Weathered Stonework:
Walking out of Chelsea on that first evening in 1992 I had a Eureka moment. On a famous antique company’s stand was a Redwood Stone ‘Kissing Cherubs’, a bit ‘weathered’ (aged), at 5 x’s the price in our brochure – and it was Sold! I needed to go down weathered route.
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For 1993 I managed to collect together some weathered pieces of our own stonework, about 20 years old, and found that even at much higher prices than normal there was considerable demand. I needed to find a way of weathering stone instantly.
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One of our first weathering projects was when tennis partner Roger Saul, of Mulberry fame, refurbished Charlton House hotel, now a Bannantyne Spa, he commissioned us to produce the weathered balustrade for the front of the hotel. Our Manor House Balustrade was born for Chelsea 2000.
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Our process for weathering stone is a closely guarded secret but at Chelsea one very well spoken elderly lady told us her method; to drink Guinness and wee on it. I invited her down to the Stoneworks for a couple of pints, but she declined!
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The weathered finish of our Gothic Follies is perfect for the English Country Garden, and looks, feels and smells hundreds of years old, though with hardly a hint of Guinness!
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Our Chelsea Story
