Salvage Diary
Read up on the latest MASCo news, including reclamation projects and salvage industry insights
May 08 - An Everyday Story of Reclaiming Folk!
MASCo discover 200 year old tomb at All Saints' Church, Bisley
Masco were engaged by the parishioners of St. John's, Bisley to remove damaged ancient limestone paving from the pathways in this beautiful Cotswold church yard. Part of the work involved reinstating an area around the main vestibule with massive 3m x 1.8m x 250mm former gravestones. This involved realigning the existing grave "flags".
As work progressed, the staff working on site tried to fix a sling to the huge stone slabs adjacent to the entrance way. One operative kept feeding a soft lifting strap underneath one end of the slab without success. The strap just kept disappearing. Kevin Harris and Jim McLaren both came to the sudden realisation that the strap must be falling into a void.
Little did they both appreciate the extent of the void; they had discovered the 200 year old burial chamber of the Tayloe family! And the rest, as they say, was "history".
May 2008
Oct 06 - MASCo: Salvage Yard of the Month
MASCo Featured in 'Traditional Homes & Interiors' Magazine
Gone are the days of scrambling over tonnes of chaotically organised building refuse. When visiting Minchinhampton Architectural Salvage Company the yard and extensive showroom have elevated architectural salvage to new heights. This is a yard of the spectacular and bizarre side by side with the everyday bread and butter items, but all splendidly displayed and beyond your wildest imagination.
Once you have overcome the show stoppers, such as the Original Ascot Bandstand, the 40 tonne Victorian Stone Tower and the 15m Monet Bridge, you can really begin to enjoy yourself.
Steve Tomlin and Debbie Kedge bring more than 50 years experience to their yard in the heart of the Cotswolds. Whether hunting for specifics or just idea gathering, this yard is undisputedly a must to visit.
Service is friendly and helpful but not fussy. Interestingly, there are seven women members of staff at Minchinhampton, which pretty much ensures that you don't get that dreadful builder's merchant syndrome of the male yard assistant with attitude but not the least idea of customer service.
The Company has made its reputation for controlled dismantling of fine spectacular architectural features and ornaments. However MASCo is justly proud of its record provisioning garden ornament for the good and the grand, including Sir Roy Strong, Rupert Golby and most of the best architects in Britain.
The Company boasts the ability to locate and supply large quantities of the best York Flag to be found anywhere.
Fran Gregory and Debbie Kedge organise the Oak and traditional flooring section. Advice is freely available and stocks extensive, with wide traditional, kilned, English and European boards always in stock.
More difficult, in recent years, has been the sourcing of good quality internal Cotswold flagstone. Debbie can arrange for the company's associated stone masons to cut and finish new Limestone to order or you can be patient and wait for the real thing. During your visit learn from the showroom staff how to traditionally patinate limestone flooring with Linseed oil and egg white or discover the best way to wax and polish Oak flooring and plug knots.
Inevitably the stunning period Limestone fireplaces grab most people's attention, well displayed with explanatory literature to accompany each item. Staff will advise on installation techniques and a full fitting service has become de rigour as the market place grows more sophisticated. Within the fireplace section you can discover the subtle differences and wide range of Limestone types, varying from the fine hard Portland Stone and Purbeck marble to the gentler Bath stones and fine "freestone" of Painswick before you encounter the contrasting mustard colour stone of Chipping Camden and Evesham. Don't under any circumstances ask for a full discourse on Limestone or you may wish you had volunteered for the three year Master's degree in architecture as a shorter option.
Together with the many and varied stone chimney pieces you will find examples of cast iron Coalbrookdale and Carron Ironwork's castings and a good range of humble Victorian inserts and combination fireplaces.
Whilst the company avoids reproduction items as much as possible you will find good advice on how to obtain cheaper "repro" fireplace accessories. The company's attitude is "the real thing first but never be precious".
Current projects include the dismantling of a major Ashlar Georgian style, former hotel façade, in the town centre of Cirencester, on a major Romano–British archaeological site. The facade is being hand dismantled, labelled and taken to Surrey where it will be rebuilt and become a cherished private residence, hopefully with another 300 years of life.
The Company operates a delivery service throughout the UK using established shippers and container operators who also go all over the world. Recent major exports include the zinc sculpture by Geiss of an Amazon warrior on horseback being attacked by a ferocious tiger, which originally graced the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace 1851. This very precious item had to be carefully supported on a customised armature (frame) and surrounded in purpose-made foam shell before crating, to withstand the battering of a trans-Atlantic container journey.
All in all Minchinhampton Architectural is a real treasure trove and well worth an excursion. Allow yourself at least a couple of hours to walk all the way round – don't tell your friends, keep it a secret.
5th October 2006