Natural building materials from Ecological Building Systems have played an important part in a major renovation of the historic Skelton Toppin Memorial Hall.
The 101-year-old building was originally envisaged and funded by Fred Toppin, vice-president of the International Mercantile Marine Company of New York, which controlled the famous White Star Line.
This was to honour his father, who died in 1915, the head of a family which held an honoured place in the public life of the county and in the agricultural life of the district for many generations.
Although upgrades and maintenance to this architecturally designed, purpose built, hall have been made through the years, the building has never been insulated. 2030 Architects of Penrith were engaged by the Skelton Toppin Memorial Hall committee with plans for a complete refurbishment to bring it up to latest insulation standards and ensure community members and groups using the hall could enjoy an improved level of comfort.
The committee applied for a National Lottery grant, but the Covid lockdown held the process up, with the consequence that when grants were made available, they were for smaller amounts.
The expected costs doubled and tripled and the bigger contract bidders dropped out. With the architect’s help, a local builder, DMB Building Ltd, Penrith, agreed to break the major refurbishment down into a number of phases of work.
The ultimate aim for this phase was to ensure the main hall was more comfortable and sustainable, while making use of renewable energy to lower its carbon footprint.
DMB Building had used Ecological Building Systems’ products before in other sustainable renovations and recommended its Retro EcoWall internal wall insulation system to bring the building up to modern thermal performance standards.
The hall’s original lime plaster was preserved, where possible, and lime, cork and clay plaster was applied to create a level surface to which woodfibre insulation boards were added. A lime-based finishing plaster was then applied over the top, ensuring a breathable and durable finish.
In addition, natural Thermafleece Sheepswool insulation was installed to upgrade the thermal performance of the ceiling.
Robert Towers, chair of the Skelton Toppin Memorial Hall committee, said: “The recent upgrade to the hall has made a huge difference — it is now a comfortable, energy-efficient space that can be used by the whole community.
“We’re delighted that we were able to use natural building materials in the hall’s restoration, which were supplied by local company Ecological Building Systems and installed by a local building firm.”
He added: “Our aim was to become a carbon neutral building, and through the use of these natural building materials and solar PV panels, we have a good chance of achieving this.”
Penny Randell, director of Ecological Building Systems, said: “It is very satisfying to supply a historic community building and to bring it up to modern standards through use of natural materials.
“Our Retro EcoWall system was ideal for this project as it provides a sympathetic way to internally insulate solid stone or brick walls, whilst allowing breathability in the walls and the ability to manage humidity. I’m sure the community will notice the difference with improved comfort and air quality.”
Skelton Toppin Memorial Hall is increasingly widely used now, by the village primary school, community groups including Toppins, the church, young farmers, Skelton area am dram, exercise, dance and sports groups, include tai chi, Swingfit, a new Pickleball group; sponsored and private bands, and private hires including parties, meetings and more.
