FROM AIBT ANNUAL REPORT 2002-3

REPORT FROM THE CHAIR

WORK IN PROGRESS

BRANDY BOTTOM COLLIERY, SHORTWOOD  Jarrod Hill of JH Consulting has recently been appointed by the Trust to produce a feasibility study and conservation plan for these remains which were described in the English Heritage survey of the monuments of the coal industry as a remarkably complete mid-19th century colliery complex including the largest surviving batch in South Gloucestershire.   JH Consulting will be assisted by Geoff Stott of Mann, Williams consulting engineers.   Jarrod Hill and Geoff Stott acted for the Trust in the repair of Midford Aqueduct, where as at Brandy Bottom the Trust were acting as managers of the project on behalf of the various stakeholders.

MIDDLE PIT POWDER HOUSE, RADSTOCK   Jason Donson of W J Donson and Sons completed the restoration of the Powder House in October 2003.   Chedburn Design and Conservation drew up a scheme of works and supervised the restoration of this rare survivor which was co-ordinated by the conservation team of Bath and North East Somerset Council, in particular Tony Crouch and David MacLaughan who also raised the necessary funding, with assistance from Radstock Town Council.

AIBT wishes to acknowledge the important contributions of Radstock people who made this possible:  John Denning, BIAS member from Combend, fought a long campaign to rescue this small but essential ancillary to collieries, quarries, etc., where explosives were used and Alan Hall, who purchased the field in which it stands to ensure its survival.

SOMERSETSHIRE COAL CANAL – ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT  Following the completion of repairs to Midford Aqueduct in the spring of 2002, the Trust, on behalf of the project stakeholders, appointed Richard Aston and Chris Giles of the Rural and Environmental Practice to conduct the study of the other remains of the Coal Canal and their environmental context.   They completed the initial phase of the study in autumn and presented their results at a meeting at Radstock Museum in November 2003.

MIDDLE ENGINE PIT, NAILSEA   Andrew Flint has recently accepted the post of project officer whose initial task will be to raise the funding for the restoration of the colliery remains and the later garden features.   Andrew's career was in construction and he has also had considerable involvement with various voluntary bodies.   This project has been delayed in the past by various factors which were beyond the control of AIBT and the project's stakeholders.   Hopefully, and with Andrew's assistance, rapid progress will now be made.

ADVISORY WORK  In addition to the successful record of practical work, AIBT has amongst its objectives the responsibility 'to make known to the public the existence of buildings, plant or machinery of particular industrial, historical, architectural or constructional interest . . .'   It continues to do this across the former county of Avon in close association with the Bristol Industrial Archaeology Society (BIAS) and Mike Bone continues to represent both bodies as a member on Bristol City's Conservation Advisory Panel. 

OTHER SITES OF INTEREST TO THE TRUST

OLDWOOD PIT, RANGEWORTHY  The South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group in conjunction with the owner of the Pit, Jenny Humphreys, successfully consolidated the entrance to the drift mine during the summer of 2003, another rare survivor in the South Glos. coalfield.

WARMLEY BRASS AND ZINC WORKS   Although South Gloucestershire Council received a formal offer from English Heritage to fund the post of a project worker in July 2002 as yet it has not been possible to do so, given the terms of the offer to make this appointment.   The project worker's role is to re-work and then re-submit the previous application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for this historically significant and complex site.   AIBT maintains its keen interest here.

FUSSELL'S EDGE TOOL MILLS, MELLS  AIBT continues to follow discussions and negotiations relating to this site, excavated by BIAS members in the early phases of interest in industrial archaeology.   It is hoped that the Trust will be able to play a role in the eventual interpretation, consolidation and management of this important site.

Finally, a note on CONCORDE:

Concorde's final flight on 26.11.03, appropriately in to Filton, is hopefully a further step towards a museum to house some of the products of the Bristol Aeroplane Company, the third registered UK aircraft company which became the largest and most diverse builder – aircraft, engines, helicopters, guided missiles, prefabs, etc.   Although in theory designated an Anglo-French project, Bristol employees would claim that Concorde was 90% Bristol with a Bristol airframe and engine and it was the Bristol technology to which the French aircraft industry wished to gain access.   Bristol people would also acknowledge that the French industry made very good use of this knowledge and that Toulouse, rather than Bristol, is now the largest aerospace centre in Europe.

Will Harris
Chair

AIBT CONSERVATION

Amongst the objects of AIBT are to co-operate with any local or public authority to achieve its primary objective of preserving buildings and items of particular industrial, historical, architectural and constructional interest.   The Trust goes about this in a number of ways:

i)	By working closely with local authorities on individual conservation projects and surveys and by handing over sites after such work is completed.

ii)	By taking part in consultation and advisory sessions organised by local authorities.   Activities vary depending upon the approaches of the four unitary authorities that make up the former County of Avon.   In Bristol, AIBT and the Bristol Industrial Archaeological Society have a seat on the City Council's Conservation Advisory Panel which meets each month to discuss development applications in conservation areas or to do with listed buildings.   Over the past ten years, advice has been offered on a number of important industrial sites, including the former Courage's or Georges' Bristol Brewery, and former City Leadworks, GWR Goods Shed and gasworks on Canon's Marsh.   In Bath and North-East Somerset, AIBT took part in the stakeholder seminars which were part of the development process for drawing up the city's World Heritage Site Management Plan.

iii)	AIBT has also offered advice and evidence at public enquiries called by government to examine development applications involving industrial sites, such as the former Bristol United Breweries Ltd's maltings, designed by William Bradford, which is adjacent to the ssGreat Britain.

iv)	AIBT has also taken part in meetings with authorities on the fringes of Avon.   An example concerns the Fussell's ironworks site at Mells within Mendip District Council's area.

v)	AIBT has recently reviewed its way of working and it is intended to establish a conservation sub-group to develop and co-ordinate this aspect of its work.