Conservation Building Services Ltd, also known as CBS Conservation, specialises in the repair and conservation of historic buildings, monuments and architectural interiors. Based near Oswestry in Shropshire, the company undertakes work as a principal contractor or specialist subcontractor, with a published portfolio spanning the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The UK company was incorporated in 2002 and adopted its present name in 2003. CBS describes a deliberately small, director-led operation, with directors regularly involved in site work and project delivery. Its services combine traditional building trades with the detailed conservation of historic surfaces, decorative features and objects.
CBS works on projects ranging from individual repairs to substantial programmes of building conservation. Its published experience includes churches, chapels, castles, ruined monuments, country houses, vernacular buildings and industrial heritage structures.
The company can act as the main conservation contractor or contribute specialist work within a wider project team. Its project records show collaboration with conservation architects, structural engineers, trusts, public bodies and private owners. A consulting contractor service is also advertised.
Stonemasonry services encompass rubble walling, architectural stonework and commissioned sculpture. Published projects include the repair, dismantling and rebuilding of historic masonry, together with consolidation work to vulnerable structures.
Lime-based repair is a central part of the company's service range. CBS offers lime pointing, mortar repairs, lime plastering and rendering, the conservation of existing mortars and plasters, lime shelter coats and mortar analysis. This includes both ordinary wall finishes and more elaborate decorative work.
The company's carpentry services include heavy oak construction and the repair of timber frames. Its earth-building services cover cob and wattle and daub, extending the range of traditional construction methods represented in its conservation work.
Roofing is also included among its services. The published portfolio includes church roof repairs and the dismantling, rebuilding and repair of solid stone chapel roofs. The appropriate roofing materials, methods and scope should be discussed for each commission.
CBS's fine-conservation services cover painted decorative finishes, paintings within architectural settings, plain and enriched plaster, masonry, terracotta, sculpture and both ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Materials analysis is also listed among its capabilities.
Its documented work includes marble and alabaster memorials, Coade stone features, architectural sculpture, decorative limestone, gilding and stencilled decoration. This combination is relevant to projects in which structural or building repairs must be coordinated with the treatment of significant interior finishes and architectural details.
CBS advertises specialist cleaning for historic stone, brick, terracotta, Coade stone, timber, plaster, metalwork and selected painted surfaces. Its published methods include JOS, Vortech, ThermaTech and DOFF systems, together with selected chemicals and poultices.
The company's project material includes cleaning trials as well as completed treatments. The proposed method and extent of cleaning should be agreed for the particular material, condition and significance of the surface, rather than assuming that one technique is suitable throughout a building.
Structural anchoring forms part of the advertised service range. At Hopton Castle, the company's recorded work included Cintec anchors alongside masonry rebuilding, lime pointing and the conservation of medieval plaster. This provides a documented example of structural repair undertaken within a wider conservation project.
CBS records its role as principal contractor for the 2009–2010 conservation project. Work included clearing fallen material, consolidating the castle remains, repairing and rebuilding masonry, conserving medieval plaster and providing access infrastructure. The commission brought structural repairs and the conservation of surviving fabric together at a ruined historic monument.
The company's 2008 project record describes work to the five apse chapels and subsequent works elsewhere in the chapel. Services included preparation of schedules and quantities, stone roof repairs, lime plaster and render, decorative finishes, gilding, and the treatment of paintings, marble, alabaster and sculpture.
CBS's published account records cleaning, conservation and decorative repairs to the Coade stone lychgate. The work also involved dismantling, rebuilding and structurally repairing the north pillar, illustrating the combination of fine surface conservation and more substantial fabric repairs.
The company's published portfolio includes work for Cadw, the National Trust, the Churches Conservation Trust, local authorities, church bodies, historic building trusts and private clients. These are examples of project experience rather than accreditation or endorsement.
CBS advertises work throughout the United Kingdom and abroad, with Irish projects documented in its portfolio. The availability of a team for a particular location and project should be confirmed directly.
Initial enquiries can outline the building or monument, its location, the proposed work and any known defects. Photographs, existing surveys and information about the professional team can help the company assess the commission and identify the relevant specialist services.
Conservation Building Services Ltd
The Granary, Pentre Issa
Trefonen, Oswestry
Shropshire SY10 9EE
Telephone: 01691 770605
Email: info@cbsconservation.co.uk
Website: www.cbsconservation.co.uk
| Services & Expertise | |
|---|---|
| Principal Areas of Work: | Historic building conservation, Listed building repairs, Conservation contracting, Stonemasonry, Lime pointing and mortar repairs, Lime plastering and rendering, Timber-frame repairs, Fine conservation, Decorative interior conservation, Specialist cleaning, Monument conservation, Structural consolidation |
| Capabilities and Specialisms: | Architectural stonework, Historic masonry consolidation, Cintec structural anchors, Historic mortar and plaster conservation, Mortar analysis, Lime shelter coats, Heavy oak carpentry, Cob repairs, Wattle and daub, Coade stone conservation, Marble and alabaster conservation, Architectural sculpture, Painted decorative finishes, Gilding and stencilling, Materials analysis, DOFF cleaning, ThermaTech cleaning, JOS cleaning, Vortech cleaning, Paint removal and poultices |
| Geographical Areas Covered: | United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, other overseas projects by agreement |
| Contact & Online Presence | |
| Mobile: | +44 (0) 7971 830137 |
| Contact(s): | Ian Storey, Managing Director; Charles Mangles, Director |
| Email: | info@cbsconservation.co.uk |
| Business Details & Insurance. | |
| Company Trading Name: | Conservation Building Services Ltd (CBS Conservation) |
| Company Number: | 04369424 |
