Galleting

Flint is used for both structural and decorative effect in this Surrey building.

Galleting, sometimes known as garretting or garnetting,^[1] is an architectural technique in which small pieces of stone are pushed into wet mortar during the construction of a building. It is mostly used for stone building when freestone is not available, since it helps to fill the uneven gaps and reinforces the mortar. Although primarily for this purpose, it is sometimes also used for decorative effect.^[2] Norwich Guildhall is an early 15th-century example, but the technique was used in vernacular architecture until the 19th century. In higher status buildings it was superseded by square knapping the flints to produce flat, squared stones that produced a surface with little exposed mortar.^[3]

Galletting was a common technique in those parts of Southeast England between the North and South Downs, where sandstone buildings may be galleted with ironstone.^[4] In North Norfolk and Norwich, local stones, such as carrstone, may be bonded with flint.^[2]

References

1. ↑ Gillian Darley (1983). Built in Britain. George Weidenfeld and Nicolson Ltd. pp. 68, 144. ISBN 0 297 78312 2.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Arnott, Colin J. "Brief guide to Galleting" (PDF). Domestic Buildings Research Group. Retrieved 23 March 2012
3. ↑ Pevsner, Nikolaus; Wilson, Bill (2002). The Buildings Of England Norfolk I: Norwich and North-East Norfolk. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. p. 22. ISBN 0300096070.
4. ↑ "Repair and maintenance of stone buildings" (PDF). Spelthorne Council. Retrieved 23 March 2012