Grade II listed building – Diseworth, Leicestershire

Summary

Lime, Listed & Historical were appointed to repair and conserve brick and stone elevations at a Grade II listed building in Diseworth, reinstating breathable, traditional finishes and reinstating lost stonework and chimney detailing.

Works carried out — brick & stone

• Removed inappropriate cement pointing and raked out failed joints.
• Repointed brick and stone in compatible lime mortar, tooling to match historic profile. Repointing left exposed to show restored masonry.
• Installed reclaimed stone sills selected to match the existing stonework.
• Rebuilt chimneys using reclaimed materials and reinstated a decorative dental course at the chimney heads.

Works carried out — render & external finish

• Applied a three‑coat lime render system where required: scratch, float and fine finish.
• No rigid beads used; corners, reveals and junctions were hand‑curved and eased to follow original contours.
• Finishes executed with floated and sponge‑worked surfaces to replicate original texture; bird‑sbeak flute detail formed at external corners to match historic detailing.
• All detailing and surface profiles were shaped to read as traditional and in keeping with the building’s vernacular appearance.

Conservation controls & quality assurance

• Trial panels for mortar colour/texture and render finish agreed with client and conservation officer.
• Moisture monitoring and staged works ensured substrate stability before repointing and rendering.
• Full photographic record, mix specifications and method statements provided on completion.

Outcome

The project restored breathable, durable masonry and sympathetic external finishes. Reclaimed sills and rebuilt chimneys reinstated original character; exposed lime repointing and hand‑finished lime render deliver a traditional appearance consistent with the building’s historic fabric. The client and conservation stakeholders were satisfied with the workmanship and material choice.

Materials & workmanship

• Lime mortar repointing and three‑coat lime render (site‑selected mix and finishes).
• Reclaimed stone sills and reclaimed brick for chimney rebuilds.
• Hand‑applied finishes and traditional detailing by experienced conservation craftsmen.