Sussex Sandstone is available again

Lambs have acquired all distribution rights to the Sussex Sandstone from Philpots Quarry at West Hoathly in Sussex. The quarry has not been selling stone on a large commercial scale but this is about to change with sandstone being available in raw blocks and as six side sawn blocks for smaller masonry workshops.
The raw stone is quarried to square block sizes of 2.5 meters on bed, 4 m in length and 3 m in depth with very little wastage due to the square nature of the natural material. The quarry contains sandstone of autumn shades tinting to warm honey and oatmeal colours consistently across the workface. Close inspection shows beautiful natural striations, running parallel to the bed joints, which come to life when the stone is worked. It is often likened to weathered Bath stone and the natural patina that appears with ageing gives it very pleasing warmth. The size of the blocks and the tight grain also lends itself to carving with fine detail being possible as exhibited in many notable buildings in Sussex and southern England.

Jonathan Lamb at the rock face

Examples of Sussex Sandstone

Gravetye Manor, near East Grinstead, is an Elizabethan mansion built in 1598 by Richard Infield and is an excellent local example of the sandstone. Ockenden Manor - rebuilt in 1608 - is another local example and the sandstone was also employed on Kew Palace, where coincidentally Lambs supplied thousands of replacement Red Rubber specials during the refurbishment in 1997.

Sussex Sandstone in local wall

Knowle Church

Knowle Church had been neglected for many years before housing work started on the old hospital and grounds. Lambs TLB Red Rubbers were used for individual unit replacements throughout the arches and string courses of the church. Built into 9mm joints the units were gauged to size from photos, templates and site survey notes. As with most cases of individual replacements, site provided templates for Lambs to work from, and where joints are 1-2mm units they are usually made over-sized for site to rub at the time of fitting.

One gothic window of Knowle Church

The Times and Colonial Williamsburg

If you had doubts about using Lambs Red Rubber Material, try reading an article in The Times Notebook Architecture for Monday 5th January 2004. Marcus Binney writes about Colonial Williamsburg, designed by Quinlan Terry Architects, using Lambs Red Rubber Material. The material produced today is almost unique in it's characteristics and the fact that the brick earth is washed, prior to moulding, in order to produced the finest finished products. Lamb’s finished material is an excellent match for the original Williamsburg Rubbers and the quality of workmanship exhibited in the web site photos is in keeping with this standard.
Shown right is one of the units of the fluted column being layed in accordance with Lambs drawings.
For news on Colonial Williamsburg progress see www.colonialwilliamsburg.org.
For article in The Times - this location).

Laying gauged work at Merchants Square - photo from the site web page

All Saints Church Wandsworth

Many of us sit in our cars and gaze at All Saints Church in the Wandsworth one way system,as our eyes glaze over in the crawl of another jam, we most probably never realise that the yellow brick church has another side to it. Round the back the yellow stocks give way to dark multi stocks with Red Rubber trimmings. The tall stained glass windows of the north aisle, built in 1724, have semicircular Red Rubber Arches, with 2 mm joints, on rubbed faces springing from window reveals of similarly finished Red Rubbers Gauged Squares. Lambs were given the order to cut and rub replacement TLB Red Rubber Units for areas of this gauged work which necessitated measuring individual units on many windows. The work has now been completed in two sessions, four years apart, continuing a long programme of development. The lower parts of the west tower were built in 1630 with the upper storey being added in 1841 when the peal of eight bells was installed. In 1778 architect William Jupp was responsible for the first rebuilding of the remainder of the church.Fund raising is currently underway for the bell tower.
The church has seen famous people entering the south porch including John Wesley who preached here in the 1700s and was also married in All Saints. Another notable marriage was local resident H G Wells in 1891.

Rear elevation showing Aisle and earlier curved Apse

Red Rubbers in Hampstead

This photograph shows a small part of a major rebuild project that was carried out in Netherhall Gardens in Hampstead. The special bricks rubbed from TLB Medium Red Rubber Material and arches were all carfully designed to maintain the original appearence and size.
The cornice above the arch is formed of three courses of specials starting with an ovolo shape at the top. The centre course is formed with dentil specials and the lowest course with cavetto headers.
Many thousands of standard Imperial Rubber Range Facing bricks were used and the finished building blends into the residential setting.

Ovolo - A convex moulding usually a quadrant and sometimes ornamented with egg and dart or similar motis.
Dentil - One of a series of small rectangular blocks arranged like a row of teeth.
Cavetto - A concave moulding whose profile is usually a quadrant.

Window with arch and cornice above

New Doorway to Sussex Country House

This completely new doorway was an exact copy of the main door, of the large country house in Sussex, in every detail. Profiles surveyed from the original and drawn using the CAD system were translated into three dimensional moulds with allowances made for shrinkage of the clay during drying and firing. Something in the region of 12 % reduction in size can be expected with the local clay at our Pitsham Works. The accuracy of the finished W T Lamb Richmond Red specials allowed the bricklayer to achieve clean arrises and narrow joints with the arch being neatly laid with the use of a purpose made Lambs Arch Former. The rope detail, cants and cavetto specials run down to plinth level where they each have their own stop end to neatly finish. Portland stone was used to carve the imposts again replicating the original. The owner is extremely pleased with this handsome new entrance and now has the remainder of the downstairs interior to finish.

The Handsome Addition

Kings Road London

The Hudson Building in Kings Road London has recently been seeing the first of it's new residents since being refurbished. Lambs Bricks & Arches supplied matching Rubber Range Imperial Facings bricks that were so successful that the join is difficult to see. Careful production of arches and window aprons, using washed TLB Red Rubber Material and new terracotta airbricks from Lambs workshop finished the outer skin in a beautiful and faithful reproduction of the original.
Credit must go to everyone involved on site, in Lambs sales office and not least the workshops.

View from the gateway in Kings Road

The Lime Centre

A CPD Day was organised by Lambs at the The Lime Centre near Winchester to further the understanding of the use of lime in the modern building enviroment. Taylored to suit the needs of our company the day proved invalueable to all who attended and we can now offer a better level of service on this subject to our customers. We learnt enough to review the advice we give and have a better understanding of the practical implications of using lime.
Pictured on the right are member of our sales and production team with Bob Bennett of The Lime Centre. We would recommend looking at the web site and attending a course to anyone who wishes to know more.
info@thelimecentre.co.uk

The end of a valuable day

House in Surrey

This beautiful extension was recently added to a house in the depths of the Surrey countryside. Designed by Steadman & Blower of Farnham (photographed by Damien Blower) it has many unusual and interesting features. The main brick is Imperial Handmade Rubber Range Facings with gauged Four Course Segmental Red Rubber Arches laid in lime putty joints with key bricks extending as far again.
On the link block ground floor window there is a Flat Topped Half Round gauged Arch with a stone central feature. The work continues around the far side with further arches and decorative blue and buff panels and the tower is topped off by a green oak roof construction visible inside and out.
The whole extension is a delightful addition to a rather unusual house. The windows of the tower offer wonderful views from dawn to dusk over the adjacent valley from upstairs and downstairs.

Extension using Lambs Rubber Range Products

Wall Construction

I was called to this site to measure the openings for replacement arches to several windows. The original arches were beyond repair and the openings revealed the contsruction of the half round bay featureing three windows on each floor. The outer skin of brickwork was supported by the gauged Red Rubber arch and the inner skin sat on the timber lintels that can still be seen. The end of the floor joist is sticking out at the top of the opening with it's support beam, including joint, visable beneath. A common feature is the glazed brick headers on the bricks forming the inner skin, they were obviously not burnt especially for facing and neither were they considered special at the time this was built.
It should be noted that the arches were failing due to movement of the bay.

House in Berkshire

Weathered Arch

I often get asked about blending new arches into old facades and this example is typical of how well it can be done. Situated in Duke Street just off Oxford Street, London, the origianal London Stock frontage was very weathered and sooty. The client wished to keep the appearence and the W T Lamb Red Rubber Arch and window surround was heavily coated with soot to replicate the original.
Simon Bolivar 'El Libertador' stayed in this house in 1810 at the age of 27. He was the great Latin American statesman who liberated Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela from Spanish rule. The state of Bolivia was named after him when it was liberated.

Duke Street, London, W1

Baker Street London

This project in Baker Street is nearing external completion. Designed by Architects Erith and Terry it is unusual because the traditional facade hides office space with huge clear floor space made possible by the use of long spanning beams.
The beam construction was lowered onto the load bearing walls as the building work progressed with the force being dissipated by large pad stones built into the inside of the brickwork.
The cut face yellow arches were traditionally laid in an hydraulic lime and silver sand mix. The dark arches are actually Lambs Red Rubber Material stained to match the facing bricks and finished with a traditional white lime tuck pointing.

Reliveing Arch over Flat Gauged Arch

January 2003 - American News

We have recently received pictures from Merchants Square, Williamsburg of the sample panel built with the first consignment of Lamb’s Rubbed and Gauged Specials. The workmanship has been excellent and bodes well for the development when work gets under way on the buildings.
The two buildings of the College Corner Project are being built using Red Rubbers in the traditional way with other materials. The North West building has Gauged Arches, high level cornice, pediment, pilasters and a niche all designed in Billingshurst to the architects plan. The Corner Building has much less Red Rubber work but has segmental arches and cornice work.
Progress on the site can be viewed at this location where photographs of the overall site are displayed, the most recent set show a concrete floor being poured and screeded.
Shown here is part if the large sample panel.

Sample panel of Gauged Red Rubbers

December 2002 Unfinished

This photograph shows a common occurance when unexperienced bricklayers install Lambs Red Rubber Gauged and Rubbed Specials.
The laying of the Red Rubbers has gone OK but the finishing has been left undone.
There are two ways of laying Red Rubbers that are commonly employed. The first method, which has been used here, is to lay the specials in a tight Lime Putty/ Silver Sand mortar and then to wipe the Lime Putty over the face of the specials in an attempt to ensure that all the joints are filled. This method requires the Specialist Red Rubber Layer to return to the work after the Lime Putty has set and the Rubbers have dried. It may take sveral weeks for this to happen, depending on conditions, before cleaning of the face by rubbing with a carborundum stone or paper can take place. A soft brush is then employed to remove the resulting red dust.
It is often not practical to return to work in this way and experienced Red Rubber layers will employ a very different approach.
A skilled experinced craftsman will lay the Red Rubber units in place with an even layer of Lime Putty Silver Sand which he will squeeze out of the joint while positioning the special. A degree of patience is then required because then Lime Putty projecting from the joint should be left alone until it reaches a staged known as hazeled. The Lime Putty begins to harden and starts to craze after a few minutes, each day on each job will be a different time depending upon weather conditions. As this hazeled stage is reached the Craftsman cuts off the projecting joint with a sharp tool leaving a flush fully filled joint, if it is left too long and the joint is crisp it can snap off leaving a gap in the joint,too soon and the joint will be smeared. Very careful Red Rubber Layers will not have to touch the work again after this unless final adjusting of size needs to be carried out. If the Carftsman checks the intended position of the unit before laying he can make any necessary adjustments to size and shape before applying the Lime Putty.

poorly installed Red Rubbers 3 years after laying

December 2002 Good and Poor

I recently called on site in Earls Court to discuss extra replacement items and found the first delivery of Rubbed and Gauged Medium Rubber Specials sitting neatly on site. As you will see from the bottom photograph the specials in their trays were neatly stored away from the work in progress and still as good as when they left the works.
By contrast I have also recently viewed specials on a very large London site that were not in a good condition. The top photograph shows the condition of one tray of Rubbed and Gauged Window Reveal Specials which had apparently been used as a step. They are probably only fit for the bin because of the thoughtlessness of the workers on site!
After all the work that has gone on to supply specials to site it is heart breaking to see this.

Bad practice at the top - good work at the bottom

November 2002 Award Winning Harveys Brewery

The Award Winning Harveys Brewery was established over 200 years ago and part of the original Georgian buildings was rebuilt in 1880. The Tower and Brew House viewed from Cliffe Bridge appear to be the 1880 building but neatly dovetailed onto the front is an extension, built in 1985, using Lambs Bricks & Arches Rubber Range Medium Dark Mutli Facings with Gauged Rubber Arches in lime putty.

The addition has been so successful that the 17 years of weathering has blended the extension of the second brewing line into the original tower and brew house in such a way that it even fooled me until I took a second look, and that was before opening time! The original arch line of the Tower disappears behind the extension but is the only real clue to the join. I suspect the steam coming from the hot hop waste has helped accelerate the weathering.

Information from www.harveys.org.uk

Harveys Brewery 1985 Extension

Virtual Award Winner Oct 2002

We had great news this week when we received an email from Josette and Kevin Bishop to say that their house at 8 Castlebar Hill, Ealing has just won a conservation award from Ealing Civic Society. In addition to that, the internet vote organised by the Ealing Times was topped by their house and a special virtual award was presented to them for the best architectural building in the competition. The house had been a nursing home before Josette and Kevin started to convert it into their family home. I remember visiting them in the very early stages of the work and they had a lot to do but it has obviously paid off. Lambs are pleased that the Gauged Red Rubber Arches, Imperial Handmade Rubber Range Bricks and the path edging bricks we supplied have played a small part in the winning of an award.
We would like to add our congratulations to them for their success.
Check out the full story at this location

8 Castlebar Hill

Winston Churchill

During the setting up of our web page Jonathan Lamb, Sales Director, had lengthy discussions with both his Grandfather Richard Lamb and his Great Uncle Antony Lamb who had both met Winston Churchill. As you can read on the page 'More About Us' both the brothers had long talks with Mr Churchill regarding the supply and laying of bricks. My own research led me to the Churchill Archives Centre where we discovered they had a copy of our Sale Note from 11th January 1935. Although this copy is not well defined we can read the details of the order.

One load (2,500) Plum Coloured Weathered Facings @ 110/- per 1000.

When required- at once.



Nothing changes!

Detail from the Sale Note

The Chartwell wall today

Many bricks were delivered to Chartwell over a long period of time and Mr Churchill built an extensive wall that stands upright and in good order 65 years on. I took a busman's holiday, while on leave last summer and went in search of the wall and location of the famous photo. I believe that the picture shown here is the area where the original Times Newspaper photograph was taken. Just in the back of the photograph is a gateway with a nice finishing touch to the arch shown in the photograph below.

The wall in August 2002

The Arch detail

During my visit to Chartwell I found three further pictures of Winston Churchill laying bricks, one shows him building Marycot with two young apprentices looking on. If you wish to view the Churchill Archives Centre it can be found at this location

The arch key

Oct 2002 Buckingham Palace Road

This gable is part of the rear elevation which was extensively renovated in two phases. The replacements were mainly to gables, chimneys and window reveals that had taken the brunt of over 100 years of weather. Lambs Imperial Handmade Rubber Range Medium Multi Facings were used with rubbed and gauged specials and arches.
The finished project probably goes unnoticed by people passing by because the finished work blends into the original so successfully.

One of the finished gables

Oct 2002 Broomhill Road, Southborough

This stables building was refurbished using double header ring arches. The soffit has bonded headers and stretchers although they only show as headers on the face; this adds extra strength to the arch to prevent separation of the two faces.
The finished pair of arches gives a rather pleasing effect when view from this angle.

The Stables, Broomhill Road

Sept 2002 IHBC Visit

Lambs were pleased to be able to welcome the Institute of Historic Building Conservation to Pitsham Brickworks on the occasion of their AGM.
Attending members were able to see the production of Red Rubber material and the kiln firing processes as well as the Clamp method of producing bricks. There was a great deal of interest in the Imperial Bricks and Ash Glazed Headers.
A brief discussion and viewing of the Arch production was just possible before a lecture from Gerard Lynch on the History of Red Rubbers and a talk by Robert Lamb followed a show of recent projects by me.

Gerard Lynch & Robert Lamb with IHBC Members

Sept 2002 Old Church Street, Chelsea

This combination of relieving arch and flat arch have been successfully used on this project at the Thames end of Church Street. Other types of arches on the front elevation include convex, on plan, flat gauged arches in Yellow Natural Texture and segmental arches in Handmade Red multi Stocks. Both bricks have been used in the surrounding brickwork.

Arches in Yellow Multi Natural Texture Facings

August 2002 Knightsbridge Crown Court Update

Months in gestation this gauged doorway has now been finished and is revealed in all it's splendour. As can be seen the work is highly ornate and intricate and involved many hours of drawing, carving and laying. The doorway was reputedly used, at one stage in its early life, as a royal entrance to a house of pleasure! No evidence of that now.
The doorway features in our Case Studies page where we shall enter further pictures of the finished doorway when we do a major update of the web page.

The finished doorway

Aug 2002 - 36/38 Pont Street, London

This restored late Tudor style chimney sits on top of the house in Pont Street waiting for the rest of the property to be finished. It had been suffering from the common problems of continued water ingress through failing capping and mortar joints. All masonry will suffer in these conditions, especially in areas of severe exposure such as a chimney, but this example is ready to last another 100 years. Perhaps Lambs will be back next time!

Pont Street Chimney

July 2002 - 299 Fulham Road, London

Part of the planning permission for the rebuilding of this property was that a doorway built of gauged Red Rubbers should be retained but permission was given to move it sideways by 3 meters. Already damaged by the insertion of gas and other services the doorway was carefully removed and stored. The rebuilding process was carried out by PAYE Stonework and Restoration using matching Lambs TLB Red Rubbers where replacement units were required. The newly inserted Red Rubbers match the existing so well that only those who look will notice.

Detail of the arch and abutment units

Duke of York's

The restoration of the outside of The Chapel building at the Duke of York's Headquarters, Kings Road, Chelsea has recently been completed and includes three very successful double ring semi-circular arches. Cut from specially selected second hand yellow stocks the match with the original arches and brickwork is outstanding.Architects Paul Davis & Partners are extremely happy with the finished arches.

Part of one semi-circular arch

July 2002 - Ikon Gallery, Birmingham

Set off by its surrounding new office blocks and the imaginative landscaping this old building has been beautifully renewed. Since completion three years ago, the replacement TLB Red Rubbers have mellowed nicely and sit amongst the originals without drawing attention to themselves. Despite being 150 miles from Lamb’s current TLB Red Rubber works the similarity of the material is astonishing.

Ikon Gallery, Brindley Place, Birmingham

Home Park Road, Wimbledon

This detail is taken from a recently finished five bed house in Wimbledon. Lambs supplied Bath Stone, Wet cast Bath Stone, Handmade Texture Red Rubber Arches and Handmade Red Rubber Range Facings. The house is notable for it's outstanding quality of finishes that help it to sit well amongst its neighbours. A delight to come home to but unfortunately it's not mine.

Detail from beside the front door

Cadogan Gardens, SW3

The refurbishment of the Symons Street site behind Sloane Square saw the need to completely rebuild one bay of the Cadogan Gardens elevation. Topped by a three-centred arch springing from gauged brickwork columns the bay was a challenge to all concerned. The finished elevation is testament to the accuracy shown by all concerned from survey to drawing to production to bricklaying. Lambs expertise was also called in elsewhere on the site to finish areas half completed by others.

Gauged piers rise into the three-centred arch

29 th April - Grittenham Farm

A refurbishment of Grittenham Farm, a site local to the works, presented a challenge for the mould makers. Pictured here is one of a set of moulds made for the Hood-Moulding which is a traditional detail designed to throw the water away from the face of the building, usually over a window or door. In order to act effectively they have a large undercut, as in this case, which is a nightmare to form in a mould as they require loose insert pieces to form the underside. Specials for this project are now drying quietly in a safe corner.

A mould box for the Hood-Moulding

Williamsburg, Virginia, USA

Lambs had the pleasure of entertaining overseas guests when Erith and Terry brought their American counterparts to the Works.
The picture right shows Robert Lamb MD (centre) with the group, which included the bricklayer who will carry out the work and the two American supervising architects from Gaye & Holmes plus their historian.
Lambs have produced extensive gauged cornice work, arches, quoins and triglyphs for the new houses in Merchants Square. A special burn of darker Red Rubbers is underway to match the natural local material. The house will join 500 restored and reconstructed buildings some dating from 18th Century that are all part of the Williamsburg restoration started in 1926.

L-R Ray Canetti -Gauged Brick Layer, Ed Chappell - Historian, Randy Holmes - Glave & Holmes Architects, Robert Lamb (MD), Bill Hopkins - Glave & Holmes Architects, Roger Barrell - Erith & Terry Architects, Clive Dale - Erith & Terry Architects.

11th March 2002 Amersham Hospital Refurbishment

The refurbishment of the old Amersham Hospital gave rise to a careful demolition of two pinnacles so that site dimensions could be recorded as work progressed. Great care had to be taken because the pinnacles were 'live' and the reason became evident as work progressed. Supporting central iron rods had rusted through and mortar joints had failed. CAD drawing work developed the site records before the cutting and rubbing of Lambs TLB Red Rubber blocks created complete replacements. Every care was taken to faithfully reproduce the originals that have been installed this week.

Newly installed pinnacles showing a temporary flush of salts from the mortar

Previous work on the same building has seen a recreation of two mullioned window frames in Lambs TLB Red Rubber Material. Tight lime putty joints and intricate cross sections with complicated sill to jam junctions and transom to mullion junctions took care and patience that have become bywords at Lambs.

Window with new arches, mullion, transom & right reveal

8th March 2002 Well Hall Pleasaunce, Eltham

This photograph shows just how much attention to detail has been paid to the reconstruction of the walls in these historic gardens. The walls to the moat and the main gardens are being rebuilt in matching bricks and mortar. This wall was just slightly out of plumb in places and has been rebuilt in the most recent configuration with the addition of a few piers to aid stability. Spaces, originally designed for Honey Bees to swarm in, have been rebuilt although the most recent inhabitants of the walls have been Masonry Bees which were chasing the bricklayers during warm days last Autumn. The gardens should be reopened this summer.

Slightly out of plumb!

7th March 2002 The Hermitage.

The originals of this star special brick were carefully surveyed so that the unusual details of the secluded cottage could be reproduced on a new extension. Hand thrown in Midurst clay and fired with other specials for the same project this star special is currently awaiting delivery to the site. Material Handmade Richmond Red.

Star shaped handmade special

12th February 2002 Chimneys

This winter has seen a steady stream of orders for decorative chimneys arriving from across the country. Lambs long association with decorative chimneys started with the Great Kitchen chimney at Hampton Court carefully crafted from TLB Red Rubber blocks.

An extension to Great Fosters Hotel at Egham will soon be topped off with a new chimney designed by architect Dr. Archie Walls of the Giles Quarme Partnership to be in keeping with the existing chimneys whilst not being of a particular age.

Lambs design office has carefully tailored the design to take into account the flue liner whilst still keeping the desired proportions. Made in 2 inch Imperial Handmade Richmond Red Facings at the West Sussex Works, the 250 units will soon be ready for installation. Special corner blocks were made to create a transition from the square chimney base to the octagonal stack without loosing the structural integrity of the chimney. Forming the shape of the shaft whilst maintain the bond of the chimney and staggering the perp joints was another headache.

One small photograph was the only clue to the original designs of the three stack barley sugar twist chimney missing from a Cheshire mansion. Careful drawing work has resulted in a reproduction that is now awaiting its specialist moulds to be made prior to the bricks being thrown. Hinged moulds have been made to allow the twist of the stack to be extracted from the mould without distortion so that the curl of the moulding is uninterrupted as it rises.

Site surveys at Kennington and Canterbury have taken the tally of chimneys to four. The task at Ashford was to draw and mould a pair of octagonal flues that corbelled out to interlinking star shapes at the top where they bridge and abut. Replacing a matching pair of chimneys at Canterbury has maintained the balance the original builder and done 150 years ago. This was carried out in conjunction with replacing damaged window aprons and cornice work.

We look forward to placing photos of some of these chimneys on the web site as soon as they are available.

Chimney bricks fresh from the kiln awaiting sorting

4th February 2002 Airbricks

Lambs terracotta works was presented with a challenge when called upon to match 12 inch square airbricks in Chelsea. These have now been installed with a small gauged arch over each one in the same way as the originals.

Air Brick before installation