Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre Case Study
- Product:
- Richmond Umbrella
Case Study
Product: Three 4m x 3m Richmond Umbrellas
Fabric Colour: 8206 Burgundy
Frame Colour: 7001 Silver Grey
Value: £26,000
Installation Date: April 2019
Council: Leicestershire County Council (Leicestershire Traded Services)
The Brief
The Facilities Management Team Leader from Leicestershire Traded Services which is part of Leicestershire County Council, contacted us as they were looking for a product that would provide all-round weather protection to the external café area at Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre.
Bosworth Battlefield has a wealth of history; the Battle of Bosworth was the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the Houses of Lancaster and York that extended across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 August 1485, the battle was won by the Lancastrians. Their leader Henry Tudor, by his victory became the first English monarch of the Tudor dynasty. His opponent, Richard III, the last king of the House of York, was killed in the battle. Historians consider Bosworth Field to mark the end of the Plantagenet dynasty, making it a defining moment of English and Welsh history.
From looking through our product range, they had a fabric structure in mind and liked the look of our commercial shade sails. However, it was explained to them that shade sails provide weather protection from the sun only which is why they are often referred to as sun shades or sun sails and the client required a solution that would protect from the rain as well as the sun.
We therefore proposed our waterproof tensile fabric structures to the council which includes our permeant, commercial umbrellas. After browsing the waterproof fabric range, the client liked the look of our Blenheim Umbrella, Drayton Umbrella and Richmond Umbrella.
All 3 products offer very similar benefits and features yet they have a slightly different appearance and are available in different sizes. One of the main benefits of these three umbrellas alongside their durability and waterproof fabric is the fact that even though they are permanent structures, they can also be collapsed when not in use to avoid vandalism and damage from very high winds.
The Solution
A meeting was scheduled with our Area Sales Manager and the Facilities Management Team Leader and the Heritage Team who will be using the Umbrellas, to finalise the products required and to determine the area they were to be installed.
From the meeting, a firm quotation was produced for three 4 metre x 3 metre Richmond Umbrellas.
The Richmond umbrella is available in three designs including square, circular or rectangular and can be from 3 metre to 8 metres in size which is large for a commercial umbrella. It has been wind tunnel tested and is TÜV approved (German Technical Inspection Association) and can withstand wind speeds up to 102km/h. The umbrella is covered with a choice of two fabrics which are water repellent and have a water pressure resistance of 350mm – 700mm depending on the fabric chosen. The fabric is available in a wide range of colours.
The Installation
In December 2019, we were notified that the funding the heritage centre applied for had been authorised and they were ready to go ahead with the order. A Pre-Site meeting was arranged so all eventualities could be covered before the installation started. This also enabled us to discover any obstructions that may be present, allowing us to find a solution to them in advance, resulting in a smooth installation that is completed on time and to the expected high standard that Able Canopies is renowned for.
At the meeting, it was requested that the Umbrellas could be removed to allow the outside space to have a stage installed for re-enactments and special events. So, we allowed for the Umbrella fittings to be removable just below ground level, so when removed there is a level surface with no obstructions.
An order was placed for all three Richmond Umbrellas and they were installed in April 2019. As this is a working museum we put in place various safe working practices to allow the site to operate whist we carried out the installation. We fenced off the area using Heras fence panels and arranged for timed deliveries for materials to be on site prior to the Museum opening, this avoided disruption to staff and visitors and allowed a safe working area for our installation team.
As requested by the client, we installed two heaters onto each umbrella to keep visitors warmer during the colder months, we worked with the Council appointed Electrician and we dug 22 metres of trenching around the umbrellas, so we could place all electrical wires for the heaters underground, hiding the wires not only looks better but it also reduces the risk of visitors tampering with them and reduces the risk of accidents caused by loose wires. These are all controlled from inside the café by the staff and enables visitors to carry on enjoying the fresh air and the heritage views whilst indulging in refreshments from the café.
Two of the umbrellas also feature a ‘gutter’ which is used to connect multiple umbrellas together, covering a much larger area than what is achievable with a single umbrella. The gutter can be removed simply by hand to enable the staff to collapse the umbrellas as and when required.
The installation went ahead smoothly without any problems and the staff from both Leicestershire Traded Services and Bosworth Battlefield are delighted with their new umbrellas.
