Our autumn programme will include:

17 September 2026
James Hockey, Trace
Structural waterproofing in historic and listed buildings

14 October 2026
Darren Berryman, Energlaze
Vacuum glazing for historic and conservation buildings

4 November 2026
Dominic Putnam, Lime Green
Breathable retrofit solutions for historic buildings

Each event will take place from 8:00am at Manchester Tennis & Racquets Club, with breakfast, a specialist presentation and an opportunity to network with others working across the heritage and conservation sector.

Tickets will be available soon.

To be added to our mailing list and receive event updates, please send your contact details to lindsay@quadrigaltd.com.

Clayton Hall—a moat-surrounded, Grade II* listed medieval manor—has stood in this location since the 12th century, evolving over time into the timber-framed and brick-built structure we see today. It remains one of Manchester’s most significant historic landmarks.

Quadriga Contracts Ltd has been appointed to deliver a specialist package of heritage repair, conservation and structural works as part of Manchester City Council’s regeneration programme.

What our team is delivering

Using traditional methods and materials, our teams are undertaking key conservation tasks including:

• Early enabling works including trial paint removal, mortar analysis and preliminary investigations
• Careful dismantling and reconstruction of historic boundary walling, with full salvage, cleaning and reuse of original masonry
• High-level roof and eaves inspections,  and heritage roofing specialist surveys
• Vegetation removal from gutters, chimneys and gulleys to prevent ongoing damage to historic fabric
• Render and paint removal, followed by mortar and stone analysis to ensure authentic repointing and repair mixes
• Extensive timber frame repairs, including splice repairs, soleplate replacement, metal brackets, oak inserts and structural strengthening details
• Internal plaster conservation, floorboard investigations and reinstatement, and adjustments to internal doors impacted by movement

Challenges of working on a medieval structure

Conserving a building with nearly 900 years of history brings unique complexities, many of which our teams have been navigating on site, including:

• Working around fragile, irreplaceable historic fabric, requiring every intervention—whether dismantling masonry or lifting floorboards—to be done by hand and with conservation oversight.
• Unknown conditions revealed during opening-up, such as concealed timber deterioration or structural movement, requiring provisional allowances, heritage engineer input and responsive sequencing.
• Restricted access and scaffold controls, including high-level inspections, boarded scaffold bases for protection, and strict rules around working at height and temporary works design.
• Material authenticity, ensuring all repairs (lime mortars, oak sections, structural ties, fixings, etc.) comply with heritage specifications and are fully recorded for conservation archives.

These challenges highlight the skill, care and patience required in specialist conservation—qualities our heritage teams demonstrate every day.

Preserving Clayton Hall for future generations

We’re proud to be playing a key role in safeguarding such an important part of Manchester’s story. With work progressing well, we look forward to sharing more updates and imagery as the project continues.

We’re excited to see this historic building brought back to its best, ensuring it can be enjoyed by future generations, look out for project updates!

Learn more about The Cage’s history: https://lnkd.in/eVwfR-Nz

This achievement demonstrates our commitment to the well-being of our employees, our community, and our values.  The Real Living Wage is calculated independently and designed to ensure that employees can afford a decent standard of living.  It’s a wage that goes beyond the legal minimum and represents a commitment to treating our employees with respect and fairness. As a Real Living Wage employer, we understand that our people are at the heart of our company and we w ant to ensure that everyone who contributes to our company’s success can focus on their work without the stress and distraction of financial insecurity. This commitment is a powerful way to support their well-being, personal growth, and overall job satisfaction.

Our commitment to the Real Living Wage extends beyond our company’s walls. It makes a positive impact on our communities by helping to create more stable households and reducing reliance on social support programs. When our employees earn a fair wage, it contributes to the well-being of the areas where they live, shop, and socialise.  Our journey to becoming a Real Living Wage employer also reinforces our commitment to ethical business practices, social responsibility, and fairness. It aligns with our core values and strengthens our company’s identity as an organisation that cares about people, communities, and our impact on society.

Being recognised as a Real Living Wage employer is not just a milestone; it’s a testament to our dedication to ethical business practices, our employees, and the communities we serve. We celebrate this achievement and commit to continue working towards a more just and equitable society both within Quadriga and in our supply chain.  As we move forward, we look forward to making a positive impact not only in the lives of our employees but also in the world around us.

The local economy will be boosted through our support for the local supply chain, creation of jobs and apprenticeships and offering work experience placements for those considering a career in this rewarding and important sector.

We are committed to restoring local heritage for local communities, ensuring they benefit from projects now and in the future. Part of this will see us working directly with communities on projects with tangible benefits, such as the maintenance of green spaces which have a significant impact on health and wellbeing.

Social, environmental and economic value will be delivered to local communities in every one of our contracts. Quadriga Contracts Ltd is currently working on Baskerville House, the Burlington Hotel and Moseley Road Baths, all of which will produce substantial benefits for the local community and economy.

Native to China, Buddleia Davidii (the most common species we see on buildings) was first introduced at Kew Gardens in 1896 and quickly became naturalised. The first record of a wild plant was in 1922. It is a fast-growing shrub and its small winged seeds can be easily carried over great distances by water, wind and even on the currents from cars and trains. The seeds are then deposited into crumbling masonry, terracotta voids and eroded mortar where the root system takes hold, weakening masonry.

Historic buildings generally are vulnerable to biological growth, largely due to lack of maintenance, inappropriate repairs and environmental conditions which create the perfect environment for plants such as buddleia to thrive. Plant growth can seriously affect the structural integrity of the building and can cause significant and costly damage. In worst cases, the structures can become unstable and are at risk of collapse.
Although we can’t completely stop the spread of buddleia, we can take steps to mitigate its impact and ensure a positive future for our heritage structures. We need to take care of our buildings, making sure that any issues are dealt with quickly and repairs are carried out using appropriate materials by specially trained operatives. The best defense against biological growth is routine inspection and maintenance so it can be dealt with at the earliest opportunity. If growth is left, the root systems will further damage the structure and more plants will spring up in the vicinity. It’s important to note that plants aren’t always causing damage so as assessment of actual and potential damage should be carried out before a decision is made whether to remove the plant or not.

As you’ll have probably noticed, there is an abundance of buddleia in our cities, Manchester and Birmingham are two notable examples of this. Whether you view buddleia as a metaphor for the adaptability and hardiness of the UK population or as a symbol for dereliction and neglect, it is important that we take steps to reduce its impact on our heritage assets, particularly those which are already in a vulnerable state.

To find out more about how we can help with our survey and restoration services, click here.

Thanks to a grant of £4.3m from the Hamish Ogston Foundation, this in-work heritage skills and apprenticeships scheme is possible.  The grant is the largest single investment ever awarded to heritage construction training in England.  It aims to increase expertise in essential crafts and Quadriga have committed to employ and help train an apprentice in heritage carpentry.   The apprentices will acquire important skills and knowledge and will be offered a clear pathway into heritage construction.

The hope is that a future workforce will be attracted to the heritage sector through this five year scheme and will represent the diversity of the country.  By working alongside Historic England we are confident we can tackle the skills shortage, provide fulfilling career opportunities and ensure a bright future for our heritage assets.

Barton Arcade was designed by Corbett, Raby and Sawyer and named after developer John Hope Barton who was a local property owner.  Behind its unassuming frontages (on Deansgate and St Anne’s Square), you will find a beautiful example of a Victorian iron and glass arcade with four stories, ornate curved balconies and abundant natural light from the large glass domes above.   It is surrounded by the Barton Buildings and was one of the first structures built on the newly widened Deansgate.  Its design was inspired by the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II in Milan, which although not completed at the time of Barton Arcade’s construction, had already been featured in The Builder.

Arcades became popular around this time as Manchester tried to shift away from its industrial image of factories and warehouses to a more cosmopolitan one.  Barton Arcade was popular with the middle-class crowd, particularly women as it offered a safe and covered environment in which to shop and socialise.  There is, in fact a record of a pick pocket being caught operating in the arcade who had dressed in smart clothing to blend in with the clientele and avoid being spotted.

Although other arcades were built in Manchester (Exchange Arcade, Victoria Arcade and Deansgate Arcade), they were all lost and Barton Arcade is the only surviving example.

Unfortunately, the arcade sustained some damage in the Manchester Blitz of December 1940 and one of the glass domes was shattered.  The building was extensively restored in the 1980s, so the floor and shop fronts are not original.  However, the balconies and domes which feature ironwork from MacFarlane’s Saracen Foundry in Glasgow are original and as striking as they were when new.

Barton Arcade is now home to offices on the upper floors and various retailers and cafes on ground floor and is well worth a visit.  Despite being situated in the centre of the city, it remains somewhat of a hidden gem.

Package: Competitive salary dependant upon experience, company vehicle, laptop, 25 days paid holiday +bank holidays.

Due to natural growth and planned expansion, an excellent opportunity has arisen for a Contracts Manager to join the Quadriga team in their Manchester office.

Quadriga Contracts Ltd is a private, specialist restoration contractor with its head office in Northwich Cheshire and further offices in Manchester and Birmingham.

The company has been responsible for restoring some of our nation’s oldest and most famous landmarks including The Royal Liver Building, Manchester Royal Exchange, Manchester Victoria Station and The British Museum in London to name a few.

Main Activities/Responsibilities

Carry out surveys and pricing of new enquiries and positively encourage repeat business through effective communication with clients.

Chasing existing tenders to establish whether successful and analyse results.

Ensuring all projects are delivered against budget and timescale.

Leading and managing site teams on the projects under your control.

Reporting to Directors on progress, programme and cost control on allocated projects.

Procurement of sub-contract packages.

Ensuring close coordination and communication with clients, subcontractors and suppliers.

Ensuring all site related Risk Assessments and Method Statements are in place and issued.

Manage own workload and areas of responsibility.

Ensure continuity of work for entire labour workforce and instigate additional labour requirements where necessary.

Organising and sourcing of sub-contractors.

Review of contract requirements including preparation of Health & Safety Plans, COSHH, Data Sheets etc.

Mobilisation of Foreman/Supervisor to ensure that they are aware of specific requirements for each job.

Ensure contracts are set up in accordance with Health and Safety ISO45001, ISO14001 and ISO9001 requirements.

Prepare and submit labour costs weekly to head office for payment.

Inform health and safety consultants of any potential problems and hazards.

Prepare valuation and invoices.

Check and sign purchase invoices.

Attend weekly planning meeting to discuss current workload, cost to date and planning of future jobs.

Prepare monthly report.

Knowledge/Experience/Attributes:

HNC/HND/Degree in a construction related field or at least 5 years’ experience working for a similar contractor.

Good existing network of labour and clients.

CSCS card.

Proven track record of leading and delivering successful projects with values of £200k and above.

Strong client interface.

Highly presentable with the ability to gain trust and respect.

High degree of initiative.

Excellent leadership and management skills.

Technical experience and knowledge.

Commercial and financial awareness.

Excellent interpersonal and communications skills.

Problem solving skills.

Ability to remain calm under pressure.

As part of our commitment to apprenticeships and reducing the skills gap, we are now looking to recruit an apprentice stonemason to join our team from head office, Northwich.

This apprenticeship offers the opportunity to gain a wide range of experience onsite and involvement in the day to day running of project whilst studying towards a level 3 qualification in order to become a qualified stonemason.

candidates with  some experience working within a construction environment would be an advantage.

Strictly No Agencies.

If this role sounds like a good fit please email Lindsay Law on lindsay@quadrigaltd.com

Package:              £30,000 to £44,000 per annum dependent upon experience, company vehicle, office parking, laptop, 25 days paid holiday +bank holidays.

Due to natural growth and planned expansion, an excellent opportunity has arisen for an Estimator/Projects Manager to join the Quadriga team in the midlands area, reporting to the Contracts Manager who heads up our Birmingham regional office.

Quadriga Contracts Ltd is a private, specialist restoration contractor with its head office in Northwich Cheshire.  Established over 20 years ago, today the company has a team of surveyors and skilled craftsmen located throughout the north of England and the Midlands.

The company has been responsible for restoring some of our nation’s oldest and most famous landmarks to include The Royal Liver Building, Manchester Royal Exchange, The Tower Building and The British Museum in London to name a few.

Main Activities/Responsibilities

Carry out surveys and pricing of new enquiries and positively encourage repeat business through effective communication with clients.

Generate new enquires.

Estimating using specifically designed software to provide tenders in Quadriga format.

Chasing of existing tenders to establish whether successful and provide feedback to CM to analyse results.

Ensuring all allocated projects are delivered against budget and programme.

Leading and managing Project teams on the projects under your control.

Reporting to Contracts Manager on progress/programme/and cost control on allocated projects.

Procurement of sub-contract packages.

Ensuring close coordination and communication with clients, subcontractors and suppliers.

To ensure all allocated projects Risk Assessments and Method Statements are in place and issued.

Manage own areas of responsibility.

Organising and sourcing of sub-contractors.

Mobilisation of Site Supervisor to ensure that they are aware of specific requirements for each job allocated.

Prepare and submit labour costs weekly to Head Office for payment.

Inform Health and Safety consultants of any potential problems and hazards.

Prepare valuation and invoices for allocated projects.

Check and sign purchase invoices.

Attend weekly planning meeting with Contracts Manager to discuss current workload, cost to date and planning of future jobs.

Knowledge/Experience/Attributes:

Relevant HNC/HND/Degree/NVQ4 preferred, but not essential.

At least 5 years’ experience in working for a similar contractor.

Good existing network within the midlands of clients and labour resources.

CSCS card essential.

Driving licence essential.

SMSTS or equivalent.

Proven track record of leading and delivering successful projects with values of £100k and above.

Strong client interface.

Highly presentable with the ability to gain the trust of clients and contractors.

Able to model behaviour that shows, respect, helpfulness and co-operation.

High degree of initiative.

Ability to work well independently and as part of a team.

Excellent leadership and management skills.

Technical experience and site knowledge.

Commercial and financial awareness.

Excellent interpersonal and communications skills.

Problem-solving skills.

Ability to remain calm under pressure.

The successful candidate will be required to work from our Birmingham City centre office with the remaining time visiting potential and live projects.

Strictly No Agencies.

If this role sounds like a good fit please email Lindsay Law on lindsay@quadrigaltd.com