The plinth of the Whipping Cross was eroding and laminating and listed building consent was sort and approved to replace the plinth stones with new.
The limestone for the new plinth stones was Clipsham, this is an oolitic limestone from Lincolnshire. It was chosen because it matched the stone used in the previous plinth.
The original base was decaying and the stone was delaminating,
The stones were eroding mainly because they had been bedded in a cement based mortar.
The original stones were taken up. Two of the original stones were in relatively good condition and were reused.
Once the original stones were taken up it was discovered that they had been laid on a strong concrete base. The original concrete was removed as it would have been shortened the life of the new stone. The concrete would not have let the stone dry out and consequently the stone would have been affected by damp and frost action.
Once the concrete was removed, the base was prepared and the edging fixed.
A limecrete base was used for the new stones to be laid onto to.
The first course of new stone set out dry bedded onto the concrete base.
One of the original two stones had an eroded surface; this would have harboured water and increased the likelihood of erosion. So a small area of matching stone was “pieced in” with narrow lime joints,
The new plinth stones bedded and pointed using a hot lime morta