Current Contracts

 St Mary The Virgin, Isle Abbots, Somerset

Architect: Robert Chambers
Client: PCC of St Mary’s Church
This exquisite late 15^th century tower often considered the jewel in the crown of Somerset churches is currently undergoing an extensive schedule of repair and conservation.  The tower retains 10 original sculptures, many of which have areas of original polychrome existing on protected surfaces.  The wealth of architectural detail and sculpture on this tower insists on a particularly refined approach to the methodology of repair and protection using lime based materials.   

The images below illustrate some of the aspects of the cleaning process.

 St Michael & All Angels Church, Hopton Wafers, Shropshire

Architect: 
Client:  PCC St Michael & All Angels Church

Description: This substantial Tomb of Thomas and Lucy Botfield in the churchyard of St Michael’s Church, required dismantling due to extensive movement and instability within its structure.  The programme of work requires conservation of existing sections, carving missing elements, providing new footings and rebuilding the Tomb with lime mortar.

 Farleigh Hungerford Castle

Architect: 
Client: English Heritage
Our current work programme involves masonry repairs to the East tower and the retaining walls to the East approach, along with areas of rebuilding the rubble stone walls.  In 2004 and 2005 an extensive programme of consolidation, pointing and masonry repairs to the castle walls was undertaken by Strachey & Strachey Conservation including the conservation of the Chapel floor.

 St Mary's Church, Llanfair Kilgeddin

Architect: PM Bartosch
Client: Friends of Friendless Churches
Description:  The secluded church of St Mary hides an extraordinary and rare scheme of Sgraffito murals depicting the Benedicte which were executed in 1888-1890 by the eminent Arts & Crafts Artist Heywood Sumner.  In the spring of 2001 we carried out a trial on methods of stabilising and repairing the three layer system of the murals.  The success of the techniques designed for this demanding conservation work has allowed for all priority areas to be treated this spring and summer.  This accounts for two thirds of the murals.

Panel 1 above and below

 Hailes Abbey 

Architect: 
Client: English Heritage, SW Region.
Repairs to the ancient masonry.

Old Cleeve   

Architect: Robert Chambers
Client: PPC of St Andrew's Church

The delightful detail of this unusual effigy of a civilian dated from the end of 14^th century was becoming obscured by layers of dirt, atmospheric dust and lime wash.  These accumulations on the surface were hiding historic paint layers and diminishing the overall form of the sculpture.  At some stage the effigy had been crudely plastered into the recess which covered original stone surfaces and further decorative surfaces. 

The programme of work included, detailed site drawings and recording, careful cleaning of the surfaces to reveal the historic layers and restore the definition of the sculpture, the removal of the jointing material at the rear of the effigy to reveal hidden details, the removal of the plaster at the front of the base of the effigy to determine the condition of the core and the exact dimensions of the stone surface.  After these initial investigations it was decided to remove the effigy from the recess due to the friable and unstable nature of the core material beneath the sculpture.  Once the base and core had been consolidated all the surrounding areas to the effigy were plastered using a lime mortar and finished with three to four coats of lime wash.  The final cleaning and recording of the previously hidden surfaces of the effigy were completed and the carving returned to its setting.  Building archaeologist Jerry Sampson prepared a fascinating report on the effigy and the surrounding archaeology.

Rope Access - Corfe Castle, Corfe, Dorset.

Architect: 
Client: Martin Roscoe, The National Trust.
A detailed high level survey was provided for the National Trust to assess the condition of the riunous walling at the castle