The Old Vicarage B&B, Little Ouse

At the back of the stable block in the Victorian Kitchen Garden, there was a small wall that had collapsed. This was joined to the stable block. As this wall is not to be reinstated, the bricks that connected the wall and stable had to be chiselled out and reclaimed bricks inserted, The picture shows the chiselling out of the old bricks completed, and the reclaimed bricks inserted, which will shortly be cemented in using a lime mortar to match the original building.

You’ll notice the closeness of colour in the bricks being used. These bricks are reclaims from other parts of the house. Thus, they have the same age and discolouration.

The last question is to clean the wall or not? If the wall is cleaned, the bricks and new lime mortar will blend much better with the old. My view is that on a building in use since 1869, why tray and hide all of its repairs and modernisations. they just form part of its evolution. I might leave it for now.