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Pitshanger Manor - Ealing

Conservation and repair to Entrance arch

This important Grade I listed structure provides the entrance to Sir John Soane’s prestigious house which he designed for himself early in the 19th century. The arch consists of two brick pillars each standing on a square Portland base, each column being clad in flint and brick. Above the brick archway is a stone coping surmounted by a central cornice with the main decorative element - a carved stone eagle with a scroll on either side.

All of the work was carried out with the original architectural intentions very much in mind. Two Portland stone pineapple finials were commissioned to replace the missing originals on top of either pier after
a maquette was made with careful reference to the original drawings.

Much of the work involved very precise replacement of some of the red rubber brick voussoirs and spandrels in order to emulate the 1mm joints of the original. All of the cement pointing and repairs to the flint piers were removed and replaced with a copy of the original mortar; some of the piers required rebuilding which involved close matching of knapped flints.

Cleaning was carried out to both elevations commencing with the central ornament and mainly using poultices of ammonium carbonate with sepiolite and arbocel. The bricks below were cleaned by gentle brushing and water and poulticed in sulphated areas.

The railings linking the main arch piers to the outlying pillars were cleaned and painted and a Cintec tie inserted right through the length
of the arch to ensure stability.

Architect: Richard Griffiths Architects
Consultant: London Borough of Ealing