in using the company for future work.

Here at Liverpool Cathedral , as you can guess there is a challenge to gain access to problems at height. We have used the services of ORB for several years now and they provide us with a professional and safe service which is beyond our means.

Before ORB came to us for roof work it was very difficult to find anyone who would go on the roof. Scaffolding is very expensive. The men who come to carry out the work are polite and a pleasure to deal with and St Oswald's are so grateful for their expertise.

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