An Introduction to the Old House Project

Join SPAB for this online talk, presented by SPAB Director Matthew Slocombe, as an illustrated introduction to the SPAB’s Old House Project – former St Andrews Chapel, a Grade II* ‘building at risk’ in Kent, which stood empty for 50 years. When the SPAB bought the building in November 2018 it was hidden behind an overgrown garden, vandal damage had left the site vulnerable, and parts of the roof were leaking.

The first of a collection of online talks about our Old House Project, this lecture will introduce the fascinating history of the former chapel – it once housed a relic of St Andrew, was owned by Tudor poet Thomas Wyatt, and acted as a local post office in the 20th century.

Find out why the SPAB bought this ‘sleeping beauty’ to embark on a repair project greater than the Society has worked on before. Matthew Slocombe will talk about the steps involved in getting the project off the ground, describe the early remedies required to secure the medieval building, and reveal some of the site’s long-forgotten secrets. Matthew, and project manager Jonathan Garlick, will welcome audience questions at the end of the presentation.