Old House Project Course: Stonemasonry Repairs with John Lister & Jim Whitbread

Old House Project Course: Stonemasonry Repairs with John Lister & Jim Whitbread

Very useful. Everyone very friendly. Could have spent a week just wandering round the house talking to the crafts people. Thank-you. 2022 OHP Course Delegate

Date: 
22/02/2023 - 22/02/2023
Course Type: 
REF: 

OHP1 23

Audience: 
Introductory CPD, Intermediate CPD, Advanced CPD, General interest, ,
Location: 
SPAB Old House Project
Boarley Lane,
ME14 3BU, MAIDSTONE
Kent
United Kingdom
Price: 

£95 per person 

Event details

About the Course 

On this one-day workshop you will be given a practical, hands-on introduction to the processes involved in traditional stone repairs from two expert masons.  Through a combination of live demonstrations and hands-on teaching, you will be guided through the various stages, from preparing traditional mortars and repointing to stone preparation and carving.  The course is being held at the SPAB’s Old House Project where work is currently ongoing, giving you a rare opportunity to learn about the theory and practice of stonemasonry repair, whilst witnessing the work being carried out in real time by our contractors, Owlsworth IJP, who will also be on-hand to answer any questions you have.

Topics Covered

  • Hot Lime Mortars
  • Raking out/pointing
  • Stone working
  • Kentish Ragstone Rubble Fixing

Cost: £95 per person 

Discounted rate for students available on request.  Please contact catherine.rose@spab.org.uk for more details.

 

Clothing & Equipment

The course is being held at a live working site so you will need to wear practical clothing and sturdy shoes, ideally steel toe-capped.  You will be both indoors and outdoors throughout the day so please be advised to wear warm layers and bring waterproof outerwear.  Any additional PPE required (hard hats, high-vis jackets etc.) will be provided for you on-site.

 

Programme

09:30     Meet at The Old House Project site entrance (you will be escorted to the site by Catherine Rose, Training Officer)

              Tea & Coffee will be available 

09.45     Welcome and Introductions

               Health and Safety Briefing

10:00     Introduction to the Old House Project 

10:30     Hot Lime Mortars - session combining live demonstrations and hands-on practice covering:

  • Choosing appropriate aggregates
  • Mixing and preparing mortars using quicklime burnt on-site in the OHP kiln

11.15     Morning Refreshments

11.30     Raking out/pointing

  • Appropriate methods of removing existing pointing mortar
  • Preparation of joints & application of new mortars, tending & finishing
  • Delegates will have the opportunity to work on selected areas of the building (where applicable)

13.00     Lunch This is a working site with very limited catering provision, so we advise delegates to bring along a packed lunch.

14:00     Stone working Delegates will be able to have a go at working a flat surface on a stone block (Bath or Cotswold limestone, which is softer and easier to work than the Kentish Rag used onsite) using traditional methods and/or letter carving

  • Stone indents, including fixing methods
  • Cutting & preparing existing stone
  • Matching repairs to existing profiles

15.30     Afternoon Refreshments

15:45     Kentish Ragstone Rubble Fixing Delegates will be able to practice these techniques on selected areas of the building (where applicable)

  • Consolidating rubble masonry
  • Preparing new stone
  • Bonding-in new to old

16:45      Final Q&A and clearing up

17.00 Close 

 

About the tutors

John Lister – Master Stonemason

Following an apprenticeship with H Mankin of Leeds, John spent the next 30 years as an all-round stonemason, specialising in banking, fixing and letter cutting.  He was recommended to Owlsworth IJP 12 years ago and went on to become their Head Mason.  John has considerable experience with parish churches and has headed projects for Owlsworth IJP at Hampton Court Palace, Windsor Castle and several privately-owned country houses.  He is an excellent teacher, who has presented at skills events for a number of building conservation organisations including IHBC and the SPAB.

Jim Whitbread – Stonemason

Having left a corporate career to retrain as a stonemason, Jim won the Building Crafts College Sir Banister Fletcher Student of the Year award in 2019.  He has since worked for Owlsworth IJP on several high-profile conservation projects, where he has continued to develop his craft under the mentorship of John Lister.  

 

About the Old House Project

The SPAB’s Old House Project site is a Grade II* ‘building at risk’ near Maidstone, Kent. St Andrews (former) chapel is a ‘sleeping beauty’ that has stood empty for around 50 years. When the SPAB bought the building in November 2018, it was hidden behind an overgrown garden; vandal damage had left the site vulnerable; and parts of the roof were leaking. In 2018 and early 2019 emergency work to the roof and windows was carried out and a security system installed. In 2020 our bespoke scaffolding was in place, allowing socially-distanced access to the roof. We carried out vital roof repairs to the characterful 20th century post office extension, embarked on extensive archaeological work to help us understand the story of St Andrews, and much more. But there are significant repairs still to be done. 

St Andrews has a colourful and fascinating history: it has housed a relic of St Andrew, was owned by Tudor poet Thomas Wyatt, and acted as a local post office in the 20th century. Over the course of the project the SPAB will work with Historic England, Kent Archaeological Society and the local council to uncover more of the building’s story and to bring St Andrew’s back to life. 

We are increasingly concerned about the decline of craft skills in the UK. A fifth of our housing stock is pre-1919 but much of the maintenance and repair work on these buildings is undertaken by people without specialist skills. In purchasing St Andrews we have embarked on a five-year project to repair this characterful medieval building whilst showcasing the very best conservation methods and materials.

We will share our learnings and progress through our education programme, video demonstrations and the project book (see project resources below). When it comes to historic buildings we advocate repair over demolition. The Old House Project will show what can be done to bring an 'at risk' building back into use.

 

Booking Terms & Conditions

Accessibility: please contact the SPAB before booking to discuss any special access requirements.

Getting here