North Pennines Archaeology Ltd has developed an incomparable expertise in the field of building recording, through the ongoing work being undertaken at the Nenthead Mines Heritage Centre (www.npht.com), and the many years of working in this discipline. Our building recording team has extensive knowledge and experience of recording historic buildings across a wide span of time periods, and a broad knowledge of architectural history which can see a project completed rapidly and efficiently.

The team are able to undertake a number of rapid approaches to building recording, as required by project briefs designed by local or national planning authorities, archaeological curators, consultants or developers. At the simplest level, our team can undertake a swift visual inspection to record a building’s historic plan, form, function, age, development sequence and construction materials. A description of the building’s landscape and historic context can also be undertaken. This approach, coupled with a desk-based assessment if required, usually results in a basic outline of the building’s history, and the results are presented in an illustrated report, with figures depicting building plans and elevations, and extensive photographic records of architectural details.

If a greater level of recording is required, NPA can undertake rectified photogrammetric recording of building elevations, which, coupled with reflectorless survey of key components using a Total Station Theodolite, can be digitised in an industry-standard Computer Aided Drawing package for the production of accurate elevations.

Further survey can also be undertaken to create accurate building plans, tied into Ordnance Survey data. Our experts can analyse different building techniques and types of material, such as brick-work, stone and paint samples, and can provide detailed records of building elements to be altered or removed. We can also provide assessments of the historical worth of particular buildings, to aid planning applications.

Our building team can work in tandem with our excavation team if required, to provide a project with the complete archaeological cover, undertaken swiftly and to schedule. In addition, the Heritage Trust also maintain a limited building company, North Pennines Heritage Ltd, that carries out all the Trust's conservation projects and also undertakes restoration of historic buildings at short notice.