2026 MEETING No 1

This meeting was held on Wednesday 4 February in the Architecture Department of The University of Lincoln, by kind permission of Marcin Kolakowski.  Those present were :

Trevor Oliver, Chair of EMESS

Ian George, Historic Places Manager, Lincolnshire County Council

Jenne Pape, Project Officer for the Mud-and-Stud Buildings Project at LCC

Naomi Field, archaeologist

Marcin Kolakowski, School of Architecture

Robin Brittain, EMESS

Mike Christie, visitor

David Glew, EMESS

 

EMESS was delighted that a grant had been obtained by LCC to carry out an up-to-date  survey of the mud-and-stud buildings in the County.  The previous one by Rodney Cousins was now more than 25 years old.  The grant is for two years (2026 and 2027) and will be under guidance from Historic England.  It will be a mix of desk-based research and fieldwork.  Shortly an on-line form will be available for the public to submit information about buildings they know.  There will be a final report, but having an interim report as well, was discussed.

 

The groups interested in surveys have been recognised as : historians (for records, especially if something is found to be rare); owners (for insurance, amongst other things); and architects/planners (for repairs and maintenance).  All groups are interested in mud-and-stud buildings.  Help to meet the needs of each of these groups could be provided as a result of this survey, and also by the expertise within EMESS.  One such item for surveying, would be the types of soils used to construct each building.  This would help to answer the general question of why mud-and-stud buildings are here in parts of Lincolnshire.

 

It was pointed out that the records made by different professions can be different from each other.  However, a digital survey could have a number of different layers available, based on a basic survey, which layers could be chosen to suit individual requirements.  Hand-held or tripod based digital surveys have been available for a number of years, but moving that technology to a flight of three drones is now becoming available.  Through the university, a trial of this technique could be carried out, and through EMESS, a suitable mud-and-stud building could be found.

 

A base for EMESS will be available in the forthcoming Mumby Heritage Skills Centre, which is in the redundant community centre/church in that village.  This will be the final location for proposed tours of churches, on one day, and of mud-and-stud buildings, on another day.  There would be practical workshops at Mumby as well. 

 

Projects coming up include the dilapidated mud-and-stud cottage at Bag Enderby, where tenders for the construction/repair work will take place soon.  Training days could take place there.  For Withern Cottage in Skegness, trainees from Grimsby College will carry out repairs and improvements (this is not a listed building).  At Mill Farm, new mud-and-stud construction will take place in the form of glamping pods, and the first to be completed will be the welfare building.  Trainees from Boston College are expected to work there.  At Ivy Cottage on the Gunby Estate, a written survey was carried out about 20 years ago, and a repair project there is a possibility.  An old timber roof frame has been salvaged from Sturton-by-Stow, and it is hoped it can be used to train carpenters from the colleges by means of re-assembling it.  Holding workshops with school children could take place, to build models, or to help to repair an old building.  The university has already built with different mud-related materials in the hexagonium.

 

The events which EMESS is expected to hold are as follows, but all dates must be checked :

 

On a date to be confirmed : the opening of the Mumby Heritage Skills Centre.

 

Wednesday 15 April : A church tour, possibly starting at Welton-le-Marsh and finishing at Mumby, with a practical workshop.

 

Wednesday 22 April : A mud-and-stud tour, possibly starting at Withern Cottage in Skegness and finishing at Mumby, again with a practical workshop.

 

Please watch this space for final dates and times, or phone : Trevor Oliver (07801) 065291.

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