RHS Wisley

Resembling a half-timbered Tudor house, the striking early 1900s Arts and Crafts Laboratory at RHS Wisley in Surrey reflects the style made famous by architect Edward Lutyens. The well-used building was much in need of attention, and the RHS asked us to help restore it to its former glory.

We were brought in to tackle the external works, including repair of the old oak frames and leaded glass of the windows and the re-roofing and repointing of chimneys. This work is usually challenging but this project was made more complex by the need to use sympathetic materials and source the right craftsmanship whilst keeping procurement costs down.

We all agreed it was important to use experienced craftspeople, but carpentry expertise was particularly important when working with timber framing and joints. We searched hard to find the right people and set up a temporary workshop with all the traditional equipment and materials required, including a block of Cotswold oak, so that the skilled and specialist carpenters could work on site.

Using traditional techniques and tools, the carpenters successfully produced perfect jointing and dowel fixings. They distressed the oak to make it look like the original. Whilst it was obvious it was a new joint in was placed in such a way that it was in keeping with the traditional building.

This was an incredibly exciting project to work on, seeing old techniques applied to such great effect and with such great skill ensured the finished refurbished building would be able to continue to play an important role in the life of Wisley for decades to come. Seeing it finished and reopened to the public has brought us great joy and satisfaction.