An Introduction to WallWalkers

Originally based in Hereford, WallWalkers was established in 1988 as a rope access company specialising in historic and listed building conservation, repair and maintenance. Now located in Bristol near the beautiful Heritage city of Bath, the WallWalkers company has evolved to provide an extensive range of services with a reputation of excellent among countless architects and building maintenance companies.

Using experience gained over more than a quarter of a century, we have become one of the most respected and sought after rope access companies in England. Our team members have been on a range of conservation training courses and are all highly qualified, with unique and varied skills. WallWalkers have always thrived on creating innovative and specialist methods to work in difficult to access places, using systems to preserve and protect the delicate structures.

Our Values and Expertise

As a company, WallWalkers are dedicated to high quality workmanship, personal and bespoke service and the maintenance of their excellent reputation. To ensure the company is at the forefront of current practices, the WallWalkers team are continually updating their qualifications through courses relating to safety at work, contemporary work methods and participating in the various courses run by SPAB.

The decision to specialise in the conservation field arose from a playful remark from an architect client who asked if we could access the top of a steeple to look at the condition of the weathervane. We may not have had the experience, but we certainly had the knowledge, and it was from this moment that we began to do condition surveys of steeples and weathervanes, both internally and externally, while conducting cover-meter surveys to ascertain the whereabouts of iron cramps. This has evolved into the sought-after skill of being able to remove and replace damaged or corroded weathervanes without the need for expensive scaffolding of the whole steeple. A unique project was installing a stainless steel weathervane and the attendant cockerel at St Saviours Church in Eastbourne.

Our stone banking skills have often been called upon for removal and replacement of stone blocks and features, and the pointing and de-frassing of large areas. Our past palmarès include many cathedrals such as Salisbury and Gloucester, plus historic sites such as Rievaulx Abbey, Fountains Abbey, Kirkstall Abbey and Lancaster Prison. We are able to take accurate profiles of existing, work along side skilled masons to produce a precise match in type and design, and chop out and replace the old stone with newly bedded sections.

Another area of expertise has been to provide safety and security for those wanting to get up close and hands-on in hard to access areas, with safety including abseil access for those who wish to see for themselves a given situation; a system whom Stafford Holmes, the very well known architect and writer of the definitive guide to Lime Mortar, has used to allow exploration of much of Warwick Castle with us. We also offer more permanent installations of safety systems so people are able to access areas without the need for future supervision of a technician. Our services in this area allow us to get skilled tradesmen into their work position, such as electricians and specialist lead welders. An exciting project was creating an efficient and speedily movable system to allow a stone roofing expert from the National Trust to repair all the tiles scaling the whole of the Great Barn, Faringdon, in only 6 days.

St Stephens, Wallbrook in London, a very important Christopher Wren Church, suffered damage which may have been attributed to building works next door. We accessed the external facade with a live camera and radio link to a monitor in the church. The group of 12 engineers, architects and assorted insurance personnel were able to ask questions, request measurements and ask for specific views. The Climbing Great Buildings TV programme has won various prestigious awards. We created the scenarios at the 13 different locations and made all the difficult and very challenging rope work elements become a reality.

There has never been a challenge we haven’t overcome, nor a project we’ve not been able to complete to the clients total satisfaction.

WallWalkers always seek to go beyond the client’s expectations in both our workmanship and our efficiency. By communicating and working with our clients, we establish a thorough understanding of their desired outcomes. We are able to match our skills and knowledge to meet these requirements, often offering a wider perspective and thus expanding the opportunities open to them. This ensures we continually excel in providing a service that not only matches but surpasses their expectations, prolonging our reputation of excellence.

Our work ethos is simple:

Establish the client’s needs.
Explore a variety of methods and techniques to reach these requirements
Seek to go beyond their expectations through greater quality, efficiency and service

Clients & Qualifications (click here)

Our team members continue to attend a wide variety of courses, expanding their capabilities within the rope access industry and being kept up to date with the latest information and modern work practices.

Benefits of Rope Access (click here)

Many are aware of the difference between rope access and other forms of access in the industry, however there are also a number of key benefits to using our system that other methods simply can’t match.

Services We Provide (Click Here)

Though we are the leading rope specialists for historic building conservation, our understanding and technical dexterity has evolved greatly over the years, creating a diverse list of skills and services we can provide.