Each year the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) runs several working parties to gather volunteers, community members, historic building professionals and conservation specialists for a short period of work and learning, whilst putting our expertise and advice into practice on a historic building in need.

For this working party, we will be based in the Old Churchyard in the town of Moffat focusing on the sole surviving gable of the pre-reformation C15th Parish Church. We plan to carry out removal of cement pointing and vegetation, consolidation and re-pointing of the gable, and of the whinstone rubble boundary wall of the surrounding Churchyard.

The medieval Church gable, a historic monument, is currently pointed in cement but the earth mortared core is causing the structure to continually move. As a result, the cement joints have opened and plant growth has taken hold, compromising the ancient monument’s structure and viability. Furthermore, the cement render has reduced the evaporation surface, causing any water to leach through the fine stone carvings on both sides of the gable. We plan on carrying out the works to save this important monument, securing its future as a key illustration of the town’s development and reducing any further damage to the carvings. We will also be carrying out boundary wall repairs, including localised rebuilding and repointing.

The ticket includes lunch and refreshments; and covers the cost of materials, equipment and craftspeople.

A full programme of the events will be sent nearer the working party date.

The working party is run in collaboration with Moffat Heritage Trust.