This Property is Gudgeon farm house. First built in the 16th
century and extend both in 1857 and 1875. It was then turned
into a public house called the Prince Of Wales and further into
a restaurant called The Gudgeon. It is now privately owned and
a residential property.
The property now owned by
the Dolmans who have been restoring this property inside for
over the last 4 years, A room a year.!
The Dolman are great enthusiast family, like a
all girl singing and dancing version of the Walton family.
"Oh well there goes a good chance of a good
ref fence.
One the great pleasure with a working around family
like dolmans is the kind of working environment you find yourself
in, like when find yourself listening music coming from a open
window whilst your busy working in your own world , the sound
of a piano accompanied by lady's of the house singing.
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 That
good on my part as the building being done in to stages. The
first stage started in October to November work carried out
on was on the right hand side of property.
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This image shows the original brickwork damaged by sand tex paint
and patches of repairs of which has been partly striped back by
the client, in trying to achieve the original look of the red
brick. Unfortunately the product sand tex when being removed was
taking the faces off of the soft handmade bricks, this damage
is irreversible. |
Second stage the left han side of front elevation
to start to in July 2009 |
This shows the lower brick plinth of which had a lot of blow
faces and chips edges and the fact was covered in black jack paint
which is another bonus in the face of disaster. Would make impossible
to restore. I have seen many other attempts of restoring this
kind of work, where the brick are sanded down, the obvious facts
is this take the natural textured face of the brick when made
by folders in the clay and when are hand thrown. So when it comes
to re pointing because of arise of the brick have crumbled or
been damaged the new pointing look really messy hard to get crisp
finish. |
The image above shows a brick that has been cut out from this
plinth, so the other side can be revealed showing what the inside
brick face can reveal.
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Image above shows corners have been cement over where brickwork
is missing.
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When start with this kind of work you don't know what kind
of success rate will achieved when retrieving the old bricks,
as every project is different.. but in end all turn good in
the. It just takes a lot more thought when cutting bricks and
sorting them out, when dismalting the exsting brickwork none
are thrown away, until sort through thoroughly.
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Yeap! you guessed it? all cut out by hand.
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Like pride myself on the fact of unnecessary wastage of original
bricks using as much the original material.
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Image to the left shows a new brick panel rebuilt in original
bricks, that have been taken out and cleaned and set aside for
reuse. A lot of clients ask where do you start? Well from the
bottom and work my up through the building in staged panels .Keeping
with the remaining inside skin of brickwork and to gauage. |
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This is were the real skill of the eye comes in for me! i This
is when you have a section like this when half the bricks are
missing due doorway .patch up "bodge up has taken place.
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This image to the left is showing a section of which is corbled,
with the top part finished in dental course, this brickwork
is supporting the top wooden frame work which is hung with peg
tiles. Below the corble there used to be a doorway, that had
been bricked in with any old stock brick. So when coming to
replace this panel there would be a short fall of original bricks
to make this panel blend to match the rest of the building.
But this was overcome!
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Image to the left shows the dental course taken out revealing
the floor joist. This was replaced in sections.
"No not sleep on the job on the phone!
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This image is showing the old bricks mixed with the new handmade
bricks clayed in flemish bond. Showing approximate 50 bricks that
have been turned around, five bricks are new ones, making this panel
only 10% replacement. |
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These projects are taken on through shear passion for my work
in restoring brickwork and bringing them back as much as possible
to their original glory.
I have allot of pride and passion when working on period properties
of this status. Of which the drive is drawn from the passion and
concern that clients have for their homes and what I think they
truly would like to be achieved.
All work is carried out to the original spec of when the property
was built. |
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Well looks like I've been spending all the time down the local
tanning shop or had one to many cans of tango whilst on the cutting
on brick saw. |
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