A little bit about me…
I am dedicated to the repair and preservation of traditional and historic buildings across Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Wiltshire, Bristol, the Cotswolds and the surrounding areas. Over the years, I have seen many changes in the approaches used to restore old buildings and, over the last couple of decades, I have come to believe that the simplest practices are often the best.
I use materials that are soft, free from additives and compatible with the stone, timber or brick I am working with. Understanding materials on both an experiential and chemical level gives the best chance of success. In conservation work, you often have to choose the best option in a situation that is far from perfect, given the age and natural degradation of the building in front of you. Being skilled in the preservation of historic architecture requires awareness, years of careful observation and an understanding of what was done in the past, and why.
The more you understand, the more you can adapt. No other sector of the building trade requires greater adaptability than the conservation of historic buildings. With this approach in mind, we survey every building on an individual basis, tailoring both our methods and the plasters or mortars to the specific needs of that building. We adopt a “work with what you find” ethos, ensuring that we avoid a rigid or dogmatic approach in what is often a nuanced field.
My education in lime plastering began many years ago, working alongside some of the most talented conservation experts in Gloucestershire. Some of my mentors trained during the Lime Revival, which began in the 1970s. At that time, there were very few lime suppliers and only a small number of conservation specialists using lime in the UK. I was very fortunate to receive such strong mentoring in the early stages of my career. This kind of informal apprenticeship is almost non-existent in conservation today.
A little bit about me…
I am dedicated to the repair and preservation of traditional and historic buildings across Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Wiltshire, Bristol, the Cotswolds and surrounding areas. I have seen many changes to the approaches used to restore old buildings and, over the last couple of decades, have come to believe that the simplest practices are often the best. I use materials that are soft, free from additives and congruent with the stone, timber or brick that I am working with. Understanding the materials on both an experiential and chemical level give the best chances of success. Often, in conservation, you have to pick the best option in a situation which isn’t perfect, given the age and degradation of the building in front of you. Being an expert in the preservation of historic architecture requires awareness and years of careful analysis, along with an understanding of what was done years ago, and why.
The more you understand, the more you can adapt and no other sector of the building trade requires more adaption than the conservation of our historic buildings. With this approach in mind, we survey every building on an individual basis, tailoring both the approach and the plasters/mortars to the requirements of that building. We adopt a “work with what you find” ethos to ensure that we don’t have a dogmatic approach to working in a nuanced field.
My education in lime plastering started many years ago, working alongside some of the most talented conservation experts in Gloucestershire. Some of my mentors training goes as far back as the Lime Revival, which started in the 1970’s. At this time, there were hardly any lime suppliers, just a handful of conservation experts using lime in the UK. I was very lucky to have such good mentoring in the early stages of my career. This kind of informal apprenticeship is almost non-existent these days in conservation. I have also continued to work alongside master plasterers in all aspects of conservation.