These repairs funded by English Heritage addressed the problems caused by life expired roof coverings and chronic dampness within the masonry walls.
The external render had a long history of being difficult to maintain. In the 1980’s it was covered by a fibreglass fabric and painted over, however other defects such as structural cracking admitted water behind the fabric. This could no longer evaporate through the external fabric, leading to exacerbated water and salt damage to the stone tracery in the window openings.
The entire external skin was removed, enabling the brickwork to dry out. A new coating of lime render was applied, with a mix and consistency to give maximum compatibility for stabilising the friable brickwork and enabling the wall to ‘breathe’. The colour is the natural tone of the render, following trial mixes, without the need for painting. New πstone hood moulds replaced less robust and defective render ones, ensuring the long-term durability of the work.
The roof was stripped down to the timber structure, enabling repairs to take place, and re-roofing in new slate and lead, with the addition of safety equipment to enable easier maintenance of the gutters.
