Bear Steps
| Project Length | December 2021 – April 2022 |
|---|---|
| Architect | Rob Green (Arrol Architects, Shrewsbury) |
| Project Value | 130K |
Bear Steps is a series of buildings in the ancient medieval and tudor area of Shrewsbury town centre, adjacent to St Alkmund’s Square and Fish Street.
The name '“Bear Steps” comes from a public house that no longer stands, and the bear is thought to have originated from Tudor street entertainers who used bears as part of their acts.
Unfortunately, the bears have since been replaced by unfriendly parking attendants, as we discovered to our cost during our visit for works!
The Shropshire Civic Society rescued and fully restored these buildings 50 years ago. Today, the Civic Society still has its offices there, along with a coffee house, an art gallery, and a small ground-floor shop on Fish Street.
Bear Steps is a Grade II* listed building and is believed to have been damaged by at least one vehicle strike in 2020. A significant failure of the timber frame was identified last year. Since then, Shropshire Council’s Property Services Group has been working closely with conservation colleagues, architects, and engineers to develop a suitable design for the repairs in agreement with Historic England.
The project involved emergency structural work on a 14th-century oak-framed building, requiring immediate propping to ensure stability. Due to significant structural failures, extensive oak frame repairs and replacements were carried out, incorporating stainless steel hidden heavy bracketry to reinforce the building while maintaining its historic integrity.
One of the most intricate aspects of the restoration was the careful repair and conservation of an original bressummer jetty beam. The beam was carefully removed and transported to our workshops, where sensitive splice repairs were carried out on the front moulded section. To retain the S-curves along the length of the beam, approximately 80 glue-laminated strengthening blocks were carefully added to the back of the beam before it was refitted in its original position.
The lime plaster panels were restored using hot lime work, ensuring historical accuracy in the materials and application techniques. Additionally, new gutters and downpipes were installed, and improvements were made to the underground stormwater drainage system to protect the structure from future water damage.
As part of the final phase, historic window repairs were undertaken, including splice repairs to retain the building’s authentic character while enhancing its structural durability.
