Thorney Hill: 2007 Murdoch Award Winner

“I knew when we looked at this project that, if we got it right, it could be a contender for the Murdoch Award” said a delighted Graham Backhurst, Managing Director of GSL, based in Romsey, Hampshire, on learning that his company had indeed won the industry’s most coveted award for the first time since they became members of the Lead Contractors Association in  1997.

 

GSL were called in after the aluminum roof that had been fitted on the 100 year old Italian designed All Saints Church in Thorney Hill, Bransgore, Hants had failed. With the architects now preferring to trust the proven and unrivaled longevity of traditional lead sheet, GSL were required to erect a temporary roof and strip off the aluminum, completely exposing the timber roof structure below.

 

"...the project had everything – pitched, conical, barrel vault and flat roof detailing, welted cappings, fascia cladding, sumps overflows, parapet gutters, ridge and hip weatherings, flashings and decorative cladding – it had the lot..."

 

Structural repairs were required and these included four timber beams that spanned the entire roof void, decking repairs and gutter reconfiguration, as well as various rafter and wall plates that had to be renewed.

 

The lead work was carried out using Code 8 sand cast sheet supplied by CEL Ltd of Whittlesey, Peterborough. All 19 tones of sheet lead where not delivered in the standard rolls, CEL produced an incredible 426 cut sheets, each one individually sized and cast.

 

Each cut piece was carefully fitted into its allocated position covering the plinth projection, parapet walls and gutters, the pitched mansard roof, the barrel vaulted roofs, conical apse, flat roof and the base of the bell tower. The work was carried out entirely by GSL’s father and son on-site team of Mark and Mo Roberts over the sixteen week programme of the project, which was completed on time.

 

The Murdoch Award recognizes supreme excellence in leadwork and is sponsored by Associated Lead Mills, although the competition is not restricted ot projects using only their materials. Managing Director Graham Hudson said “We take great pride in our relationship with the LCA and its Members and strongly believe quality products, quality design and quality workmanship should be recognized and rewarded, which is why we are delighted to sponsor the Murdoch Award”