Project Details

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Halswell House stands proudly within the Quantock Hills. The house and surrounding buildings date from the Tudor period through to Georgian and Victorian. It was described by Sir Nicholas Pevsner as the most important house of its date in the country. In 2013 the house and parkland was bought through private sale, the new owner determined to rejuvenate the estate. Corbel was brought in to assist, carry out some of the work and advise on the process.

The entire roof covering, which was leaking severely, was removed under a temporary scaffold over-roof, allowing us to install much-needed ventilation and insulation. We repaired, replaced and conserved hundreds of roof timbers across the vast roof that encompasses some 850m2 on plan.

New valley gutters were formed to LSA standards and covered with Code 8 sand cast lead, along with all associated flashings, pitched valleys and the like. Two of the large gables were carefully dismantled and re-built as they were on the brink of collapse.

 

Work then moved to the facade. Extensive repairs were carried out to the Hamstone mullion windows, and thousands of square metres of masonry were raked out and rendered using a grinning technique with gauged hot lime mix. Alongside this work Corbel managed the major dry rot problem, archaeology and the resident bats.

 

Building works included roof timbers and coverings, structural repairs, masonry, archaeology, stone conservation, gauged brickwork, ironwork, lime plastering and rendering, new bedrooms and bathrooms, Oak stairs and Plank and Muntin screens, panelling, doorways and arches, stone tiles and mechanical and electrical work, underfloor heating, recycled foamed glass and wood wool insulation, insulated plaster work, leaded lights, stone tile floors, thresholds, misting systems and lightning protection.

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Contract Period: Over 5 years

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Contract Value: £1.5M+

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Contract Admin: Private client