The Cockpit, Windsor

Rescuing 600 Years of History

 

Rescuing 600 Years of History

Some projects are business. This one is personal.

The Cockpit in Windsor (Eton High Street) is more than just a building; it is a piece of living history. Believed to date from around 1420, this timber-framed structure has served as a medieval tavern, a candle maker’s workshop and the “Adam & Eve” inn.

But centuries of use and recent years of neglect took their toll. With the building placed on Historic England’s “At Risk” register and previous developers failing to unlock its potential, the structure faced an uncertain future.

Structural Repairs stepped in not just as contractors, but as owners and custodians. We are currently undertaking a complete, top-to-bottom restoration to return this Grade II* listed landmark to its former glory.

Roofing timbers undergoing restoration in the Cockpit, Windsor

A Masterclass in Heritage Engineering

Restoring a building of this age requires a forensic understanding of medieval construction. There are no straight lines here, only centuries of movement, settlement and history.

The Challenges We Are Solving:
  • Oak Frame Stabilisation: The heart of The Cockpit is its ancient timber skeleton. We are using traditional green oak joinery techniques—mortise and tenon joints, scarf joints and wooden pegs—to strengthen the frame without compromising its integrity.
  • Wattle and Daub Repair: We are preserving and reinstating the original breathable wall infills using traditional lime putty, goat hair and lath, ensuring the building can “breathe” as it was designed to.
  • The Knuckle-Bone Floor: One of the building’s most unique features is a rare floor constructed from sheep knuckle bones (remnants of its time near a slaughterhouse). Cleaning and consolidating this fragile surface requires surgical precision.

Why We Are Doing This

For us, The Cockpit is a living brochure. It is a testament to our belief that no building is beyond saving.

While many contractors shy away from the financial and technical risks of Grade II* listed works, we embraced them. This project allows us to demonstrate our full capability spectrum—from structural shoring and propping to the finest decorative lime plastering—on our own asset.

What This Means For You

When you commission Structural Repairs for your heritage project, you aren’t just hiring a builder. You are hiring a team that understands the emotional and technical weight of listed building ownership. We treat your asset with the same anxiety, care and attention to detail as we do our own.

See History Being Saved

The restoration of The Cockpit is ongoing. We invite fellow conservationists, heritage officers and asset owners to witness the techniques we are employing.

Do you have a Listed Building that requires this level of care?

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