Historic Brickworks on Kennet and Avon
Site:
Brickworks: Kennet and Avon
Date:
November 2022
Value:
The Rothen Group were asked by Canal & River Trust to carry out essential heritage restoration works on a historic lock wall. The project involved repairing a bulge in the brickwork, located below the coping level, which had begun to affect several areas of the structure.
The Project
Given the lock’s heritage status, the works required meticulous attention to detail, ensuring that any repairs were sympathetic to the original construction while restoring structural integrity.
The lock walls presented unique challenges due to their curved design and height, ranging from approximately 2 to 4 meters above the lock floor. To provide a safe and stable working platform, our PASMA-trained operatives erected tower scaffolds, allowing careful access to all affected sections.
The restoration process required the walls to be dismantled by hand. Each brick was carefully removed, cleaned, and stacked in preparation for relaying. Where necessary, new bricks were sourced to match the specifications provided by the Heritage Advisor, ensuring the repair blended seamlessly with the existing historic fabric.
To maintain the heritage integrity of the structure, lime mortar was used to relay the bricks, replicating the original construction method. Special care was taken to tie the new brickwork securely into the existing walls and copers, restoring both the structural stability and the aesthetic appearance of the lock.
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