The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) is a UK charity dedicated to protecting and repairing historic buildings. In recent years its main roles have been advice, training and campaigning. However, it recently purchased former St Andrew’s Chapel near Maidstone, Kent, which was to be its first new repair project in almost 50 years. With the aim of breathing life back into the circa C15 structure, the renovation will also offer an opportunity to teach others the practical skills required to care for such a building. As the charity is based in London, it required a network camera solution to monitor the site remotely for intruders and to act as a deterrent against theft of materials.

The new system comprised four Axis Companion Bullet LE cameras, delivering HD video quality with built-in IR illumination for effective surveillance in darkness; one Axis Companion Cube camera with a built-in microphone and mini-speaker to effectively deter intruders; and an Axis Companion Recorder, providing a wireless access point for mobile devices.

The deployment of the network surveillance solution has reduced the need to have a security resource on site to protect the premises, saving both time and money.

The system has already successfully identified intruders entering the grounds of the building but causing no damage.  “The image quality of the cameras is fantastic, especially at night when it is, of course, usually more difficult to identify potential threats.” said Matthew Slocombe, Director of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.

Additionally, the cameras have been useful in detecting local wildlife to advise the Kent Wildlife Trust of what animals call the surrounding area home, including many foxes that have been spotted around the location.