The medieval town of Bosworth offers much in the way of character for its residents with many listed buildings, thatched roofing and its charming cobbled market square to name a few, resulting in a development of new homes in a historic location that offers the best of town and country living.

Amber Valley Stone vapour cured semi dry cast stone is ideal alongside our modern GRC retro fit door surrounds for adding luxury features to residential and commercial buildings with the look and texture of natural stone; finishes that work to bring a project to completion.

If you are looking for experienced UK vapour cured cast stone suppliers, contact Amber Valley Stone today and find out our our team of experts can assist with your project.

Client: Owl Homes

Contractor: Owl Homes

Sector: Residential Developments

Materials: Vapour Cured Semi Dry Cast Stone & GRC Cast Stone

Completion: Early 2024

The architects, TSH Architects, collaborated with the contractors and Amber Valley Stone to ensure that the precast units met the design specifications and were manufactured and installed with the utmost precision.

Challenge:

The challenge for Amber Valley Stone was to manufacture and supply high-quality precast units that would meet the strict design requirements of the St Helen & St Katharine Sixth Form Centre.

The precast elements needed to be robust and of high quality, with clean and consistent finished faces and corners. The project also required a special colour, which was achieved through a special blend of aggregates, pigments and the use of a medium etch finish.

“I am happy to confirm that Amber Valley Stone has provided a professional and helpful service throughout the design, manufacture, and construction of the precast units for the recently completed Sixth Form Centre at St Helen and St Katharine School, Abingdon.”.

John Dymock – Benfield and Loxley

Solution:

Amber Valley Stone engaged with the architects and contractors early on in the project to ensure that the design and fixings of the precast elements were discussed thoroughly. This allowed for smooth approval, production, and installation on the site. The team worked tirelessly to produce 114 tonnes of precast units, consisting of 881 individual units in the WC-0251ME colour specified by the architects. The precast elements were manufactured using a wet cast process, which allowed for a high level of accuracy in the finished product.

“The precast elements are clearly robust and high quality with many complex shapes. All have satisfying consistent, clean finished faces and corners. We would be very happy to work with Amber Valley on future projects.”

John Dymock – Benfield and Loxley

Result:

The collaboration between Amber Valley Stone, the architects, and the contractors resulted in a successful project completion with high-quality precast units. The precast elements supplied by Amber Valley Stone met the design requirements and were manufactured and installed to the utmost precision.

The redevelopment of the whole Broadmarsh area will drastically improve the city centre once completed, with a new Broadmarsh Car Park and Bus Station, Central Library, Nottingham Castle visitor experience and Nottingham College City Hub and reimagined public realm.

Amber Valley Stone was instructed to supply architectural precast seating and step units including curved areas to the Broadmarsh redevelopement.

AVS manufactured various samples & mix designs for the landscape architects, Pick Everard, to find the perfect colour and finish to meet their strict criteria.

“We have had a very good experience working with Amber Valley. The design interface was efficient, with just in time deliveries.

I would have no hesitation in recommending and working with them on future schemes”

Vince Hacket, Thomas Bow Project Manager

The new spaces and traffic reduction allows improved pedestrian environments. The work provides a public space between the new college, shopping centre, Nottingham Central Library and Nottingham Castle, with spaces for outdoor seating, food and drink in Carrington Street and areas for children to play, creating a better atmosphere to sit and dwell during the day.

“It was a pleasure working with Thomas Bow on this combination of benches and steps for the regeneration of the Broadmarsh centre. The colour and heavy etched finish complement the surrounding block paving seamlessly. Another project by Amber Valley Stone expertly designed and engineered by Erskine Hurt Consultants Ltd.”

Ian Woollen, AVS Project Manager

XO is a collection of eight unique apartments in the heart of Stoke Newington, London.

Created in partnership with Scenesmith and Dowen Farmer Architects. Artform describes the design as weaving a story of craft and sustainability. A celebration of raw interior materials and sculpted exterior design.

Amber Valley Stone engaged early in the design of this project with multiple Teams calls, factory and site visits.

“Artform appointed Amber Valley Stone to supply the precast concrete sections to the façade of our Garnham Street project in North London. They were incredibly helpful throughout, including the design stage, and we were even able to visit and see the manufacturing process. We are absolutely delighted with the finished product”.

Ben Lampert MRICS MCIOB, Artform Development Director

Precast & Masonry Services were appointed by the Artform Group in early 2021 to install architectural precast units comprising of columns and interlocking spandrels all designed, manufactured and supplied by Amber Valley Stone, for a new apartment block development in Garnham Street, Stoke Newington, London.

During the design phase, PMSL worked closely with the Amber Valley team to ensure that our requirements were met for the install.

The overall design of the columns with interlocking spandrels was technically very challenging, that challenge was met by Amber Valley Stone Ltd, the design of the fixings and the panels supplied were excellent which ensured the installation was as straightforward as possible.

“The hard work by both AVS and PMSL resulted in a progressive installation and a superb looking building. This was probably one of the most enjoyable projects that PMSL have had the pleasure of working on in the last 10 years.“

Nick Pitman – Director Precast & Masonry Services Ltd.

Ian Woollen, AVS Project Manager agreed: “Working closely with our in-house design team, Erskine Hurt Consultants Ltd and PMSL, Amber Valley Stone were able to satisfy all interested parties vison for the project and deliver a truly striking building.”

Focusing on the design and build of new homes as well as on the impact that they make within the communities and environments surrounding them. Fundamental to all of their homes is the desire to integrate quality, flexibility and flair.

Voller Gardens consist of 2 five-bedroom detached houses in the Surrey Heath Borough of Camberley.

These stunning five-bedroom, five-bathroom family homes are nestled down a private gated driveway and benefiting from accommodation in the region of 4300 sq. foot over three floors situated in one of Camberley’s premier roads. 

John Murphy, Company Buyer said “We have a great working relationship with Amber Valley Stone having used them on multiple sites. Their quotations are detailed, precise and competitive. The Cast Stone Product is of excellent quality which meets our high standards. They have a customer management team who go that extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction. We would highly recommend them.”

Specification: Semi Dry & Wet Cast Structural units

Products used: Portico, Door Surrounds, Window Surrounds, Quoins, String Course, Gable Vents 

Approx. tonnes of stone supplied = 28.3 

Customer: Natta Homes

Completion: 2022

If you’re looking for standard or bespoke stonework to complete your project, contact Amber Valley Stone today, and find out how our team of experts can assist.

Starting as AH Wilson & Son Ltd in the 1960s, Albert Wilson and his son started building a reputation for reliable and quality joinery and construction work. By the 1980s with grandson David having joined the company, the company AH Wilson changed its name to David Wilson Homes, continuing its reputation for quality construction to this day.

From their Head Office in Leicestershire, the business has grown to much more than the original joinery business, opening Davidsons Homes South Midlands in 2019.

Each year they celebrate this continued commitment to quality with an Awards & Charity Dinner, this year raising money for The Cardiology Unit at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, and naming Amber Valley Stone South Midlands Supplier of the Year 2021.

Step One: Creating the Perfect Mix

The process begins with our computer controlled batching system, featuring multiple sensors, allowing all raw materials to be constantly monitored for moisture levels throughout the process.

This provides consistent water content within every batch produced, which is critical to product integrity and colour consistency between batches.

Step Two: Forming the Stone

Once the mix is ready, within a strict time limit, our experienced operatives compact the semi dry mix into the required mould. Once the mould is filled, the cast is then turned onto a board and finished. At this stage we attach a product identification label, before it progresses into our curing chambers.

View a time-lapse of this stage of the process here.

Step Three: Curing

The process begins with our computer controlled batching system, featuring multiple sensors. When in our state of the art curing chambers and the daily production is finished, the chamber is then closed and switched on. The chambers produce a high volume of dense water vapour, creating a humid environment surrounding the units. This process is carried out overnight for a minimum period of 12 hours.

Correct curing of semi dry cast stone is extremely important. The vapour curing chambers speed up the initial curing process, when the units are more susceptible to damage. This allows us to achieve a high compressive strength overnight, mitigating common issues of handling and installation damage, it also significantly reduces the risk of efflorescence forming on the units.

Step Four: Inspection and Shipping

Finally, our QA team carry out a full inspection of the units, reviewing the quality and checking dimensionally. They are then palletised with corner and edge protection and wrapped to reduce damage during shipping.

Once they have received the minimum curing times set out by British Standards, they are shipped to site on a vehicle with or without offloading as agreed.

They came to see us manufacturing some very special coping units for a project in Devon at Powderham Castle.  

Powderham Castle is a magnificent structure located in the heart of the Devon countryside surrounded by a picturesque gardens and an ancient deer park. First being mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1325, surviving both The War of the Roses and The English Civil War.

It is considered to be one of Britain’s most extraordinary buildings and is why it was chosen to be featured on the television series Nick Knowles – Heritage Rescue.  

Powderham Castle had suffered damages to internal rooms due to part of the roof eroding, letting in rainwater through the previous year. Amber Valley Stone have had the amazing privilege of being involved in preserving the heritage of this impressive 600 year old building.

Amber Valley Stone manufactured 130 unique coping stones for the project, using a careful process making individual moulds for each stone.

The Heritage Rescue television team came to see our processes and document what was involved in making these detailed stones. We had a great time filming with the team and showing them around our factory.