MINERVA CONSERVATION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries
Job Titles:
- RVM Is Our Historic Plasterwork Specialist
- Specialist
Clare Venables is Minerva's plasterwork specialist and has worked as an ornamental sculptor since 1993 and specialises in creating fine, hand modelled stucco duro. She began her career in the restoration of decorative plasterwork. This culminated in the award of a Royal Victorian Medal in the 1998 New Year's Honours list for her work in re-creating fire-damaged ceilings at Windsor Castle. Most commissions are now for new schemes of decorative plasterwork, usually in a historic context, which include ceilings, overmantels, friezes, wall panels and tiny details.
Clare holds a Master's degree in Architectural History (Courtauld Institute 2001), a diploma in conservation (1993) and a first degree in Fine Art (1988). Her draftsmanship is particularly strong following time as an archaeological illustrator (1988-1992) and forty years of drawing.
Andrew Ziminski, a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, is consultant to the Salisbury Diocesan Advisory Committee for the conservation of stonework and monuments.
He started his training in the late 1980's at the Weald and Downland Museum on the reconstruction of the early C17th Reigate house.
In 1998 he was awarded a William Morris Craft Fellow by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. This advanced training scheme, designed originally to train future Clerks of Works, gives fellows a unique insight into the most sympathetic repair techniques to historic buildings and best practice in the field.
In March 2020 John Murrays - established in 1768 and publisher of Darwin, Jane Austen and Lord Byron will add Andrew to their list with his first book, provisionally titled 'THE STONEMASON.'
Nell Pickering lead the team that conserved the Hunky punks and tower of the Romanesque and Perpendicular Church of St Peter and St Paul, set in the deep rolling hills of Kilmersdon in Somerset. Details from our comprehensive blog here
Nell has had many years experience working in conservation, beginning with a four year apprenticeship with St Cuthbert Conservation which started in 1992. Having worked as a community artist prior to this she already had a keen eye for form, line and colour, a practical understanding of many different materials and an ability to manage many different age groups. She joined Minerva Conservation in 2004 and has overseen many conservation projects such as St Stephens Church tower in Bath and the lime conservation project at Newton Park (Bath Spa University).
The north aisle at Kilmersdon supports the most impressive cast of characters. Unusually their purpose was not to remind the parishoners what they may encounter if they were to stray from the path too often, but were designed as a memorial and to be seen from the main approach down the hill. Six of the eight creatures represent heraldic beasts for William Botreaux who was born in the village in the early 1380s and survived Agincourt, he died in 1462 in North Cadbury. He was most likely the benefactor for the works, which stylistically date from after his demise. It would be good to know if he left a sum in his will for the improvements.