Coping stones and restoration
A friend of ours has recently restored an old farmhouse and the complete farm yard in a little village in Warwickshire. It’s been a long job and a real labour of love. It has involved hours of searching for appropriate materials; the correct bricks; the right sized oak beams and trusses; the correct blue paver bricks for the stables, and we’ve been on hand to help with the requirements for any stone items.
Although the majority of the materials needed were reclaimed, some items just were available; or at least he wasn’t able to find them! The original wall to the farmhouse, that kept livestock from wandering across the cattle yard and into the house! Had a lovely stone coping on the top. It was a flat design with just a slight degree of weathering (tilt) so that the rain could run off, and yet was flat enough to serve as a comfortable seat.
Our friend wanted to use the same thing, but as there was about 25 metres missing we had to trawl all the stone stockists the see if we could find a match, which sadly we couldn’t. So, as an alternative, we’ve decided to copy the original piece, and then distress it so that after a couple of years of weathering the stone will look indistinguishable from the old.
The copings are being made now, and we’ll be putting it through the same process as our distressed stone fireplaces.
Well post some pictures when the job is completed.