Medmenham Court

Nestled within a private 50-acre estate in the Thames Valley, between Marlow and Henley-on-Thames, Medmenham Court is a country residence of exceptional scale and ambition.

Approached along a sweeping private drive, the house reveals itself gradually before presenting a grand façade. Elegantly proportioned and richly detailed, it displays a level of craftsmanship befitting one of the region’s most significant private homes.

Delivering a project of this scale and precision required solutions equal to the ambition of its architecture. IG Masonry Support was appointed by Inspire Design Construct Ltd to provide a range of specialist systems across the build, including Welded Masonry Support, prefabricated Brick Slip Lintels and B.O.S.S. A1 (Brick on Soffit System), alongside the cutting of brick specials to achieve the intricate detailing throughout the façade.

IG Masonry Support was selected for the Medmenham Court project on the strength of our proven track record in high-quality masonry solutions. Chosen by main contractor Inspire Design Construct Ltd, we worked closely with the team to supply a wide range of brick slip soffit solutions, brick specials, and masonry support systems to achieve the architectural vision.

Rotunda Soffit Detailing
Inspire Design and Construct approached IG Masonry Support for help with the brick rotunda on the building’s top level, with detailing that traditionally-laid brickwork alone would struggle to achieve.

The challenge was the rotunda’s geometry. The façade was curved, but each window and door opening was straight, so the deep, corbelled soffits above them had to follow the building’s curve while returning precisely into every opening. Soffit depths also varied around the rotunda, and the masonry support arrangement had to accommodate a double leaf of stone, brickwork and blockwork while fixing back to the steel frame. As the curvature changed, each section still had to align with the surrounding courses, keep its corbelled profile and transition cleanly into the openings. The master bedroom entrance added a further variation, with a deeper soffit incorporating the continuous projecting soldier course band that runs around the rotunda. The recessed vertical panels between openings also needed specialist detailing to form corbel detail and keep the finish uniform around the curved façade.

Continuous Perimeter Soffit Detailing
On the upper ground level, the design called for a three-course soldier band running around the full perimeter of the building, including the canopy areas leading from the gym and swimming pool. The band was to project from the face of the wall, with its underside finished as an exposed brick soffit. Soffit detailing was also required above the window openings in the tennis court area.

The main challenge during the design phase was keeping this detail continuous while accommodating varying conditions along its length, including pillars, different opening sizes and changing load-bearing requirements.

Large Span Garage Opening
At lower ground level, the basement garage entrance featured an opening spanning over 5 metres, requiring exposed brick soffit detailing. The challenge was to develop a support solution that could accommodate the increased span and loading, exceeding the 3.6-metre maximum length of a standard Brick Slip Lintel, while keeping the support line concealed.

The solution also needed to integrate seamlessly with the surrounding façade, maintaining a continuous soldier course bond pattern and consistent brickwork detailing without compromising the intended architectural appearance.

Designing and manufacturing systems that translated Medmenham Court’s intricate brickwork details into practical, buildable solutions was key to the project’s success. With a small team of contractors and bricklayers onsite, the weight of the systems and speed of installation were critical considerations, alongside the need to maintain the highest standards of quality.

Rotunda Soffit Detailing
IG Masonry Support designed a bespoke combination of Welded Masonry Support (WMS), B.O.S.S. A1 (Brick on Soffit Systems) and brick specials to achieve the intricate brickwork detailing of the rotunda.

WMS systems were designed to fix back to the building’s steel frame above each opening, providing secure support for the B.O.S.S. units and masonry above. The B.O.S.S. configuration varied to suit the different requirements of the window and door openings, with a deeper soffit required above the rotunda’s main entrance. To accommodate the curved façade and corbelled soffit detailing while keeping the systems lightweight and practical to install, the B.O.S.S. units were sectionalised into manageable, repeatable segments. This allowed the units to follow the curvature of the rotunda while remaining light enough for manual installation, eliminating the need for mechanical lifting and helping to improve installation efficiency. Bolted connections to the steel frame also allowed for onsite adjustment, ensuring accurate alignment with the curved façade and the straight window and door frames below. Brick specials were cut for hand-laying above the brickwork panels between the openings, helping to achieve a continuous soldier bond around the
rotunda. This required careful coordination between the support systems and the brickwork to maintain consistent coursing and detailing throughout.

To ensure accuracy before manufacture, IG Masonry Support’s technical team visited the site to take detailed measurements and assess the rotunda’s geometry. These measurements informed the production of templates, allowing each WMS and B.O.S.S. unit to be manufactured to the required dimensions and curvature for a precise, efficient installation onsite.

Continuous Perimeter Soffit Detailing
To create the continuous three-course soldier bond around the canopy areas, IG Masonry Support designed and manufactured Welded Masonry Support and B.O.S.S. A1. The masonry support systems were carefully designed around stone pillars and corner details. Together, these delivered the soffit detailing while supporting the two courses of brickwork above, finished with an aluminium capping and glass balustrade. As with the B.O.S.S. units used across the wider build, each was divided into manageable, repeatable sections, 29 per elevation, making installation quicker and more straightforward onsite.

In the tennis court area, the window openings had much shorter spans than elsewhere on the project, so IG’s Brick Slip Lintels offered a simpler, more efficient option. Prefabricated with a matching soldier course soffit, the lintels arrived ready to drop into position with no need to fix back to a secondary structure. This saved time onsite while keeping the soldier course continuous and the architectural finish consistent across the lower terrace and tennis court areas.

Large Span Garage Opening
At lower ground level, the basement garage entrance solution required three Welded Masonry Support units, with seven B.O.S.S. A1 units bolted directly to the WMS to achieve the specified soldier-course detailing and half-brick soffit. This coordinated approach provided the necessary structural support while maintaining the architectural intent and continuity
of the exposed brickwork.

Medmenham Case Study Brochure
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