London stockbrick — boring or beautiful? These bricks makes up the fabric of the city, yet unlike their more distinctive counterparts (Bath stone, for example) they often go overlooked. Let's see if we can change that...

📸Matthias Rohrberg London stockbricks were made from brickearth, found just below the soil in SE England. Unlike London clay, it could be easily dug up and worked by hand. But high silica content led to brittleness, so other ingredients including chalk and town ash were added🧱

📸Ulrike Wahl

#BuildingInFocus A cobbled #Norfolk alley shelters England’s last surviving Hanseatic warehouse. 'Hanse House' was a trading post for the Hanseatic League - a confederation of #medieval merchants. Built in 1475, when #KingsLynn was England's most important port... 🧵

📷 SPAB In 1505, 40+ German merchants were trading raw materials and luxury goods out of Lynn. But in 1561 they began to lease the buildings to local families. In 1751, a wealthy brewer purchased the complex, adding a Georgian townhouse... 🧵

📷Alienturnedhuman; Public domain, Wikimedia

In the summer we announced our involvement with a UCL PhD on the efficacy a diverse range of solid wall surface treatments, both traditional & modern. We’d like to explain a little more and give you an update...
#thread 1/8

spab.org.uk/news/research-… After helpful input from members, SPAB is reviewing its involvement with UCL surface coatings research. We are seeking to ensure traditional finishes are central to the included in the study... 2/8 #thread

spab.org.uk/news/research-…