Working with 1000 years of history: Westminster Hall wins Europa Nostra Award  

After more than a decade and three phases of conservation work to Westminster Hall, part of the Grade I-listed Palace of Westminster, works are complete and have been recognised by the prestigious Europa Nostra awards. 

Completed in 1097 by William Rufus as a Romanesque Hall, Westminster Hall was the seat of government from the late medieval period, and for almost 1000 years has hosted state events including coronations, banquets, public trials, and lying-in-state.

From 2010 – 2020 Insall and Parliament’s Strategic Estates Team have worked closely on the first non-reactive repair and conservation project at Westminster Hall in a century. Work comprised of three phases, beginning with stonework repairs to the north wall and the installation of a stained-glass window in the 14th century North Window; cleaning of the internal masonry walls and windows; and finally careful conservation of the 14th century hammerbeam roof and lantern.

After 500 years of decay the roof was in poor condition. Between 1914 and 1923 the hammerbeam roof and lantern were rebuilt by the Office of Works under Frank Baines, who inserted a steel structure to carry the load of the half acre of Westmorland slates that cover the roof. Baynes saved 80% of the medieval roof timbers, and was knighted in recognition of his achievement.

The lantern on the roof of Westminster Hall was destroyed by bomb damage on the night of 10-11 May 1941, which the Hall famously survived while the House of Commons burned. It was rebuilt by the Ministry of Works. Following assessments and research during this project, it became clear the lantern had suffered from historic pollution and required careful restoration work including cladding renewal.

Repairs and restoration 

Today, the Hall is the public entrance to the Houses of Parliament, but in 2010 it was in a poor state of repair  – its architectural surfaces veiled in dust and grime accumulated over the course of centuries. Following a fall of a piece of timber from the lantern at the apex of the roof, it was recognized that this had to be addressed. Accordingly, the project’s aims were to put the built fabric of the Hall in good repair and cleaning it to improve its architectural presentation.

The design approach was one of minimal intervention based on historical research, extensive site surveys, trials and investigations. Where appropriate, well established conservation methods were used, however the particular conditions of the fabric required innovation including the use of nano-lime to consolidate carved medieval Reigate stonework and latex poultices containing potassium hydroxide for stone cleaning. Repairs were generally detailed following the historical design, but changes were made to the design of the lantern, which forms an eye catcher on the roof of the Hall externally, to improve rainwater drainage. The fixing of sections of the spandrels of the oak vaulted interior of the lantern was also improved so that these delicate components are robustly secured to their backgrounds.

This research and work has furthered technical knowledge of conservation techniques for Britain as a whole. Information has been incorporated into studies by Historic England on the conservation of Magnesian limestone and by Historic Royal Palaces on Reigate stone, informing the conservation and repair of listed buildings and Scheduled Ancient Monuments elsewhere.

Keeping doors open to heritage 

Westminster Hall remained open for the public throughout the construction stage of the project to clean and repair the interior masonry and roof, as an events space and main entrance to the Houses of Parliament, recognising the democratic right of citizens to visit Parliament to watch MPs and Peers question the government and debate current issues and legislation.

In consultation with the building users, the House of Commons Education Department and Visitor Services identified opportunities for visitor and public engagement, therefore temporary interpretation was installed throughout the three phases of work to contribute to the visitor experience. This also benefited school groups who visit daily.

The project welcomed students from the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), and apprentices from the Building Crafts College. The latter worked alongside DBR stonemasons, providing a rare opportunity for the apprentices to work on gothic revival masonry, as well as getting up close and personal with a building at the heart of public and political life.

Recognising excellent cultural stewardship 

The Europa Nostra Awards were founded in 1978 and recognise outstanding heritage conservation initiatives across Europe. This project at Westminster Hall has been awarded in the category of Conservation and Adaptive Reuse.

The project has been incredibly well received by the public, building users, Westminster City Council and Historic England alike, and celebrated as an exemplary conservation project in both its methodology and outcome.

We thoroughly enjoyed the intricate work and careful research undertaken as a part of this project in collaboration with the wider team.

Project team:

Client: UK Parliament Strategic Estates 

Structural engineer: Alan Baxter ltd 

Contractor (phase 1): Skillington Workshop 

Contractor (phase 2): DBR (London) ltd 

Contractor (phase 3): Mitie Projects 

Masonry sub-contractor (phase 3): DBR ltd 

Joinery Company no.1 (phase 3 hammerbeam roof and lantern): Dolmen Conservation Carpenters 

Joinery Company no.2 (phase 3 lantern vaulting): Sands & Randall Carpenters 

Wood supplier (phase 3): Dolmen Conservation Carpenters 

Window glazing/leaded lights (phases 1 and 3): Reyntiens Glass Studio