The leading charity responsible for the conservation of the Shakespeare family homes in Stratford-upon-Avon have today (Thursday 11/07/2024) shared more details on the important conservation works at the home of Shakespeare’s daughter, Susanna, including the start of a project to map the property using 3D photogrammetry.
Hall’s Croft, a Grade I listed building, which was once the second largest property in Stratford-upon-Avon, has not been widely open to the public since the pandemic but instead focused on hosting learning audiences. Now, the charity responsible for its preservation has released more details on the careful conservation works that has been taking place and shares more details of the future of this much-loved property.
Since 2021 the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust have balanced the need to undertake a comprehensive conservation programme at the property, whilst finding a balance to ensure that the building is accessible to audiences, specifically secondary school, university and lifelong learners. As such, they have focused all activity on the ground floor of Hall’s Croft.
This reduction in use has given the team of conservationists at the Trust the opportunity to begin a comprehensive investigation of the upper floors, in collaboration with colleagues at Historic England.
“From the earliest days of our custodianship when we undertook restoration work to save the building from almost certain collapse in the late 1940s, to further structural repairs in the 1990s and mid-2010s, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has ensured that Hall’s Croft is maintained and conserved to help tell Stratford’s story to the world.
This work continues today to ensure that this rare example of an unaltered 17th century property is preserved for the enjoyment and study of future generations.”
Said Tim Aucott, director of Strategy and Change at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
Indeed, it is this focus on ensuring the long-term survival of the property that is at the heart of the Trust’s decision to keep the number of visitors to a minimum over recent years as it undertakes a detailed conservation investigation and continues its programme of works.
“The very popularity of Hall’s Croft with visitors has contributed to the strains placed in the fabric of the house. With hundreds of people in the house daily the stress on the ancient timbers is far beyond anything that could have been anticipated when it was built as an ordinary family home 400 years ago.
And so, during the pandemic we made the difficult decision to reduce access to the lower floors whilst we took the time to investigate the structure of the property and plan our next steps in this important conservation journey.”
Continued Mr Aucott.
Getting the Full Picture
The Trust have engaged with archaeologists from the University of Staffordshire to create a 3D photographic model. This can be used to inform more targeted repairs as well providing a permanent record of the state of the building as of today.
“We started by taking over 1,500 individual photographs using DSLR cameras positioned around the property along with aerial drone shots. The images were then all stitched together with the help of data from a laser scanner that mapped the external surface of the building.
The resulting 3D model, which will supplement the traditional building recording process, provides an accurate and detailed interactive digital model of the building as it stands at this point in time.
This data will be invaluable in supporting the conservation team at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in visualising their planning process and sharing a record of the property with future audiences.
Hall’s Croft is an excellent survival, and this work will help to ensure that it continues to be recognised and protected.”
Said William Mitchell, lecturer in archaeology at the Centre of Archaeology at Staffordshire University who undertook the works at Hall’s Croft earlier this year.
The Future of Hall’s Croft
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust are keen to stress the importance of ensuring that the conservation of the property must continue to be a priority whilst exploring alternative opportunities for community groups to have access.
“Hall’s Croft still plays an important role as part of our learning programme and will continue to host learners whilst we develop our new Learning and Community Hub at 22 Henley Street.
We’re grateful for the ongoing support and understanding of the community and we will be sharing more updates on the conservation work taking place.”
Added Mr Aucott, who leads the team responsible for the ongoing conservation works at Hall’s Croft and the other Shakespeare family homes.
For more information on Hall’s Croft and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust please visit www.shakespeare.org.uk.
