CJ consulting
Made in Wales
RIBA SCA locations in Wales 2023
Caroline James BSc (Hons) BArch RIBA SCA is a Chartered Architect and accredited Specialist Conservation Architect on the Royal Institute of British Architects Conservation Register. Architect’s on this top tier of accreditation have demonstrated their expertise for working on the most protected buildings/sites and are described by the RIBA as having:
“authoritative knowledge of conservation practice and extensive experience of working with heritage buildings”
Many sources of grant funding require some form of conservation accreditation and there are currently only a handful of RIBA SCA Architects based in Wales. This means significant parts of the country lack local access to this specialism.
Born and raised in the upland fringes of NW Carmarthenshire, Caroline studied at the Welsh School of Architecture in Cardiff and went straight into conservation practice. Her upbringing means she has a particular interest in rural buildings and vernacular architecture. Over the last 25+ years' she has worked for a number of practices in England and Wales and a selection of this heritage work can be found below. She has also been appointed by the Bishop of St Davids as a specialist advisor to the Diocesan Advisory Committee.
Towards the end of 2016 Caroline started freelance work and created CJ consulting from her base in west Wales with the aim of helping anyone struggling with their old building.
CJC conservation philosophy
- All layers of a building should be respected because our values change with time. What is unimportant today may be invaluable in the future.
- Although we all have a responsibility to keep work to the minimum, our built heritage needs to evolve without sacrificing earlier fabric. New work should always be made to fit the old with sagging or bulging from age left uncorrected so that as much of the older building can survive.
- Repairs can be sympathetically beautiful, informative and add more value. Tried and tested materials and techniques should be used for as long as possible so that these skills can pass down the generations. Like for like repairs will also ensure diversity and important regional differences are also conserved.
- There is still so much we can learn from the past but CJC is not afraid to alter or improve when there is a history of failure that risks a buildings future. Innovation should preferable be limited to low risk areas however where such work can be monitored and reversed.
- CJC firmly believes that new buildings should be clearly of their time with the difference between old and new celebrated. Sensitivity can be achieved without making something look older than it is.
Pembroke Design Ltd - Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire & Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire
Aqueduct at Ystalyfera (scheduled ancient monument and grade 2*)
Scheduled monument consent for new hydro electric scheme
Carew Castle (scheduled ancient monument, grade 1, site of special scientific interest, special area of conservation, historic landscape, national park)
Replacement roof, windows and doors to the Lesser Hall. New build visitor centre within the walled garden
Cilgerran Castle (scheduled ancient monument and grade 1)
Heritage impact assessment of options to protect wall heads
Customs house and bonded stores, Milford Haven (grade 2*, conservation area)
Listed building consent for stone repairs, lime rendering and new means of escape
Gwaunfa, Newport (grade 2, conservation area)
Repairs to house with new garden loggia building and landscaping
Llandeilo Market (grade 2, conservation area)
Condition survey and heritage impact assessment for change of use
Parkydrissi, Carmarthen (conservation area)
Statutory consents to convert outhouse and extend arts and crafts style dwelling
14 Picton Place, Haverfordwest (conservation area)
Conservation and extension into commercial and residential use
Slebech Park (scheduled ancient monument, grade 2*, historic landscape, site of special scientific interest, special area of conservation, national park, tree preservation orders)
Conservation plan and heritage impact assessment for additional hotel and restaurant facilities
St Peter's House, Steynton (grade 2)
Statutory consents to covert outbuildings into residential use
Various sites in Haverfordwest, Milford Haven & Pembroke Dock (conservation areas)
Change of use and refurbishment of residential and commercial properties funded through the Group Repair Schemes and Townscape Heritage Initiatives
Bethany Church, Pembroke Dock (conservation area)
Statutory consents and tendering for scheme to re-roof, replace windows, introduce photovoltaics and improve toilets internally
Carreg Cennen Castle (scheduled ancient monument, grade 1, local nature reserve, site of special scientific interest, national park)
Replacement footbridges and guard rails
Coach House, Camrose (curtilage to grade 2)
Emergency repairs to stonework and roof
Dinefwr Home Farm, Llandeilo (grade 2, conservation area)
Conversion of former cow house/stable and cart shed into the Traditional and Sustainable Centre with offices and workshops
2-6 High Street, Haverfordwest (grade 2*, conservation area)
Listed building consent for conversion into flats
Llwynhelyg, Llandeilo (grade 2)
Listed building consent to convert stable and coach house into dwelling
Pembroke Castle (scheduled ancient monument, grade 1, conservation area)
New cafe extension within the inner ward and internal works to St Anne's Bastion to create new display tableau
28 Quay Street, Carmarthen (grade 2, conservation area)
Condition survey, statutory consents and drawings for refurbishment
18 Spilman Street, Carmarthen (grade 2, conservation area)
Listed building consent for re-roofing C19th terraced offices
Treclover, Newport
Conservation statement for pre-application to covert former hammel into holiday let
Woodstock Calvanistic Methodist Church (grade 2)
Re-roofing following successful application to the Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund
Chapel at Box Cemetery, Llanelli
Condition survey and refurbishment
which included new windows and stone repairs
Castlemartin range (scheduled ancient monument, grade 2, 2* and 1, national park)
Quinquennial inspection of a number of buildings including chapels, lime kiln, farm buildings and ruinous medieval houses
Cucumber cottage, Clarbeston Road (grade 2)
Listed building consent to demolish and rebuild C19th cottage
Ffrwdwen Mill, Llandysul
Planning permission to convert into residential and commercial use
56 Lammas Street, Camarthen (conservation area)
Conversion of house into opticians
Maindy Barracks, Cardiff & Beachley barracks, Newport (grade 2)
Quinquennial inspection of C19th barracks and walled enclosure, former church school house and war memorials
Picton Home Farm, Haverfordwest (grade 2*, national park, tree preservation orders)
Conversion of model Georgian farmstead into eight residential units
Quay Stores, Milford Haven (grade 2*, conservation area)
Retrospective listed building consent application for lime re-rendering
Stepaside Heritage Park, Amroth (scheduled ancient monument and grade 2, national park)
Consolidation works to a dozen industrial monuments and improvements to footpaths
Upper Hill Farmhouse, Wiston
Full refurbishment including thermal improvement, extension and ground source heat pump installation
Pembrokeshire County Council - Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire
Market Hall, Fishguard (grade 2, conservation area)
Condition survey
Tenby Harbour (various including grade 2*, conservation area)
Condition survey of group of buildings from C19th warehouses, life boat station and various commercial premises along the beach and squeezed under sea defences
Mosedale Gillat Architects - Gateshead & Newcastle
Bolam Coyne, Newcastle (grade 2)
Condition survey of 17 dwellings on the Byker Estate
Netherwitton Hall, Morpeth (grade 1)
Replacement lead roof and repairs to chimneys
Bradley Hall, Wolsingham (scheduled ancient monument)
Consolidation of ruinous masonry and soft capping to wall heads
St Peters Wharf, Newcastle (grade 2)
Conversion of former warehouse into flats
Cleadon Tower Pumping Station, South Shields (grade 2)
Condition survey
Well Strand, Rothbury (conservation area)
New build residential development
Smiths Gore Chartered Surveyors - Hexham, Northumberland
Chipchase Castle, Hexham (grade 1)
Repointing and repairs to slate flag roof to the pele tower
Estate management (various)
Condition surveys, repairs, conversion and refurbishment to numerous cottages, farm buildings and country houses
Holystone Farm, Morpeth (grade 2, national park)
Dealing with enforcement issues relating to farmhouse and successful planning application to convert series of outbuildings into residential use
Frans Nicholas Architects - Neyland & Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire
15 Albany Terrace, Haverfordwest (conservation area)
Conversion of stable into office
St Anne's Church, New Hedges (grade 2)
Research into conservation options for corrugated tin as part of grant application to Heritage Lottery Fund
18 Goat Street, Haverfordwest (grade 2)
Re-roofing and carpentry repairs following dry rot outbreak
Rock House, Haverfordwest (grade 2*, conservation area)
Listed building consent to erect salvaged iron Victorian green house. Re-rending in lime putty
Albany Church, Haverfordwest (grade 2, conservation area)
Rendering in hydraulic lime with tromp lieu paint effect and new window hood moulds
Cresselly House, Pembrokeshire (grade 2*, national park)
Re-roofing with new rainwater goods and leadwork, rebuilding of chimneys, internal repairs and improvements to ventilation from long standing dry rot attacks
Liberal Hall, Club, Haverfordwest (grade 2)
Improvements to facade with new hard landscaping and redecoration
General ecclesiastical work (grade 2*)
Repairs, improvements and grant applications to following churches:
St Jeffery & St Oswald, Jeffreyston
St Michael, Rudbaxton
St Elidyr, Amroth
St Ishmael, St Ishmael
St Caradog, Lawrenny
St David Church, Hubberston
St Michael, New Moat
St Mary, Angle
St Andrew’s Church, Narberth (grade 2, conservation area)
Repointing, plasterwork, improvements to tower, replacement leaded windows, repairs to ground drainage
St Decumanus Church, Rhoscrowther (grade 1)
Repairs to roof following Texaco oil refinery explosion
34-36 Market Street, Haverfordwest (conservation area)
Repairs to shop front and repairs to roof following dry rot attack
Other work
The changing farm buildings of west Wales
Dissertation examining how five vernacular working farms have changed over the centuries and the influence of changing farming practices
Carreg Ddu, Whitland
Specification to restore thatched clom cottage
Print