Moot Hall Restoration Survey

It was our pleasure to conduct a restoration survey at Moot Hall, at this beautiful 15th century building in Bedfordshire. A complete Measured Building Survey was requested as part of an Historic England application process to achieve funding for the remedial work required.  

The unique timber framed medieval building once served as a market hall and was restored in the 1950’s to become a museum of 17th century life. Currently closed to the public, the building is home to many historical artifacts, making it a vital piece of local heritage. Our role was to deliver accurate, scaled floor plans, sections, and internal and external elevations which would be used by Bedford Borough Council and its contractors to plan the restoration project. 

Precision high tech surveying to preserve heritage structures 

The team from our Bedford office used the versatile X7 scanner with an accuracy rating of 2mm, to meticulously scan the entire building, taking great care not to disturb the museum’s exhibits. The raw scan data was then processed back at the office where it was transformed into a coordinated 3D point cloud. This process involved running the data through Trimble Realworks where the separate scans were registered and correlated. The post-processing of data is an essential step to ensure the accuracy of the CAD drawings of the floor plans and elevations. 

Particular challenges arose during the external scan because there was HERAs fencing around the perimeter of the building, which was obstructing the visibility of the external walls. As a result, additional scans were required to ensure accuracy. The resulting technical drawings will support the council in their efforts to preserve this remarkable building.