Heritage & traditional
Heritage & Traditional Property
Careful work to traditional solid-wall buildings using compatible materials and proper design input.
Traditional buildings need to be understood before they are altered. Solid stone walls, lime mortars and breathable construction behave differently from modern cavity construction, and treating them as if they were the same causes long-term damage.
SHS carries out masonry, stonework and structural work on traditional and older property throughout Cumbria, working with conservation-experienced designers and structural engineers where a project requires them.
Working together
How the relationship works
Diagnose first
Damp, cracking and decay usually have a cause. Fixing that matters more than repairing the visible symptom.
Compatible materials
Lime mortars, matched stone and breathable detailing where the building's construction requires them.
Consents respected
Listed building and conservation area consents must be in place before work begins, and SHS will say so.
No overclaiming
SHS does not hold conservation accreditation and does not claim it. Where accredited expertise is needed, that is arranged.
Frequently asked questions
SHS undertakes masonry work on traditional buildings and can work alongside conservation-experienced designers. Any required listed building consent must be in place first.
Relevant services
Structures & Masonry
Heritage Masonry
Sympathetic repair and alteration of traditional solid-wall buildings, working with appropriate materials.
Structures & Masonry
Stonework
Natural stone facing, feature walls and rebuilds in the local idiom rather than a generic stone finish.
Rural
Rural Construction
Building work on rural property — barns, outbuildings, farmhouses and estate buildings.
Buildings
Extensions
Extension groundworks, foundations, drainage, masonry and steel through one accountable contractor.
Structures & Masonry
Retaining Walls
Engineered retaining structures that hold ground safely on sloping and terraced sites.
Next step
Planning a project in Cumbria?
Tell SHS what you are building, repairing or preparing. Upload photographs, drawings or plans and the project can be reviewed before a site visit is arranged.