Restored stonework around a heritage doorway with fresh lime pointing

Projects

Case work.

Every image is a real Phoenix Stone project. Process photographs matter as much as the finished elevation — they are the record of the method.

Completed bespoke fireplace with hand-modelled mantel and jambs in traditional lime materials

Bespoke Fireplaces

Bespoke Fireplaces — Hand-Modelled

Problem, method, result +

Problem: Client wanted a fireplace designed to their own detail, with real material and craft authenticity — not a catalogue surround.
Method: Jambs, corbels and mantel hand-modelled and cast in traditional lime-based materials. Levelled and installed on site, hand-finished by the same craftsman who shaped it.
Result: A one-of-a-kind fireplace designed for the room, with the weight and authenticity of a traditional heritage detail.

Pointing

Sympathetic Gable Repointing

Problem, method, result +

Problem: Failed cement ribbon-pointing was trapping moisture behind the stone and washing salts through the face.
Method: Joints cut out to sound depth, dampened and repointed with a natural hydraulic lime mortar matched to exposure. Hessian protection during cure.
Result: The gable now sheds water through the joint rather than the stone. Character of the elevation preserved.

Lime Render

Traditional Cottage — Lime Render Restoration

Problem, method, result +

Problem: Existing modern render debonded from rubble stone; internal damp had followed within one winter.
Method: Full removal of failed render, wall allowed to dry, dubbing coat and body coats of lime render built up over weeks, finished lightly floated.
Result: Breathable, sympathetic finish. Internal walls dried out over the following season.

Stonework

Fireplace + Flue Area — Heritage Stonework

Problem, method, result +

Problem: Previous repairs to a hearth surround had used incompatible materials, causing local cracking.
Method: Careful dismantling, salvage of original stone, rebuild with matched stone and lime bedding.
Result: Structural integrity restored. Original character retained.

Newly pointed stonework protected by damp hessian during curing

Detail Work

Protected Curing — Newly Pointed Elevation

Problem, method, result +

Problem: New lime pointing at risk from wind and sun during initial cure.
Method: Damped hessian applied and maintained across the elevation for the critical curing window.
Result: Uniform cure, no shrinkage cracking, long-term durability.

Sculpted lime relief of an ancient tree beside exposed stonework, showing craft skill

Detail Work

Sculpted Lime Detail — Tree of Life

Problem, method, result +

Problem: Client sought a bespoke traditional feature to sit between a plastered wall and exposed stone reveal.
Method: Hand-modelled lime relief of an ancient tree, worked wet against the stone junction.
Result: A crafted, permanent detail that reads as part of the building.

Traditional Irish stone cottage with breathable membrane laid at the base during restoration

Heritage Cottage

Heritage Cottage — Base Protection

Problem, method, result +

Problem: External ground works needed while preserving the base of a solid stone cottage.
Method: Breathable protection laid to prevent splashback and material damage during works.
Result: Fabric protected. Works completed without disturbing the original walls.

Hand-carved triskele detail set within restored stonework

Consultancy

Carved Triskele Set Within Stonework

Problem, method, result +

Problem: Homeowner wished to mark a restored wall with a subtle Celtic feature.
Method: Advised on placement, stone selection and setting; small carved triskele integrated into pointing.
Result: A quiet, personal reference held within the fabric.

Lime Render

Interior Lime Render — Working from Height

Problem, method, result +

Problem: Large internal gable required a full breathable render in a working restoration.
Method: Scaffolded access, dubbing and body coats worked in sequence, protected against draughts and rapid drying.
Result: Even, breathable internal finish across a difficult elevation.

Lime Render

Traditional Corner — Lime Render with Exposed Quoins

Problem, method, result +

Problem: Weathered corner of a traditional building needed a breathable finish while keeping the character of the original stone quoins on show.
Method: Cement residues carefully removed, wall dampened, and lime render built up in successive coats — worked cleanly to the quoins so the stone remained exposed and legible.
Result: A soft, breathable render feathered into the original stonework — a corner that reads as one continuous piece of heritage fabric.

Pointing

Stone Cottage — Full Lime Repoint

Problem, method, result +

Problem: A traditional stone cottage with tired, open joints letting weather into the walls.
Method: Joints raked out by hand to sound depth and repointed in natural hydraulic lime, pressed back so the stone leads, not the mortar.
Result: A crisp, breathable finish that lets the stone speak. The cottage looks as it should — cared for, not modernised.

Craftsman repointing a tall rubble stone gable with scaffold and ladder in place

Stonework

High Rubble Gable — Repointed from Scaffold

Problem, method, result +

Problem: A tall rubble gable with failed joints high up, where water was getting into the wall.
Method: Scaffold erected, joints cleared and repointed in lime from ridge to ground, including quoins and window reveals.
Result: The whole elevation is weathertight again and still breathing, with the character of the old stone kept.

Close-up of finished lime pointing on granite rubble stonework

Detail Work

Granite Rubble — Pointing Detail

Problem, method, result +

Problem: Hard granite and uneven rubble need a joint that suits the stone, not a uniform modern line.
Method: Lime mortar colour and aggregate matched to the stone, pointed flush and brushed back to expose the aggregate.
Result: A finish that looks like it has always been there. This is the pointing we are known for.

Internal lime plaster finished around a doorway with an oak lintel

Interior Work

Internal Lime Plaster & Oak Lintel

Problem, method, result +

Problem: Interior walls in an old building needed a finish that breathes and suits the structure.
Method: Lime plaster applied in coats around an oak lintel and reveals, left to cure slowly for a soft, natural surface.
Result: Warm, breathable internal walls. A typical Winter Works job, done when the weather rules out outside work.

Freshly rendered gable elevation with sash windows and timber balcony

Lime Render

Two-Storey Render Works

Problem, method, result +

Problem: A two-storey house with a tall elevation over a balcony, hard to reach and in need of a new render.
Method: Full scaffold set up over the decking, render applied in coats across both storeys and worked neatly around the sash windows.
Result: An even, durable finish across the whole elevation.

Lime Render

Farmhouse — Lime Render with Exposed Quoins

Problem, method, result +

Problem: A two-storey farmhouse needed a new finish that would protect the walls while keeping its character.
Method: Lime render built up in coats and worked neatly to the stone quoins and window surrounds, which were left exposed.
Result: A clean, breathable finish with the stone corners framing the house. It looks traditional and stays dry.

Interior rubble stone wall framed by brick reveals after lime pointing

Interior Work

Interior Brick & Stone Revealed

Problem, method, result +

Problem: Original brick and stone inside the building were hidden and in poor condition.
Method: Walls opened up and cleaned back, then brick piers, arches and stone panels repointed in lime.
Result: The building's original fabric is now a feature indoors. A typical Winter Works job: indoor lime work while the weather keeps us off the outside walls.

Small traditional stone cottage freshly lime pointed, with painted door and potted plants

Stonework

Stone Cottage — Lime Pointed

Problem, method, result +

Problem: A small stone cottage whose walls needed proper repointing to keep the weather out.
Method: Joints cleared and repointed in lime, pressed back so each stone stands out.
Result: A cottage full of charm that will weather gracefully for decades.

Stonework

Stone Outbuilding Conversion

Problem, method, result +

Problem: An old stone outbuilding being brought back into use, with new openings and tired walls.
Method: The full building repointed in lime, with openings and reveals dressed to suit the original stonework.
Result: A sound, breathable stone building ready for its new life, with its rural character kept.