A painter and decorator for Grantchester's older houses
Grantchester is a small village beside the River Cam, just south-west of Cambridge and roughly 8 miles from our base in Landbeach. Most visitors know it for Grantchester Meadows, the riverside walk out from the city, for the Orchard Tea Garden, and for its link with the poet Rupert Brooke.
The village has thatched cottages and other period houses alongside later homes. We've worked in Grantchester before, and as a painter and decorator in Grantchester we're used to older buildings that need a gentler approach than a modern house. We don't have an office in the village; Graham comes from Landbeach to see each job.
Older houses rarely have a straight wall or a square corner, and that's part of their appeal. Our job is to make them look fresh and cared for without ironing out the character, so preparation is slower and more selective than it would be in a new house.
What a Grantchester customer told us
Mrs G in Grantchester found us through a friend. Her review reads: "In this day and age, it's hard to find a company you can trust. Graham Halpenny was recommended to me by a friend, and now I know why: the quality of service I received was outstanding."
We don't have a published case study from the village, but her review sits alongside many others on our customer reviews page.
Looking after period interiors
Old plaster
Lath-and-plaster ceilings and older lime-based walls move and breathe differently from modern gypsum. On these surfaces we generally steer towards breathable paints, fill cracks with care, and avoid stripping back more than we need to. Fine cracks in old ceilings often reappear as the house moves, so we'll be honest about what filling can and can't achieve.
When we stripped paper in one Cambridge bedroom we found tired lath-and-plaster underneath. The worst walls were skimmed, sanded with a dustless sander and given a mist coat to show any imperfections; the bedroom strip and skim shows each stage. Larger repairs go to our plasterers, who will advise on the right approach for the wall.
Windows and joinery
Original timber windows are worth keeping. Our sash window restoration frees sticking sashes and repairs worn timber before repainting. Ledged doors, beams and old skirtings are prepared by hand so the character isn't sanded away.
Wallpaper
Patterned papers suit cottage rooms well, provided the walls are properly prepared. We line uneven walls first and hang the paper to follow the room rather than fight it, which in an old house matters more than a spirit level.
Outside work, listed homes and thatch
If your home is listed or in a conservation area, check with South Cambridgeshire District Council before changing exterior colours or removing original features. We'll work to whatever is agreed.
We don't work on thatch itself. We paint the walls, windows and doors beneath it and take care around the eaves. Our exterior painting starts with a survey for cracked render or rotten timber, then a jet wash with an anti-fungal wash where there's mould, then repairs and paint. Garden gates, fences and sheds can be painted or stained at the same time.
Exterior timber on older houses tends to have many layers of paint, some of it failing. We scrape back loose paint, repair or fill where the wood is sound, and prime bare patches before topcoats, so the new finish has something solid to hold on to.
Visiting Grantchester to quote
Phone or WhatsApp Graham on 07854 408573. He'll visit when it suits you, look closely at walls, windows and joinery, and send a detailed written quotation, usually by email.
The village gets busy with visitors on fine weekends, and some lanes are narrow, so we'll agree with you where a van can park and plan any deliveries for quieter times. Graham will give you a realistic start date and an idea of how long the work should take. We work Monday to Friday and Saturday mornings, tidy every day, and walk round the finished job with you. You don't pay until you're happy.
