Heritage Open Days - George Street Chapel 2011

Please visit The George Street Chapel during Heritage Open days 2011.

http://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/directory/HOD000308E

Ecosal UK Sites

We spent three days in Cumbria last week looking at salt making sites inclusion in the Ecosal-Atlantis project to link sites in Portugal, Spain, France and the UK.
A notable site is at Crosscanonby.

Salina Fielding

We have been creating an experiment in our back garden to make salt by concentrating sea water from Cemlyn Bay. We started the experiment on 23 April by filling 10 gravel trays with sea water, later increasing the number to 16.

Each tray is made from black plastic and is 250mm x 400mm x 60mm and holds 2.5 litres of sea water.
As soon as the trays evaporate by half their volume the contents of two trays is combined to fill the next tray in the sequence, thus concentrating the brine in the set of salt trays (pans).

There are eight starter pans, four concentrator pans passing to two concentrator pans and then two single crystaliser pans.

8 starter pans - 20ltr
4 concentrator pans - 10ltr
2 concentrator pans - 5ltr
1 crystaliser pan A - 2.5ltr
1 crystaliser pan B - 2.5ltr or less

This makes a total sea water content of the salina 38.75ltr

To the original 25ltrs of starter sea water we added a further 25ltrs on the 30 April, 20ltrs on the 3 May and 20ltrs on the 17 May. Making a total volume of 90 ltrs having been added to the salina. Thus the salina had evaporated 51.25ltrs since it had started operations.

The first salt crystals were observed on 29 May. Though it had been stored in a closed garage for a week as we were away looking at salt making sites in Cumbria for Ecosal! This does also mean that it is not left outside during wet weather, which perhaps distorts its true operational parameters!

Image of the first salt crystals forming in Crystaliser Pan B.

Some nice pyramidal crystals

Salt Glazed Cheshire Cat

A salt glazed Cheshire Cat made by Richard Daniels of Creigiau Mawr Pottery at Carreglefn, Anglesey.

http://www.creigiaumawrpottery.co.uk/creigiaumawrpottery/Welcome.html

Pipe Organ Restoration

We made a visit today to George Sixsmith and Son Ltd to look at how pipe organs are restored, repaired and built. Andrew Sixsmith has his workshop at Mossley, Tameside, Greater Manchester. Our visit was made with Julian Baum and Claire Duval of Take 27 Ltd who are working on a 3d digital model of George St Chapel, Oldham which has a pipe organ requiring restoration.
We hope to include a digital explanation of how the organ works. Andrew (right) showed us a similar sized organ his team are currently working on, with all the parts laid out before being repaired, cleaned and then re-built.
A fascinating visit.

UK Salt Trail

Our UK Salt Trail is continuing to evolve. Further references and photographs will be added in coming weeks.
BLUE markers are for historic salt making sites. These will be further separated between sea salt works and inland salt works.
YELLOW markers are for modern sea salt producers.
ORANGE are rock salt mines.
GREEN are vacuum salt works.
PURPLE are gas storage scvhemes developed in rock salt strata.
A YELLOW BUILDING denotes a building related to the history of salt rather than a salt making site.

View Salt Trail in a larger map

HLF Stage One Pass for George St Chapel

At their meeting on 2nd December, 2010 the NW- HLF approved a Stage One pass for the George Street Chapel. Oldham.
The award was for £699,300 towards the adaptation and conservation repairs of the Grade 2* former Independent Methodist Chapel, which has been empty since closing in 1990.
We have provided advice and guidance to the owners, Age Concern Oldham and updated the Conservation Plan and survey information.
A Planning Application and Listed Building Consent application are currently being appraised.
Following preparation of a Stage 2 submission we hope work will begin on repairing the building by the summer of 2011.