The Haining

Wartime interventions – including the installation of concrete floors and steel beams – resulted in the loss of much of the original period detailing. Following a fire in the 1940s, more than 80% of the interior was rebuilt.

Today, the estate is cared for by a charitable trust, who sought to carry out essential repairs to restore the building’s character and ensure it remains an appealing venue for events. TAFT was appointed to advise on both exterior and interior conservation, including sensitive repairs to the stone cladding and key listed features.

With a Category A listing and a defined project budget, our role was to identify where conservation work would deliver the greatest impact without compromising on quality or authenticity.

Working closely with Historic Environment Scotland, we undertook detailed investigations of the existing fabric – work that ultimately helped secure both grant funding and planning approval. These studies highlighted extensive failures in the 1830s ashlar cladding, which had been installed over the original lime-harled surface and fixed with ferrous ties. The panels were thin, bedded in the wrong orientation and prone to delamination.

To address this, we explored a range of repair strategies. Together with the client and planning authorities, we agreed on an innovative solution – to fully remove the deteriorated ashlar and apply a hot lime mortar finish in its place.

A bespoke lime mix was developed collaboratively with on-site craftspeople, and plaster-run moulded profiles were created around the windows – an approach that delivered both heritage sensitivity and future resilience. Lime harling was selected for its reduced embodied carbon compared with replacing the ashlar stone.

The Haining now has a renewed and more coherent façade, with its heritage character carefully safeguarded. The work provides a durable, sustainable future for the estate, enhancing its appeal as a community asset while preserving its architectural significance for generations to come.