We all know it’s not fairly: your favorite fort or abbey swathed in metal fencing. It’s doing an essential job, holding our guests and employees secure, however enticing it isn’t.
So when our Excessive-Degree Masonry (HLM) undertaking was launched, resulting in entry restrictions at 70 of our 336 websites, we knew we needed to do one thing to scale back the impression on guests’ enjoyment. On the identical time, we hoped we might enhance the looks of the fencing.
Learn on to learn the way we responded to this momentous problem, and uncover simply a few of what you’ll now see – and listen to – while you go to our restricted websites.
Getting began with an all out of-fence
After discussing the scenario with our Monument Managers, we recognized three primary wants:
To elucidate what work is being carried out, why and the way.
The massive query, in fact, was ‘How lengthy will this take?’ Sadly that’s one we will’t reply till we’ve accomplished an in depth survey at every web site and assessed what repairs are wanted. What we might do was clarify why we couldn’t reply it.
One in all our inspections groups at Inchcolm Abbey utilizing a specialist entry platform to survey the excessive stage masonry.
To supply some sort of entry to areas and tales that guests can’t attain.
If there are areas of a web site you may’t get to, we’ve tried to supply distant entry. This could possibly be within the type of photographs, illustrations, movie footage or animated 3D scans. In some circumstances, we have been in a position to reuse present graphic panels, relocated exterior the restricted zones. We all the time wish to reuse the place potential.
Interpretive signage at Jedburgh Abbey permits guests to discover the early lifetime of famend Scottish scientist, Mary Somerville.
To supply various on-site experiences.
We’ve elevated our provide of out of doors video games and actions for households. Additionally, at chosen websites, we’re providing a spread of audio-visual content material – largely accessed through QR codes on guests’ personal gadgets.
Our Grasp Builders occasion at St Andrews Fortress gave guests the chance to check out their expertise as a medieval mason.
It made sense to make use of the fencing itself to hold most of our new interpretative signage. Hopefully, this might make it a bit prettier. But additionally, this short-term answer meant we wouldn’t have to get particular permission to hold out work at protected monuments. That’s all the time a key consideration once we’re putting in interpretive panels at our properties.
Blowing within the wind
You’ve most likely seen large-scale printed mesh adorning different buildings and historic websites the place scaffolding or fencing is in place. We shortly noticed that this might lend itself to our functions.
District Architect Clive Cruickshank serving to us assess the wind resistance of a mesh at Craigmillar Fortress.
However attaching giant mesh sheets – and even normal-sized graphic panels – to metal fencing introduced a complication. A fencing part by itself gives wind resistance of about 11%. Cowl it in mesh and the determine rises to 89%!
So the following process was understanding what sort of weighting we wanted – and right here we needed to name on our colleagues within the Civil Engineering workforce. They produced some terrifyingly advanced calculations, bearing in mind every part we’d already considered – and wind pace too.
It turned out we wanted a LOT of weights.
The weights arriving on web site at Linlithgow Palace.
Weights and measures
The logistics of getting the weights equipped to all of the related websites fell to our Useful resource Supervisor, Johnnie Clark. He’s had our suppliers working at capability to supply all of the weights we want. A lot in order that in early July their cement pump broke down: not a dilemma that’s usually encountered by an Interpretation workforce. (I’m happy to report it’s working once more now.)
Weights in place at Arbroath Abbey. Right here, we labored with the native arts organisation, Hospitalfield, to put in an exhibition of artworks printed onto mesh and hooked up to the fencing.
First steps
In the meantime, we set to work on a panel for all of the affected websites, giving fundamental details about the undertaking. You will have seen this at a few of our websites. To provide a flavour of how the inspections are being completed, we used pictures of a cellular elevating work platform (or MEWP) in use at Melrose Abbey.
Signage at Caerlaverock Fortress gives hyperlinks to extra info on our inspections and to the historical past of the fort.
We then turned our consideration to creating bespoke packages of latest interpretation for our precedence websites.
Website seeing
At Linlithgow Palace, the place the entire constructing is surrounded by fencing, we displayed large-scale illustrations and images. These present a glimpse of the interiors and showcase the Stewart royalty who established and expanded the Palace.
Vital entry restrictions stay in place at Linlithgow Palace. Nonetheless, new panels surrounding the palace discover its advanced historical past.
In the meantime, at Arbroath Abbey, web site employees requested us to advertise the exhibition, which stays open whereas entry to the monument is restricted. We produced some giant banners, in addition to a web site overview and a banner in regards to the Abbot’s Home.
New panels information guests to the exhibition at Arbroath Abbey.
At Dumbarton Fortress, we used the fencing as a sequence of canvases to painting the fort’s lengthy historical past. We took this chance to incorporate beforehand untold tales. We additionally produced a movie of award-winning native poet Stephen Watt studying his poem, ‘A Romantic’s Smash’.
At abbeys within the Borders and Dumfries & Galloway, we used characterful illustrations with easy captions at giant scale to provide a way of the medieval monastic lifestyle.
Though now you can go to the cloister at Sweetheart Abbey, there is no such thing as a entry at the remainder of the positioning. Panels inform the story of how the monks would have lived right here.
Dive in digitally
At sure websites, we’ve additionally added some new digital content material. You possibly can entry this by yourself cellphone utilizing a QR code (or by keying within the internet handle).
For Caerlaverock Fortress, we labored with our colleagues within the Digital Innovation workforce to supply a brand new flythrough video made out of 3D scans. An analogous movie exploring Linlithgow Palace is in improvement and can be launched within the new few weeks. These movies don’t simply give digital entry to the interiors; additionally they present viewpoints that may by no means usually be reached. Look out for an upcoming weblog explaining how we made these.
What’s subsequent?
Our new interpretation has begun showing at chosen restricted-access websites over the previous few weeks. To date we’ve been getting nice suggestions.
We’re now reviewing this section of labor, and planning the following stage. A few of our plans have already been shelved, for the very best purpose. Websites resembling Doune Fortress and Inchcolm Abbey have been cleared to reopen, with minimal restrictions in place.
At Doune, there’s the added bonus of the brand new footbridge. This award-winning construction hyperlinks the fort with the village, the outdated mill and a community of footpaths and interpretation boards.
A brief ‘crash deck’ at Doune Fortress permits guests secure entry to the courtyard and interiors.
Within the meantime, we hope you’ll agree that – whereas our websites will look higher when all of the fencing comes down – the addition of vibrant and informative interpretation is a giant enchancment.
Study extra about our inspections programme
Go behind-the-scenes with Craig Mearns, our Director of Operations, to search out out extra about our Excessive Degree Masonry project.
Head to our inspections web page for the most recent updates on this large problem.
