Wells Cathedral Stonemasons

WELLS CATHEDRAL STONEMASONS TAKE TRADITIONAL SKILLS TO WINCHESTER COLLEGE

Somerset-based stonemasons are restoring and conserving the 14th Century chapel and hall at Winchester College

Wells Cathedral Stonemasons, the Somerset-based specialists in preserving ancient stone-skills, has started work at Winchester College on a three phase contract to clean, repair, and restore the medieval Chapel and Hall.

The cleaning will remove the carbonation on the stone, the result of several hundred years of coal fires. The stonemasons will then be re-pointing the stonework, using traditional conservation techniques and replacing the original lime mortar. The new mortar is made to the traditional method and should last the buildings for many centuries.

The work is scheduled to take 14 months and will give the Somerset stonemasons an opportunity to work with Beer Stone, a white limestone from Devon, for which the firm is the UK‘s sole supplier.

“Beer stone is now a rare stone because the quarry is no longer in operation. But we bought and stored the last remaining supply” says Simon Armstrong, one of the company‘s Mason Directors.

“This stone is quite unusual: it is white with a surface mottling, and was used in the original building. Other stones came from Chilmark, near Salisbury, and Doulting, near Shepton Mallet, and we shall be restoring the stonework with the same materials.”

Wells Cathedral Stonemasons has become one of the country‘s leading specialists in new-build and restoration stonework – and is committed to preserving ancient skills by providing full apprenticeship training.

Winchester College was founded in the fourteenth century by William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester and Chancellor to Richard II. He was one of the greatest architectural and artistic patrons of his day and his medieval buildings at the College are still in daily use, mostly for their original purposes.

END 22nd January 2007

For further information please contact Violet Ridge, Sturgess Van Damme, on 01275 349011 or email violet@sturgessvandamme.co.uk