Public Sector: Renewal of listed retaining wall, Axminster

 United Reformed Church, Axminster

Demolition and reconstruction of listed stonework wall, retaining school playground.

This included:

• Liaison with Archaeological consultants due to excavation of listed graveyard.
• Removal of existing stonework facing, cleaning up and setting aside
• Supervised careful demolition of existing wall and excavation of existing footings
• Careful propping of retained bank and playground
• Forming of reinforcement caging and casting of new footings
• Laying of over 1000 hollow concrete blocks
• Construction of new stonework facing using set aside stone and lime mortar.
• Construction of new stonework buttresses, capped with lime mortar
• Reinstatement of graveyard turf and features
• Construction of new timber fence to the top of the wall.

The works were conducted along side normal operation of both the school above and church below. Extensive measures were employed to keep all parties safe while making sure everyone was aware of what was going on.

Due to the historical importance of the church graveyard, the whole project was run under close monitoring by a specialist Archaeological consultant, under instruction from English Heritage. Due to the great level of care undertaken by the workman of Skinner Construction, it was deemed that no damage or disturbance was caused by the works undertaken.