USL Provides Specialist Post-Fire Services to St Mark’s Church in London
24 January, 2024
Securing a ‘Historical Treasure’ Destroyed by Fire.
USL are pleased to support and work with the Parochial Church Council at St Mark’s Church in North West London following the devastating fire on the 26-27 of January 2023. Eighty firefighters battled the blaze at this Grade II Listed church in St John’s Wood from 11:19 pm on Thursday until it was under control at 2:22 am on Friday. Luckily, no injuries were reported, however the whole two-storey Anglican building was ‘destroyed’.
This Victorian church is described as an “architectural and historical treasure” which finished construction between 1846 and 1847. It contained “stunning” mosaics by the Italian Salviati family as well as highly decorative marble flooring in the chancel, with the overall Gothic-styled design the work of the architect Thomas Cundy Jr.
Working in partnership with Bob Wilson Consultancy (Chartered Surveyor) and The Morton Partnership (Structural Engineers), USL has been delivering specialist Emergency Services to further make the site structurally safe.
These Specialist Heritage Services Included;
- Installation of temporary works to make the damaged structure safe
- Removal and clearance of debris
- Installation of temporary protection to heritage assets retained in situ
- Use of mobile elevating working platforms and cranes to access, assess, remove, and make safe high-level elements
- Installation of a temporary wall capping to protect the remaining structure from water damage
- Use of cranes and bespoke lifting systems to remove 3 fire-damaged trusses which were at risk of falling
- Dismantling of fire-damaged gallery structures
Our team of heritage restoration and stone specialists will be installing a high-level lifting beam and abseil system to enable the removal of suspended loads within the tower.
Revd Kate Harrison of St Mark’s has been documenting the post-fire recovery programme.
Follow the YouTube link to view footage from the recovery process including high-level removal works and archaeology updates.
https://www.youtube.com/@stmarkhamiltonterrace7931
We look forward to bringing you further updates on this ambitious project to save St Mark’s Church in Hamilton Terrace.
Interesting in Donating to St Mark’s Church, kindly use the link to visit their website
https://www.stmarks.london/giving-to-st-marks
To read about the original event.
‘London Church Described as ‘Historical Treasure’ Destroyed by Fire.
Source: The Guardian 24/1/2023
