Brickwork & Repointing
Period brickwork repaired and repointed with mortar that suits the wall — the trade this company was founded on.
Period property, proper care
Builders in Old Town
Old Town’s Victorian and Edwardian homes deserve builders who understand how they were put together. Extensions, structural openings, brickwork and repointing — done with the right materials, engineered properly, and signed off by Building Control.
Request a Quote Call 07460 232373
Minutes from Old Town — same-week site visits, no charge to come and look.
| Trade | Bricklayer-led team, NVQ-qualified tradespeople |
|---|---|
| Oversight | Chartered (MCIOB) Director on every project |
| Guarantee | 10-year insurance-backed guarantee on major work |
| Checked by | L. Regan MCIOB, Director |
Older houses, different rules
Building work in Old Town’s period homes
Old Town is the oldest and most distinctive part of Swindon — the bay-fronted terraces and villas around Bath Road, Devizes Road and The Lawn were built long before modern methods, and they behave differently. Solid brick walls with no cavity, softer lime-based mortars, timber floors and roofs that have settled over a century. None of that is a problem — unless it’s worked on as if it were a modern house.
That’s where the company name comes from: brickwork is our founding trade. Repointing a period wall in the wrong cement mortar traps moisture and blows the brick faces — we match the mortar to the wall, so the repair lasts and the brick survives. The same thinking runs through structural alterations: opening up a solid-wall Victorian terrace means correct steels, proper temporary support and Building Control sign-off, not guesswork.
We also design and build extensions that respect what makes these houses worth owning — rear and side-return additions that add the kitchen-diner the original layout never had, detailed to sit comfortably against period brickwork. And when a house needs more than one room brought up to date, our renovation work covers the lot, personally managed throughout.
What we do in Old Town
Our building services
House Extensions
Rear and side-return extensions that give Victorian terraces the open family space their original layouts lack.
Structural Alterations
Openings in solid brick walls, chimney breast removals and knock-throughs — engineered, supported and certified.
Renovations
Sympathetic whole-house renovations that modernise the living without stripping the character.
Why it matters who you choose
Why choose a Chartered builder in Old Town
Period homes punish shortcuts. The wrong mortar, an undersized beam over a new opening, a “builder’s word” instead of a Building Control certificate — these are problems that surface years later, usually in a survey when you come to sell. Old Town buyers pay for character and condition; protecting both is the whole job.
SwiftBrick’s Director, Luke Regan, is personally Chartered with the Chartered Institute of Building (MCIOB, No. 2082913) and holds an NVQ Level 7 in Senior Site Management. Every structural alteration is engineered properly, supported correctly, and signed off by Building Control. We’re FMB accredited (Membership No. 170197), fully insured, and back major projects with a 10-year insurance-backed guarantee.
We’re based in Swindon, so Old Town is minutes away — easy for us to drop in, look at a wall or a set of plans, and give you a straight answer. We’re rated 5.0 across 41 Google reviews, our credentials are all documented, and you’re welcome to get in touch whenever you’re ready.
Builders in Old Town — FAQs
Common questions
Can you repoint a Victorian house in Old Town?
Yes — and with the right mortar. Many Old Town homes were built with softer lime-based mortar; repointing them in hard cement traps moisture and damages the brick face. We assess what the wall was built with and repoint to suit, so the work protects the house rather than harming it.
Can you make openings in solid brick walls?
Yes. Structural openings in solid-wall period homes need proper engineering — a structural engineer specifies the steel or lintel, the load path is supported correctly during the work, and Building Control signs it off. That’s standard on every SwiftBrick structural job.
Do I need planning permission in a conservation area?
Parts of Old Town fall within conservation areas, where permitted development rights can be reduced and external changes are looked at more closely. We’ll tell you straight what applies to your street, and help you brief the architect if drawings are needed.
Do you handle party wall matters on terraces?
Work on shared walls in terraced and semi-detached homes often falls under the Party Wall Act. We flag it early, tell you when notices are needed, and plan the work so your neighbours are considered from day one.
A builder who understands old houses
Thinking about work on your Old Town home?
Send us a photo of the wall, the plans, or just the idea — we’ll come and take a look, no obligation.
Request a QuotePrefer to talk? 07460 232373 · luke@swiftbrick.co.uk