What needed to be restored

In December 2012 an enforcement order was just about to be served....

A previous owner had removed historic windows and replaced them with double glazing. After years of fighting to get the owner and subsequent buyer to put the original windows back, Suffolk Coastal Council were forced to serve an enforcement order. Even though we had not purchased the property, the Council were kind enough to discuss the enforcement order and the responsibility for the potential purchaser.

They were also generous enough to extend the restoration time from six months to a year. This enabled a more comprehensive restoration (render as well as windows) to be undertaken through the advice of a highly respected firm of architects, the Whitworth Co-partnership LLP and the rolls royce of restoration experts R&J Hogg Ltd.

Having put together this top restoration team,  permission was granted to put back the original windows and also remove the concrete render which was threatening the entire timber-framed structure. In addition to concrete render, the building had been lined with plastic sheeting which was preventing the beams from breathing.

In Summer 2013, work started with the removal of the render on the medieval part of the house. We were extremely lucky to find that the poor treatment of the building by the previous owners had not caused the huge amount of damage we were expecting. However,  a number of large supporting beams had to be replaced and R&J Hogg were able to replace it with similar green oak.

A major discovery was the ornamentation on the ends of the ground floor jetty timbers. They had previously been covered with concrete render and in exposing them we discovered that they were carved decoratively and so been designed to be viewed. They were in excellent condition and so we were able to expose them.

For the full report of all the restoration undertaken, please click here to download our architects, Whitworth Partnership's report.

Images of the restoration and the original windows which were returned to the property by the developer responsible for their removal on his lawyer's recommendation