Turning to tech to secure the future of Hall’s Croft in Stratford

NEW technology has been called upon to help protect one of Stratford’s best-loved old houses.

Like the other four properties under the care of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, grade I-listed Hall’s Croft, went dark during the pandemic but has never returned to its place on the tourist trail – leaving the Birthplace, New Place and Anne Hathaway’s Cottage as the public face of the organisation.

It has enjoyed a role as an education centre in the years since but the change in situation has allowed the scale of the conservation challenges to be assessed – with 3D modelling and university expertise now playing a part in determining its future.

The secondary school, university and lifelong learners who have been welcomed there have used the ground floor, allowing trust conservationists to take a closer look at the state of the upper floors, working with Historic England.

The trust’s director of strategy and change, Tim Aucott, said: “From the earliest days of our custodianship when we undertook restoration work to save the building from almost certain collapse in the late 1940s, to further structural repairs in the 1990s and mid-2010s, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has ensured that Hall’s Croft is maintained and conserved to help tell Stratford’s story to the world.

“This work continues today to ensure that this rare example of an unaltered 17th century property is preserved for the enjoyment and study of future generations.

“The very popularity of Hall’s Croft with visitors has contributed to the strains placed in the fabric of the house.

“With hundreds of people in the house daily, the stress on the ancient timbers is far beyond anything that could have been anticipated when it was built as an ordinary family home 400 years ago.

“And so, during the pandemic we made the difficult decision to reduce access to the lower floors whilst we took the time to investigate the structure of the property and plan our next steps in this important conservation journey.”

The trust has now teamed up with archaeologists from the University of Staffordshire to create a 3D photographic model to give greater detail of repairs that are needed and create a permanent record of the site.

Archaeology lecturer William Mitchell said: “We started by taking over 1,500 individual photographs using DSLR cameras positioned around the property along with aerial drone shots.

“The images were then all stitched together with the help of data from a laser scanner that mapped the external surface of the building.

“Hall’s Croft is an excellent survivor, and this work will help to ensure that it continues to be recognised and protected.”

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is keen to stress the importance of ensuring that the conservation of the property must continue to be a priority whilst exploring alternative opportunities for community groups to have access.

“Hall’s Croft still plays an important role as part of our learning programme and will continue to host learners whilst we develop our new Learning and Community Hub at 22 Henley Street,” added Mr Aucott..

“We’re grateful for the ongoing support and understanding of the community and we will be sharing more updates on the conservation work taking place.”