Restoration

Royal
Ballet
School

Client

The Royal Ballet School

Principal Contractor

Paye Stonework and Restoration

Value

£300,000

Location

Richmond, London

Richmond New Park Lodge was completed in 1730 in the Palladian style. It remained a Royal property until 1925, when it was passed to The Crown Estate to be leased. Since 1955, it has been occupied by The Sadler’s Wells Ballet Company, is home to its junior school and now gives the building the title of The Royal Ballet School.

Constructed from Hildenley limestone, it has undergone numerous repairs and fashion for using cement as a repair medium from the mid-19th Century has led to much exacerbated damage, which often needs removal and replacement. Hildenley limestone is no longer quarried, so a suitable matching limestone needed to be sourced.

Most works related to the removal and replacement of previous repairs and the making good of losses suffered. Mouldings which form weatherings are not best repaired in lime mortar and so where these are missing or have failed, a stone indent was completed matching the adjacent profiles.

Some cautious stone conservation was undertaken to the delicate floral patera which sit between each modillion under the cornice. This fragile stone exhibited hairline cracks and was consolidated with a lime grout and then micro pinned using fine gauge stainless steel. As a secondary precaution localised invisible netting was also installed to minimise any safety risk.

Business Development contact

David Manktelow

DavidManktelow@paye.210hosting.com

(+44) 20 8857 9111