Petre Chapel, Brentwood
Private Roman Catholic Chapel Receives Extensive Stone Restoration
What we did...
- Restoration & Conservation
- Stone Masonry
- Structural / Roofing
- Leadwork
- Specialist Services
USL was appointed as Principal Contractor to carry out extensive restoration works to Petre chapel in Ingrave, Brentwood, Essex. The striking Grade II* listed chapel was built in 1854 as a private chapel for the Roman Catholic Petre family.
Petre Chapel is built of Kentish Ragstone with decorative bands of soft limestone, which has not weathered well. With suffering significant deterioration inside and out over the years, in 2010 the chapel was gifted by Lord Petre to the Historic Chapels’ Trust who secured substantial grants from English Heritage and the Country Houses Foundation to enable urgent repairs to the roof, stonework and drains and a full restoration programme aimed at saving the building
USL undertook the project in two phases, with the first phase including roofing and beadwork repairs, replacement of valley gutters and refurbishment and installation of new rainwater goods.
Phase two works incorporated:
- Buttress restoration, new quoin stones and weathering tables.
- Servicing of the church bell and new stainless steel metal bell support bracket fitted.
- Weathervane restoration
- Exploratory works into the closed off crypt.
- Restoration to spire including repairs to existing caen stone, new caen stone, crockets, carved bats, columns, weathering, head-mouldings and carved vaulted arch sections.
- Extensive mortar repairs and conservation
- Dismantling and reconstruction of the existing spire incorporating 85% new worked carved stone sections.
- Installation of new land drainage system, access chambers and soak-aways.
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