Pargetted

Pargetted refers to a surface that has been treated with pargeting, a decorative plasterwork technique in which lime plaster or stucco is applied to walls or ceilings to create raised relief patterns, panels, or imagery. The term can describe both interior wall decorations and exterior façades and is often associated with historic buildings. Pargetting typically employs moulded borders, geometric or floral motifs, and sometimes figurative scenes, executed to resemble stonework or carved plaster.

Practitioners apply lime-based plaster while it is still workable, using wooden moulds, sprigs, combs, or other tools to shape the surface. Patterns may be formed by casting moulds or by freehand modelling before the plaster sets. The finished surface is usually limewashed or painted to enhance contrast. Traditional pargeting emphasizes lightweight, breathable materials compatible with historic timber framing and masonry.

Pargeting dates from medieval Europe and reached particular prominence in Tudor, Elizabethan, and early Stuart England, as well as in parts of continental Europe. In England, surviving examples are especially found on timber-framed houses and on decorative interiors, with regional concentrations in East Anglia and other historic towns. Exterior pargeting, sometimes used to imitate stone or to display status, is also known from the period.

Today, pargetted surfaces are valued in architectural conservation and are sometimes reproduced in restoration or as part of stylistic revivals. Restoration relies on traditional lime mortars and careful matching of tooling patterns to maintain historical accuracy. The term pargetted is also used to describe newly created plasterwork in traditional styles.