Works at the Wonky House

Towards the beginning of the year, we launched our fundraising campaign to help save the Wonky House in Lincoln! Since then we've been overwhelmed with the tremendous support everyone has offered. More recently, you may have entered our fundraising raffle at the Heckington Show. In which case thank you, together we raised just under £300 over the sunny last weekend of July! All proceeds go towards saving the Wonky House. A huge congratulations to our lucky winner Amy for winning the Lincolnshire Summer Hamper and to Chris for winning a Lindum Book's voucher.

No matter your contribution, big or small, whether you donated or entered one of our raffles over the past few months, you've helped ensure these iconic buildings will remain an integral part of Lincoln's historic landscape. From all at Heritage Lincolnshire we want to say thank you!

You might notice that 40-42 Michaelgate will soon look a little different!

On site works have been progressing well, with the support of our fundraising campaign and expert contractors. You may remember, we launched our fundraising campaign in part due to the devastating Deathwatch beetle infestation. To combat this, the timber-framing will be limewashed using authentic traditional methods used since medieval times. This treatment helps to preserve the medieval timbers and will prevent additional Deathwatch beetle damage.

How does Limewash work?

Exposed timber frames are painted with a ‘wash’ of lime that acts as a preservative against pollutants and other destructive elements in the atmosphere.

The lime becomes ingrained in the beams, preventing moisture from penetrating while allowing the wood to breathe. It also prevents bug infestations. (National Trust.)

Did you know that the timber was only painted black in the Victorian era? Before that, timber-framing was commonly treated with lime!