Plas Smart

Plas Smart is the nickname of a small building at Boston Lodge, formerly the Loco Superintendent's Office, but originally the western end of the 1842-built Waggon Repair Shed in the Top Yard. It was named after Ian Smart, who played a major part in the FR revival from the 1950s onwards.

Plas Smart
Location	Boston Lodge on the north west side of the Top Yard.
Register No	90
T. Corner ID	BL003
Operational	Yes/No
Heritage Status	Grade 2 listed. Cadw listing text as follows:- Exterior of local slatey rubble with slate roof. The whitewashed rendered front has offset gabled timber porch with pendant and finial and part-trellissed sides; flanking 2-light window. Left end, beside track, has unhorned 16-pane sash window. Reason for Listing. Listed as part of this especially complete example of a C19 railway engineering works which has important historical associations with the Ffestiniog Railway. Group value with other listed items at Boston Lodge.
Historical significance	Highly significant because it is a building which survives from the earliest period of the railway. It was built approximately 1863 together with a range of 'lean to' buildings against a stone wall which has been partially demolished to make way for the present access into the Boston Lodge site. Materials and workmanship from this early phase are evident. Stone (slate); roof timbers (imported softwood rafters and ceiling joists); joinery (windows, doors and window shutters) are all original although the shutters may have been salvaged from another building and reused in this building. Lime squirling in existing mortar indicates that the mortar is of some age, probably original, and this should be conserved in any phase of external works.
Cadw Blg ID	14419
Description	Solid stone walls under a mono pitched ('lean to') roof. The rear and front walls are rendered. Internally there is a horizontal ceiling and a floor which is partly suspended timber and partly concrete.
Present use	Unused
Previous use	Loco Superintendent’s office 18?? – 19??
Condition	The building has recently had external repairs carried out.
Recent works	The following works were undertaken in 2014 Roof: Slates stripped and relaid on new battens and underlay. Roof structure stabilized by repairing rotten truss. Rotten rafter ends strengthened with new timber bolted to sides of rafters. Porch: Rebuilt on a like for like basis Walls: North east corner stabilized by anchoring together rear (north) and side (east) walls using embedded stainless steel rods with epoxy 'socks' (Cintec anchors), Reinstatements: Chimney stack reinstated using old photographs to inform the design. Gutters: eaves guttering repaired
Urgent and Immediate Repairs required	External repairs now completed.
Less urgent repairs	Internal works will be required as follows:- repair and reinstatement of floor new ceiling (lime plaster on suitable backing preferably timber laths, alternatively stainless steel 'riblath', for authentic appearance. lime plaster to walls repair sash windows and shutters
Improvements needed	The following improvements are suggested:- Change modern window for one more appropriate to the period. Install electrical installation (discreetly, as original office is unlikely to have been provided with electricity although this would have been provided later). Install underfloor (electric) heating - this is necessary to help to prevent decay in the building if it is not used on a regular basis. During opening times, if the building is used as a visitor attraction, and if there are attended viewings, the open fire could be used. Insulation to ceilings and beneath underfloor heating.
Potential alternative uses	The future use of this building is likely to be included within a larger scheme of conservation works to reinstate the north end of the Top Yard and Plas Smart will provide a facility to introduce visitors to the site as well as showing an authentic Victorian period workshop office.

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  Top Yard in 1958
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  Top Yard in 1959
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  Top Yard earler date than 1958
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  Plas Smart May 2014
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  Front elevation of Plas Smart July 2013
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  Porch to front elevation
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  NE corner of Plas Smart.
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  West Elevation of Plas Smart.
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  Existing lime mortar pointing - note how this has been "buttered" over the face of the stones almost creating a broken render.
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  Patterns in lime mortar known as "lime squirls" due to the spirally patterns. Various explanations have been put forward for this phenomenon. The pointing that has these patterns should be conserved in any scheme of repointing.
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  Lime squirl in old lime mortar
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  Cement render to rear elevation is cracked and hollow. It should be removed and replaced with lime render
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  Rotten beam supporting roof with temporary props pending repairs.
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  Internal view of roof before repairs.
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  Internal view of ceiling joists before repairs.
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  View of rotten timber floor inside building before repairs.
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  View of rotten exposed verge rafter before repairs.
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  View of end of a Cintec tie inserted to stabilise unbonded corner.
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  External Repairs 2014. Commencement of rebuilding of missing stack.
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  External Repairs 2014. The reinstated stack almost completed.
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  External Repairs 2014. Commencement of relaying slates on new battens and underlay.
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  External Repairs 2014. Original dormer roof over door and porch.
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  External Repairs 2014. New dormer roof for door and porch under construction.
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  External Repairs 2014. Rebuilding corner left in raged state after demolishing buildings many years ago.
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  External Repairs 2014. Rebuilding corner using previously inserted Cintec ties for bonding.
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  South elevation after repairs in 2014
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  North west view after repairs in 2014
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  North elevation after repairs in 2014
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  North east view after repairs in 2014
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  East_elevation_after_repairs_in_2014