The Bursar's update on keeping the King's campus in tip top condition

The Bursar, Louis Tuson, tells us what maintenance was carried out at King's Bruton over the summer holidays...

While the pupils have been on their well earned Summer Holidays, King’s has been a hive of activity improving the facilities for the new academic year, and also making sure we carry out the essential maintenance to preserve our buildings for the next 500 years. They say you should fix the roof while the sun shines, and that is certainly what has happened this summer. We have given attention to the roofs of Wellesley, Arion and Priory Houses, the History building and the Memorial Hall. 

Completed in 1919, the Memorial Hall has served the School fantastically well, but the British weather has taken a toll and water had begun to creep in, and some of the blocks of stone were definitely not where they had been placed. You may not notice much difference, but the building was completely scaffolded and much needed repairs conducted to leadwork, render and roofing to ensure it is fit for the next 100 years. Some stones were replaced completely, having crumbled over the decades, and areas had to be pinned to stop further movement. 

Over 300 new tiles went onto Arion House, with much needed chimney work also taking place. The inside of the Houses have had a refresh, with a new shower block in Arion House and decorating in New House and Blackford House. As well as repairs, we have a much improved sports hall, with state of the art new non-slip floor for all sports, and have run an electricity supply all the way up to the far end of our sports fields, which will enhance what we can offer and keep the coffee hot in our ever popular Hospitality Trailer. The Pavilion Project has started, and we look forward to this opening in April 2023, ready for next Summer’s sporting schedule. We continue to drive for energy efficiency with lighting improvements, ensuring we replace inefficient boilers and water storage, enhancing insulation and ensuring our solar panels are optimised.

As well as a carefully planned schedule to ensure our estate remains fit for purpose, we also have to deal with the unexpected. The Summer saw a major power failure when a cable under the Old House Courtyard failed. It was pure luck that saved this from this happening in Term time, but our expert maintenance team had the courtyard paving up, and the break was found and repaired, and the paving re-laid within 10 days. We also suffered a coach hitting the stone pillar on the entrance to the School. As all these areas have Listed status, repairs are never straightforward, but fortunately the coach company’s insurance came to the rescue, and with a few components cut to form new stone, the entrance is back to its former glory.

The work on the estate at King’s is never finished, and we are fortunate to have such a skilled and dedicated team, supported by local craftspeople and engineers to make sure we have the best balance of heritage and state of the art facilities for our School.