Conservation Strategies for Damp Buildings and Plaster: Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire: Fid-Bau Portal

Conservation Strategies for Damp Buildings and Plaster: Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire

Lithgow, Katy / Stewart, John

The transformation of the thirteenth-century nunnery of Lacock into a country residence at the time of the Dissolution has resulted in a complex structure, now with serious damp problems affecting the historic fabric. As owner of the Abbey, The National Trust has initiated an integrated conservation strategy to address the causes of decay. Surveys were undertaken to confirm the principal source of moisture and its distribution, and the types of soluble salts and microbiology present. A fuller understanding of the building has been afforded by monitoring the environment, groundwater variations and thermal transmission, and undertaking in situ quantification of microbiological growth through ultraviolet and infrared photography, and induced fluorescence, before and after irradiation with ultraviolet light. Urgent remedial conservation of fragile medieval wall plaster and limewashes has been carried out using lime-based techniques, with a cellulose ether (Tylose) as an adhesive and a silica colloid (Syton) as a plaster consolidant for limited areas. Future work will entail comprehensive assessment of site drainage and necessary improvements.