Replacement Finials

The Challenge

Four 8 foot finials located on each corner of the parapet at Wotton House in Wotton Underwood, Aylesbury had become cracked and eroded to the point where they were no longer safe.

Due to their exposed position and the passage of time the finials had become reduced to a mere essence of what they had once been. Originally the finials were very detailed but much of this had become damaged and some totally lost.

Whilst planning this restoration project the owner encountered difficulty in finding firms who had the ability to safely remove the finials and craftsmen with the skill and experience to recreate the damaged finials. 

Our Approach 

Working from one of the damaged features our skilled design team took dimensions and created drawings of the finial and it's detail.

A number of techniques were employed by our experienced craftsmen to faithfully replicate every aspect of the finial and create a full size model. This included recreating two types of pineapple pinnacle (one open and one closed), deeply undercut swags, botanically styled scrolls and at its base precision repeat patterns. 

Using the model we crafted a mould from which we created beautiful hand cast replacement finials. 

The Completed Project

The removal and replacement of the finials was a significant challenge for the Owner of Wotton House.

Having reviewed the options an ingenious solution devised by the Estate Manager for the lowering of the finials was selected along with Cranborne Stone's experience and expertise in recreating detailed masonry and features damaged by time. 

The nature of our cast stone and the design of our mould proved to be the perfect combination to recreate to a high standard the fine detail of the finials.

The new finials are now in place on the parapet at Wotton House to be enjoyed by the owner and visitors alike. We were delighted when this restoration project was recognised with an award from the Historic Houses Association.