Commonly referred to as No.1 London, Apsley House was originally designed and built by Robert Adam. Bought by the Duke of Wellington’s family in 1807, it was subsequently reorganised by Benjamin Wyatt to reflect the Duke’s rising status, and the dazzling interiors he created are magnificent examples of a regency style of architecture. Wyatt also remodelled and reclad the building in Bath stone to project a heightened sense of grandeur and elegance.

Due to ongoing damage caused by pollution, English Heritage appointed DSA to undertake the careful cleaning of the main South façade, together with sensitive stone repairs and replacements to the ornate Corinthian columns, pilasters, capitals, and face work. Cleaning trials revealed that the stonework had been painted with a little known finish called copperas wash. As a result, cleaning methods had to be developed to remove pollutants without deteriorating the copperas wash. Furthermore marrying in the appearance of replacement stones with surrounding stonework finished with copperas wash, presented additional challenges. The finished works have retained the refined exterior of Apsley House, lifting its appearance and ensuring it ready to mark the 2015 Waterloo celebrations.