Photographing turrets prior to conservation work. Photo Maria Elena Ruggeri © Sydney Living Museums
Conservation in action: Vaucluse House turrets - update
Following comprehensive works undertaken by the Historic House Trust of NSW in 1985, the stonework of the Vaucluse House west turrets has suffered a further 35 years of extensive erosion due to exposure to weather and salt present in the coastal air.
Recently, we completed a complex scaffold to allow our project team to get up close to the turrets. We have now made a detailed analysis of the condition of the 1830s stonework and the damage produced by the root system of two young Ficuses (fig trees) found there.
The merlons - the top sections of both turrets - were found to be in precarious condition, with severe weathering and large areas of stone and mortar loss, rendering them quite unstable. In addition, the root systems of the Ficuses were found to have travelled a long way through the structure, suggesting a long, slow growth period.
We carefully dismantled the top courses of the southwest turret and removed one of the Ficuses. This will help us better understand the construction of the turrets, which will then inform future decisions about ongoing stabilisation and conservation works.
These works are expected to be completed in late 2020.
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1. Southwest turret being photographed prior to dismantling.
Photo Maria Elena Ruggeri © Sydney Living Museums
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2. Stonemason showing extent of merlon horizontal cracking.
Photo Maria Elena Ruggeri © Sydney Living Museums
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3. Structural Engineer analysing the construction detail of the southwest turret.
Photo Maria Elena Ruggeri © Sydney Living Museums
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4. Stone conservator performing a visual analysis of the stone condition.
Photo Maria Elena Ruggeri © Sydney Living Museums
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5. Craig Field, SLM horticulturist, removing Ficus from southwest turret.
Photo Maria Elena Ruggeri © Sydney Living Museums
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6. Craig Field, SLM Horticulturist, showing extent of Ficus growth in southwest turret.
Photo Maria Elena Ruggeri © Sydney Living Museums
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7. Merlon caps re-assembled on scaffold for documentation.
Photo Maria Elena Ruggeri © Sydney Living Museums
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8. Section of southwest turret dismantled and re-assembled on scaffold.
Photo Maria Elena Ruggeri © Sydney Living Museums
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