Galleting
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An appeal for information about galleting received an overwhelming response with recommendations, ideas, locations, suggestions and lots of good photographs for which I am extremely grateful. It will take time to gather this into an informative narrative that can be presented for general information.
WINDSOR CASTLE
This building with its truly international fame as an occupied royal palace and almost 1000 years of history requires no introduction. So I was thrilled to be invited to visit the extensive works of repair and repointing of the flint galleted stonework.
Scaffolding over the full height of the castle wall provided access to a variety of stonework in which the nature of the galleting varied with the requirements of the individual joints. This occurs throughout the castle. Existing gallets were salvaged and reused with additional gallets made on site as required, generally at the larger end of the usual size range.
STRANGERS’ HALL, NORWICH.
Strangers’ Hall is a grade 1 listed building dating from circa 1320 but with numerous later additions. It has contained a museum since 1900. There are several galleted flint walls one of which faces onto the garden. This latter wall is of grey dappled, rich, dark flint with red brick dressings to quoins and openings. As a result of past repairs and repointing very little of the original galleting remained to inform the current project. Some of the flint work was loose or unstable and required reconstruction.
IN ADDITION I received invitations to visit projects involving the repair and reinstatement of galleted masonry. In each case it was possible to view work in progress and discuss, in detail, the practical aspects and problems experienced with this traditional craft.
I am indebted to Tim Cleall of Norse Commercial Services Limited who provided much assistance in connection with the project to repair and repoint the masonry, and to Steve Brown, Senior Building Surveyor at Norwich City Council who arranged access and discussed their approach to the contract.
All the mortar joints were repointed with new galleting using locally sourced flint of good colour. Each gallet was individually formed to fit the available space, a very slow and time consuming task. The finished work provides an excellent example of this traditional craft, most pleasing to look at.
My thanks go to Adrian Paye of Paye Stonework who arranged for me to have access and Chris Gough who accompanied me on a tour of the project.