LSC - Stone Carving

The embellishment of Architecture by the addition of carved stone either as; decorated pieces of the fabric, or free standing sculptural objects, is a concurrent tradition over six thousand years old. The craftspeople of London stone conservation have a commitment to the understanding of this art in its complete traditional context and in maintaining the use of carved stone in architecture for the twenty first century. We are specialist in both the reproduction of elements for the replacement of carving for conservation purposes and the manufacture of new pieces for contemporary architectural projects.

Watermans Arms

The removal and replacement of severely decayed pediment sculpture of the Watermans Arms on the Lodge , Watermans Square, Penge. The Lodge was built during the reign of Queen Victoria in 1845 and is situated in a complex of buildings containing many high quality sculptures.

Whilst a philosophy of minimum intervention would always be followed by our company, in this case a design floor in the original construction ie the face-beding of the stone meant that replacement was unavoidable.

The accurate reconstruction of the design involved research at the Royal College of Heraldry. A Bath stone was sourced to match the existing as closely as possible. A traditional lead based paint was used for the Polychromy and 22,5 carat english gold leaf was used for the gilding. The traditional materials and craftsmanship used should insure maximum durability and minimum maintenance. There was a conflict between the amount of protection afforded to the sculpture by the coping stones and the aesthetic demands of matching the original design. Enlarging the copings would have provided better shelter from the elements, but would have unbalanced the architectural intention of the building.

Stone Carving

Watermans Arms

Ilford Townhall

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