Boulby Bank – Hot Mixed Lime Re-Pointing

Built sometime in the late 18th Century by the Boulbys as their family home. This is one of only two remaining houses of old Boulby Bank and needed some sensitive maintenance.

The Boulbys owned the rope walk and the hillside down the harbour, hence the long street named the Ropery. The name Boulby Bank remains and there used to be a slipway at the bottom named Boulby Slip. It is known that Thomas Boulby bought the ropewalk and the surrounding land in 1737 and the business was taken over by his son Adam Boulby, which was described in 1817 as ‘the longest and oldest ropewalk in the town’.

The Bulk of the work was re-pointing the northern elevation. As an old house built from handmade bricks, it is important to be sensitive when removing the mortar and also when specifying the replacement. Our team are familiar with Historic England’s best practice guidance on how to maintain historic buildings so tools and materials were used and sourced accordingly. Hand picks were used to remove the failed mortar, which is the best approach to protect the brick arrises. The historic mortar was replicated by specifying a quicklime mix as it is essential to use the same material. Using the wrong material could cause harm to the brick and can introduce damp, so a clear understanding of the age of the building and it’s materials is essential.

The leadwork was replaced using traditional lead welding techniques on the gable to ensure the house remained watertight without disturbing any historic brickwork.

Overall, our team have addressed some long standing maintenance issues whilst preserving the appearance of this old house and ensuring exactly the right materials were used. We’re always happy to take on projects involving historic and listed buildings and also have the ability to produce method statements to comply with listed building consent conditions. Or if you need assistance in applying for listed building consent, we have the right experience at hand to help.