Located in the heart of Oxford, the Grade II* listed Town Hall is one of the city’s most cherished civic landmarks. Designed by architect Henry T. Hare, it was completed in 1897 with further extensions added in the 1930s. The building is a distinguished example of Victorian Gothic architecture, its stone façade adorned with intricate carvings, sweeping arched windows, and a commanding clock tower.

Paye were appointed by Oxford City Council to clean and repair the building’s external stonework, with the primary aim of preserving as much original fabric as possible and extending the long-term life of the structure.

Our specialist team employed a combination of high-pressure steam cleaning and TORC cleaning — a controlled, low-pressure wet abrasive process — to effectively remove surface soiling, carbon deposits, and ingrained staining from the stonework.Repointing was carried out using lime mortar throughout, complemented by targeted lime mortar repairs, Clipsham stone indents, and Helifix fracture repairs. To better understand the underlying causes of façade fracturing and stonework displacement, a programme of intrusive investigations was also undertaken as part of the repair works.