Blake Museum
Bridgwater
Collection and Building Care
Interim Statement
September 2009
Compiled by
Dr P E Cattermole
[Honorary Museum Co-ordinator]
Contributors
I Boyer
M A Chadwick
C S Edmonds
S Foster
J C Robins
T Singleton
A P Woolrich
1. Background
1.1 The building
The Blake Museum occupies an historic Grade II* listed building, parts of which date from 16th century.
from the Somerset HER /Listing Particulars
House, now a museum. Late C15/early C16, remodelled early C17 and refronted C19. Limestone rubble with some C18 irregular English-bond brick to the right and Ham Hill stone, painted rough-cast to the first floor, pantile roof with stone stacks to gable ends and brick stacks to rear.
PLAN: 2 bays flanked by 2 half bays through-passage plan, possibly L-shaped, now double-depth plan.
2 storeys; 3-window range. At eaves level the first floor has late C19 two-light casement windows with Tudor arches to each light and some C20 timber-framing to the left. Similar full-height later C19 windows with C20 timber lintels and C19 brick jambs flank late C19 four-panel double doors with Tudor-arched panels to the top. A similar smaller window to the far right. Set into the wall to either side of window to left are moulded Ham Hill stone jambs and the corners of smoothed-off label moulds to former stone-mullioned windows. A stone jamb to a former door to the left of the present door and a blocked door with timber lintel to right.
The rear right wing is of red Wembdon Hill rubblestone and blue lias limestone rubble; it has a C19 outshut, mostly brick, with a pantile roof to the rear; the right return has a slit window with Ham Hill stone quoins to the first floor and top of a 2-light stone mullioned window. The late C18/early C19 rear left wing is of Flemish-bond brick with a roof parallel to the front; it has semi-elliptical brick arches over C20 two-light casement windows; a lean-to with 2-light glazing-bar casements and a half-glazed door with stained-glass margin panes.
INTERIOR: the room to the ground-floor left has hollow-chamfered beams to a 6- Panel ceiling with early C17 plaster moulding to the edge and a roundel to the centre of each panel. The hall is stone-flagged with C19 wainscoting in C17 style, below a dado rail and two 2-panel doors with raised-and-fielded panels to the right; an early C19 staircase with stick balusters, swept rail and turned newels to the rear left with C19 wainscoting.
The former through-passage, now part of the room to right of the door, has a heavy unmoulded beam t to right; rest of room to right has a hollow-chamfered quartered ceiling, a late C15/early C16 open fire to right has a hollow-moulded shallow Tudor- arched oak lintel on Ham Hill stone chamfered imposts and moulded jambs. To left of it is a late C15/early C16 two-light stone-mullioned window with cinquefoil heads to each light, looking onto a further room; to right is a C20 doorway with steps down to that room, a former C19 cottage, now an exhibition room.
A room to the rear right has a 2-light timber window frame with a chamfered stone lintel, a diagonally-set vertical iron bar to each light and some thinner horizontal bars, it is bricked up on the outside.
The first floor is 6-bays with arch-braced trusses; exposed timber cross-wall frame with tension braces to the left and front corner. The right-hand wall has a Ham Hill stone shallow-pointed lintel and jambs to a open fireplace to right of centre. The first-floor room to the right has 2 exposed panels with C17 graffiti including a ship, a man on horseback, shoes and a spinning wheel.
[from Somerset HER]
1.2 The Collections
Details of the Collections are given in the Museum Acquisition and Disposal Policy.
1.3 Collections Care Management Plan 2005
A collections Care Management Plan was published in 2005. It was to remain current until November 2010.
1.4 Progress in improving Collections Care
A report from the former Museums Officer covering the period November 2005 to 31 March 2009 is appended (Appendix A)
2. New Governing Body and purpose of Interim Statement
Bridgwater Town Council (BTC), as the owners of the building and as Governing Body of the Museum recognise that they have a duty of care towards both the building and to the collections within it.
Historic Buildings cannot always provide the ideal environment for storage and display of Museum collections, nor should the building unduly suffer through the requirements to care for the collections. A compromise will often be necessary. Where the Governing Body determine that any part of the collection cannot be properly cared for within the Blake House, they may make appropriate provision elsewhere, including a disposal or loan to another organisation under the Museum's Disposal Policy.
This Interim Statement is intended to ensure that the building and the objects in the collection are stored, displayed and handled in a way that promotes preservation of both by adopting:
3. Building Overview at 31 August 2009
Sedgemoor District Council expended £50k in building repairs and maintenance during the financial year 2008/09 prior to transfer to BTC. Work under the direction of a supervising architect included making the roof watertight, repairs to guttering, repairs to windows, selective repointing (including chimneys) in lime mortar and limewashing of the rear elevations.
Some work carried out proved to have been badly executed, and resulted in water ingress at the east elevation. This was remediated at the contractor's expense but after the transfer to BTC on 1 April.
Subsequently, the most damp affected walls were stripped of gypsum plaster to aid drying, and have been been replastered in lime plaster by a BTC specialist contractor. Weekly inspections and measurements indicate that the affected wall have dried out somewhat during the summer of 2009, but it is expected that the structures will not have attained hydrothermal equilibrium with the surroundings until the summer of 2010 at the earliest. Thus, it is anticipated that RH will fluctuate significantly for a considerable period in areas adjacent to those previously saturated.
3.1 Building monitoring and remediation within year 1 infrastructure Action Plan
During the preliminary investigations of the building, BTC has established the following readily remediable defects which will help the fabric of the building and the care of the collections
The first Year Infrastructure Action Plan and budget 2009/10 allows for remediation of a) to c) inclusive. d) was dealt with in construction of a replacement floor, better cross-flow ventilation, and introduction of a LECA-hydraulic lime subfloor where required. The work was completed by supervised volunteers in time for the re-opening in May 2009, providing a new facility of a meeting room and temporary exhibition space.
Discussions have taken place with the Conservation Officer concerning simple measures within the historic fabric to reintroduce compartmentation. Estimates are being prepared for the fabrication of doors and shutters.
4. Collections conditions overview at 31 August 2009
The Collections Care Policy 2005 and Appendix A hereto was accepted as basis for an extended appraisal of inherited practices and storage conditions.
Incoming management has, as yet, been unable to trace a number of data files and reports. These include the collections audits, environmental data, conservation records, insect monitoring data, and photographic data recording procedures.
Significant difficulties have stemmed from the use by previous management of a central server-archive system for file sharing by multiple users. Data entry procedures for the MODES database seem not to have been well-defined and no audit or systematic verification seems to have been undertaken. Several databases have been found to be in use, mostly complying with SPECTRUM standards, but mutually inconsistent in field use and order.
Whilst new incoming management was provided with the MODES database files, some were found to be corrupt, yet still current. In the principle database, each record employed 251 fields, mostly blank.
The locations of objects were not adequately recorded. A goodly number of objects have been found in stores with entry forms attached dating back four or more years; we presume that these have not been accessioned. Over 100 archival items have been located in plan drawers alone which have not been accessioned or recorded on entry forms.
The storage of some items, particularly stonework of archaeological value, has been found to be poor.
The consequences are that the incoming management has found significant departures from the basic standard of collections care management.
4.1 Collections Care Year 1 Action Plan to date
The following actions have been be undertaken under the guiding principles of the Forward Plan.
| Action | Status |
| Review Fire Risk assessment with Fire Safety Officer | Completed February 09 |
| Improve remote monitoring of fire and intruder alarms by GPS link to remote monitoring centre | Completed April 09 |
| Retrieve data from inherited corrupted MODES databases convert to .csv | Completed June 09 |
| Purchase of archival boxes and polyester sleeves | Completed July 09 |
| Transfer of loose photographs from suspension files to archival boxes | Completed August 09 |
| Assessment of damage found to three important oil paintings; estimates obtained and funds set aside for professional repair during autumn/winter 09 | Completed August 09 |
| Purchase and install networked monitoring of relative humidity and temperature | Completed September 09 |
| Safeguard historic photographs and documents by professional digitisation | Ongoing [50GB done to end August] |
| Benchmarks in Collections Care Checklist | Completed September 09 |
| Publish Disaster Plan | Expected completion mid-September 09 |
4.2 Interim Policy Guidelines to 31 March 2010
Completion of the Benchmark Checklist independently by three experienced volunteers and externally arbitrated at the end of August 2009 identified the following
| BM Section | Title | S-A overall category |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Policy | Good |
| 2 | Buildings | Basic to Good |
| 3 | Storage | Below basic in several categories |
| 4 | Housekeeping | Basic |
| 5 | Handling & Use | Below Basic in circa 50% |
| 6 | Environment | Basic to Good |
| 7 | Conservation | Below Basic in most categories |
| 8 | New Media | Basic to Good |
| 9 | Emergency | Good |
During the self-assessment exercise it became clear that many of the categories falling below the basic standard reflected inherited deficiences. The assessors recognised that relatively simple measures and better training would result in improvements.
Priority areas for action within the Benchmarking Scheme are being identified to ensure that all Benchmark Sections are brought up to Basic standard by 31 March 2009.
4.3 Proposed actions to 31 March 2010
4.3.1 Preventive conservation
The following preventative conservation measures will be implemented to achieve a planned and controlled change to the environment and surroundings of the objects in order to reduce or to eliminate, as far as possible, the known aspects of the objects' deterioration.
4.3.2 Provision of suitable building conditions
The Governing Body will be responsible for the provision and maintenance of suitable building conditions and will work closely with volunteers and conservators to improve the conditions of storage and display for the collections.
4.3.3 Environmental monitoring and controls
The Museum will store and display collections in a managed environment that minimises their rate of deterioration.
The Museum will seek to continue to improve the environmental standards by which the collections are cared for by:
4.3.3.1 Control Ranges
These will be determined in conjunction with the guidelines in the NT Manual of Housekeeping and published Standards for Collection Care once the performance characteristics of the building have been established.
4.3.3.2 Control methods for RH and temperature
These will be incorporated in the new HW electric boiler system and will be linked with a BMS that minimises RH shock (NT MoH Chapter 10 section 7).
4.3.4 Lighting
LED luminaires will continue to be progressively installed in accordance with the Museum's green energy principles. New equipment will be purchased to improve the monitoring of UV and visible light photometric data.
4.3.5 New and refurbished Display case construction
These will conform to the Museum's previously published transitional guidance Working Principles etc January 2009. Objects on display will be cased and the internal case environments tailored to suit the objects within. Case fabrics will be tested to ensure they are suitable and do not release pollutants especially VOCs. Self-indicating silica gel will be used, where appropriate, to maintain a stable RH. The existing de-humidifying equipment will be relocated as appropriate, based upon data obtained about humidity levels.
4.3.6 Storage
4.3.6.1 Current Status summary:- Storage areas are generally over-crowded and not well-organised. Location records and plans are not accurate. Boxes are marked and most store areas now have easy and secure access and retrieval. Researchers have access to a supervised study area.
4.3.6.2 Policy - The museum will make improvements to the storage conditions and accessibility, where practicable, before 31 March 2010 by
4.3.7 Housekeeping
The advice provided in the NT MoH is being used as a basis for training volunteers in appropriate cleaning techniques.
A Blake Museum Manual of Housekeeping for Volunteers is in preparation.
4.3.8 Interventive conservation
The Blake Museum will henceforth work in accordance with the following principles in respect of interventive conservation active treatment to stabilise the condition of objects.
5 Self-Assessment and Review
Performance during the lifetime of this Interim Statement will be monitored by using the Benchmarks in Collection Care self-assessment checklist at bi-monthly intervals.
This Statement will be reviewed on or before 1st April 2010.
It is intended that a new Collections and Building Care Policy will be prepared for issue during the second half of 2010.