Joe Tiffany Plastering Contractors, coordinating the works at The Ambassador Hotel on the Esplanade on the south cliff at Scarborough, and Graham a local mason, are keen to restore the building to its former Edwardian glory. We spent a day, showing them how to use hydraulic lime based stone repair materials, to reface the high level, weather damaged, early precast concrete, arched corbel decorative detail found below the gutter line and an upper sill band, of the same material. We used Prompt natural cement to core out the failing and missing concrete sill band, before finishing it in a lime based stone repair material, whilst running the moulded band in situ. Womersleys Ltd stone repair materials were also used for refacing the arched corbels, that were recoated using small trowels and tools.

Ironically Roman Cement is likely to have been used in this area in the era before this hotel was built. Arriving from the London Docks, into Scarborough on large ships returning from delivering coal to London, from the Northeast.[1]  Pigot's Directory of Trades & Professions for Hull from 1829 & 1834 list George & Thomas Earle (manufacturers of Roman cement & Paris white) at 37 Scale Lane, and Pigot's Directory of 1834 for WHITBY lists Roman Cement Manufacturer Mulgrave, Right Honourable Earl, at East row, (John Smith of Lythe hall being his agent)

A very cold day – 4 to + 4 degrees centigrade, working on top of the scaffold, but great views over Scarborough’s South Bay.

[1] JR, ‘The Fifth “Position Paper” for the 2012 Harbour Research Project’, 2012, www.scarboroughsmaritimeheritage.org.uk/article.php?article=487.