St.Michael's & All Angels Church, Letcombe Bassett, Oxfordshire
This fine, mainly 17th century church is especially noted for its Norman chancel, chancel arch and doorway. The east and west windows in the chancel date from the 13th century. The tower is also likely to date from the same building phase. The south wall of the nave contains two 15th century window lights. The church was extensively remodelled by William Butterfield in 1861. In the 1950s the lead roof was overlayed by a shallow pitched tiled roof. A hard, cementitious render was also applied at this time.
The involvement
by Minerva Stone in 2003 was primarily related to the removal of the failing
cement render. The walls behind were found to be constructed of mainly
clunch, flint and lesser areas of brick and limestne. The general condition
of the walls was poor and a good deal of re-building was required in order
to ensure the complete consolidation of the walls prior to rerendering.
The consolidation was acheived through a combimation of extensive tile
repairs and careful replacement of clunch blocks. The plint area was particularily
fragile and heaqvily eroded.
Walls were then rendered with three coats lime mortar, following a phase
of heavy dubbing out in order to attempt to flatten the walls out to a
certain degree. A close faced render was used in the topcoat, finished
with straight grain wooden float in order to acheive an open, porous texture.
The finished render was then decorated with a coloured limewash, 4 coats.
Minerva also carried out rebuilds and consolidation of stonework to the
parapet and gable ends.
