During his summers he worked as a Plasterer’s Labourer for Trumpers Ltd with his father, Jeff Orton, Master Plasterer. During this time Henry worked at Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire repairing the plaster floors in the attic rooms and the Cut Velvet Room. At Stoke Rochford Hall, Lincolnshire, he helped record and save surviving fragments of the early Victorian Jacobean plaster ceilings that had been da
maged by a severe fire. For his culmination project Henry focused on craftsmanship in plasterwork and learnt how to replicate cornice work in the art school using fibrous plaster. Keen to carry on learning the plastering craft after graduation; Henry participated in the Traditional Skills Bursary Scheme. Under this program, he spent three months learning the art of pargetting and lime plastering with Bill Sargent, Master Plasterer. Henry then spent a year and a half working in the East Anglia region with Sargent and his team. Understanding the importance and application of traditional skills and materials was the primary focus of this study. As such Henry worked mostly on vernacular buildings in a traditional manner during this time. From summer 2009 to winter 2010 Henry sub-contracted for Skillington Workshop Ltd and Philip Gaches. During this period he worked at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, Burley on the Hill, Rutland and Wrest Park Orangery, Bedfordshire. However, most of his time was spent at Horace Walpole’s Strawberry Hill House, Twickenham, where he was involved in the complete restoration of the exterior stucco. During November/December 2009, he accompanied his father & Henry Rumbold MBE Master Stonemason in a heritage-training project to the island of St. Helena, South Atlantic funded by Department For International Development. The two month project was designed to provide traditional craftsmen with an understanding of techniques and materials for the preservation of old buildings on the island and encourage them to pass on their knowledge to local tradesmen. From 2009 to 2011 Henry assisted with the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings lime plastering course at Wheathills Farm, Derbyshire. There he worked with course tutors, Jeff Orton, Malcolm Utley, and Sean Wheatley. Henry has since assisted his father on many other courses and demonstrations. Clients of these endeavours include: Ty-Mawr Lime Ltd, The Building Limes Forum, Heritage Skills HUB, 1000 Years of Traditional Crafts 2011 (Lincoln Council & Cathedral Works), National Trust Cumbria, The Princes Foundation, The Villa Fabris European Centre (Italy), Preservation Trades Network (USA), Savannah Technical College (USA), The American College of Building Arts (Charleston, USA). From winter 2011 to winter 2014 Henry worked for private clients across England, undertaking various projects internally and externally such as modern plastering, solid sand and lime plaster, h**p and lime plaster, cement stucco repairs, in-situ decorative plaster repairs, modelling, mould making, casting and fibrous plaster. He also wrote a number of comprehensive reports on decorative plasterwork for architects and private clients. Notable projects from this time period include the restoration of the decorative plaster beams and frieze of Ernest Gimson’s Inglewood House, Leicester, cornice repairs in-situ at The Church of St John the Evangelist, Bierley Lane, Bradford, West Yorkshire which was designed and built by John Carr in 1766, consolidation and decoration of a decorative plaster frieze dating mid 17th century at Chatham’s School of Music, home of Chatham’s Library Manchester. Henry also repaired and consolidated a mid 19th century decorative plaster Gothic arch designed by Pugin found in the ruins of Alton Towers, Staffordshire. Henry has worked directly for the English National Trust carrying out lime plastering contracts at North Lodge-Kedleston Hall, Rowthorne Lodge-Hardwick Hall, Speke Hall & Stoneywell Cottage, the later another Ernest Gimson property recently acquired by the National Trust. Henry also continued to sub-contract, returning to plaster for Skillington’s at Lowther Castle, Cumbria. Henry also worked with Sean Wheatley on two major projects in Devon, both of which won the Plaisterers award, 2013 and 2014 respectively. Both projects entailed recording and removing what could be salvaged from fire damaged Jacobean plaster ceilings. On the first of these projects in Dartmouth, Henry participated in the documentation, cleaning and recasting of enrichments and the application of the first coat of haired lime plaster. For the second, larger project at Sydenham House, Henry was involved with complete reinstatement of the ceiling from start to finish. From fall 2013 to winter 2014 Henry partnered with Adrian Pope of AP Plastering and completed many residential and ecclesiastical projects throughout the midlands, ranging from solid lime plastering, modern plastering, in-situ cornice repairs & fibrous plaster. In Spring 2014 they sub-contacted for Bonsers Restoration Ltd, plastering Arkwright’s Cromford Mill, a UNESCO site built in 1771. This substantial project required the application of three coats of sand and lime plaster to an area greater than 1000 squared meters, completed in a three month schedule. Late in 2014 Henry immigrated to Savannah, Georgia, USA where he has undertaken plaster repair projects in the National Historic Landmark district, notably working at St. John Episcopal Church and the Green Meldrim House. During spring 2015 Henry was the first Artisan in Residence for the Heritage Skills Program at Savannah Technical College where he taught traditional plastering skills.
