DJ Cooper Building Conservation for Blaisdon,, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire

Blaisdon lies about 8 miles South West of Gloucester on the edge of the Severn flood plain. Before the Norman Invasion it was known as Blethes Dene, meaning 'wooded place'. The village turns towards the rich farmland of the Vale of Gloucester, and its land is predominantly fertile, once with many orchards growing the 'Blaisdon Plum'. Always small, the village is protected by the barriers of the River Severn and Forest of Dean The centuries were hardly noticed here, and even the Civil War of 1642 passed by it. The early houses were timber framed, built with Forest Oak, but a disastrous fire on 7th July 1699 destroyed most of the village. Subsequent rebuilding was in stone or brick, but some timber framed buildings remain. In the 18th Century the village estate was owned by Robert Hayle and John Wade, whose daughter Anna Gordon ran the estate until its sale in 1865. The Great Western Railway connected the village to the Hereford -Gloucester branch line in 1852, and steam trains could be heard in the village until 1964. <br /><br />With historic buildings in and around the town, some national monuments, some still in use, owned privately or by the local council, we often find ourselves called on in the Blaisdon area to ensure that when the grime from traffic, bird fouling, general day to day soiling or even graffiti is removed from a treasured building, there is no damage to the often delicate stonework beneath.<br /><br />From removal of old paint for a domestic redecoration project, or the intricate cleaning of stone work in a cathedral using the poultice method, you will find that wherever you are in Blaisdon or Gloucestershire, you will get a quick response, highly competitive quotation and thorough cleaning from DJ Cooper. Our number is shown above, or if you prefer to send us an email, simply click in the header of any page.

Photo from Featured Project near Blaisdon, Gloucestershire
Torc Cleaning of Stone Capitals - Before Cleaning
This sequence of three images shows these weathered stone capitals before (showing carbon tarnish), during Torc cleaning, and after Torc cleaning.<br /><br />They arrived in fairly poor condition, being heavily tarnished with carbon from airborne pollution over many years. The surfaces were also fairly fragile, so any aggressive cleaning techniques were out of the question. <br /><br />The Torc system was chosen for this job as it cleans thoroughly yet gently, using a combination of air pressure, a little water and some granulate abrasives. The key to success is in choosing the right abrasive medium for the type of stone in question, from the options of calcite, dolomite and util. <br /><br />As shown in the final (after image) the carbon has been effectively removed while retaining the patina of the stone.<br /><br />If you face similar cleaning challenges and need to preserve the material to be cleaned, give our specialist team a call, or click in the header of any page to send us an email. We will be happy to quote for any or all of your building conservation needs.