Premier Heritage has recently completed a timber condition and defect survey of historic Worsley Court House in Salford, Manchester close to the Bridgwater Canal.
Worsley Court House was constructed on the site of the old village stocks and completed in early 1849, soon after on the 4th August the first court hearing was held where two local men were accused of fishing on the Bridgwater Canal and on the private fishing ponds of the Earl of Ellesmere. They were apparently found in the possession of a large eel and a 6lb carp, with one of the men found guilty and allegedly fined two pounds, a lot of money in those days!
Although operating as a Court until 1908, the building has been used in many ways over the years and has served as the Town Hall, as well as being used for public functions, dances and concerts, in some way fulfilling the function of the village hall. In 1973 it was purchased by the Salford District Council and is now a distinguished venue for weddings, public meetings and other private functions.
Despite its traditional external black and white timber framing and decorative gabled walls the Court House is a purely Victorian building with lavish internally panelled walls and a huge fireplace.
The building, which is now Grade II Listed, has been extensively extended over the years with numerous wings being added, however like many buildings of its age and construction it is vulnerable to the affects weathering and dampness and over the past decade or so; various structural timbers have had to be replaced due to fungal decay.
Premier have undertaken a detailed survey of the timber framing, which included the use of the Micro Drilling system and well as conventional survey techniques to advise on the on incidence to timber decay and future repair strategies.
Front entrance to the Worsley Court House
Non destructive detection of timber decay
More conventional decay detection of a corner post
The timber panelled wall of the Oak room
Closer inspection reveals wet rot decay to decorative timbers
The station, which opened in August 1864, was the Isle of Wight railway’s northern terminus, (one of three stations in Ryde), before being expanded in 1866 to accommodate the opening of the new Ventnor to Shanklin line.
Ryde St John Signal Box
The timber framed, two storey signal box originally located at London Waterloo East, was dismantled in 1926, timbers numbered and moved piece by piece to be re-erected at its present location. This is the only operational signal box on the Isle of Wight line today and hence it has become known as the ‘Island Line Signalling Centre’!
No fancy computerised systems here! All hand operated by an experienced Signalman
Premier’s brief was to undertake a detailed investigation of the main structural supporting timbers and to prepare a specification of repair and preservation to allow for the continued use of the Signal Box well into the 21st century.
The main soft wood timber frame which sits on a concrete ringed foundation suffers from wet rot fungal decay and general deterioration, in part due to general weathering and the lack of routine maintenance, but also as a consequence of past flooding that affected the track and station buildings in the early and late 1990’s. Investigation of the timbers included the use of conventional survey techniques and moisture measurement, but also Micro Drilling using the Sibtec Digital Probe to determine the integral condition of the main wall plates, cill beams and large corner posts.
Significant wet rot fungal decay affecting the large corner posts and cill beams
Wet rot decay affects the internal wall plates
Wet rot fungal decay affects the joists to the canter levered jetty on the southern elevation
