Grant Supports Repair of Grade II* Listed Building at Risk in Boxley, Kent
Historic England has awarded the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) a £36,188 grant in support of the Old House Project – a conservation-led repair of the Grade II* listed former St Andrews Chapel in Boxley, Kent
The grant is helping to fund the design of an engineering solution to reinforce the west corner of the building, and investigation work around the reasons for structural movement which has occurred over the past 500 years.
Historic England Archive photos from the 1990s have helped confirm that much of the movement is historic and has not changed significantly in recent years.
St Andrews Chapel, near Maidstone, dates back to the late 15th century and forms part of the wider monastic landscape at Boxley Abbey.
Though originally used for worship, it was converted to a house early on. In its history, it has housed a relic of St Andrew, was owned by Tudor poet Thomas Wyatt and acted as a local post office between the 1930s and 1970s. It has been empty since 1970.
It was built from local Kentish ragstone and extended over time to suit its many uses, including the addition of a timber-framed wing.
The building is on the Heritage at Risk Register and was purchased by the SPAB in 2018.
The Old House Project is giving people the opportunity to get involved in hands-on conservation and craft skills training, following the Society’s ethos of sensitive repair.
The biggest threat to St Andrews, as a Grade II* listed building 'at risk', is the significant bulge in its west wall. This area of wall could easily have collapsed. With voluntary help SPAB has been able to introduce temporary propping, but we are enormously grateful to Historic England for their assistance in developing a permanent structural solution. Their grant and technical input has supported the preparation of a repair strategy for the wall. We hope to be in a position to implement the repair work during 2022, with the aim of conserving the wall rather than rebuilding it.
Investigative work by a range of specialists including from Historic England, the SPAB, and Malcolm Fryer Architects is underway so that together we can understand the contributing factors for the structural movement and supports can be installed over the summer to pin the gable wall of the west wing back to the main structure of the building.
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