Skillington Workshop undertakes the conservation and repair of historic brickwork across a wide range of buildings, monuments and sculptural structures. Many of the heritage sites we work on incorporate significant brick elements that require specialist conservation to address structural movement, weathering, decay and inappropriate past repairs. Our approach is guided by traditional building methods and conservation principles, ensuring that repairs are sympathetic to the age, character and performance of the original fabric.
We use carefully formulated lime mortars matched to the original bedding and pointing materials, allowing historic masonry to breathe and perform as intended. Our conservators are experienced in a variety of historic pointing techniques including tuck pointing. We can source or commission replacement bricks to match historic size, texture and colour where elements are missing or beyond repair. Whenever possible we prioritise the retention and repair of original materials rather than wholesale replacement.
Our experience ranges from large architectural structures and historic facades to unusual sculptural brickwork, including work carried out on the internal brick structures of the Crystal Palace dinosaurs and Sphinxes. Across all projects, we use compatible materials and minimally invasive techniques to ensure the long-term stability, integrity and preservation of historic brick structures.
Historic brickwork can also suffer from heavy soiling, sulphation, biological growth and inappropriate paint coatings that trap moisture and accelerate deterioration. We undertake sensitive cleaning using conservation-grade methods including poultices, controlled steam cleaning and specialist paint removal systems designed to minimise damage to historic surfaces. Each treatment is carefully tested and tailored to the individual building to ensure the safest and most effective outcome.
