New exterior stone steps for school, London NW3
Pictured: The completed entrance at The Hall School in Belsize Park NW3, with new Portland stone treads and risers by Stone Steps and Paving
The Stone Steps and Paving team installed new exterior stone steps at the main entrance of The Hall School on Crossfield Road in Belsize Park, north west London. The original York stone steps had become worn and cracked, so we waterproofed and repaired them and then overlaid them with new Portland stone, chosen to match the Portland stone portico at the top of the staircase.
We also added new copings to the side walls with railings on top, cleaned the portico, and removed and reinstated the front railings and gates. The work took place during the school holidays, and the whole project took just over two weeks, with everything completed before the children came back for the new term.
The Hall School is an independent boys’ preparatory school in Belsize Park, Hampstead. Its original building is late Victorian, dating from around 1889, and was designed by Edward Robert Robson, the architect behind several hundred London school buildings after the Elementary Education Act 1870. It is red brick, with a columned Portland stone portico over the entrance and a front staircase that crosses the lightwell.
The building stands in the Belsize Conservation Area, designated in 1973, where work to frontages is subject to conservation-area controls.
Before and after photo: The school entrance steps in Portland stone
Pictured: Before and after at the entrance of The Hall School in Belsize Park NW3, where our team overlaid the worn York stone steps with new Portland stone to match the portico
Challenge: Worn steps patched with indents over the years
The Hall School contacted us to quote for reviving its entrance. The original York stone steps had become worn and cracked, and several indents had been fitted over the years to prolong their use. An indent is a repair where a damaged piece of stone is cut out and a new piece fitted in its place. After many of these repairs, the school felt it was now time to refresh the entrance.
The steps and the portico above them were also two different stones, York stone for the steps and Portland stone for the portico. The staircase’s side walls did not support protective railings.
Pictured: The side wall of the staircase before the work, with plain old copings and no railings above the drop to the lightwell
Solution: Exterior stone steps in Portland stone, with new copings and railings
Our team visited and discussed the options for what could be done. As the portico at the top of the staircase is made from Portland stone, we suggested that new matching stone steps would enhance the look of the entrance, so that the steps and the portico would be in the same stone.
We also suggested cleaning the portico with our DOFF steam cleaning system to refresh its overall look.
We quoted for the work along with new copings to the side walls and the addition of railings on top – with quite a big drop down to the lightwell on either side of the steps we felt this was a good idea for obvious safety reasons.
Once costs were agreed, we returned to template the steps and to provide drawings for approval. We were able to waterproof the original steps and carry out any necessary repairs before overlaying them with the new stone.
The front iron railings and gates had to be removed and then reinstated after the new stone had gone in. We carried out the work during the school holidays so as not to cause disruption, and we managed to get everything completed before the children returned for the new term.
Pictured: New Portland stone copings on the side walls of the staircase by Stone Steps and Paving, with new railings fixed on top above the lightwell
Result: A refreshed and safer main entrance
The school now has a main entrance in one stone, with new Portland stone steps that match the portico above them and a portico refreshed by cleaning. New copings and railings run along the side walls above the lightwell on both sides.
The whole project took just over two weeks. The school was delighted with the finished result, which rejuvenated the main entrance and made things a lot safer too.
Frequently asked questions about installing new exterior stone steps for schools
Contact us: Need new exterior stone steps in Hampstead or Belsize Park?
Stone Steps and Paving is one of London’s leading specialists in new and replacement stone entrance steps, including overlaying worn York stone steps with new Portland stone and adding copings and railings above basement lightwells.
Much of our work is on late Victorian buildings like this one, where we match new stone to original features such as porticos and copings, and we know the conservation areas of north London well.
We work across Belsize Park, Hampstead, Primrose Hill and Swiss Cottage, the wider borough of Camden and the rest of London.
If your school or home has worn or cracked front steps, contact us for a free quotation, and we will plan the work around the times when your building is quietest.
Example review: Our steps work is highly recommended
Stone Steps and Paving also replaced the asphalt-covered entrance steps and path of a house on Elsworthy Terrace in nearby Primrose Hill, NW3, in new York stone. The homeowner, Matthew, wrote:
“Overall I could not recommend the team highly enough. They are proper old style craftsmen, they really know what they are doing and gave me a lot of confidence throughout the project.”
See also
Project summary
Stone Steps and Paving installed new exterior Portland stone steps at The Hall School, Crossfield Road, Belsize Park NW3. We overlaid the worn York stone steps to match the portico, and adding copings with safety railings above the lightwells. All during the school holidays.
