Not every defect should disappear. Sometimes it’s part of the building’s story

2nd Jul 2026

At Burnsall Primary School, we’ve recently completed the careful restoration of the original cast iron windows.
Each window was removed, deglazed and sent away for specialist sand blasting and powder coating before being returned to site for reinstatement. While the frames were away, we carried out localised stone repairs, redecorated the interfaces between the cast iron and stonework, and reapplied traditional limewash internally to maintain the building’s historic character.
One of the most rewarding parts of the project wasn’t a repair at all.
Over the years, generations of former pupils had scratched their names and initials into some of the small diamond panes. Rather than replacing that history, every inscribed pane was carefully recorded before glazing was removed, allowing each piece of glass to be returned to its exact original position.
The distinctive diamond-pattern opening casements, which had long since seized, are now back in working order, preserving both the building’s character and its function.
It’s these small details that make working on historic buildings so rewarding. Conservation isn’t just about repairing old fabric—it’s about understanding what deserves to be preserved.