Longs Mill, Derby
DerbyMetropolitan Thames Valley HousingMay 2025
Specialist de-vegetation and parapet rebuild to resolve water ingress on a heritage mill conversion.
Challenge
Leaseholder apartments were suffering significant water ingress from a deteriorating parapet with deeply embedded vegetation — in a hard-to-access location with no scaffolding option.
Approach
The rope team removed extensive vegetation from the parapet, including careful deconstruction of brickwork to extract deeply embedded root systems. The parapet was then rebuilt using specified lime mortar and locally quarried sand to ensure compatibility with the original structure.
Outcome
Parapet restored to its original standard, water ingress resolved, structural integrity preserved — all without disruptive scaffolding or access platforms.
Project specifications.
- Substrate
- Heritage mill brickwork parapet, Long's Mill (1792)
- Mortar
- NHL 3.5 hydraulic lime + locally-quarried sand match
- Method
- Vegetation removal + parapet deconstruction + rebuild
- Heritage status
- Grade II* listed — earliest surviving cotton mill of its type
- Failure mode
- Embedded root systems, water ingress to leasehold apartments
- Access
- IRATA rope from rooftop — no scaffold option viable
- Programme
- 4 weeks on rope
- Records
- Photographic before/during/after, lime-mix compatibility report