Reflections on the Building Limes Forum Conference, Bangor
It was such a pleasure to attend this year’s Building Limes Forum conference in Bangor – and wonderful that it was held here in Wales! The event was a brilliant opportunity to reconnect with past learners and long-standing friends of the Tywi Centre, as well as to meet people from across the UK and beyond who are so passionately committed to promoting the use of lime in building conservation.
Highlights included catching up with past learners such as Paul and Matthew from Just Lime Ltd, Callum from Raffles Builders and Damian from Williams Conservation. It was also fantastic to listen to inspiring talks from experts such as Chris Whitman (Cardiff University), Nigel Gervis (Ty Mawr Lime) and Ned Scharer (Natural Building Centre) all of which have had a great involvement with the Tywi Centre.
One of the standout moments was the field trip hosted by Highlife Rope Access to St Rhuddlad’s Church on Ynys Môn. Their team, including Ben – who is currently completing his NVQ3 in Masonry with us – is tackling the fascinating challenge of repairing an exceptionally unusual solid masonry spire. The ingenuity and specialist skill required to remove and stabilise the precarious spire tip without scaffolding was truly impressive. Hearing how they collaborated with conservation engineer David Wiggins of Clach Conservation to devise a bespoke rope-access system, and learning about the hidden complexities of the structure, made this a particularly memorable visit.
The conference itself was shaped around themes of wet walls in Wales and the critical role lime plays in keeping buildings breathable, resilient, and sustainable in challenging weather conditions. Alongside the talks were field visits to places like Penrhyn Quarry and Caernarfon Castle, and workshops exploring everything from hot lime mixes to innovative sustainable uses of lime with natural fibres.
More broadly, the Building Limes Forum has been championing the use of lime since 1992. Their work spans hands-on training, publications, and practical research, as well as providing a vibrant community for craftspeople, conservation specialists, engineers, and architects. They are not only safeguarding traditional skills but also exploring how lime can be central to sustainable, low-carbon building for the future.
Overall, the conference was a rich mix of knowledge-sharing, reconnecting with old friends, and being inspired by the skill, dedication, and creativity of so many working in the field of building conservation. It also reaffirmed just how important the BLF’s work is in bringing together science, craft, and community to protect our built heritage.
