Project description:

This Medieval Manor House is the oldest in Kibworth. It’s an oak framed ‘H’ shaped house dating from the reign of Henry VIII with the original part of the house being even older - dating back as long as 1315.

Originally, the plan for us was a refurbishment but as we exposed more of the original oak frame, the horrifying state of the building’s integrity became apparent. The sand and cement render that had covered the house in comparatively modern times had trapped moisture in, which therefore had rotted away the majority of the original external oak.

The process:

The building was in very real danger of collapse, potentially losing over 500 years of history forever. It was a matter of urgency for us to prop the building up to stop this from happening. With the expertise of the architects, structural engineers, our tradesman and the unwavering commitment of the client, a new scheme was introduced starting a long process of restoration. 

The end result:

The labyrinth of steelwork our onsite engineer had to thread through the roof structure to take its weight off the walls was a huge challenge, and the challenges kept coming! After 4 years of painstaking work and huge dedication from the clients, the scaffold came down and they could finally move back in. Now, this beautiful building will be standing proudly in the centre of this historic village for future generations to admire.