Great News! M Womersleys have helped ARCCH, in Ethiopia, secure UNESCO World Heritage Funding.  This will be used to continue to work towards the identification of accessible limestone sources in Amhara regional state and to develop a costed feasibility study for building a small-scale permanent lime kiln in Amhara Region. This will ultimately lead to the enhancement of historic building conservation and restoration work in this region and Ethiopia.

Many of the great buildings with Lake Tana’s water shed and beyond, from the 16th century, where built with burnt lime, and natural silica based pozzolana, secured from an area dominated by volcanic rock formations.

ARCCH with the support of Mark Womersley, geologists and an engineer will seek to re-discover the sources of limestone pockets, in this area that is dominated by clays and ballasts. Once identified we will assess the feasibility of building a small scale lime kiln to produce locally burnt lime (currently it is transported from 900km away),  to continue the conservation of churches, castles, outside baths and palaces, within this region.

Fasilidas's Palace, Gondar, 1640

Kuskuam, Gondar, 1730