Phew! What a relief! The new wall is now fully built and safe, not a trace of any precarious looking bricks! Unfortunately we couldn’t find any bricks that exactly matched the originals below but we tried to find the closest we could. They obviously look much different because the original ones have years and years of dust, soot and grime!

The new bricks are certainly an improvement from the bright orange, modern ones that were there before. They really did stick out like a sore thumb! At least the bricks we have found are good quality and are in keeping with the building. As the years go by and the dirt gathers I’m sure the difference will begin to fade. The planning and conservation department do actually like to see a noticeable difference of any changes we make because it shows some of building’s history.

We have also replaced the top window sills because the originals had deteriorated very badly. The window sills have been specially made by our friend who is a local stone mason. Next we need to tackle the awful looking concrete lintels!