Period Home Restoration
Saffron Walden, Essex
The property before works commenced A Grade II listed mid-Victorian townhouse that had suffered decades of inappropriate repairs — cement pointing applied over lime mortar joints, uPVC windows in original openings, and a compromised roof structure. The clients had secured listed building consent for a full sympathetic restoration and appointed Claremont on the strength of our experience with heritage properties. The works had to satisfy the local conservation officer at every stage.
Hand-applied lime mortar pointing All inappropriate cement pointing was carefully raked out by hand — a painstaking process that took three weeks across the main elevations — and replaced with a hot-mixed lime mortar matched to the original in composition and colour. Original brick that had been damaged or replaced with non-matching stock was sourced from a salvage supplier and laid in by our bricklayers using traditional techniques. The conservation officer inspected the sample panels and approved them without amendment.
Restored elevation — new sash windows fitted The uPVC windows were removed and purpose-made timber sash windows — matched to surviving original drawings — were manufactured by our joinery partner and installed with traditional weights-and-cords mechanisms. All external joinery was treated with linseed oil paint in the period colour scheme agreed with the conservation team. Internal timber repairs throughout the property were carried out in matching reclaimed timber where grain and profile were required to match.
Fully restored — handed over with conservation approval Internally, all walls were re-plastered in a two-coat lime plaster system with a finish coat, allowing the building to breathe naturally as originally intended. Original cornices were repaired using lime putty casts taken from the surviving sections. Floor boards were lifted, labelled, and re-laid after underfloor services were re-routed. The project was handed over having passed every conservation officer inspection without a single remediation notice.
The finished project.
Claremont understood the listed building requirements without us having to explain them. They liaised directly with the conservation officer, sourced appropriate lime mortars and materials, and delivered every single element of the project to a standard we're genuinely proud of. You can tell this team cares about buildings.
Your project could be next.
Let's talk about what you'd like to build — and how we can make it exceptional.