Mighty Oaks: understanding and conserving timber buildings
(assessment, inspection, decay, and repair)

Wednesday 15th July 2026
9:30 - 15:30
£25 Members
£35 Non Members

Ledbury Heritage Centre / The Old Grammar School,
Ledbury, HR8 1D

Please note that this venue is accessed via stairs.


AGENDA:

09:30 - Arrival, coffee & registration

10:00 - Branch Welcome and Introduction to the Day

10:10 - Herefordshire Timber Framing- What Marks it Out as Special? - Duncan James

10:50 - Timber frame repair projects - Jacob Oakley

11:25 - BREAK

11: 35 - Mechanisms of decay - Tim Floyd

12:30 - LUNCH

13:15 - Assessment and inspection of timber buildings (TBC)

14:00 - The conservation of The Master's House, Ledbury - Gary Butler
https://themastershouseledbury.org/history-of-the-masters-house/

Over ten years on from its completion in 2015, architect Gary Butler will talk about the project to conserve and regenerate the grade II* listed Master's House as a hub of social and cultural life in Ledbury.

Gary will lead a tour, and talk about the conservation approach to the project, which adopted the principle that the extraordinary medieval fabric was the most significant element of the building.

15:30 - FINISH

Unfortunately on this occasion, despite our best efforts, in order to see some of the beautiful architecture and work done in Ledbury, we have not been able to secure a level access venue in the town that is big enough for our membership CPD threshold. Please let us know when booking if you have access needs and we will do our best to arrange options for streaming the indoor part of the session.

IHBC West Midlands Branch – CPD Session
Regeneration & Viability of Heritage Assets

23rd September 2025
9:30 - 16:00
£25-£35

Join our next quarterly in person CPD event at Burgess and Leigh Pottery, Stoke on Trent, for talks, lunch and tours.

Location: Burleigh Factory Shop, Port Street, Burslem ST6 3PE

Burgess and Leigh Pottery
Recognised for their dedication to fine craftsmanship and traditional manufacturing, Burgess and Leigh Pottery have been making their iconic blue and white ceramics, using the same techniques for generations. They are the last pottery in the world to use the traditional and timeless skill of underglaze tissue printing, which is an English process dating back over 200 years.

Following talks during the morning focussing on the regeneration and viability of key heritage assets in and around the site of Stoke-on -Trent, there will be two tours during the afternoon, one being a factory tour. Because the site is owned by Re-Form Heritage, guided Middleport Pottery tours are delivered by trained guides who will show you how Burleigh pottery is made, from clay to finished product. You will learn about unique manufacturing processes with roots in the 1800s and meet some of our talented craftspeople.

The second tour is a Heritage Trail which encompasses the 'Victorian Offices', which exhibits Burleigh ware of the past, and the historic bottle oven, allowing visitors to look inside one of the last remaining bottle oven kilns. Other elements of the Heritage Trail include the Mould Store, Placing House, Bottle Oven, Bath House, Steam Engine and the 1950’s Lodge Keeper’s House, located across the road on Harper Street.

IHBC West Midlands Branch – 2025 AGM and CPD Event

13th March 2025
0930 - 1630
Free - £35
Lord Leycester Hospital
Warwick, CV34 4BH

Join us for our AGM, followed by talks on the recent renovation works at LLH and tours of both LLH and historic Warwick.

Welcome to our first event of 2025! March sees us at the Grade I listed Lord Leycester Hospital in Warwick for our AGM and talks on the £4.5M restoration of Lord Leycester Hospital, one of England’s most intact medieval buildings. Speakers include Luke Nagle of Donald Insall Architects, the firm responsible for the renovation works.

After lunch, we will tour Lord Leycester Hospital and Warwick.