The Diamond Mark
Timber technologists from Woodexperts were recently asked to assess a historic end-grain woodblock pavement at the Grade 1 Listed Sezincote House in the Cotswolds.
It’s thought that the pavement dates from Victorian times, though it may have been a rebuild of an earlier pavement which was original to the house when it built in 1805. The pavment is made oak paviors, end-grain uppermost, to maximise resistance to wear – and they seem to be doing the job after well over a century of use!
The house itself is beautiful and fascinating, a striking ‘mock Indian’ residence. It was, however, built entirely by local stonemasons and craftsmen, not imported Indian craftspeople. The design used paintings of earlier Mughal architecture as a guide (think the Taj Mahal and you’re on the right lines) and it is unique in the UK.
