Inigo Wren Building Surveyors

04/12/2025

Building conservation sits at the intersection of heritage, craft, science, and community responsibility. It requires not only technical skill but also cultural sensitivity, historical understanding, and a deep respect for the stories embodied in the built environment. In such a multifaceted field,....

04/12/2025

Preserving historic sites and buildings requires more than just good intentions. It demands clear understanding, careful planning, and effective communication. A heritage statement plays a crucial role in this process. It provides a detailed explanation of a site's significance and guides decisions....

04/12/2025

The idea of consecration crosses on buildings was originally to purify pagan temples during the conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity. The process of consecration meant making an indelible mark on the building so that it may never be converted to common or profane uses. This would explain w...

03/12/2025

This Charles I crest in a local church is suffering damage caused by warm moist air rising form the heater and condensing on the thicker colder wall above. This has manifested as smudging on the "Christo Auspice Regno". This is compounded by two issues, flowers with water in the vase and the thinner...

03/12/2025

This occurs in limes that are rich in calcium or magnesium that has matured over a long period of time under water and is of extra purity. There are still disagreements over the mechanisms underlying this phenomenom. The smaller calcium hydroxide in long term aged putty enhances dissolution and incr...

03/12/2025

Great find today while carrying out a survey, the remnants of a smoke bay behind the chimney. Lovely smoke blackened beams. The smoke blackening really showing off the hewing marks on one of the rafters. Notice in the fourth picture the wattle has gone leaving a very limey daub behind and the fantas...

03/12/2025

Purchasing a property, especially one with heritage or listed status, involves numerous complexities. The stakes are high, and the potential for unforeseen issues can significantly impact both the value and longevity of the investment. This is where pre-purchase inspections become indispensable. The...

03/12/2025

The Rich History of MerdonOnce a palace belonging to Henry de Blois, Merdon is a scheduled monument nestled within a Bronze Age hill fort. This unique location adds to its historical significance and allure. The remnants of the castle primarily consist of core work, as the facing stone has been larg...

03/12/2025

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03/12/2025

Having a bit of a tidy up in the office and found some more Victorian detail drawings from a portfolio my wife gave me for Xmas a couple of years ago.

With the advent of Auto Cad I feel another craft has been lost. I like to think about the person who drew these, with only a scalpel to scrape away mistakes. The layout is perfect and they certainly knew how to fill a page!

21/10/2025

https://www.inigowren.co.uk/post/building-needing-help

This gorgeous victorian mot=rturay chapel is in Petworth at a now closed cemetary. Erected in 1863 by Lord Leconfield it has completely slipped the net with no one claiming ownership. It has declined dramatically in the last 10 years and is now on the point of becoming quite dangerous. Apparently so...

20/10/2025

Once one of Henry de Blois palaces, Merdon is a scheduled monument situated inside a Bronze Age hill fort! All that was left of the castle was core work, the facing stone having been robbed out. The company I worked for (TGP Ltd) specified the consolidation and conservation works including the soft....