Restoration & Repairs
An element of my which is particularly close to my heart involves the restoration and repair of historic structures.
It is always fascinating to research the original method of construction, then match the materials to pay homage to the structure and to the craftsmen and women of that time.
A Gertrude Jekyll Grade II Listed Garden
I had the honour to work on a garden that was designed by Gertrude Jekyll in 1908.
I was asked to rebuild a collapsed wall.
Without a doubt this was one of most prestigious restoration projects I have done in my career.
This old estate wall had failed due to the proximity of an old oak tree that could not be removed.
We decided to create an opening with 2 large pillars to ensure the longevity of the wall.
Buttresses were designed and built to stabilise other areas of the wall.
Brick and stone pillars to support the historic wall
Large buttresses built of brick and stone to support wall
Reclaimed materials to ensure the newly built features blended in with the historical wall
Brick and stone pillars to support the historic wall
Rebuilt dry stone wall which had collapsed
Dismantled the section of wall which has collapsed
The repaired section needed to blend in with the existing wall
Rebuilt dry stone wall which had collapsed
The wall had collapsed due to the overgrown planting behind the wall.
Every piece of stone was reused although a little dressing of the stone was required to rebuild it.
A beautiful curved ironstone wall.
The wall had collapsed due to the overgrown rhododendrons behind it.
Every piece of stone was salvaged, the old mortar was crushed and mixed with fresh lime plus a little more sand to make the bedding mortar. The lime concrete from the old foundations was remade into a lime-rich concrete for new foundations.
The wall will be good for many decades to come.
Rebuilt an ironstone wall using lime mortar
Wall failed due to roots pushing through
Added small herringbone feature
Rebuilt an ironstone wall using lime mortar
After the aging process had been applied to the lime mortar
Prior to the aging process being applied
After the aging process had been applied to the lime mortar
This 110 year old ironstone wall had been hit by a car and badly damaged. We repaired the wall using the original stone and lime mortar, then applied an organic treatment to age the repaired area.
Wall that required repointing
Removed old cement mortar which had failed and used lime mortar to repoint
Pointing completed