Heritage Brickwork Repair with Lime Mortar at St Thomas Church, Worting
We recently had the chance to work on something really special at St Thomas Church in Worting, Basingstoke. A big tree from a neighbouring garden had come down and damaged part of the Grade II listed churchyard wall, and we were asked to help put it back together. The goal was to reuse as much of the original material as we could, while keeping the repair in line with the history and character of the wall.
Once the tree had been safely cleared, we got stuck into the hands-on bit. We carefully went through the bricks from the fallen section one by one, cleaning and sorting them into headers and stretchers so we could rebuild the wall in the same traditional Monk Bond style it was originally built with.
Working with old bricks always takes a bit of patience, especially on a listed site. We used lime mortar instead of cement, since it’s much better suited to historic buildings and allows the wall to breathe. To make sure the new section blended in properly, we had a sample of the original mortar colour-matched at the Lime Centre, and ended up with a ready-mixed lime mortar called ‘York’ that was a perfect match.
Once the wall was rebuilt, we also repointed the surrounding brickwork. This helped soften the edges between old and new, making the repair much less noticeable unless you know exactly where to look.
Being part of projects like this always feels like a privilege. It’s not just about rebuilding walls—it’s about respecting the craftsmanship that’s been there for centuries and making sure it stands strong for the future.
If you’ve got a listed property or heritage building that needs a careful touch, we’d love to help.