Drawing on 40 years’ work as conservation officer at South Staffordshire Council and latterly as a consultant on historic buildings, tonight’s talk by David Burton-Pye features many timber-framed buildings – the speaker’s favourite type of construction. Exploring the evolution of the craft, David explains the simple techniques from which complex structures were created and includes two local examples that won national awards in 1997 and 1999 for the best restoration of timber-framed buildings.

Photo: The oldest building in Codsall, dating from the late 16th / early 17th centuries: a timber-framed dwelling house on a sandstone plinth in the village centre, taken in 2007 when it was the Rajput Indian restaurant. Credit: Brian Robert Marshall