Projects
Our team of highly trained craftspeople and surveyors have been fortunate to work on some of the finest buildings in Britain, at times working in places where no one has been in a very long time for the simple reason that access is far from straightforward. Below are some notable projects from the past few years.
Skipton Castle
In 2024 we returned to Skipton Castle to work alongside Overton Architects in the installation of 21 stone indents to the gathers on the buttress below the medieval toilet. Extreme erosion to these details had meant that the highly inaccessible buttress was voided of mortar and also required a thorough repointing as well as structural repairs.The project was a huge success, with all involved very pleased at the outcome. It provided an excellent opportunity to showcase what is possible via rope access, as well as valuable training for our apprentices who helped out with some of the stone work, under supervision from our experienced stonemasons. Read more about our head mason's NVQ3 journey here.
St Thomas' Hospital
HLRA worked in conjunction with SL Heritage Architecture to perform a full condition survey of St Thomas' Hospital in Stockport. The survey was led by HLRA building surveyor Declan Cahill, with detailed reporting provided for the client. This is a prime example of a classic use case for rope access, where quick and flexible access can allow rapid tactile inspection of a large and complex building. Using a building surveyor well versed in the heritage sector means being able to prioritise the needs of a building based on its specific pathology, rather than modern building practices, and this ensures that the building will see the best in the long term.
Llanbedrog Church
Our highly trained lead workers recently completed a full gutter replacement and tower roof refurbishment at St Pedrog's Church on the Llyn Peninsula in North Wales. Usually this would require an expensive and visually imposing scaffold, however with rope access techniques we were able to deliver this project in a cost effective manor, with minimal disruption to the church and its functions such as services, weddings and funerals. Whilst on site it was simple for the client to ask us to complete other work on the church, such as renewing cast iron rainwater goods and repairing slates on the church - one of the benefits of rope access is that if we spot an issue on site we can generally rectify it there and then.
Llanrhuddlad Church
We have been involved in quite a few tip stabilisation projects, mostly in conjunction with renowned conservation engineer David Wiggins, and this was a particularly interesting case. The tip of the spire had moved, possibly during a storm, and Churches in Wales required that it was made safe. This required a bespoke system to lift and lower the top three courses of masonry, followed by a temporary lead cap which was welded in situ. This unique spire was discovered to be of completely solid construction, and we are now working with David and CIW to plan the next phase of work, to ensure that this wonderful little spire can continue to give Church Bay its name. Click this link to read more about this project in our blog.
Raglan Castle
HLRA was pleased to deliver a project to install 6 CINTEC anchors into a ruined arch on the Great Tower at Raglan Castle. This was done using a bespoke scaffolding to mount the core drill. This scaffold was designed by our highly experienced team such that it did not require any damage to the masonry to support itself, meaning that both money could be saved by not using a large scale scaffold, and no intrusive fixings were installed other than those required to stabilise the arch. Read more about the project here.
St Oswald's Church
Last summer we enjoyed being involved in a project to lime wash the stunning St Oswald's in the centre of Grasmere. This famous church was harled a few years ago, and the lime wash needed renewing. Our knowledgable conservators worked with the client, architect, and local suppliers to match the colour of the lime wash and ensure that the mix was performing as intended. This was a hot mixed lime wash, made on site, and applied hot. Thanks to the access method the church saved a lot of money on scaffolding, and we hope that more people will realise that a coat of lime wash needn't be a huge expense with the right rope access team involved.
Lister Mill
After surveying this 76m chimney and providing a detailed report early in 2024, HLRA was contracted to perform holding repairs. This project provided many challenges, and solutions to the various problems had to be carefully managed between the client, Bradford council, and other key parties. This project was a good example of how having the same company oversee the condition survey and then conduct repairs can lead to the smooth running of a project thanks to already having an intimate working knowledge of the building pathology and faults that need rectifying. Completed in November, we were fortunate with the weather, and everyone on the project enjoyed their time at the top of Bradford, surveying the city.
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Chepstow Castle
We're proud to have delivered several projects over the years at Chepstow castle, including conditions surveys, descaling, de-vegetation, and masonry repairs. This wonderful ancient castle is one of our favourite CADW monuments to work on, and we now have an intimate knowledge of the building and it's specific pathology.
Lancaster Cathedral
We've been looking after Lancaster Cathedral for many years now, having helped out with two quinquennial inspections, general maintenance, and many repairs to the fabric of the church itself and cathedral house. This fantastic monument sits proud above Lancaster giving great view of the city and across the bay to the lake district - its always a pleasure to be involved.
