Moggerhanger House,

Bedfordshire

Grade I Listed Building (NHLE: 1137422)

Emergency Recording during conservation repairs    

OASIS: thejesso1-131 684

A rapid scheme of emergency recording was undertaken during structural repairs at Moggerhanger House, Bedfordshire. This 18th-century building was remodeled by Sir John Soane in several phases between 1791 and 1811 and is of exceptional architectural quality.

The archaeological survey comprised of the recording and investigation of a series of composite floor beams, with internal trusses formed from cast-iron elements. This form of construction is well attested in contemporary carpenters manuals, however the opportunities to record this structural technique are rare as the beams are concealed within floor structures.

The repair of the floors required a complex internal scaffold and access to the beams was limited, however two contrasting styles of beam have been identified from the Sir John Soane period of alterations, and whilst they no longer function as load bearing elements, they have been retained as part of the historic fabric of the house.

Scope of work: measured survey, photography survey, structural watching brief