Stone Edge completes Sandown Hall restoration

Stone Edge has completed an expertly crafted replica of the classic building Sandown Hall, which once stood in Wavertree, Liverpool.

The red sandstone Hall, restored for a private client, was dismantled in the 1990s after architects had made detailed drawings so it could be rebuilt.

Although the building materials were stored in a field in Warrington, the pallets rotted over time and some of the stones sunk into the ground. Other parts had been stolen or vandalised.

Using the architects’ drawings and the original stonework as a reference, Stone Edge restored the building in a completely new location - Ribble Valley, Lancashire.

Stone Edge produced a precise copy of the Hall’s stonework, including pediment, cornices and four columns with ionic capitals that support the main portico.

Stone Edge also supplied and fixed all external balustrades, paving and entrance piers.

Initially, the idea was to use the original stone but red sandstone looked out of place in Clitheroe.

The end result was a replica made from Crosland Hill sandstone produced by Johnsons Wellfield Quarries, which works much more effectively in the local area.

In terms of structure, the Sandown Hall replica is identical to the original hall.

The building includes a load bearing stone, 300mm at the plinth, 100mm for the ashlar, and 150mm window reveals. The pediment and cornice use 800mm stones.

“People don’t build like this any more,” says Richard Denneny from Stone Edge.

Read more about Sandown Hall