Member Article

Martin-Brooks tunes engine house for new era

Sheffield’s heritage roofing experts, Martin-Brooks, have helped to transform a former Barnsley mine into valuable new community facility for local people.

The firm has rebuilt the dilapidated roof on the winding engine house at Hemingfield Colliery, as part of a refurbishment project to convert the site into a museum and visitor centre.

Friends of Hemingfield Colliery commissioned Martin-Brooks to carefully remove the existing roof on the sandstone and redbrick building and assess the state of timberwork, rafters and wall plates.

Once the engine house was stabilised and protected from the elements, timbers were rebuilt and the process of reconstructing the roof began, reusing many of the original slates.

Dale Wright, Martin-Brooks’ contracts director, said: “We met a number of challenges on this project, not least a resident owl who needed to be temporarily rehomed, following work by Friends of Hemingfield Colliery and Middleton Ecological Services to minimise disturbance.

“Water ingress and poor drainage had weakened woodwork and caused the engine house roof to slump, but after stripping away years of neglect, we have now achieved a finish that will enhance and protect the building for the community to enjoy. We also built a custom new home for the owl in the roof void – a first for us at Martin-Brooks.”

Hemingfield Colliery is located on the southern fringe of Barnsley, near to Elsecar and is an important landmark in the area’s mining history. It was developed by the Earl of Fitzwilliam in the 1840s and is being redeveloped, thanks to fundraising and support from The Association of Industrial Architects, The Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership and Subterranean Britannica, to take forward conservation efforts and new sustainable uses.

Friends of Hemingfield Colliery is a volunteer organisation and is always looking for new members. For further details visit: www.hemingfieldcolliery@wordpress.com

Martin-Brooks is listed on the National Federation of Roofing Contractors’ (NFRC) heritage register. For more information about its work on historic buildings, telephone (0114) 244 7720 or visit www.martin-brooks.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Nina Sorby .