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Dr Gerard Lynch - ‘The Red Mason’

Office: 10 Blackthorn Grove, Woburn Sands, Milton Keynes MK17 8PZ - Tel: 01908 584163

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INTERNATIONALLY ACKNOWLEDGED MASTER BRICKLAYER, EDUCATOR, HISTORIC BRICKWORK CONSULTANT, CARVER & AUTHOR

“If Gerard Lynch were an American citizen I would endorse any effort to make him a national treasure. He is singular in his knowledge of historic brickwork, brick manufacturing techniques and their traditional assemblies. Perhaps most remarkably, his hands-on skills equal and has greatly contributed to his encyclopaedic wealth of knowledge. Perhaps more than any other individual in his field, Mr. Lynch has been at the forefront of rediscovering the lost art of "red masonry" at a depth heretofore unimagined”

Jeff Baker, Architect

Mesick Cohen Wilson Baker Architects, New York

“Gerard Lynch is a most remarkable person. He is not only an outstanding master craftsman in all aspects of historic brickwork but he is also a historian, researcher, materials technologist, writer and teacher with an indisputable love for his subject. Those of us who are dedicated to the traditional repair of historic buildings and have benefited from his extensive knowledge owe him a great debt”

Roderick Shelton MA(Cantab) BSc(Eng) BArch(Nottm) DiplCons(AA) ACGI MCMI MaPS IHBC RegArch:

Formerly Chief Architect to the University of Cambridge and now Architect & Historic Buildings Consultant in Private Practice.

“Dr. Lynch truly is a credit to the field brickwork conservation. We have had him to Virginia twice to speak at our "American Lime Conference" on traditional brick masonry. His awareness of historic craft skills and his eloquence in delivering his knowledge, both in his writings and in person, make him a worldwide leader in historic masonry conservation. I have also had the pleasure to see him demonstrate his skills and crafts at other conferences and his professionalism coupled with his ability to connect with his audience whether it is 5 or 100 people make him a dynamic speaker”

Jeffrey B. Price

Organizer- American Lime Conference

“Gerard Lynch has already made a substantial contribution towards the understanding, application, repair and conservation of gauged brickwork, through his books and teaching. I consider him to be the leading UK authority on his subject, combining a very high level of craft skills with a considerable knowledge of the history and technology of brick production in this specialised area”

The late Professor John Ashurst, D.Arch, RIBA.

Director, Ingram Consultancy.

“I have been a bricklayer and masonry contractor for 32 years working on commercial buildings, schools, shopping center industrial masonry and brick kilns, and have always had a love of historic masonry. In 1988 I changed my direction from modern to historic masonry preservation which traditional lime products. Through my research I came across Gerard Lynch's books "Historic Brickwork : History, Technology and Practice Brickwork Vol. I and II, and Gauged Brickwork. I enjoyed these books because you could tell that they had been written by a bricklayer for a bricklayer.

When I later attended his workshops in Woburn Sands a bond was formed between two bricklayers who thoroughly enjoy their crafts. Gerard's knowledge and insight into the origins of English brickwork and its European influences have been a great project at St. Mary's City which was the first Catholic Church to be built in Maryland and is a symbol of America's separation of church and state.

Dr. Lynch has spoken and demonstrated at the second and third American Lime Conference which has opened a new door for his knowledge in the US. Through his contacts at the conference he was invited to be the keynote speaker at the 8th Annual International Preservation Trades Workshop and will be a keynote speaker at this years International Trades Education Initiative Symposium in Belmont, Ohio.

I have no reservation in recommending Dr. Lynch to anyone with an interest in historic brickwork. professional approach, and willingness to help others is a credit to his profession, that of a bricklayer”

James Price - Bricklayer

Principal, Price Masonry Contractors, Inc., Virginia Lime Works

“As an accomplished craftsman Gerard's experiences give him a particular specialist appreciation that allows a singularly practical interpretation of the fact his investigations reveal. His studies advance not only a fuller understanding of historical building methods but they identify practical improvements of the conservation, restoration and repair techniques applied to the rich heritage of brick buildings”

Michael Hammett Dip Arch ARIBA,

Former Senior Architect, Brick Development Association.

“It has been my privilege to know Gerard for many years. I first became aware of him on a visit to Bedford College of Higher Education, where as Head of Trowel Trades he had courageously reintroduced the higher craft skills associated with gauged brickwork to broaden the curriculum for modern apprentice bricklayers. It was a joy to see the high quality of work being achieved by the apprentices in the early 1990s at Bedford under Gerard’s watchful eye and to be comforted that here at least an effort was being made to pass on fast disappearing advanced craftwork skills.

Not content with mastering and teaching the skills to build and repair gauged brickwork to others, Gerard was determined to research further the origins and development of gauged brickwork in England. To this end, through the links he had developed with De Montfort University as a Visiting Lecturer to our MA programme in Architectural Conservation, he registered for an MA by Independent Study which was awarded with Distinction (2000), before going on to successfully complete a his PhD thesis on English Gauged Brickwork (2004).

His academic work has revealed a fascinating story of how knowledge and skills of working bricks in their post-fired state were transferred into England by immigrant Flemish masons/bricklayers in the fifteenth-century, and provides penetrating insights into the development of trade and craft practices of gauged brickwork in England over the centuries until its decline in the years following the First World War. Gerard’s PhD thesis not only fills many gaps in our knowledge, and can be considered to be the definitive work on the subject, but it also points the way forward to the implementation of effective training programmes to equip tradesmen and built environment professionals alike to repair and conserve our rich brick-built heritage sympathetically”

Peter Swallow Dip Surv, Dip Arch Cons, FRICS, FBEng, FRSA, ILTM, IHBC

Professor of Building Surveying, Department of Product & Spatial Design, De Montfort University, Leicester

“In a field where materials and skills are scarce, but increasingly in demand, Gerard Lynch is a key personality and has a major role to play in reviving a building craft which created a significant part of English architecture”

The late Professor John Ashurst, D Arch,RIBA, EASA (Hon) (1990)

Testimonials