The Three Guineas
Styles Façade Solutions® (formerly Thomann-Hanry®) was instructed by Fuller, Smith & Turner to carry out a pub facade restoration on the historic Clock Tower during a major pub refurbishment. Timber and lead construction had suffered water ingress, causing significant rot and failed leadwork joints.
Scaffolding enabled full access, with a preparatory survey testing for hazardous materials like lead paint to ensure CLAW compliance. Specialist heritage restorers then stripped damaged paintwork, removing and restoring rotten wood, and replaced cracked lead with new handmade flashing and panels.
Following redecoration with colour-matched paints, the fully restored Clock Tower now honours Victorian engineering, continuing to shape the town well into the 21st century.
Solutions provided
Styles Façade Solutions® prepares to restore and redecorate the clock tower and façade of The Three Guineas, a Grade II listed former station building in Reading.
CLOCKING A GREAT RESTORATION IN READING
With the railway boom at full steam, noted Victorian civil and maritime engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel was appointed the first engineer of the Great Western Railway (GWR), responsible for the design and construction of its London–Bristol main line. This encompassed all station buildings, including the original Reading Station – located on the site of what is now The Three Guineas.
Opened in 1840, the original station was deemed inadequate for a hub of such importance by 1865. A new buff brick and Bath stone, topped with a wooden and leaded clock tower, was subsequently erected and opened to passengers in 1867.
The station gained Grade II listed status in 1976, but by the early 1980s the need for a new, larger booking office and concourse led British Rail to open a new station building adjacent to it in 1989. This allowed the original station structure to be converted into a Fuller’s pub.
Styles Façade Solutions® strips back the timber cornice and brackets of The Three Guineas clock tower to bare wood during restoration work.
HERITAGE DIAGNOSTICS AND STRUCTURAL WOODWORK REMEDIATION
With the pub due to undergo a major refurbishment, Styles Façade Solutions® was instructed by Fuller, Smith & Turner to carry out a pub facade restoration on the historic Clock Tower. Given its timber and lead construction, exposure to the elements over time had led to the ingress of water. This additional moisture had resulted in significant rot and damage to the woodwork, as well as cracking and failure across critical leadwork joints between the tower and the main roof.
As the pub was closed for this refurbishment, it was decided to scaffold the Clock Tower to gain complete, multi-sided access. To better understand the requirements of this project, we conducted a detailed preparatory survey. Due to the age of the property, it was essential to test for hazardous historical materials, such as lead or arsenic in the paintwork. For example, if lead is identified in the existing paintwork, all works are required to conform to Control of Lead at Work (CLAW) regulations for its safe and compliant disposal.
With the survey complete, our team of specialist heritage restorers removed years of cracked and damaged paintwork to reveal the wood surfaces below. All damaged and rotten wood was removed and restored, cracked and missing lead work was also carefully inspected and replaced with new handmade lead flashing and panels.
SPECIALIST REDECORATION to PRESERVE VICTORIAN HERITAGE
With the remediation and restoration works complete, our qualified team began the redecoration process as the final stage of this pub facade restoration. Using appropriate and colour-matched paints for this project was key for a listed building of this age and location.
The fully refurbished and restored Clock Tower now stands as a testament to the ingenuity and engineering prowess of great Victorians such as Isambard Kingdom Brunel, demonstrating how their ideas have continued to shape Britain's towns well into the 21st Century.
“It was a delight to be able to work on this project to help restore a heritage building which was part of one of the key innovations in modern history. The restoration results we delivered for our client are among the finest in the hospitality sector since our launch in 2005. We look forward to raising a glass in celebration to the venue when we next pass-through Reading Station.”
Mark Styles, Managing Director, Styles Façade Solutions
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