John Sharman introduced himself to the Kent & East Sussex members, outlining his entry into the craft of Carpentry and Joinery and his studies, culminating in taking the Institute examination and then joining the lecturing team at West Kent College. A few years later the College closed the courses and John then took on other work primarily in restoration work and associated with Canterbury Archeological Trust, leading to the subject of his presentation namely the moving of an historic grade two, listed building from it’s original site at Pets Farm, Teston in Kent where the new railway line was to run right through the site of this old structure built in 1620 with additions in 1850 and then 1950.
Having obtained funding to relocate this building from the original site to The Kent Life Museum –seven months had been set aside for the planning- during which time the building had been measured plans drawn and all components of the building noted, listed and photographed. The planning also involved the storage of numerous groups of material types, analysing of mortars etc. so that the building could be transported and then rebuilt on its prepared new site.
During the process of disassembly each part of the construction was detailed from the taking apart of the chimney stacks with the flue configuration maintained and the characteristic irregularity of brick work of such buildings with the various alterations and repairs carried out over the years since its foundation being laid, each roof tile, rafter, brick, frame and so on individually marked for referencing to a point on the drawn plans. The key to this activity was the datum line set above the ground floor door and window top rails on to a clear surface. At strategic points vertical rods were used to set levels. John stated that even the scaffolding standards had been sited on the old site and then on the new site so that this procedure of referencing could be maintained.
In the concluding session the process of rebuilding was shown and discussed and reference was made to the requirement for a damp proof course to be built in but set back from the face work so as to keep the integrity of appearance while protecting the structure from degrade. The requirement for authenticity was evident when John pointed out how the lime plaster used on the 1622 element of the buildings Split lathe partitioning was specified to be with Yak hair mixed in at twenty hairs to one inch.
Article Harry Miller FIOC, Photos John Sharman FIOC | Kent & East Sussex Membership Group
This article first appeared in the March 2015 issue of Cutting Edge. As part of the IOC membership, IOC members receive quarterly editions of Cutting Edge magazine and access to all back issues online.
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