Lullenden Manor

Client:	Barwin Property Services Ltd.
Chartered surveyors:	Grove and Company
Quantity surveyors:	Grove and Company
Project managers:	Grove and Company
Material:	W.T. Lamb & Sons Wealden Sussex Sandstone

Lambs received an enquiry in May 2004 from Barwin Property Services who had heard that Lambs had reopened Philpots Quarry at West Hoathly. We were asked to visit the site to match the stone for the proposed extension.

Site inspection confirmed that the stone was Wealden Sandstone with the typical colouring of Philpots Quarry stone. The original details, consistent with the vernacular architecture, are coursed ashlar and quoin blocks with hand split texture and dressed quoin blocks to the sills and plinth course. The new extension has taken the detail from the original building and copied it around the half octagonal end of the new extension.

Prices were submitted for the supply of new stone picking up all the detailing and an order was received after which a detailed survey of the original Lodge stone was undertaken and the information recorded. When the stone pieces required had all been hand-drawn a schedule of stone sizes and shapes was prepared so that the various cutting operations could proceed with delay.

The initial task was to select suitable raw blocks from quarry to ensure that the colouring was similar to the lodge and that suitable sizes could be obtained

The raw blocks were taken to the primary saw and reduced with parallel cuts into scants, the thickness of the scant being equal to the course heights of the finished blocks, which in the case of Lullenden were 170mm and 120mm. At the secondary saw the scants were cut to the widths shown on the drawing and schedule. The only remaining cutting operation was to give the blocks their finished face texture using a cropper or guillotine which splits the stone vertically giving the traditional appearance. All of the above operations had to be repeated for the plinth blocks, where the slope of the block has to be hand finished and the 45 Degree external angle blocks where the return was cut by hand to the correct angle.

The production of the finished blocks took many hours of careful work before the blocks were sorted and numbered ready to be packed onto pallets for delivery. The shrink wrapped pallets were delivered to site on a crane off-loading vehicle ready for the contractor to lay in the work.

The final part of Lambs service was to give advice on the best type of lime mortar which in this instance was to use a 2:1:1 mix of Westerham sand: Lydd Sharp sand: Lime putty.

The finished stonework has been very well received by all concerned and Barwin Property Services have been pleased to give Lambs the opportunity to work on other projects.

Lambs Wealden Sussex Sandstone packaged and awaiting installation on site.

Lambs stone mason preparing stone with rusticated edges to match existing.

An example of Wealden Sussex Sandstone in construction.

Original Wealden Sussex Sandstone and Lambs replacement material an indistinguishable match.

Hand finished plinth detail in Wealden Sussex Sandstone to match existing.

Restoration nearing completion, an example of the flexibility of Lambs Wealden Sussex Sandstone.