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Coracle Conservation

During the pandemic of 2020 The Ironbridge Coracle Trust repaired and conserved Harry Rogers’ Old Coracle Shed. We have also conserved many of the tools, nets and other objects from the shed.
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Coracle Conservation

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During the pandemic of 2020 The Ironbridge Coracle Trust repaired and conserved Harry Rogers’ Old Coracle Shed. We have also conserved many of the tools, nets and other objects from the shed.

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Conserving the objects

Many fascinating objects from the old shed were rediscovered in an old barn many miles away (long story!) When the Trust managed to bring them back to Ironbridge they needed conservation. After being sorted, photographed and prepared for storage they need to be frozen to kill any woodworm.
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Repairing the Coracle Shed

In 2020, with funding from the Heritage Fund, we have been repairing and conserving the coracle shed to ensure it survives for another 100 years.

It was a challenging time with the prolonged period of flooding back in March 2020, swiftly followed by the lockdown restrictions of Covid 19. The conservation works are now complete

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These sturdy timber props and braces will be stained dark brown to match the rest of the shed when the work is completed
This photo shows the depth to which the shed was flooded and why it  was built on stout timber props to raise it above the flood level.

We were lucky that we managed to replace the decayed wooden props that supported the Coracle shed, before the floods struck. The flood waters rose nearly 20ft to just below the floor of the shed, but the new timber props stayed firm.

This photo shows how far the water rose to just below the floor ofthe Coracle Shed. Compare this to the photo to the left.
Rubber sheeting over marine ply boards beneath the corrugated iron sheeting.
The roof was repaired to make it watertight. The damaged roof boards were replaced and covered with sheets of marine ply covered with heavy duty rubber. The old corrugated iron sheets were securely placed on top and replaced with locally sourced identical sheets where they could not be repaired.
Replacement roof boards.
Replacement corrugated iron sheets.
The conservation philosophy was to make the shed safe and secure, using materials and techniques that Harry Rogers would have used himself. Also to take care to preserve the patina and character built up over 100 years, to disguise the extensive and skilled programme of repair that has taken place.
Extensive repairs to the ventilation louvres, once stained are now almost invisible.
Like the timber props, the repairs to the ventilation louvres and wooden walls of the shed will be stained to match the original weathered timber.
The new louvres and wall repairs blend in with the original timber
You can just make out the leg of the mangle at the far end of the wall footings.
The work to the stone retaining wall and brick and stone steps has been carried out by skilled stonemasons. Interestingly when they were digging out the old wall footings they discovered an old toilet cistern and mangle that had been dumped among the hard core used to build up the platform that the shed was built on. Perhaps they came from the original family cottage?
After the wall was rebuilt the masons were able to safely remove the cistern and mangle. The blue foam protects a cast iron beam which once supported the coracle shed, but had slipped out of position.
Detail of the toilet cistern removed from the hard core behind the retaining wall.
Repairing the brick steps.