The National Heritage Ironwork Group (NHIG) have invited Faye Davies, the Burrell Foley Fischer (BFF) Project Director for the restoration of Great Yarmouth Winter Gardens, to address their 2024 Conference. Faye will be giving a “10 minutes heroes” presentation on the designs for returning the magnificent cast-iron seaside structure to a year-round attraction.
The NHIG is a volunteer-run organisation which is dedicated to raising awareness and understanding of ironwork, provides a hub for historic ironwork information and is the nation’s only organisation focused solely on historic ironwork. The theme of this year’s conference is “Tradition and Innovation – The Evolution of Craftmanship in Ironwork Conservation”. Their stated aims for the event are:
“As 21st century ironwork conservators, we have more options available to us than ever before. But in a field where each project presents new and unique challenges, how do we know which materials & techniques are appropriate for the job?
Traditional skills are passed on with the benefit of being tried and tested, but craftsmanship is a fluid process, naturally evolving as new technologies emerge. So are the ‘old ways’ always the best? Or can new technologies offer viable alternatives? What are the parameters when using modern materials with historic fabric? When is it appropriate and when inappropriate?”
The last survivor of a British seaside tradition, the Grade II* Winter Gardens located on Great Yarmouth’s ‘golden mile’ is currently unused, in a poor state of repair and on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register. Following restoration, this building of national significance will once again become a colourful and animated People’s Palace at the heart of the town’s life, economy, and heritage.
The conference presentation will explain the developing designs and how the refurbishment will adhere to high conservation standards, ensuring the historic cast/wrought frame is carefully restored together with high quality materials for new timber screens and glazing. The historic structure will be repainted in its original off-white colour, while new materials such as timber, terracotta and terrazzo will complement the historic elements, maintaining a cohesive yet modern aesthetic. The restored frame, paired with contemporary interventions, are designed to create a calm backdrop for vibrant planting and flexible public spaces.
Faye Davies is a Specialist Conservation Architect on the RIBA Register of Conservation Architects and has over 20 years’ experience of the restoration and adaptation of historic fabric. She has a Post Graduate Diploma in Building Conservation from the Architectural Association, where her thesis was on the life and works of Victorian engineer Eugenius Birch, the eminent and most prolific cast/wrought iron pier designer.
Faye has developed a specialism in Iron Framed C19th structures and has been actively researching their conservation and adaptation for sustainable uses throughout her career. Her projects have included plans for the restoration and reconstruction of the sole surviving complete kiosk, from the original 1866 Brighton West Pier, the world’s oldest surviving pleasure pier building, and she is currently working with the National Trust on options for the restoration of the magnificent Victorian Orchard House at Cragside in Northumberland.