Directors and staff at Ty-Mawr Lime Ltd were delighted to receive a letter from the Dean of Leicester Cathedral recently expressing his thanks for the part Ty-Mawr played in an event of historical and international significance, namely the re-interment of King Richard III.
Ty-Mawr’s involvement in this event started in 2014 when it was selected by the architects, van Heyningen & Haward, to design the floor to hold the tomb being prepared for the re-interment of the last Plantagenet King of England. Ty-Mawr’s original brief was to undertake the design and the supply of the materials for its innovative Sublime® limecrete flooring system which was subsequently installed in the Cathedral as part of its £2.5m refurbishment works.
In his letter, The Very Reverend David Monteith explained that the eyes of the world witnessed a historic series of events that will never be repeated. He said: “We have received numerous expressions of thanks and good wishes at the Cathedral, and on behalf of the city and county, relating to all aspects of the project, not least the craftsmanship and attention to detail that went into the physical works carried out in the Cathedral to make it all possible.”
The floor, which holds Richard III’s tomb, is a combination of recycled as well as natural building products for which Ty-Mawr Lime Ltd, based in Brecon, Powys, is renowned throughout the UK.
The floor was carefully excavated by the Limecrete Company, based in Norfolk, who specialise in the installation of Ty-Mawr’s floors. After laying a breather membrane, a layer of 100% recycled foamed glass was installed around the newly constructed tomb, compacted ready to receive the underfloor heating pipes, before the limecrete was then finally poured and finished.
Since developing the innovative flooring system in the 1990s, Ty-Mawr has supplied hundreds of churches, cathedrals, cottages, barns and sustainable new build projects right across the UK. Other recent projects include Rochester Cathedral, Coventry Transport Museum, St Georges Cathedral, Southwark, St Alkmunds Church, Duffield, St Peter & St Paul, Great Bowden and St Mary at the Quay, Ipswich.
Nigel Gervis, Technical Director at Ty-Mawr Lime, said; “It is feedback, projects and stories like this that makes what we do very special, from design to delivery! We are delighted to have been involved in such a historically significant occasion and to be part of the narrative. It also speaks volumes for the floor which can meet all of the modern expectations of a building component in terms of engineering strength and thermal/acoustic performance combined with the ‘softer characteristics’ demanded by a solid wall building such as breathability and flexibility”.
Last year, Sublime®, was awarded the ‘Technical Innovation of the Year Award’ by Local Authority Building Control (Cymru) and went on to become runner-up in the LABC National Final, alongside the London Shard.