Architects visit The Oxford Arms
The architects’ drone flying over the building
If you were passing by The Oxford Arms on Wednesday 16th April, you might have seen a drone flying over the roof and around the walls. This was part of a visit from BHB Architects, who are creating the designs and drawings for the renovation and refurbishment of the building as a community “hub and pub”. The drone flights, survey, inspections, and interior design assessment undertaken over 5 hours last Wednesday will help the architects to get a clearer sense of the condition of the building and the work that needs to be done.
Lifting the floorboards at The Oxford
The inspections and surveys included lifting floorboards and checking the structure of the building. The drone survey looked closely at the roof and walls of the pub to check the condition of the roof tiles and timbers, and paid special attention to the parapet that runs along the front of the roof. The architects also inspected the interior, checking the condition of The Oxford’s many cracks and water leaks. The ornate plaster ballroom ceiling—concealed for decades behind a 1970s suspended ceiling—was also closely inspected. The ballroom ceiling is one of the hidden architectural treasures of the building, but unfortunately it is at present in a poor state of repair.
Inspecting the ceiling rose hidden underneath the 1970s ceiling
At present, The Oxford Arms is neither watertight, nor structurally sound, nor fire-safe, and ensuring the building meets all these requirements is vital before we can reopen it to the public.
In January, we received a £92,000 Development Grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we are able to progress our plans to restore and transform the building into a community “hub and pub”, which will be supported by a thriving B&B business. A key step of this initial development phase is the updating of the architectural plans for the building, and Wednesday’s visit was a milestone for the project.
We are excited to receive the updated plans in the near future. We hope to display these publicly for the community’s input – watch this space!
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
*Grant applications over £250,000 are assessed in two rounds. Open Arms Kington has initially been granted round one development funding of £92,496 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, allowing it to progress with its plans. Detailed proposals are then considered by the Heritage Fund at second round, where a final decision is made on the full funding award of £1.13 million.
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