Volunteer Blog: Listed Buildings Surveying Outing Number One- Roy Foulkes

Roy Foulkes is one of Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust's volunteer Buildings at Risk surveyors. After completing training to use the Trust's Buildings at Risk app, Roy began helping to record the condition of Derbyshire's listed buildings and heritage assets. In this blog, he shares the story of his first full day carrying out surveys in and around Stanton-by-Dale.

Walking shoes, sandwiches, bus pass and mobile phone with appropriate app. I am now ready for my first full day surveying the condition of Listed Buildings. 

After my DHBT ‘Buildings at Risk’ (B@R) project training at the Erewash Museum, I surveyed a couple of buildings around my home village using the B@R app just to get used to the process. 

For my first day out, I stayed fairly local travelling first to Ilkeston. After alighting the bus, I paused for a few minutes to look through and compare the surveys another volunteer had completed on the town centre buildings. This reassured me that my own assessments were along the right lines.

I walked to the beautiful village of Stanton by Dale which was mentioned in the Domesday Book but in more recent times became connected to the nearby Stanton Iron Works. 

The first object I surveyed was the village pump which had been constructed from cast iron by the Coalbrookdale Company. The trough was now used as a planter which was a nice touch.

I then moved onto the Middlemores Almshouses, which were originally built in 1711, made of red brick and plain roofing tiles. Under the three gables there were plaques giving a glimpse of the history of the buildings. 

My stomach called so I sat and had lunch on a green space in the centre of the village. 

After lunch I completed a further four surveys of buildings or monuments in the village including the Village Cross which dated from 1632. This is constructed of gritstone on a square plinth approximately three feet high. Modern day life had taken its toll on this monument, but it was now partially protected by some bollards. 

My route back to Ilkeston took me through the redevelopment site of the former Stanton Iron Works. Here I reflected on the changes that had occurred in my lifetime. 

An enjoyable walk made interesting by completion of the surveys and reading about Stanton by Dale's listed buildings. 

Whilst I walked there and back, I could have easily caught the bus from Ilkeston. So, if you want a day out, surveying listed buildings using DHBT’s B@R app can make the outing a little more interesting. 

The information collected by volunteers like Roy helps DHBT build a clearer picture of the condition of Derbyshire's historic buildings and identify sites that may need support in the future.