Vision for the Historic Town and associated works by Madocks: to conserve the historic fabric while pursuing Madocks’ vision of a lively, thriving community with “fair play for all”.

Priority is to be given to the conservation and repair of historic fabric.
The physical and social significance of the historic fabric should be enhanced by its preservation and interpretation.
Use of the site and buildings should be appropriate, to ensure that
• Changes that reduce the historic value of fabric are minimised
• Activities of users are regulated by prior agreement to minimise risk of damage to historic fabric
• Any work proposed is subject of a Heritage Impact Assessment and the proposals revised if necessary
Maintenance should be carried out regularly
Costs of ownership and income should be reviewed regularly, and steps taken to increase income or to raise funding in good time to ensure the maintenance regime.
The requirements of historic, environmental and social legislation, and local and national planning/heritage policies should be satisfied. These requirements should be reviewed regularly to ensure compliance as far as is reasonable within limits imposed by the historic fabric.

Assessment for former church and Coadestone gateway

The physical features that make this site special are

Its setting within open grounds in the centre of the Conservation Area of Tremadog
The siting of the former church on an outcrop of rock
The two structures, demonstrating sophisticated new technologies of the period and forming landmarks in the Town and in the landscape
Some few surviving internal fittings in the former church
The bell and clock which struck the hour until the millennium
The unique style and very fine craftsmanship of the Coadestone sculpture

Any proposed works to the fabric of the building or the Coadestone Gate and the use of the site should at the least maintain this interest.

Former church

The former church is Listed Grade II. Cadw do not deem it “outstanding”. The historic fabric and associated social history is not so significant that it must now be frozen in time, and kept in that state by ongoing revenue support. Nevertheless, any future intervention should be developed with regard to the historic fabric and character, and assessed and revised as necessary to ensure that the historic fabric is safeguarded.

Alteration is justifiable where the original fabric is lost, or much altered already.

Any proposed environmental costs must be weighed against historic interest. Where there is ongoing environmental cost (eg heating) the practicality of reducing the environmental cost by altering historic fabric must be considered.

In this case, the internal fabric of the church was greatly altered in the 1890s and again in the 1960s so that there is little of historic interest or character that will be affected by insulating walls and roofs, and much to be gained in reducing fossil fuel energy consumption.

Coadestone gateway

The Coadestone gateway was Listed Grade II in its own right in 1951. This Community Council has not yet been re-surveyed in the Listing Survey. The trust has applied to Cadw to ask them to reconsider the grading of the Coadestone gateway in the light of the information gathered by Elisabeth Beazley in the 1960s and by the trust recently. It is anticipated that the grading will be increased. Cadw has already confirmed that it considers does consider the Gateway to be outstanding and will assist with grant at the higher 40% rate.

Any future intervention should conserve surviving historic material, remove or reduce the damaging effects of previous repairs and where possible of the original construction method.

A specialist report commissioned by the trust recommends conservative repair in situ, with limited reinstatement of the main lines and profile of the original. This is possible because the whole is assembled of parts, and surviving parts may be used as moulds for replacement parts. The gates will be repaired or reproduced to match if the original material is considered too brittle for safe re-use.

Repair to the historic fabric, further research into the persons associated with the site and wider accessibility are desirable.