Willshaw Heritage LTD

29/08/2026

13/08/2026

3 ton of dry-slaked mortar, 24 hours into slaking and still piping hot 🔥 another 24 hours and it’ll be ready for the plasterers mix

01/08/2026

I love little finds like this, while starting this chimney rebuild,

One of the reclaimed handmade bricks had what appears to be the impressions of a child’s fingers, pressed into the clay before it was fired.

Whoever made this brick, or perhaps a curious child in the brickyard, left these marks well over a century ago. Today, while rebuilding the chimney in traditional hot lime mortar, we had the privilege of finding them.

25/06/2026

Removing hard cement render is never easy. We’ve lost a few cobbles along the way, but the render is incredibly strong—possibly a 3:1, or even 2:1, cement mix. Years of being trapped beneath it has really taken their toll on these historic walls. 😬

03/02/2026

Willshaw Heritage Ltd

Willshaw Heritage is seeking a skilled heritage professional to join our busy, established team, with confirmed projects running through to 2027. This is a full-time, permanent role for the right person — not casual or short-term work.

⚠️ This position is physically demanding and technically skilled. Only motivated, reliable, and experienced individuals should apply.

🔨 Daily Responsibilities:
• Working on period and historic buildings
• Lime mortar work: pointing, plastering & rendering
• Stone and brickwork repairs
• Limecrete flooring installations
• General heritage construction and conservation tasks
• Regular work at height (scaffolded environments)

👷 Essential Requirements:
• Proven experience in construction or heritage work
• Practical understanding of lime mortars and traditional materials
• Full UK driving licence – essential
• Strong work ethic, reliability, and attention to detail
• Ability to work efficiently as part of a professional team
• Respect for historic fabric and high workmanship standards

❌ This role is not suitable for:
• Labour-only applicants
• Individuals unwilling to work at height
• Those lacking reliability or commitment

💷 What We Offer:
• Secure, long-term employment
• Competitive pay (dependent on experience)
• High-quality conservation projects
• Opportunity to develop specialist heritage skills

📩 To apply, email a brief CV or outline of your experience to:
[email protected]

Only serious applicants will be considered.

02/02/2026

Two separate chimney stacks dropped and rebuilt in sandstone using hot-lime mortar at our Woodlesford project, Leeds.

The original stacks were badly decayed and honeycombed, with extensive historic cement repairs that had trapped moisture and caused long-term damage. Repair was no longer viable, so both stacks were carefully taken down.

Each stack was rebuilt as an independent structure, using newly cut sandstone to match the original fabric, parallel punched and detailed appropriately for this conservation area.

All four pots are live and serving working fires.

29/01/2026

Welcoming 2026 with a very busy schedule already in place for the year ahead. It’s been a while since we shared any project work, so here’s one from late last year.

Two chimney stacks partially dismantled and rebuilt as part of the same project.

Stack 1 serves as a working open fire and a log burner stove, with flues properly formed and benched internally. Stack 2 provides ventilation.

Both stacks were rebuilt partially using reclaimed red brick using hot lime bedding mortar, with a well formed flaunching to the crowns and finished with a tinted limewash with tallow.

WillshawHeritage

24/12/2025

🌲 Christmas Break Notice 🎄 As the year draws to a close, we would like to thank everyone who has worked with us throughout 2025, Our clients, consultants, suppliers, and fellow trades, for the support, collaboration, and trust placed in us Willshaw Heritage.It’s been a fantastic year, giving us the opportunity to work on some truly special projects and alongside some great people, and we’re grateful for every one of them. (You Knew Who You Are🙂) At the same time, it has also brought moments of real sadness, with the loss of a close colleague and friend within the heritage trade, and a personal family loss. They are very much in our thoughts.We are now closed for the Christmas break and will return to the office on Tuesday 6th January, looking ahead to the New Year with some truly great projects already booked in for 2026 🎆 We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.Kind regards,Willshaw Heritage 🎄