Recent work
A Recent Loft Conversion
Rooflight conversion — turning dead roof space into a proper room. See more on our loft conversions page.
Brickwork, flint and stone work, lime repointing, roofing and extensions across Dorchester, Poundbury and Fordington — a county town where the ground has two thousand years of history in it.
Dorchester is chalk, flint and Portland stone, with Roman archaeology underneath and a design code on one side of town. Here's what we do most of.
Repointing, brick repair, chimneys, garden and boundary walls. Dorchester's Georgian and Victorian brick is soft and wants lime mortar — point it in hard cement and the moisture leaves through the brick face instead, taking the surface with it. More on our brickwork →
Flint walling and repair, Portland and Ham stone dressings, and rubble stone rebuilding. Chalk country building means flint, and knapped or whole it is a slow, skilled wall to build properly — and an easy one to ruin with the wrong mortar.
Pitched and flat roofs, slipped tiles, ridge and verge work, chimney flashings. Inland and sheltered compared with the coast, so roofs here tend to fail through age and neglect rather than storm damage.
Rear and side extensions, garden rooms and loft conversions. The post-war housing has the plots for it; the town centre and Poundbury both come with their own constraints.
Two thousand years of town on the same spot, chalk underneath, and a modern development with rules of its own. Nowhere else in Dorset has this mix.
Dorchester is Roman Durnovaria. The town walls survive as The Walks, Maumbury Rings sits at the end of the high street, and Maiden Castle is on the doorstep. Ground works in and around the historic core can attract archaeological conditions, and the county town takes that seriously. It's worth establishing before you plan foundations, not while a digger sits idle.
The town sits on chalk downland, so the traditional materials are flint, chalk cob, brick and Portland or Ham stone dressings. Chalk is free-draining and generally decent to build on, but it is also soft — and cob and flint walls both want breathable lime mortar and a sound roof above them far more than they want modern sealants.
The Duchy development on the west side is built to a traditional design code covering materials, proportions and detailing. Work there needs to match what's already on the elevation rather than whatever is cheapest at the merchant, and additions and alterations can be tied down more tightly than elsewhere in DT1. Check before you commit to a material.
Rooflight conversion — turning dead roof space into a proper room. See more on our loft conversions page.
Where we work across Dorchester and DT1, and what we typically get called out for.
| Area | Areas & what we see there |
|---|---|
| Town centre | High West & High East Street, Cornhill Georgian and Victorian brick with stone dressings, conservation area and a good deal of listed property. Lime repointing, chimney work, sympathetic repair and consent questions. |
| Fordington | Fordington, Mill Street, Salisbury Field The oldest part of the town — brick, flint and cob among later infill, on lower ground toward the Frome. Repair work, walls, roofs and flood-aware extensions. |
| Poundbury | Poundbury, Middle Farm, Bridport Road edge Modern traditional construction under a design code. Extensions, walls and alterations that have to match the existing palette — stone, render and detailing done to spec. |
| Victoria Park & Prince of Wales Road | Victoria Park, Maud Road Inter-war and post-war semis and terraces with workable plots. Extensions, loft conversions, garden walls and re-rendering. |
| Castle Park & Maiden Castle Road | Castle Park, Maiden Castle Road Later housing on the southern edge. Straightforward extension and conversion work, with archaeology worth a thought on anything deep. |
| Charlton Down & the DT2 villages | Charminster, Stratton, Puddletown, Broadmayne Village property in brick, flint, cob and thatch. Traditional construction that needs breathable materials and time. |
Flint, cob, soft brick and lime are not the same job as blockwork and cement, and they don't forgive shortcuts. Over a decade on Dorset buildings means we know which is which.
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Mike is based in Poole, so Dorchester is a genuine drive. We'd rather tell you straight whether a job suits us than quote for it, win it and then struggle to get there.
No. We come out, look at the job properly and give you a written estimate, with no charge and no obligation.
It might, and it's better to know early. Dorchester is Roman Durnovaria — the town walls survive as The Walks and Maumbury Rings sits at the end of the high street. Ground works in and around the historic core can carry archaeological conditions from Dorset Council. It rarely stops a job outright, but it can change the programme and the cost, so establish it before you design foundations.
Yes. Flint walling and repair, and repair to cob where it's sound enough to save. Both are breathable constructions and both are commonly ruined by cement render or hard pointing sealing the moisture in. They want lime, and they want a roof and drainage that keep water off them in the first place.
Generally yes. Poundbury is built to a traditional design code governing materials, proportions and detailing, so extensions and alterations are expected to match the existing palette rather than use whatever is standard. Check what applies to your property before committing to materials — it's easier than redoing an elevation.
Because older brick is soft and the wall has to breathe. Lime lets moisture move out through the joint; hard cement traps it so it leaves through the face of the brick instead, and after a few winters the face starts spalling off. It's the most common avoidable damage we see on period property.
DT1 — the town centre, Fordington, Poundbury, Victoria Park, Castle Park and the Maiden Castle Road side — plus the nearer DT2 villages including Charminster, Stratton, Puddletown and Broadmayne.
Day rates typically run £200–£350 depending on trade and complexity. Heritage work — flint, cob, lime and stone — sits at the higher end because it's slower and the materials cost more. Project work is priced as a package.
Yes — dormers, rooflight conversions and full loft builds. The inter-war and post-war housing around Victoria Park converts well. Listed and conservation-area property in the centre is more involved and may need consent.
Free estimate, no obligation. We'll come out, look at the job, and give you a straight price.